Birthday Reflections
Chapter 5: Payback and Passage
The doors to the main room of the tower opened as Cyborg made his way inside. Robin was seated at the console of the computer, as security footage from prison holding cells displayed one after another on the screen. Robin carefully insured that as many known criminals as possible were accounted for, so that there would be no surprise intrusions or emergencies during the party. He was completely silent, focused on the screen, but Cyborg knew that he was aware that he was in the room.
"Lookin' for a date to the party?" Cyborg teased.
Robin pushed a button, switching the computer to stand-by. He swiveled his chair around, facing Cyborg, resting an elbow on the side of the console. His expression was as serious as ever, obviously not finding Cy's comment humorous.
"Just running one last check." he said getting up from his seat "Just because we'll be enjoying ourselves doesn't mean we should completely let our guard down."
"Star said there was something we still needed for the party. Since she's shopping, what else is there?"
"Star's picking up a few things, and I've just completed the last of confirming all known captives in the holding area."
"So... we're now officially ready?"
"Absolutely"
Cyborg was a bit confused why Robin had called for him if he was doing the last of what needed to be done, but was content that he could go relax for the party. Cyborg shrugged, turning to leave.
"...Just as soon as you spend a couple hours training in the obstacle course." Robin said as he began to walk away.
Cyborg stopped. He should've guessed.
"Say what?" he responded turning halfway to face him.
"Look Cyborg, I'm not really the kind of person to hold a grudge, but isn't there a small amount of guilt you'd like to get off your back?"
"Oh, THAT"S what this is about." a small, familiar grin resurfaced "C'mon man, it was just good clean fun."
"Listen Cyborg, you should train for a couple of very good reasons. First of all, it would be a very nice gesture to your leader, who could make your life so very miserable if he wanted to."
Cyborg's grin faded. Robin was definitely taking the whole thing personally.
"Not to mention, it would be a small start of redeeming yourself for the humiliation you put me through." Robin concluded, taking a step towards him.
Robin was clearly still upset with him, but at least he was doing it in a calm manner. Cyborg tilted his head slightly, looking down at him.
"Hey man, I understand you're still a little ticked off at me, but that's no reason to force me to train. We were both up early, working our butts off to get this party ready to go. We're both a little tired. If ya wanna push me a little harder tomorrow during our regular training, fine, but why don't ya just lay off for now." he reasoned, calmly folded his arms.
Robin's face was unchanged.
"Sorry, Cyborg. You brought this on yourself."
Cyborg willed a reassuring smile, as his chest compartment opened.
"Robin, I'm gonna ask you, as your friend and team mate, to please reconsider."
"My decision...is final" Robin replied, turning around, sitting back down at the computer.
Cyborg pulled the remote out from his chest compartment. His extended the antennae, and dangled his finger over the button.
"You sure about that?" he said playfully.
Robin merely raised an eyebrow. He knew perfectly well what it was and what it did, but he didn't want to spoil the surprise.
"Do you think I'm bluffing?" Robin said turning his attention to the computer.
"Oh, I know YOU wouldn't bluff, Robin." Cyborg narrowed his eyes "But neither would I."
Cyborg pushed the button on the remote. He stared at the back of Robin's head, predicting his reaction. Any second now, the computer screen would be flooded with electronic messages, and giant image of Robin in Starfire's outfit would take up the entire screen. And not just here, but all along the East Coast. If luck was on his side, Starfire would see the image on a news broadcast while she was out shopping. The thought was enough to overtake him, make him fall over laughing until his mechanical components fell apart from the vibration of all his laughter.
But, nothing happened.
Cyborg's face went blank with confusion. He pushed the button again. And then again, and again. He was soon shaking the remote violently, hoping whatever part was loose or whatever was on the fritz would pop back into place.
"Come on. COME ON!" he shouted.
Robin hid a smirk.
"Having some technical difficulties, Cyborg?" Robin said, resuming his work on the computer.
Cyborg's head turned slowly, glaring at him. In a final fit of frustration, he threw the remote on the floor, bringing his massive metal foot down on top of it. The impact smashed the remote to pieces. Cyborg was on the verge of tears. His well-laid plans, the prank he would've remembered til the day he went offline, all for nothing.
BEEP BEEP BEEP
Cyborg lifted his foot, peering down at the remains of the device. A slow steady beeping was coming from the dismantled remote. Maybe all it needed was a forceful touch. Maybe there was still hope. Cyborg jumped for joy.
"Aw Yeah!" he shouted, pointing at Robin in triumph "Any second now, you're gonna..."
CLANG!
Both of Cyborg's arms detached, falling lifelessly to the ground.
"...Laugh your ass off." Cyborg finished, annoyed.
It didn't take him long to figure out Robin was behind this act of sabotage. Robin turned back around, his smirk now visible.
"Maybe you should skip training after all, Cyborg" he said getting up again, beginning to walk past him. "You'd be at a disadvantage seeing as how you're "Un-Armed".
With a slight chuckle and a spring in his step, Robin exited the room.
"THIS ISN'T OVER, ROBIN!" he shouted.
Robin had already left, but it didn't matter to him. His opportunity to humiliate Robin on a grand scale had failed. And what was worse, Robin had gotten the last laugh.
"Could this get any worse?" he sighed.
The damaged remote on the floor beeped again.
CLANG!
Cyborg's legs detached, causing his torso to land with a thud against the floor. He looked from left to right, surveying his robotic limbs, sighing once again.
"I knew I shouldn't have thrown out the user's manual."
Back in BeastBoy's room, BeastBoy was doing something rather uncommon to him. For the first time, in a long time, he was cleaning his room. Or at least a close resemblence to cleaning. He was currently in the process of cramming several of the previous mounds of clothes into his closet. The closet was far too small to accommodate so much, but it didn't stop him from trying. BeastBoy took running starts, driving his shoulder into the heap of clothes, trying to force them inside. BeastBoy with one last charge, turned, putting the force of his back into the push. The clothes were barely inside, just past the closet door. But he could still feel the overwhelming weight, and knew that the minute he got out of the way, they'd topple him for sure. Still straining to hold them in place, he stretched a leg out, hooking the door with his ankle.
"Okay." he said to himself, inhaling deeply "1...2...3!"
BeastBoy hurled the last of this strength backwards, forcing the clothes in. In one fluid motion, he swung the closet door shut with his foot, and leapt out of the way. He quickly recovered, immediately getting behind the door. After a few seconds he cautiously backed away. The door wobbled slightly, but it was definitely closed. He breathed a sigh of relief.
Cleaning wasn't usually a daily routine for BeastBoy, but he needed something to take his mind off what had happened not long ago. He was still convinced that he had somehow upset Raven by asking for a kiss as his birthday present.
"I just know Raven's gonna do what she always does when she gets mad." he said dusting himself off. " She'll avoid me for the next few days. She won't talk to me, she won't make eye contact, and when she finally gets over it, she'll make up for lost time with one of her sarcastic remarks about how immature I am."
BeastBoy looked at his reflection in a mirror hanging from the closet door.
"I am NOT immature." he said crossing his arms. "I'M NOT! I'M NOT! I'M NOT!" he shouted, jumping up and down like a whining child throwing a fit.
He caught himself, quickly ceasing his infantile behavior. But not soon enough. The shaking from his jumping popped the closet door open, causing a tsunami of laundry to escape.
"Eep." he whispered as the tidal wave overcame him, burying him below layers of clothes.
BeastBoy's head popped out from under the newly reformed mountain of clothes, a sock hanging from his pointy ear.
Suddenly, there was a gentle knock at the door.
"Who is it?" he asked shaking the sock off.
"It's me." came an all too familiar voice.
"Raven?" BeastBoy said, surprised. "I'll be right there."
BeastBoy morphed into a gopher, burrowing and tunneling his way through the pile to the floor. He quickly morphed back to his human form, double checking that there were no other articles of clothes clinging to him. He grabbed the door handle.
"I thought you were mad at..." he started, opening the door.
Upon opening the door, a black vortex greeted him, pulling him towards it.
"MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" he shouted, being sucked into the vortex.
BeastBoy made a frantic attempt to grab onto something, but there was nothing in reach. He was now swimming in mid air, trying to put distance between himself and the vortex. But the pull was too strong. Beastboy was completely pulled in within a matter of seconds. The instant he was fully enveloped, the vortex subsided. Raven was left alone, as she stood just outside the room. She held her mirror, looking down at her reflection, trying to get a grasp on what she had just done. She felt a little bad just pulling him in the moment he opened the door with no explanation. Then again, would it have been any less awkward extending an invitation to go into her mind? Not exactly a formal event.
Raven stepped inside, not taking her eyes off her mirror.
"Okay. I go in, talk to him, and come back out. It'll all be over and done with."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had her doubts, but it was a little late to turn back now. It would be fairly difficult to convince someone she accidentally sucked them into her mirror, even if that someone was BeastBoy.
Raven looked deep into the mirror, preparing for the passage into her own mind. Suddenly, the alarm blared throughout the speakers of the tower. Raven was caught off guard by the sudden noise and flashing lights. She could here footsteps approaching rapidly.
"Raven!" came a shout from down the hall.
She turned to see Robin racing towards her, and Cyborg trailing behind.
"There's a robbery happening downtown! Starfire's already there, but she's gonna need backup!" Robin said rushing past her.
"I…uh…BeastBoy" she attempted to explain. But Robin was moving at top speed, too fast for him to hear her.
"C'mon Raven!" Cyborg said moving at considerably slower pace. He was slightly limping, with a ratchet in hand, still attempting to reassemble his limbs.
"But…" Raven began.
"Later! Right now we better get to Star!" he said grabbing hold of her arm.
The sudden pull from Cyborg caused the mirror to fumble out of Raven's hand, landing in one of the nearby smaller piles of clothes in BeastBoy's room. Raven struggled to go back for it, but Cyborg's pull was too strong.
"You don't understand. BeastBoy…" she struggled to get out being dragged by Cyborg. She still tried breaking away, but with no luck.
"He'll have to meet us." He said tightening a bolt on his thigh.
Raven started to follow Cy willingly, but still hesitantly looked back. She couldn't bring herself to explain what she had been doing and where BeastBoy was. She just hoped he'd be all right until she got back.
Next Chapter: BeastBoy has been sent into Raven's mirror. But he's not aware of why. And with Raven away assisting the others, how will things play out with BeastBoy alone in her mind? And though Robin seems to have avoided another attempt of Cyborg's to humiliate him, can he finally rest easy?