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: Sorry it's been a while, I've been a bit ill : (
Thanks for the reviews! I only saw "Haunted" (the one where Robin goes crazy!) the other day. Kinda similar, huh? Oh well. Lifes a you-know-what! Well, I say I watched it, I spent half the show trying to stop my little bro from kicking my little sis. What fun. Anyway. I think we have now discovered that my English skills are a little lacking...
And Alexnandru Van Gordon, thanks! Now I feel pressure! lol! Me-Hello, I got the idea 'cus my big bro's called Robin. He pointed out the fact that Robin was a stupid name for a hero bacause it's just a real name (I hit him after this...). Stardust-Memory - The UK does rock!Sorry, but it's true!
On we go...
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
CHAPTER TEN
Beastboy and Starfire returned to the tower later that afternoon. On arrival, they had found the tower seemingly deserted. They were heading towards their rooms in silence when they walked into Cyborg. "Hey, you're back." He said.
"Where is everyone?" Beastboy asked. It was a little creepy, the tower being this quiet.
"Raven and Batman have gone after Two-Face." Cyborg said.
"Where is Robin?" Starfire asked before Cyborg had a chance to tell her.
"He's in the infirmary." Cyborg said. "His lungs ain't workin' right." He looked from Beastboy to Starfire. "He's not doin' so well." He said, sadly.
"I must go and see him." Starfire said and, without another word, headed towards Robin.
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Starfire entered the infirmary and sat down in the chair next to Robin's bed. He was sleeping. She sat there for a while, just looking at him. He was paler than when she'd left, almost white now. His breathing was laboured, as if he couldn't quite catch his breath. He was lying slightly on his side, curled up a little and facing her. She didn't like seeing him like this. He looked so unlike the Robin she knew. Her Robin was strong, nothing could hurt him. He always survived, not matter what happened. But seeing him looking like this, she wasn't sure. She felt a tear run down her cheek as she brushed a stray hair back of his forehead.
He stired slightly before slowly opening his eyes. "Starfire?" He asked, though somewhat muffled by the oxygen mask.
"I am sorry," He said, quickly pulling her hand back. "I did not mean to wake you." She stood up. "I shall leave you to rest."
"No." Robin said, removing the mask from his face. "Stay."
She sat back down. "Raven and Batman have gone to find Two-Face." She said, not looking at him. "They should not be too long." She still didn't look at him, instead she stared at her hands in her lap. "And when they return, we shall make you better." She shifted slightly under his gaze, but still didn't look at him.
"Star?" He said, quietly.
"Gotham was different as to how I expected." She continued. "To be honest, I did not like it there." She still didn't look at him. She just stared at her hands.
"Star." Robin said again. "Look at me."
"I cannot." She said, quietly, turning her head away.
Robin coughed slightly. "Why?"
"I do not wish for you to see me cry."
"Star." He said again. She looked up slowly. Tears ran down her cheeks. "Don't cry."
"I cannot help it." She said. "I do not wish for you to die." She said, crying a little more. "You are my best friend, and I do not wish for you to be lost."
Robin sat up slightly, reaching over and taking her hand. "Star, even if I do die, you...you wont have 'lost me'." He pulled her up out of the chair into a hug. "I'll alway be here." He added, quietly.
She hugged him back, still crying. "Should you die," She said softly between sobs, "I shall never forget you." She hugged him tighter. "I am glad I came to Earth."
"Yeah?" Robin asked.
"If I had not," she said, her crying eased a little, "I would not have met you, nor have become a Titan, nor have done or seen so many wonderful things." She pulled back out of the hug and looked at him. "Nor would I have discovered the pleasures of the movie night's, or the joys of sharing the unhealthly junk foods."
Robin smiled. "Yeah," He said. "I'm glad you came to Earth aswell." She smiled at him. A sad kind of smile. He wanted to tell her that everything would be OK, but he couldn't. He couldn't even tell himself that. Although he wouldn't admit it, he was scared. He didn't want to die, not yet, anyway.
Starfire straightened up. "I shall go and see when Raven and Batman expect to return." She said. "I shall be back to see you shortly." She lent over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I will return soon." With that she left, leaving Robin alone.
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Cyborg and Beastboy sat in the lounge playing 'Zombie Ninja's III'. Neither of them were really palying to win, just doing it as something to keep them occupied until Batman and Raven got back. Starfire was in her room. They wern't sure what she was doing in there, but they figured it was best to leave her alone. Robin was asleep, or he had been last time Cyborg had gone to check on him. The screen flashed 'Game Over'. Beastboy had won.
"Good game." Cyborg said. He selected 'Exit' on his controller. "You know, you should go and see Robin." He said, placing his controller on the floor and turning to face Beastboy.
"He's asleep." Beastboy said, looking at Cyborg. "What's the point?"
"You know what I mean." Cyborg continued. "If Two-Face hasn't given them anything useful, then." He shrugged.
"He will of." Beastboy said, walking over the the fridge. He pulled out a carton of juice.
"You don't now that." Cyborg said, sighing.
Beastboy took a swig of juice out of the carton and put it back. "Well what do you want me to do about it,huh?"
"I'd like you to use a glass." Cyborg said, turning back to face the TV. "I'm just saying, man." He turned back to Beastboy. "There's a chance that everyting isn't going to be OK. You haven't seen him once, not since he's been in the infirmary."
"I've been in Gotham!" Beastboy protested.
"You've been back from Gotham for nearly three hours!" Cyborg said, raising his voice a little.
Beastboy sat back down next to Cyborg. "I know." He said, quietly. "I just, y'know." He stared at the floor. "I just don't wanna think about it."
"Look, man." Cyborg said, "Chances are Two-Face has given them what they want. They'll be back in a couple of hours at the most, and this'll all be over." He put his hand on Beastboy's shoulder. "Just incase man. Go see him."
Beastboy nodded. "He will be OK, though, won't he?"
Cyborg shrugged. "I hope so, man. I really do." He looked at the clock. 18.00, Friday. A little over three days left.
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Raven and Batman returned to the tower a little past six o'clock. Everyone had gathered in the lounge to hear the news. They all sat on the sofa.
"So," Beastboy said, "What did he tell you?"
"Did he give you the antidote?" Cyborg asked. "What did you do with him?"
"Will Robin be OK?" Starfie asked.
Raven and Batman looked at each other before looking back to face the other's.
"What?" Cyborg asked.
"Two-Face is currently being held by the police." Batman said, "As for the antidote." He looked at each of them in turn. "There isn't one."
"Say what?" Cyborg asked, not sure he'd heard correctly.
"Then," Starfire said, quietly, tears begining to make there was down her cheeks. "Then Robin is going to die?" She asked, looking from Batman to Raven.
"Maybe not." Raven said, looking at her team mates somewhat awkardly.
"Say what?" Cyborg said, again.
"There is no virus." Batman explained. "Two-Face sent a signal to Robin's brain basically tricking him into thinking he was ill. The virus in his blood stream was harmless. A decoy."
"Well if there isn't a virus," Beastboy said. "Why can't we just snap him outta it. If he only thinks he's ill, can't we just tell him his not?"
"Robin's mind does truley beleive that he has a virus." Raven said. "But, suprisingly, Beastboy has got the right idea." She explained.
"Say what?"
"Has he crashed, or something?" Raven asked, looking from Cyborg to Beastboy. Beastboy shrugged.
"So Robin is not ill?" Starfire asked, Raven and Batman shook their heads. "But he beleives himself to be ill?" They both nodded. "So how will we prove to him that he is well?"
Batman looked at Raven. "Well..." He said.
"I'm going to try and enter his mind and find the signal." Raven explained. "And stop it."
Batman looked at the others. "I know it's dangerous, for both of them." He said, looking quickly at Raven. "But it's the only way."
Beastboy stood.
"Where are you going?" Cyborg asked.
"I gotta go see Robin." With that, he left.
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Part of Beastboy hoped Robin would still be sleeping. As much as he wanted to see his friend, his team mate, a larger part of him didn't. He didn't know if he could. He'd always been an outcast growing up. Well, he was green and could morph into any animal, not the kind of kid you'd normally find living in your neighbourhood. As a result, he'd never had many friends. Not until he'd become a Titan. Sure they argued, fell out with each other and generally bugged the living day lights out of one another, but they were his friends, like his family, almost. To think of one of them dying? Well, it didn't bear thinking about.
He walked into the infirmary to find Robin awake, just staring at the ceiling. "Hey." He said.
"Hey." Robin replied, not moving.
"How you doing?" Beastboy asked, moving closer. What a stupid question, he thought. 'How you doing?'. You're an idiot, Beastboy!
Robin turned to face him. He shrugged a little. "Not too bad." He said, he coughed a little. He knew he should be wearing his oxygen mask, but he hated it. It made him feel, well, he didn't know. Weaker, maybe? "You?" He asked.
"I'm good." Beastboy said, sitting down. "I actually beat Cy at Zombie Ninja's." He said, proudly.
"Well done." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"So what was it like?" Beastboy asked. "Y'know, growing up with Batman?"
Robin shrugged. "He taught me a lot." He said after a moments thought. "I wouldn't be here now, or be who I am if it wern't for him, I guess." He coughed slightly.
Beastboy sat there for a few minuets in thought. It was true. Sad as it was, if it wern't for Two-Face, Robin wouldn't even be a Titan. He'd probably still be with his family. He'd have never met Batman. Never have met any of them. If it wasn't for Two-Face, would any of them be here now? Would the Titan's even exsist? "None of us would, I guess." He said after a while. Robin nodded slightly. "It must of been way cool though." Beastboy continued. "I mean, Batman. Who is, lets face it, one cool dude. But not only him, Bruce Wayne too? Man," Beastboy smiled. "Way cool."
Robin smiled a little. "Yeah, I guess so." He stoped smiling and looked at Beastboy. "I mean," He sighed. "I miss my Mom, Dad and brother. I'd do almost anything to get them back but," He smiled and looked at Beastboy. "Not if it meant loosing all this. I mean, meeting you guys, being a Titan." He coughed. "This is who I am."
Beastboy smiled. While he'd been thinking of all that was great about Robin's past - Batman, Bruce Wayne - the thought of growing up without his own parents made him a little sad. But Robin was right, he was only who he was because they'd died. "Hey, hang on a sec." Beastboy said as a though struck him. "Bruce Wayne?" Robin nodded. "You're that kid in the background on all those photo's of him!" Beastboy said, laughing a little. "Man, you're erm," He treid to think of the name. "Grayson!" He said. "Wow, Grayson." He repeated, realising where he'd heard the name just a day before. "Dude." He said, quietly.
Robin shrugged. "Yeah, I already...already had this talk with Cyborg eairlier." He coughed again. "The Riddler meant my parents, and yes, I'm Richard Grayson."
Beastboy looked confussed few a few seconds. "Dude," He said evetually. "Why Robin?"
Robin just groaned.
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Raven had gone to sleep. She hadn't really wanted to. She'd wanted to help Robin. But, as Batman had pointed out, she needed to rest if this was going to work. She knew the dangers, she knew that it might not even work, but she had to try something. Robin was her friend. She'd never had friends before. But since becoming a Titan, she'd found that the world wasn't against her as she'd always thought. Robin was the reason she was here. Robin was the reason she had friends, that her life had become what it was. She had to help him.
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Batman stood over Robin's bed.
"I can't ask her to do it." Robin said quietly. Batman had explained everything Two-Face had told them to him. "I...I just can't."
Batman nodded. Robin had never liked asking anyone for help. Not even him. "I understand that," he said "But she's detirmined to help you. Whether you like it or not."
"If I let her," Robin said, not looking at him, "and she dies, it'll be my fault." He closed his eyes. "I, I can't let her."
"Richard," Batman said, sitting down. "She's your friend and she cares about you. How do you think she'll feel if you die and she knows she did nothing to try and help you." He said, "Let her try."
Robin coughed a little. "She'll find out about you." Robin pointed out.
"She already knows." Batman said. Robin looked at him confussed. "You called me Bruce the other day." He explained.
"Sorry," Robin said.
"Don't be." Batman sighed slightly. He didn't like the though of Raven doing this either, but he understood why she wanted to, or felt she needed to. And he knew she was Robin's only chance. "Even if she can't help you." He continued. "At least let her try."
Robin nodded. He looked at Batman for the first time since he'd entered the room. "What if she can't help?" He asked quietly. "I don't..." He closed his eyes. "I don't wanna die, Bruce. I..." He placed his head in his hands.
Batman stood and hugged him. "I don't want you to, either." He said quietly.
TBC...
HEHE! A chapter that was of a reasonable length for once. Sorry if it seemed a bit "slushy" - it did to me - but remember, he COULD still die (I know the ending, nah nah nah naaaaaah nah! Ahem IIStraighten's jacketII anyway.) Let me know what you think (HINT HINT.). I'll try and update a little quicker this time...
Lataz, JayBird0009
