Chapter 11: Insane

Three months Gotham City Arkham Asylum

"I think your visit will help improve his condition, he is showing signs of a deep depression." The petite, brunette nurse said. She held onto a clipboard as though it was her life-support. The nurse was leading the four Teen Titans, around the dark winding tunnels of Arkham Asylum, Starfire cringed at the sight of all the evil criminals that resided there.

"I do not like it here" she moved closer to Raven as a man leered at her from the confines of his cell. The name on his cell door read, 'Two Face'.

"He is right down here" the woman led them around a corner. She slipped a key into the door and it clicked open. The Titan's made to move inside but she blocked them with her arm.

"There are some things you need to know before seeing him. He…." she sighed, "He is not in stable condition. He refuses to voluntarily take food, we have to force feed him daily. The only time he talk is when he is asleep, yelling about a Slade and Red X. That is when he sleeps, he rarely does, spending most of the time pacing. If I tell you to get out, you must to do so immediately, he sometimes has…..mental breaks, he has sent 12 of my best men to the hospital. We took his mask away in hopes that he would stop thinking of himself as the villain, Robin, but that is unsuccessful so far, he has kept his eyes closed the whole time." She lifted her arm, "You may see him now, but it might be better if you went one at a time I think he would respond to that better." All of the Titans nodded and the nurse motioned for Cyborg to enter.

He ducked under her arm and into a dark and dinghy room. The slim figure of Robin was pacing back and forth. He wore a brown jumpsuit that was covered in blotches that looked like his own blood. Cyborg stared at him for a moment not recognizing him as Robin, the baggy prison uniform couldn't hide the fact that Robin, who had been close to underweight before, was now deathly thin. His eyes were shut tight, the path he walked was well known to him, as he walked without hesitation.

"Hey Robin" Cyborg said uncertainly. Robin did not look up or pause in his pacing.

"Listen Robin I'm sorry, I'm sorry about….all this. I wish it wouldn't have turned out this way man, but, but I didn't have a choice. And I keep thinking maybe I didn't make the right choice. But you're our leader and seeing you like that….I couldn't take it man! You needed help!"

There was a knock on the door and Cyborg sighed and taking a last look at Robin, who was still pacing and seemed not to have heard anything Cyborg had said, then exited the room.

Beast Boy went in next. Looking around at the motley bed then at Robin, he joked, "Dude, nice digs! I mean it does look kind of like something Raven would like, sure it could be homier but nothing Starfire and I couldn't cheer up. You know a little pink paint, some curtains, and a pizza party and it will be just like home…." His voice trailed off and he chuckled nervously. "So dude, we ahhh we miss you a lot. And get better soon so I can kick your butt at Gamestation 1000. So…I guess I'll see you later Robin." Without waiting for the knock that told him his time was up, Beast Boy left Robin to pacing.

After Beast Boy, Raven took her turn. She watched Robin's progress for a while without a word, then burst out, "What happened to you Robin! You where are leader, since when did you become a self-centered, immature, worthless lunatic? We need you Robin, I need you the team needs you and…Starfire needs you." She paused, "I have heard her crying every night. She thinks it is her fault you went away. She isn't the same Robin. She doesn't smile much anymore; she never asks stupid questions about earth's customs. The team is falling apart, no one will admit it but it is true. Cyborg is doing everything he can to keep us together and fill in your spot, but the whole is too big, we need a real leader, Robin. We need the old Robin back!" She spoke the words passionately. Raven watched Robin, who seemed to be deaf to her words. "Damn it, Robin will you listen to me!" She yelled stepping in front of Robin and shaking him. A black aura started to seep from her, the tendrils writhed as she began to lose control of her emotions. Suddenly Robin's eyes opened and he threw Raven from him, into the wall with great strength. She lay dazed for a second and before she could regain her bearings Robin leapt upon her beating at her mercilessly.

"Security!" Raven heard a woman's voice yell from outside the darkness that had begun to cover her eyes. She felt someone lift the light body of Robin off her and drag her own limp body across the floor. Raven heard a door slam shut and then she gave into the inky blackness that clouded her vision.

"Security!" the nurse yelled, five burly guards instantly appeared and ran into the cell, grabbing Robin the pulled him off Raven, who's eyes where closed and had numerous cuts and abrasions. Beast Boy and Cyborg grabbed the half demon and dragged her out of the room, away from the danger.

The nurse grabbed a needle with a heavy sedative in it and entered the room where Robin was kicking at the guards, who were hard put to hold onto him. Finally, after three of the guards had been thrown against the same wall as Raven, they wrestled him to the ground and pinned his writhing body there.

"Slade!" he yelled, "I'll kill you Slade! I'll kill you for what you did to me, X!"

"Hurry! We can't hold him much longer panted one of the guards holding Robin's arm.

The nurse who had honed her skill by years of working at Akarm, slipped the needle into the squirming arm and released all the fluid into Robin's blood stream.

After a few minutes the sedative began to take effect and Robin's cries died out and his flailing limbs went limp.

"Get him in a straight jacket, and strap him to the bed Earl" the nurse said in a tired voice. She left the guards to contain Robin, went outside and closed the door behind her. She looked down at Raven who was floating a few inches off the ground.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she will be, she just needs time to heal herself" replied Cyborg.

"I am sorry but you really should leave now." She turned to Starfire, who looked as if she was about to cry, "I am sorry you didn't get to see your friend Miss. Maybe in a few months when he is better, then you might be able to talk to him." This seemed to make Starfire's vivid, green eyes well up with more tears.

"This 'few months' is a very long time, is it not?"

"It will be a little while, yes"

Cyborg put a comforting arm around her shoulder, "Come on Star, well go home and get some pizza tonight, you can get mint and pickle if you want."

"Friend Cyborg, I am afraid that I am not hungry. I would like friend Robin back"

"I don't know if he is ever coming back Star, I don't know".

Reviews:

Shadow0015: -holds onto belt- yeah you just try taking it away, I am a karate black belt, Tae-Kwon-Do red belt and have been taking Aikido and Ninjitsu forever. Beat that! –Shadow tosses me across the room- Ok I just LET you do that…to…ahhh…boost your ego! What happened in the Batman episode…I need ideas…

Puffgirl: Thank you!

Ravenfairie: You don't want to talk about chili? –pouty lip- How about pizza! I Loooooovvve pizza!