Betrayal
Chapter 2: Always Fleeing
"NO!" Robin awoke in his bed panting and sweating. It took a moment for him to realize where he was—safe in his room in the Titan Tower; everything that had happened had only been a dream; all just a terrible nightmare. He and all of his friends were safe at home. Robin leaned forward and pressed his fists into his eyes. Breathing deeply, he calmed his beating heart and hastily swiped the sweat from his brow and rose from his bed.
Robin strode briskly to the den, the Titans lounge and meeting place. He continued forward and only halted once he had reaching the large window overlooking the bay. It was nice to have an island to themselves, but he could not help to feel a little guilty for owning the massive real estate with such excellent location. Still, he and the other Titans kept the city protected and well guarded, and he felt it was a just recompense. He sighed audibly; he was just using the Tower to distract himself. He could feel the nightmarish dream hovering on the edges of his awareness like ravenous birds of prey, awaiting their chance to strike. Suddenly, a soft voice broke through his thoughts.
"Robin?"
He froze, already having recognized the owner of the voice before his sharp eyes followed the sound.
"Starfire, what are you doing up so late?"
Starfire sat before the window, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her cheek rested delicately on her knees, her emerald eyes watching his every move with noticeable interest. She shrugged innocently, a lovely roll of her shoulders; her ever-present smile gently curling the edges of her lips.
"I could not sleep."
Robin welcomed the diversion from his troubling apparitions and settled himself down next to her and sighed wearily.
"That makes two of us."
"Why could you not sleep, friend?" she asked in curiosity, her head rising to gaze at him more fully, intent to hear his tale.
"I...I had a bad dream." Robin turned his gaze to look out the window, suddenly uncomfortable. Starfire hummed her acknowledgment and nod her head once.
"Is that what you call a...'night-mare'?" her voice faltering on the foreign word. Robin made no response. He was slipping back into the epoch of his dream. They recalled themselves horrifically in his mind's eye; one in quick succession of the other. The bloodied knife in his hand, his friend's bodies strewn here and there, and a crimson liquid thick on the floor; even the bitter, metallic smell of blood assaulted his senses. He was breathing hard again, struggling to keep the vision of the broken Starfire from his eyes, straining from it as would a fly caught in a spider's web. But even as he thought it, it was too late—Starfire was in his arms, her eyes wide with pain and sorrow, her grip wavering, her life slipping away. Then she was falling again, her eyes closing as she collapsed.
"Robin...Robin, how could you betray us?...Robin..."
"Robin?"
He jerked back to reality, his breath coming in short bursts and his body shivering with an unknown cold. He could barely make out Starfire's hand on his arm. The usual comfort the action would have given him now vanished and was replaced with horror. His eyes met hers for a fleeting instant—her eyes just as frightened as his. Had she somehow seen the dream as well?
Robin stood quickly, trying with great difficulty to qualm the fear rising in his chest. Impossible. Ridiculous. The very notion of such an idea was ludicrous; he willed the hasty impression away, but the shaking in his limbs did not cease. He stared stricken at the red-haired girl, as if a mere touch from him would shatter her very being.
"Robin, what is wrong?" Starfire moved slowly to stand, hesitant on how to react to her companion's erratic behavior. Robin shied away from her in mounting panic.
"E-excuse me." Robin managed to choke out and dismissed himself from the room at a stride that would have set him airborne if he had had wings. The image of the terribly lost expression on Starfire's face made him clamp his teeth on his tongue so harshly it bled. He spited himself for having done such an act to her; he should have smashed through the immense window-front to have better deserved her uncertainty.
The automated door shut behind him and Robin fled.
A/N: Yes, yes, another short chapter, I have realized, and the next may be quite short as well. Free time isn't so free for me. The plot will become thicker within the next chapter; expect it to be posted sometime next week- end. I'm sorry to say that Robin seems to be so out of character, but it will all sum up toward the end. Until then, keep reading and reviewing! Much kudos to those who have already! Thank you!
Chapter 2: Always Fleeing
"NO!" Robin awoke in his bed panting and sweating. It took a moment for him to realize where he was—safe in his room in the Titan Tower; everything that had happened had only been a dream; all just a terrible nightmare. He and all of his friends were safe at home. Robin leaned forward and pressed his fists into his eyes. Breathing deeply, he calmed his beating heart and hastily swiped the sweat from his brow and rose from his bed.
Robin strode briskly to the den, the Titans lounge and meeting place. He continued forward and only halted once he had reaching the large window overlooking the bay. It was nice to have an island to themselves, but he could not help to feel a little guilty for owning the massive real estate with such excellent location. Still, he and the other Titans kept the city protected and well guarded, and he felt it was a just recompense. He sighed audibly; he was just using the Tower to distract himself. He could feel the nightmarish dream hovering on the edges of his awareness like ravenous birds of prey, awaiting their chance to strike. Suddenly, a soft voice broke through his thoughts.
"Robin?"
He froze, already having recognized the owner of the voice before his sharp eyes followed the sound.
"Starfire, what are you doing up so late?"
Starfire sat before the window, her legs pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her cheek rested delicately on her knees, her emerald eyes watching his every move with noticeable interest. She shrugged innocently, a lovely roll of her shoulders; her ever-present smile gently curling the edges of her lips.
"I could not sleep."
Robin welcomed the diversion from his troubling apparitions and settled himself down next to her and sighed wearily.
"That makes two of us."
"Why could you not sleep, friend?" she asked in curiosity, her head rising to gaze at him more fully, intent to hear his tale.
"I...I had a bad dream." Robin turned his gaze to look out the window, suddenly uncomfortable. Starfire hummed her acknowledgment and nod her head once.
"Is that what you call a...'night-mare'?" her voice faltering on the foreign word. Robin made no response. He was slipping back into the epoch of his dream. They recalled themselves horrifically in his mind's eye; one in quick succession of the other. The bloodied knife in his hand, his friend's bodies strewn here and there, and a crimson liquid thick on the floor; even the bitter, metallic smell of blood assaulted his senses. He was breathing hard again, struggling to keep the vision of the broken Starfire from his eyes, straining from it as would a fly caught in a spider's web. But even as he thought it, it was too late—Starfire was in his arms, her eyes wide with pain and sorrow, her grip wavering, her life slipping away. Then she was falling again, her eyes closing as she collapsed.
"Robin...Robin, how could you betray us?...Robin..."
"Robin?"
He jerked back to reality, his breath coming in short bursts and his body shivering with an unknown cold. He could barely make out Starfire's hand on his arm. The usual comfort the action would have given him now vanished and was replaced with horror. His eyes met hers for a fleeting instant—her eyes just as frightened as his. Had she somehow seen the dream as well?
Robin stood quickly, trying with great difficulty to qualm the fear rising in his chest. Impossible. Ridiculous. The very notion of such an idea was ludicrous; he willed the hasty impression away, but the shaking in his limbs did not cease. He stared stricken at the red-haired girl, as if a mere touch from him would shatter her very being.
"Robin, what is wrong?" Starfire moved slowly to stand, hesitant on how to react to her companion's erratic behavior. Robin shied away from her in mounting panic.
"E-excuse me." Robin managed to choke out and dismissed himself from the room at a stride that would have set him airborne if he had had wings. The image of the terribly lost expression on Starfire's face made him clamp his teeth on his tongue so harshly it bled. He spited himself for having done such an act to her; he should have smashed through the immense window-front to have better deserved her uncertainty.
The automated door shut behind him and Robin fled.
A/N: Yes, yes, another short chapter, I have realized, and the next may be quite short as well. Free time isn't so free for me. The plot will become thicker within the next chapter; expect it to be posted sometime next week- end. I'm sorry to say that Robin seems to be so out of character, but it will all sum up toward the end. Until then, keep reading and reviewing! Much kudos to those who have already! Thank you!