Title: Mind's Obsession
Author: Blair Lebeau, SocialButterfli
Summary: SEQUEL TO HEART'S DESIRE; The Titans are looking for Terra and Terran, and when they find someone who knows where they are, their partnership with this person results in more than they could have imagined. RobStar BBRae CyOC (finally)
Disclaimer: Obviously, I still don't own the Teen Titans. Why would I be writing a fan fic if I did?
Chapter 9 – Putting the Mask Back On
"Come on, Star, this will be good for you," Beast Boy insisted to the tired-looking girl. She just shook her head slowly, eyes wet from crying.
"I wish to return home," she said softly.
"Well, we're already here so you might as well stay," Cyborg said, pulling the car up to the black gates. He got out and pressed the button, followed by Beast Boy and Raven holding Starfire up. She was slumped between them, with no emotion on her face other than pure sadness.
"Must I?" she asked in a wispy voice.
"Think of bunnies or whatever makes you happy," Raven suggested, half sarcastic, half concerned. She had never seen the alien girl act this way before. Just as it didn't seem she could do happy, it didn't seem that Starfire could do sad.
The Titans walked through the opened gates and up to the door. Alfred greeted them out front, and he looked anxious.
"Um, hello, nice to see you again, Titans. What brings you back to Wayne Manor?" he asked uneasily.
"We're here to talk to Bruce," Cyborg said.
"Uh, about what?" Cyborg looked at Alfred strangely. Why was he acting this way? Did you need to schedule a meeting with Bruce Wayne before coming to his home or something?
"We just want to talk to him about business," Cy replied, and Alfred looked back into the house. Something or someone seemed to give him approval, and he nodded curtly.
"Right this way." The Titans entered the foyer and were directed into the living room where Bruce was sitting. He also looked a bit apprehensive.
"Welcome," he said, his voice a bit louder than necessary. "This is a....nice surprise. I haven't heard from you since...."
"Yes, we know," Cyborg said as they sat down. "And we want to apologize for that. That's why we're here. You see, we ran into a bit of....trouble, I guess you would say, and our leader took off. He was the one who had the telecom so we couldn't get in touch with you to let you know our attempt to go after Terra and Terran had failed. So, we're sorry about that. But we wanted to let you know that we've decided to still go after them so your technology tracking wasn't in vain." Bruce seemed to be processing this in his brain as Cyborg voiced their plans, and it wasn't that he looked displeased, but he didn't look as contented as they thought he would.
"Oh, well, that's good, thank you."
"Oh, and congratulations on finding your son." Bruce seemed to become more alert at this, and Raven noticed. She saw him wringing his hands almost nervously.
"Oh, thank you. Dick's very glad to be home." Cyborg and Beast Boy suppressed a giggle at the name but something inside Raven's head clicked. It hadn't before, because in the paper, the son was referred to as Richard. But Dick....
'You were always a hardhead, Dick.' (Control yourselves.)
Unbelievable. Robin was Richard Grayson. And this was the secret she was supposed to keep. But after what he'd done to Starfire and the rest of the team, what did she owe him? Besides, it wasn't like she would come right out and say it....
"Do you think we could meet him?" Bruce dropped his hands and looked at her, seemingly shocked. He recovered quickly, though, and had a good excuse.
"I'm sure he would love to meet you all, but he's very, very shy. Not a big people person. And he's heard about the Teen Titans, so he would be speechless in the presence of celebrities." Raven smiled, knowing that Bruce had done well to distract them.
"Celebrities? Us? AWESOME!" Beast Boy was so excited that Raven almost didn't notice a small thump. From her chair she could see out into the hallway even though no one else could. As Beast Boy rambled on about how great it was that they were considered celebrities, her attention was drawn to a tall lanky boy, holding his foot in his hand and grumbling, probably over a stubbed toe. His spiky black hair and blue eyes gave him away as Richard Grayson from the picture she saw in the paper. Envisioning a mask over the stunning blue eyes confirmed her suspicions. It was none other than the not-so-wonderful Boy Wonder.
'I know your secret, Robin.' Richard looked up in shock at hearing his name reverberate through his head, and caught Raven's gaze. His mouth dropped open as he realized the Teen Titans were in his living room, and his eyes widened as he processed the words she had spoken in his mind. Raven knew where he was and who he was. Now what?
The striking eyes pleaded with her not to give him away. She silently agreed not to, but she never removed her glare. She was angry, and she wanted him to know it. He did.
Richard looked past Raven's violet stare to the small redhead slumped in the chair to her right. Although her hair was uncombed and her usually sparkling green eyes were bleary, she still looked beautiful to him, and she always would. Some girls look prettier when their eyes are crystallized with tears, but Starfire was not one of those girls. She would always look her best when happy, and it killed him inside to know that he was the cause of her sadness. Perhaps Bruce was right. But he thought back to Mad Mod's attack, and how she was used against him, and his decision was reaffirmed. Starfire was better off without Robin, and she never even knew Richard.
'You think it's the best for both of you, but you've never been so wrong. You're killing her, Robin. Fix it before she's dead.' Richard brought his gaze back to Raven's, and shook his head slowly.
I can't.
"Rae, what are you looking at?" Cyborg asked. Raven snapped to attention, and when she looked back, Robin was gone.
"Sorry, must have zoned out," she said. She noticed Cyborg beginning to stand, so she stood as well, followed by Beast Boy. Starfire continued to stay shrunken in her chair. She hadn't said a word since the ride. As Cyborg said their goodbyes, Beast Boy and Raven helped Starfire up.
Bruce was unable to resist. He knew Dick was in earshot, and he wanted him to hear this.
"What's wrong with your redheaded friend?" On the other side of the wall, Richard felt himself switch back to his Robin persona as concern for Starfire wracked his body.
"Oh, she....a fight with someone broke....something," Beast Boy explained lamely. Robin clenched his fist against his heart, knowing that the fight had been with him and the something had been her heart.
Dick, you dick. (I love that innuendo, I really do.)
"I'm sorry. I hope she heals."
"We do too."
"I assume you defeated this enemy," Bruce continued.
Okay, Bruce, that's enough, I get it. I suck. I know this.
"No, I can't say we did," Cyborg said, bitterly. Raven took this opportunity to maintain Bruce's point.
"But we hope that we'll meet again." A knowing glance made Bruce understand that she knew, or at least had an idea. And with that, Raven turned, her cape twirling with her, and then the Titans were gone. Richard walked out of the shadows and towards Bruce.
"There was a lot of hidden meaning thrown around out there," he said, trying to sound casual but failing terribly.
"I think we've trained enough," Bruce said, abruptly. "I think it's time we go after Terra and Terran."
"Why? Because the Titans are as well?"
"Well, partly, yes. It will do you go to be united in battle with them, even if you're working with me. But mainly because you've got to get them out of your system. Without Starfire and the Titans, the twins have been able to take over your whole mind completely because you have nothing else to occupy it besides your painful memories, and you won't allow that. Once Terra and Terran are defeated you will finally have to come to your choice. It's back to the Titans or here with me, and you know there's only one choice....Robin." In his hands, Bruce had Robin's discarded mask. He handed it back to the owner.
Richard put it on and became Robin once more.
"Then let's do this." Bruce nodded, and signaled to Alfred that the duo was heading to the Bat Cave one last time.
And Robin felt himself feeling nostalgic for his favorite power words: Titans, go!
Sorry for the confusing back-and-forth-ness between Robin's alter ego. I wanted it to be realistic, so I wrote it the way it would be written if it actually were written. Without the mask, he's Richard, and to Bruce he's lovingly called Dick (though that just doesn't seem all that loving to me, a name like that, but to each his own), and to any of the Teen Titans he'll always be Robin. So when it was centered around Robin I called him Richard, when it was centered around Raven I called him Robin, and when it was centered around Bruce I called him Dick. Hope that cleared it up for you instead of just confusing you more.
Sneak Peak: Terra and Terran FINALLY make an appearance which involves the F word and I don't know how people feel about that so I thought I'd just let you know that it is used once. Also Star and Rae have a sisterly moment.
Keep on reviewing!
Blair