Robin and Raven didn't talk about their date to anyone, even though everyone in Titan Tower knew about it. Strangely, no one else talked about it either. Maybe the others saw the wisdom in keeping their mouths shut about the matter, but Raven figured that Robin had a little "talk" with Beast Boy and Cyborg.
He would do something like that, she mused. He knows I'd hate being the center of gossip. Always so discrete, that Boy Wonder, she thought fondly with a mischievous grin.
The next day, Robin got a call from Wayne Manor. Batman needed him to help with a case involving Blockbuster, a villain who held a particular dislike for him.
"I'll be out of town for a few days," he was telling the gathered Titans in the living room. "Things are pretty quiet down here right now, so I doubt I'll be missed."
"That's open to debate," Beast Boy quipped snidely, throwing Raven a look. She blushed under that knowing smirk. She wanted to smack him.
"Ahem," Robin interrupted, hiding his own discomfiture beneath his mask. "Anyway, Raven will be in charge for the next few days."
"Surprise, surprise," Cyborg commented with that same knowing grin. He immediately joined Beast Boy on Raven's list of future punching bags.
Robin ignored him. "That's really all I have to say. The Batmobile's already out back, so I'll just say goodbye now. Raven, could I have a word with you before I go?"
Followed by the snickering of the other Titans, Robin led Raven into the hallway.
"Why me?" she asked him simply.
He shrugged. "More mature. Smart. We went over that already," he answered.
She nodded accepting the logic. "So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"When I'm in Gotham, I'll ask around about treatments for you. For fixing your magic. Maybe the Justice League knows something about what you're going through. They had a magician named Zatanna on their roster once, you know."
"You don't need to do that," Raven protested. "I've felt a lot better since our…you know."
He smiled. "Yeah, I know. But still, I want to help in any way I can."
"You've already done more for me than you know." She hugged him tightly. He was the only person she felt comfortable enough with to do that. "You be careful when you go back."
"Hey, it's just Blockbuster," he said cavalierly. "I'll be back before you have time to miss me."
She tightened her embrace, so that she could whisper into his ear, "I already do." She released him and said, "Get going, Boy Wonder, or the Batman will give you an earful."
Finding Blockbuster was easy. The huge villain wasn't the brightest man on the planet. But he did know how to hook up with the ones who were. The Joker had hired the enormous thug as protection while he set up "happy gas" bombs throughout Gotham—they would release cyanide throughout three-quarters of the city in less than an hour. The deadly bombs were supposed to go off at midnight. They didn't.
While Batman disabled the bombs, Robin hunted down the villains. Then he had to beat them down. That had been the hard part.
Somehow, whether it was from the experience of fighting Slade or just plain old-fashioned luck, Robin managed to put down both Blockbuster and the Joker without Batman's help. He didn't gain victory unscathed, however. His left arm dangled loosely at his side, dislocated and mangled. He broke two ribs and cracked his clavicle. That didn't include the numerous cuts and bruises from the punches, kicks, and blunt trauma the villains inflicted on him.
But considering the odds, Robin got off easy.
After the criminals had been sent off to Arkham, the Dynamic Duo returned to the Batcave.
"These bruises aren't going to make your girlfriend too happy," Batman said sarcastically as he applied a salve to the cuts on Robin's face.
Robin sat up straight, a wild and confused look in his eyes. "Girlfriend?"
"I'm talking about Raven."
God, isn't there anything he doesn't know? Robin thought. "She isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend."
Batman's face was impossible to read behind the mask and stony visage. But it was clear that he didn't believe a word of it. "Don't let this new relationship interfere with your work," he said simply. He started wrapping Robin's shoulder and ribs.
"It's not interfering with anything," Robin insisted.
"As soon as you got here, you spent an hour on the phone with Zatanna and her friend, John Constantine," Batman reminded him, his tone slightly accusing. He made a splint around Robin's ankle.
"I thought we respected each other's privacy in this house," Robin shot back, miffed. "I didn't know you tap your wards' phone lines."
"You don't technically live here anymore. And I don't think you're looking at this in the right perspective. You haven't been in a relationship since Batgirl. Right now, you're helping Raven with whatever problem she has because she's your friend. But that's only a justification. You're not being honest with yourself. And that could lead to problems in your ability to operate as a detective."
"I don't think I need to hear this from you. Remember Catwoman? Or Talia? Some expert on relationships you are."
"I'm an expert on what happens when you get distracted, Robin. If you don't start being honest—with yourself and with her—there's eventually going to be problems. And those problems will take up your thoughts, making you less effective in your work."
Batman finished his ministrations. "The shoulder shouldn't give you too much trouble, and the ribs can be tolerated. You should take a few days off while your clavicle heals." The Dark Knight strode deeper into the Cave, leaving his partner alone.
"Thanks," Robin said distractedly, thinking about his mentor's words. "Honest with myself. And her. Easier said than done when I don't even know how I feel about her." He shook his head. "What I saying? She's a friend. She doesn't want—or need—anything more than that. That settles it, doesn't it? Damn it, I'm talking to myself like some kind of idiot."
Robin spent the next few days in shiftless relaxation. Or tried to. Frankly, he couldn't relax because he was still thinking about what Batman had said. How could he, Robin, be honest about something full of ambiguity?
I'm probably worrying over nothing, he thought. She never said she wanted anything more out of this…I guess you can call it a relationship…she never said she wanted it to go further than this. I'm probably only feeling this way because of Beast Boy, Cyborg, and now Batman. They're all filling my head with stuff I don't need. I don't need to think about her like that. Not at all. Not those eyes, that mouth…those legs. Damn it! Stop it, Dick.
"You seem very pensive, Master Richard," came Alfred's prim British brogue. The butler had arrived with a tray in hand, carrying a drink and a sandwich. Robin had been so caught up in thought that he completely missed hearing Alfred's footsteps.
"I have a lot on my mind," Robin said. "What's with the food?"
"I thought Young Master might like a little refreshment while you while the day in thought." Alfred set the tray down on a nearby stand. "Are you working on another case?"
Robin sighed. "I guess you could say that. And I'm the mystery."
"I don't believe I follow."
"Um, there's…this girl…."
"Oh, dear. I do say that I've heard this one many a time in my life, and I am quite an expert in this field. One merely has to be honest with oneself and with the other in question."
Robin threw the butler a tired glare. "You could at least let me finish," he said. "And don't try to sound so much like Bruce."
"It is sound advice," said the butler defensively.
"But the problem is, I don't know how I feel." Robin scratched at his head in frustration. "See, I like her—a lot. She likes me, I think. But I don't know if we like-like each other or if its just a like-you-as-a-friend thing."
"My word, that is quite the predicament, Master Richard."
"Don't be snide."
"If I may, Young Master—did the young lady in question ever say that she wasn't interested in a deeper relationship?"
"No. Not directly. Well, not indirectly, either."
"So did it occur to you that she might be waiting for you to speak up first?"
Robin stood up so fast it threatened to aggravate his injuries. He clapped the butler on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Alfred, you're brilliant!" With that, Robin hobbled back into the Manor.
Alfred dusted off the offended shoulder and said with wry humor, "I should dare say so. The younger generation never seems to listen to the wisdom of their elders."