When dawn came, so did a shadow. It walked up to the slumbering figures on the rooftop of Titan Tower, shading them from the sun. The sudden chill woke Raven and she looked up. And she gasped, eyes widening.
The Teen Titans were heroes, powerful and coordinated, loyal to one another. They were strong, perhaps even legendary. They fought villains that could stop an army. But Raven beheld a man who could have stopped a thousand armies. This man was a legend among legends. His exploits were the stuff that the Titans aspired to. Cinderblock, Doctor Light, the HIVE…they were nothing compared to the supervillains this man defeated on a regular basis. He did not speak. His presence, towering and imposing, held more than enough authority and awe to stun people to silence.
The Batman had come to Titan Tower.
"You must be Raven," he said in a gravelly voice, observant and alert. "Daughter of an otherworldly being and a mortal woman, gifted with magical abilities, trained at the domain of Azarath, a ghost along the edges of the Teen Titans. Am I correct?"
Raven was initially shocked at Batman's presence, even more so that he knew so much about her, but she quickly regained her composure. "You must be Batman. Your reputation as the world's greatest detective doesn't do you justice," she said coolly. "Not many know the name Azarath, or what it signifies. Much less my heritage. I won't even bother asking how you got here undetected."
"I'm here for Robin."
"He's sleeping."
The eyes of the Batman, hidden beneath the intimidating cowl, narrowed. "I heard about the incident. I talked to him earlier about it. And I came to a decision." The tone was demanding, authoritative, and expected to be obeyed.
But Raven was defiant. "He's sleeping." She adjusted Robin's head so that it was pillowed against her lap. She idly brushed a hand through his hair. "Let him rest."
"Wake him."
"I said he's—"
"Wake him."
Raven locked glares with the Batman. But the daughter of Satan was no match for the Dark Knight. She relented and gently shook Robin awake. His eyes snapped open as soon as he felt that familiar presence. His head bolted from Raven's lap and his eyes locked onto Batman's.
"So you did come," he said stiffly, standing. Raven followed suit. "I don't need anyone to talk to right now," he said. "I've…already reconciled." He gave Raven an appreciative smile, which she returned.
Batman's eyes narrowed at the exchange. He said, "We need to talk, Robin. In private."
Robin walked up to his former mentor, as defiant as the day they became estranged. "What you have to say to me, old man, can be said in front of my friends."
Batman was silent for a moment, but then quietly commented, "You've gotten some of your old spirit back." Louder, he said, "All right, if you insist, your friends will hear what I have to say."
Five minutes later, the gathered Teen Titans stood on the rooftop in the presence of one of the World's Finest. The awe and reverence Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire held for Batman was palpable. Raven hung back, having recovered from her earlier surprise. Robin stood grimly at the head, facing his onetime partner and waiting for what he had to say.
Batman did not make him wait long. "I've watched footage of your recent fight with Doctor Light," he said. "And I saw you hesitate. Badly. You've never reacted like that before, Robin. You claim that you've reconciled with what happened to Slade Wilson. Perhaps your mind believes it to be so. However…."
With a movement that was almost too fast to see, Batman threw a Batarang at his former partner. It struck Robin on the shoulder—his good one. He let out a cry and clutched at the injury, already feeling it bruise. The Titans gathered around him, concerned and suddenly wary of the Batman.
"You couldn't even dodge it," Batman said. "You didn't even see it coming. That's not like you at all. You've become a liability, Robin. You can't fight the way you are now. You're afraid. Of dying or of killing, it doesn't matter. The effect is the same."
His next words were like daggers thrust into Robin's heart: "You're no longer worthy of the costume. As your legal guardian and teacher, I'm taking you off the Teen Titan roster."
"You can't do that!" the Titans shouted, almost in unison. Some of them had harsher things to say.
"You…overbearing bastard!" Robin roared, quickly loosing his temper. "You can't do that to me! What gives you that right?"
Batman was unfazed by his anger. "The law," he said coldly. "The law you and I fight to protect. You're my legal ward and a minor. That means I am responsible for your safety as both your guardian and your teacher. I only let you and Batgirl join me on patrol because I thought you could handle yourselves, because you were trained to fight well. But things have changed. I don't think you can go out there anymore without risking yourself—and those you care about."
Robin's glare shocked his friends. Never before had his eyes held such…outrage. "Look, I made a mistake, Batman. I almost killed a man, a human being. I almost crossed the line. Because I was afraid. I admit it! I was afraid! But I'm only human, damn it!"
"That isn't the point, Dick!" Batman shouted back. "You didn't almost cross the line. You did. You fired a gun at a man. And look what it did to you. You were a wreck when I found you at the hospital. And now you can barely fight. Because you didn't know. How could you know? Come back home, Dick. Let me help you be worthy of the costume again."
Then Robin did something no one expected. He punched Batman. "You self-righteous son of a bitch!" he growled. "How dare you! Let me tell you something, Bruce. I am worthy of the costume. I am because now I understand. All these years you kept telling me that we had to protect life, that we couldn't kill. You never told me why. But now I know why. I saw his eyes, Bruce. After I shot him, I saw the terror. I know." He threw the word at Batman like a diseased piece of rubbish.
Robin walked back to his friends, reflexively taking Raven's hand. She squeezed his. "And even if I didn't know," Robin whispered, "I have people I can count on to help me out."
Robin was going to turn around to give Batman one last look, but there was a rustle of cloth, so he didn't bother. He already knew the Batman had gone.