DISCALIMER: I own nothing. Nada. Not The Teen Titans, not Batman. None of it's mine except the story line, and I'm not making any money from this, it's all for fun...(I think that's everything...).
SUMMARY: When an old enemy of Robin's comes to town, so does Batman. The Titans learn of Robin's past, and much more... but what about his future?
NOTE: Thanks for the reviews! Hey, does Raven have pockets? Anyway, here we go...
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
CHAPTER EIGHT
Robin hadn't left his room for over a day. The only contact anyone had had with him was when Raven took him food. She'd leave the tray outside of his door then collect it, barely touched, a few hours later. They could have overidden the security lock, but they though it best to just leave him alone. Batman had tried talking to him, but unsucesfully. Even in the lounge, Cyborg and Raven could hear the shouting. Robin had made it quite clear that he didn't want to go back to the infirmary. Batman had returned to the lab and Cyborg to searching.
"Man," Cyborg said, standing from his seat at the computer and walking to the fridge. "It feels like I've been looking forever!" He pulled out a bottle of cola and poured a glass. "And all I've found are a few bank jobs that may, or may not be connected to Two-Face." He took a sip of cola and walked back to the computer. "This is useless." He turned to face Raven. "How're you guys doing?"
Raven closed the medical journal she was reading. "So far, not that well." she sighed. "Nothing we've tried has had any kind of effect." She and Batman had been working practically 24-7. Infact, she couldn't recall the last time she'd seen Batman out of the lab.
"How's Robin?" Cyborg asked.
Raven shrugged. For the past day or so - except the time Batman had seen him - she was the only one to have seen Robin. "I'm going to see how Batman's getting on." She said standing. Cyborg mumbled something in reply before she left for the lab.
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"Hey." Raven said, entering the lab. "Any luck?"
Batman shook his head. "Nothing." He said, looking at her. "I though I was onto something a while ago but," he sighed and looked back at the screen. "I've tried just about everything I can think of. The structure of the virus just seems resiliant to every compound I've tried."
"You're tired." Raven said, walking over to him. "Maybe you should take a break." She suggested.
He shook his head. "No." He sighed again, "Any news from Starfire and Beastboy?"
Raven shook her head. "Nothing yet." She looked at the screen and thought for a moment. "I was just reading in one of the medical journals something about Tarazine having a mild affect on some Chloride based compounds." Batman nodded, listening. "If you could come up with a basic formula that had an effect, then maybe," She shrugged.
"Then maybe it could be adapted to have a more powerful affect." Batman said, "And kill the virus." Finishing off her sentence. He nodded. "It's the best idea we've got at the minute." He said, returning to the microscope next to the computer. "How's Robin?" He asked, turning back to face Raven.
"I was just going to check on him now." She answered before heading to the door. "I'll let you know." she said, leaving.
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Raven knocked on the door again. Still no answer. "Robin?" She called. Even if he hadn't opened his door to her, he'd still called to her through it. She was worried. "Robin?" She called again. He didn't answer. She though for a moment about what to do before deciding to phase through the door. The room was dark and it took a moment for her eys to adjust. "Robin?" She saw him lying on the bed, seemingly asleep. She walked over to him and knelt beside him. He was so pale. "Robin." She said, her voice more forceful this time. Still no response. For a moment she feared the worse. So much so that she placed her fingers upon his neck to check for a pulse. It was there, but only faintly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her comunicator. "Cyborg, Batman." She called into it. "I'm in Robin's room. Both of you, get here now." She didn't wait for them to respond before placing the comunicator back in her pocket. "Come on, Robin." She said, gently. "Wake up." He didn't.
She knelt there for a moment, not sure what to do. She felt a wave of panic rise in her but forced herself to remain calm. She thought about using her comunicator again, but before she could, Batman entered the room. Without a word he picked Robin up and walked out of the room.
Raven followed, meeting Cyborg in the corridor. "What's up?" Cyborg asked, his voice full of concern.
Raven just stared after Batman, Robin lifeless in his arms. "He won't wake up." She said, quietly. She tried to regain her emotions, she had to keep herself together. Cyborg placed an arm around her and she lent into him. "What if this is it?" She asked him, looking to where the pair had been just seconds before. Cyborg didn't answer. Although she tried, she failed. A single tear ran down her cheek as they headed to the infirmary. As they entered the elevator, the lightbulbs in the corridor simultaneously exploded.
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By the time Raven and Cyborg reached the infirmary, Batman had already placed Robin on one of the beds and was in the processs of hooking him up to the monitors.
"What's wrong with him?" Cyborg asked, moving a little closer to the bed.
Batman finished attaching the wires before answering. He looked up at the monitor. "His lungs aren't working properly." he said, not looking at them. "He's not getting enough oxygen." He looked down at Robin.
"So what?" Cyborg asked, looking at Raven then to Robin. "We've gotta put him on oxygen?"
Batman nodded, but before he could speak, Robin's body jerked violently. And again. And again.
"What's happening?" Raven asked.
"He's having a seziure." Batman said, leaning over Robin to hold his shoulder's down. "It' OK, Robin." He said quietly into his ear. "It's OK." After a few minuets, Robin seemed to calm down. Then went back to being still. The only diffeence was this time, he seemed to be breathing far more heavily. "One of you get an oxygen mask." He said, looking at Cyborg and Raven who were both still standing there, watching. Raven was the first to register waht had been said and went to fetch what Batman had asked for.
Batman turned his attention back to Robin. "Robin?" He asked, softly. "Come on, Richard, open you're eyes." Robin stired slightly, but didn't open his eyes.
It took Cyborg a second to realise what he'd just heard. Richard? He thought. Did Batman just call Robin Richard? But...he can't have. Must of mis-heard.
Batman, oblivious to Cyborg's thoughts, continued trying to rouse Robin. "Come on." He said, gently. Robin did begin to open his eyes before closing them again. "Come on, Dick." Batman said. "You gotta wake up."
Cyborg, supprised by the softness in Batman's voice, listened carefully. Dick? He thought. Now he knew he hadn't misheard that.
Raven return with an oxygen mask and placed the end of the tube into the appropriate socket on the wall before handing the mask to Batman.
Batman excepted the mask off of her without looking up. "Come on, that's it." He said as Robin opened his eyes.
"Bruce?" Robin asked quietly. So quietly, Raven wasn't entirley sure she'd heard him correctly. She pretty much knew Cyborg hadn't heard it.
Batman glanced up at Raven quickly before returning his gaze to Robin. "Yeah, it's me." He said, smiling. "Now, I've gotta put this mask on you, OK." He explained to Robin, who shook his head. "It'll help you breath better." Batman said, ignoring Robin's protests. "Now, leave that on." He said when Robin tried to take it off. "I'll be back in a minute, OK?" He said. He looked up at Raven and motioned for her to follow him. "Stay with him?" Batman asked Cyborg, who nodded.
He walked outside and Raven followed. "I'm guessing you heard him say my name?" He asked, looking concerned.
"Don't worry." Raven said. "Who you are is of no concern to my. I just wanna see Robin get better."
Batman nodded. "Thank you." He said, re-entering the room. As they approached the bed, all three comunicator's beeped at once.
"Yo." Cyborg said, being the first to grab his. "Beastboy?"
"Yeah." Came Beastboy's reply. "The Riddler's been in touch with Two-Face."
"What did he say?" Raven asked.
"He gave us a riddle." Beastboy said, sounding dumbfounded. "It was..." He paused, trying to remember. They heard Starfire say something in the background, then Beastboy spoke again. "To find him first you must look, to where the Graysons life he took. It hides behind the disrepair. The rubble - you shall find him there." He said. "Whatever that means." He added.
"What?" Cyborg asked.
"The circus." Batman said. "He killed the Grayson's at the circus." He said, looking from Cyborg to Raven. "Do you have one hear?" Cyborg shook his head.
"Wait," Raven said, thinking. "We did. It got closed down a few years back. It's on the south side of the city." She informed them.
"Raven, come with me. Cyborg, you stay here."
"Wait, wait." Cyborg said, sounding confussed. "You're going where now?"
"The circus." Batman repeated. "Two-Face is hidding at the circus!"
TBC...
Ohwooooooo. What will Two-face tell 'em? Hey? Oh well, you'll have to wait and see. Let me know what you think (hint (" ,) ). Told you the answer to the riddle was easy! Lol!
Lataz, Jaybird0009
