Chapter 8:- Startled
(A/N: Kinda assumed the Titans know Robin's real identity, otherwise this chapter would have been very complicated…)
"You want a soda Gar?" yelled Cyborg from his kitchen.
"Sure. You got any Sprite?" yelled Animal Man back as he settled down on the couch, next to Raven.
"7-Up OK?"
"Yeah."
"What about you Rae?"
"I dunno. What did I used to drink?"
"Herbal tea," said Cyborg and Animal Man in a droning monotone.
Raven experienced a quick flashback of herself gulping down some tea, then smiled. "I'll take a 7-Up."
Animal Man looked at her slightly taken aback, then he smiled broadly and chuckled to himself.
"What?" asked Raven.
"Nothing," Animal Man replied as Cyborg entered the room with two cans of 7-Up and a large glass of milk fro himself. He threw the sodas to Animal Man and Raven before sitting comfortably in an armchair.
Animal Man downed his can in one gulp before Raven asked awkwardly. "So who's next?"
"What?" asked Cyborg.
"Well, Mod and Dr. Light won't be the only ones, so who are we going to find next?"
"Whatever did happen to Robin?" asked Animal Man.
"I dunno. I lost touch with him," said Cyborg. "I know he went back to Gotham though. That's Dick for you, no matter where he goes or what he does, he always goes back to Gotham."
Animal Man chuckled.
"Alright then, let's go to Gotham!" exclaimed Raven.
"Now?"
"Yeah…"
Animal Man smiled. "How we gonna get there? I can't carry you and Cyborg. Heck, I can't carry just Cyborg."
"No need dude," said Cyborg. "You think I don't have a car?"
"The T-Car is --- was in the Tower garage."
"I know. I built a new one. I call it the Cy-Car."
"Let's go then!" exclaimed Raven, standing up.
"Alright, let me go get it. Meet you out front."
Animal Man and Raven nodded and Cyborg left the room with a smile on his bearded face.
"So are you two OK now?" asked Raven.
"Yeah, we're cool," replied Animal Man, looking straight into her deep scarlet eyes.
"Sure? I don't want to have to separate you two again."
Animal Man smiled. "Yeah, I'm just gonna have to keep an eye on him, that's all."
"Sure?"
"Yeah… Forgive and forget, right?"
"Right," Raven said.
"C'mon, let's go," said Animal Man, striding towards the door.
"Gar?"
"Yeah?" he answered, turning back to her.
"Thank you,"
"For what, Rae?"
"For forgetting your own problems to help me with mine."
"You're welcome, Rae," he said with a broad smile.
She walked towards him and hugged him tightly. Animal Man let out a low breath of satisfaction as he wrapped his arms around her. Raven rested her head on his shoulder happily.
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"Raven…" muttered Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy…"
"We'll get you back to the tower. We'll get it out."
"I… Beast Boy…"
"It's OK. You're gonna be fine."
"I…"
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Raven opened her eyes quickly in shock. Why had that memory come to her? There was nothing to remind her of it, but it came anyway. She tightened their embrace as a shiver of fear sparked down her spine.
They were interrupted as the Cy-Car's horn honked twice. "C'mon y'all!" yelled Cyborg.
The two separated, smiled at each other and went outside. Animal Man climbed into the back seat as Raven opened the passenger side front door. She looked around quickly, then asked her two companions in a worried tone: "Where's Dr. Light?"
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"Well?" came the drawling voice.
"They… My hands…" muttered Dr. Light.
"You failed, didn't you?"
"Yes…" said Dr. Light quietly, bowing his head in shame.
The voice growled angrily. "Send assassins to kill the remaining Titans that Raven hasn't met yet, and something to stall her. They must not be allowed to regroup. And you… Dr. Light… have outlived your contract."
A gunshot sounded and Dr. Light fell to the ground, undoubtedly dead.
An evil chuckle echoed throughout the dark room. "Sharpshooter… Is she ready?"
"Almost," said the gun-toting villain.
"Good. Keep at it."
"Yes, sir."
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The Cy-Car sped down the highway at incredible speeds. Cyborg's new set of wheels was more streamline than his old one, resembling a sports car in silver with the blue electronic panels similar to his own. Also, there weren't many panels or buttons on the car's dashboard despite its numerous features. Cyborg seemed to control almost the entire car with a blaze of his electronic eye.
Raven rode shotgun, whilst Animal Man sat behind Cyborg, leaning up front to converse with his friends.
"So any guesses where we can find Robin?" asked Raven.
"Well, Robin always played it mysterious. I doubt we'll be able to find him. However, Dick Grayson is another matter entirely."
"Why so?" asked Animal Man.
"Because Mr. Been-Stuck-In-A-Tower-For-Fifteen-Years," said Cyborg, to which Animal Man replied with a disapproving grunt. Cyborg chuckled once, then continued: "Dick Grayson happens to be the illustrious adopted son of Bruce Wayne, multimillionaire owner of Wayne Industries. My guess is he'll be working for his dear old dad at Wayne Industries' Head Office, which happens to be right here in Gotham City."
Cyborg looked back at Animal Man with a smirk on his face. Animal Man grunted, slightly annoyed, but Raven smiled broadly, simply glad that the two were friends once more.
"Oh, I'm not done…" stated Cyborg. "Like all modern cars, the Cy-Car has a built-in phone," his red eye blazed. "And I just instructed the car to call the Wayne Industries Head Office." A low ringing came from some of the car's speakers as Cyborg turned the car into downtown Gotham City.
"Show-off," muttered Animal Man as he slumped back in his seat.
"Thank you for calling Wayne Industries," said a perky voice from over the telephone. "How may I be of service to you today?"
"Yes. Erm…" said Cyborg. "Hi. I'm looking for Dick Grayson. Could you tell me where I could find him?"
"One moment please --- I'm sorry but it seems Mr. Dick Grayson no longer works for us here at Wayne Industries."
"What?" exclaimed Cyborg loudly.
Animal Man sniggered in the back of the car. "Who's so smart now?"
Cyborg's eye blazed and the phone hung itself up as Cyborg slowed the car down at a set of traffic lights.
"Alright," the mechanical man started. "We'll call directory enquiries, do a Google search on him, and have a quick scour of the Yellow Pages... We're bound to find him then."
"Or we could just do it the old fashioned way," said Animal Man.
"What you mean look? Gotham City is huge Gar!"
"Err… Cyborg?" said Raven, pointing out of her window at a small store on the corner of the street with a large banner stating 'Grayson Records' over the entrance.
"Well… That works too," said Cyborg, slightly taken aback.
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"What the heck is Robin doing owning a record store?" said Cyborg as the three walked through the door. The few customers in the small, but well stocked, store stared at them for a few seconds, then turned back to looking at the CDs.
A man in jeans and a baggy Evanescence t-shirt came from the back room holding a stack of CDs. He had short black hair, but it wasn't a skinhead cut. His eyes were a deep shade of piercing blue, and he had numerous scars up his arms.
"Dick?" asked Animal Man, astonished.
The man dropped his CDs. "Raven?" he said, rushing up to hug her.
They embraced for a second before he pulled away from her. "Man, you look great, Rae. I'm so glad you're OK."
"Dick man, I am so glad we found you," said Cyborg.
"Yeah, we need your help," continued Animal Man.
"Well, I have the biggest record collection in Gotham… What are you looking for?"
"Not that kinda help little buddy," said Cyborg.
Dick flashed a look of worry through his eyes, then sighed and pushed the three out of the door, followed them outside, then promptly shut the door.
"I don't…" said Dick sure, that the coast was clear. "I don't do that anymore."
"WHAT?" said Cyborg and Animal Man in unison.
"You gave up being Robin?" asked Raven calmly.
"Dude, that's nuts!" proclaimed Cyborg.
"No being Robin was nuts, Vic! I don't have any superpowers… I was just a stupid kid playing with a cape…"
"But…" started Animal Man.
"There aren't any buts Gar! I'm just Dick Grayson now… A regular person of Gotham City."
"But…"
"Robin is dead, Gar. Deal with it," Dick said angrily before turning back to the door of his store and slamming it loudly as the little bell in the top corner tinkled annoyingly.
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Erm… I think I'll just go before the Robin fans start to throw stuff at me…
