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: A big "Sorry" to Alexnandru Van Gordon, he did manage to review inbetween chapters. I take it back, he's still in the lead... And I'm In a Kill People Mood raised a good point. Why would there be bikes in his mind? I dunno, suspend beleif! Hey, Raven had Birds in her mind, and flying strawberries! Thanks for the reviews! Here we go...Onwards!
A TALE OF TWO CITIES
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Raven exited the house and turned left through the gradens until she came to the garage. The doors were open, so she walked in. The garage was massive, full of old motorcycles aswell as new. She walked up and down the aisles between the bikes.
"Hey again."
She turned around to see Orange Robin standing by the door.
"Hi." She said, as she continued walking. "Which one can I take?" She asked.
Robin shrugged. "Which ever one you like." He said. "But be careful. It's a long way to go." He warned her.
"How far is a 'long way'?" She asked, walking back down an aisle towards him.
He shrugged. "Lets just say Robin sees his life at the Tower as being a million miles away from his life here." He smiled at her. "A long way." He repeated.
"Great." Raven muttered to herself.
"When you get to the Tower," Robin said, his face now serious. "Be careful. And make sure you don't let him out. If he gets out," He shook his head.
"If he gets out, what?" Raven asked. "Who is 'he'?"
"He wasn't always there." Rbin explained. "He came a few years ago. About the time Two-Face killed Robin's parents." He looked away from Raven and focused on a spot on the floor. "We managed to lock him away in the mansion, before locking him in the Tower. He's stayed there and caused no trouble. Well, except for that time with X and few years back. And with Slade an' all." He looked up at Raven. "But he's been growing stronger lately. Feeding off the Virus, and helping it to destroy us." He sighed. "If he gets out again, I don't think we'll be able to put him back."
Raven looked at him, slightly confussed. "Why would any part of you want to help the virus?" She asked, not understanding. If any part of Robin wanted to destroy him, then surly that part of him would be killed also?
"Nobody knows how he thinks." Orange Robin said. "Red seems to now more about him than anyone, but try and have a civilized conversation with him!." He chuckled slightly before sighing. "Red wants to help him." He explained. "With Red's help," He shrugged again. "Take care, Raven." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you need our help, you'll have to get to True Robin. We can't come unless her wills us there. He keeps us here to keep us away from him. He has to." He moved his hand away. "Be careful." he walked towards the door. "And If I were you," He called back. "I'd take the Harley."
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She had taken the Harley. After what seemed like a lifetime of traveling through changing surroundings, she wondered to herself why she hadn't just used her powers and flown to the Tower. She stopped the bike and got off, looking around her. She seemed to be in a wood. It was dark, there was only a little naturel light creeping throught the tops of the trees. Robin's mind was not as she's thought it would be. She wasn't sure what she'd expected. Maybe it was because Robin always seemed so sure in himself, that he always knew what to do. Infact, Robin's mind had troubled her a little. It was a lot darker, a lot more confussed than she'd expected. It reminded her in many ways of her own in that it was a lot more troubled than either of them would let anybody think.
She gatherd her thoughts together and headed north, wondering what she would find.
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It had almost been a full day. Batman had not left the infirmary once. Neither had Starfire. The two had sat there in silence, watching, waiting for any kind of sign. Nothing had happened. Raven and Robin both just lay there, lifeless. Robin's heart rate had breifly risen at one point, but then returned to normal. Other than that, nothing.
Cyborg entered the room and stood at the end of Robin's bed. "Any change?" He asked.
Batman shook his head. Starfire remained silent. Cyborg sighed. They had less than two days left. If Raven wasn't out intime, they'd loose them both.
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Raven landed outside the Tower. It looked just like their Tower, except there was no city in the background, just darkness. The Tower was also dark, except for one lonely light on the top floor - Robin's room. She walked up to the door, it was locked. Of course it was locked, Robin had to keep 'him' - who ever the heck 'he' was -locked up. She unlocked the door using her powers, remembering to lock it again after herself. There were no light in the Tower and she took a minute to find her barings. She made her way to the lounge unoticed. She opened the door slightly, noticing a figure standing by the window. Who ever it was looked to be of a size with Robin. She stood there for a minute, not sure if she should confront him, or find another way to Robin's room. Before she could decide, the figure spoke.
"If you're coming in," He said, "Then come in. If not." He turned around. "Then go away." With that, the lights came on in the room. It was Robin at the window. Red Robin, Robin's anger.
"What are you doing here?" Raven asked, entering the room. "How'd you get in? Where Robin?" She walked a little futher into the room, careful not to get too close.
"I snuck in when you unlocked the door." He said. "Now what are you doing here?" He asked, "Apart from getting ready to die." He added, smiling wickedly.
"Where's Robin?" She asked again, this time, slightly more forcefully.
"What do'you care anyway? You'd probably be better of without him."
"What?" Raven asked.
"Just get outta here." He snapped. "Robin should be dead." He said, angrilly. "Everybody wins, the burdon's gone."
"Why do you wanna kill Robin so much?" Raven asked, her voice rising slightly.
"Because that's what I do!" He shouted back. "Don't you get it?" He asked, looking at her as if she were an idiot. "Self Loathing. That's me. And the sooner I get off this sinking ship, the better." He turned to look out of the window.
"Loathing?" Raven said to herself. He wasn't just anger, he was loathing. That's why he wanted to help who ever or whatever it was that was killing Robin. "Look, you have to help me." She said, calmly.
"It's too late." He snapped at her. "I can't help, even if I wanted to." He turned to face her. "And I really don't want to."
Before Raven could do anything, Robin had jumped at her, kicking her square in the chest. "God, I've wanted to do that for ages!" He said, turning back around to look at Raven, who was on all fours on the floor, trying to catch her breath. He ran at her again, but she rolled out of the way just in time. Something he wasn't expecting, which gave her a brief advantage.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" She shouted, binding Robin's limbs in black energy. "Now," she said, still slightly winded. "Tell me where I find him." He remained silent, so she squeezed a little tighter. "Tell me!" She shouted.
"No." He started at her defiantly. "Not even if you kill me." He laughed, not looking away from her even to blink. "You'll have to find him on your own!" With that, he managed to break free of Raven's grasp. He ran at her, punching her across the face. Raven fell backwards. She felt a little blood trickle from the corner of her lip.
"I'm sorry, Robin." She said, quietly. "You've left me no choice." She took a deep breath. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" With that, Robin was lifted from the floor, surrounded in black energy, and thrown into the wall. He slumped down onto the floor. Raven ran over to check on him, kneeling beside him. He was alive, just unconciouss, a trickle of blood ran down his nose. "I'm so sorry." She whispered before standing and heading on towards Robin's room, hoping to find what she'd come for.
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"What is happening?" Starfire asked Batman, concered.
Raven's body had jerked twice, she now had a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth.
"I don't know," Batman said, standing over her bed. Her pulse had risen slightly, but had lowered to normal. Just as she seemd to have calmed, Robin jerked.
"Robin!" Starfire shouted, rushing over o his bed. He lay still, a small amount of blood trickeling from his nose. Starfire looked up at Batman. "What is happening to my friends?" She asked him.
Batman shook his head. "I think..." He checked their vitals. Both had returned to normal. "I think they were fighting." He said, sounding a little confussed.
At that moment - prompted by Starfire's cries - Cyborg and Beastboy entered the room. "What's going on?" Cyborg asked.
"Their heart-rates just rose briefly." Batman said, still checking their vitals.
"Dude." Beastboy said, looking at the two. "Is that..." He looked a little closer. "Is that blood?" He asked.
Batman nodded. "By the blood, and the sudden change in their vitals, and them reverting so quickly," Batman said, facing the two, "I think they may have had a fight."
"But what coould thay have to fight about?" Starfire asked, still by Robin's bed.
"Maybe she found the virus." Beastboy suggested.
"I hope so." Batman said. They only had forty-eight hours left.
TBC...
Hmmm...So Robin has a 'Self Loathing' side, huh? Well, it fitted in with him wanting to help him kill himself (you know what I mean!). Let me know what you think (hinty hinty breath so minty!)
Lataz, JayBird0009
