Chapter 16: Return

"I should take you to jail, you know" Nightwing swaggered over to Robin.

"What makes you think you could catch me? You keep saying you are going to send me back to Arkam but you never seem to keep your word"

"You really think you could have gotten away from me if I didn't want you to?"

"What?"

"I have been letting you get away on purpose"

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it is fun, watching you suffer"

"This is just your twisted game of cat and mouse isn't it?"

"Cat and bird would be more fitting. And I love every moment of it…..Kid how did you get out of Arkam?"

"Trade secret"

"Ohh come on you can tell me"

"Nope"

"Did you make it out on your own or did you have help…maybe from Batman?"

"He didn't help me, no one has seen him for a few months now"

"So is he your father?" Nightwing sat down on the edge of the roof top. Robin for a moment considered pushing him off the edge but something made him sit down next to Nightwing.

"Do you always ask so many questions?"

"Not always, why did you leave Gotham? Why come out here and start the Teen Titans?"

"I didn't want to be in Batman's shadow anymore, Gotham has Batman, Jump City needed me."

"I wouldn't care if I was in Batman's shadow, that guy is like…a legend."

"Feel free to take my place…ohhh wait you already did that" Robin glared at Nightwing.

"Hey I thought we were over that by now"

"You may be 'over it' but it is all I have been thinking about since I found you taking over my team. Trust me in Arkam you have a lot of time to obsess over things like that."

The sun was beginning to rise over horizon.

"You really are…" Nightwing started but he was cut of by the slam of a door nearby.

Raven had walked onto the roof.

"Sorry, I was just going to meditate. I didn't know that anyone else got up this early." She hadn't spotted Robin yet.

"Listen Raven would you mind going downstairs for a moment, right now I am kind-of…." Raven was staring at a place behind Nightwing. Nightwing followed her gaze, Robin was standing in plain sight.

"Raven it isn't what you think….."

"What isn't what I think? You're a traitor. You betrayed us, you have been helping him!"

"No I haven't!"

"He wasn't" Robin spoke up, walking forward.

"And what proof do you have? He probably helped you escape from Arkam and…."

"He didn't, Two Face helped me. I couldn't have gotten out if it wasn't for him."

"Why did he help you?"

"He said he wanted 50 cents in return, odd but it got me out"

"You see I had nothing to do with it! I was just trying to bring him peacefully."

"Why you…!" Nightwing pulled handcuffs out of his utility belt and clipped them around Robin's hands.

"Sorry Rob, just protecting number one" Nightwing whispered so Raven couldn't hear him.

"Raven, please listen to me! Look in my mind! Please."

Raven looked deep into Robin's mask before closing her eyes and concentrating hard on Robin's thoughts and memories.

"Wait Raven, it could be trick!" Nightwing jumped towards her. Black energy formed from her hands creating a block between her and Nightwing.

"No!" Nightwing bellowed, thinking quickly he grabbed Robin and shoved him over the side of the tower.

"NO!" Raven yelled.

Thinking fast and praying it would work, Robin clumsily grabbed his grappling hook out of his utility belt. Clipping it onto the back of his belt, he pressed a button and the rope shot out. Robin prepared himself for the inevitable jerk that followed.

"Ahhhh" He yelled as his fall was cut short.

"Robin!" Raven called from the roof of the tower, "Robin, are you ok?"

Not answering, Robin, who was feet from the rocks below, pulled a bird-a-rang from his belt and cut the line holding him up. He landed almost cat-like on his feet. Taking a last look at Raven he broken into a run, his hands still cuffed behind his back. He ran for the place he now called home.

OOOOOOOO

Raven turned to Nightwing furious.

"Why did you do that?"

"I-I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to be hurt, what if he did something to you a-and I hadn't done anything, I could never forgive myself. I-I really didn't mean to throw his that hard, just the thought of you being hurt was…."

"Fine"

"Come on Rae, don't be mad at me!"

"I have to find him" she brushed past Nightwing, "I only saw a little bit of what he was thinking, I need to see the rest"

"Raven, you know that what is in his mind is what he believes, it might not be what is really happened"

"I know"

"Let me go with you"

Raven levitated into the air and flew quickly in the direction Robin had taken.

OOOOOOOO

The apartment above a deli was dark, it always was. The widows were boarded up so that not even a ray of moon light shone through. He had moved from the old warehouse to here, after an 'anonymous' person gave a tip to the police, that hideout wasn't safe anymore. Robin found his way to the bed easily, the path was well known by now. It had been difficult to climb up the wall and though the small opening with his hands cuffed behind his back and he was safe, for now. Robin felt around in the back to his belt, he was sure that he kept a few bobby pins there. Nothing.

"Nightwing. But how did he?" Then it fell into place.

OOOOOOOO

Raven had no idea where Robin would be. She knew he wouldn't leave town, for some reason he was drawn here, he needed to come back here. She tried to get into his mind again, but he was to far away. At least that was what she thought.

After an hour Raven flew by a deli, thinking of how she needed a cup of tea, badly, she flew to a stop and took one last look around,

"Robin where are you?" she asked to the cold night air. She didn't wait for an answer, as she flew back to Titans Tower she never heard the reply,

"Raven?" The weak voice called from the behind the boarded up apartment. "Raven don't leave…." There was no answer to Robin's plea.

The boy wonder stepped back from the window and sat down on the bed. It sank under his weight.

"I hate you so much….Damn, do I hate you X" he whispered but at the same time, he was grinning, "You're good though…I'll give you that X, you are good."

OOOOOOOO

Nightwing sat lazily on the couch. The other three Titans slept on not knowing that anything was amiss. A figure glided into the room, this was what Nightwing had been waiting for, practicing for.

"Raven, I'm sorry about before…"

"Don't be your our leader and you did what you needed to."

"So you aren't mad at me?"

Raven didn't look at him, "It's late we should go to bed before we wake up the others."

"Did you find him?"

"No"

"You're going to keep looking aren't you?"

"Yes"

Nightwing got up from where he had been sitting for hours and swaggered over to Raven. His face was inches from hers.

"You know, Starfire is a great girl but I would love someone with more…experience" he breathed

Raven stepped back, looking at Nightwing as if seeing him in a new light for the first time.

"Goodnight" Raven said curtly before walking quickly back towards her room.

"Raven?" Nightwing called as she reached the door to the hallway. "Keep out of here" he tapped his head.

Raven paused, then kept walking, 'I won't go back in there, I found as much as I needed' she thought.

OOOOOOOO

"Damn, damn, damn!" he knew she had been in his mind since the second she walked in but he didn't thing she would have been able to go that far. Raven's powers were getting stronger, he couldn't let her ruin all this after how hard he had worked. How could he stop her? If he said anything that was sure to only prove his guilt more, but on the other hand if he said nothing it would indefinitely prove the same fate. Sighing he made his way back to his bedroom. He would sleep on it and hopefully have a better plan in the morning. He hoped.

Nightwing pulled a leather bound book from in between the mattresses. This little innocent looking book was the reason he had been able to pull this whole masquerade. All because Robin had poured so much information in this journal then left it where anyone could find it.

Flipping through the book for the thousandth time Nightwing skimmed over all the intricate drawings. Some of the Red X costume, some of his own Robin costume, especially interesting was his the sketch of his utility belt. Each pocket was labeled with what it held. Then came the most impotent pieces of information, the ones that had been most helpful to him. From this book he knew everything about all of his fellow titans, their strengths and weaknesses. Things that could come in handy if his team ever turned against him. And the story of how Starfire had gone into the

Future and found out about Nightwing. This book was where he had gotten the idea, knowing full well how destroying to Robin it would be.

OOOOOOOO

It was much harder to sneak into the tower with handcuffs on. Robin listened closely for any noise as he climbed silently out of the hidden tunnel. He heard nothing, hoping against hope that it was safe. Nothing disturbed his walk as he made his was to Raven's room. Robin was sure that he would wake everyone with the noise his pounding heart was making. It sounded like drums in his ears. As he passed Nightwing's room he stopped to listen, pressing his ear against the door. He heard a rustle of what sounded like pages in a book being turned and slight whispered words.

Moving on Robin went straight for Raven's room only pausing at Starfire's door. The room next to hers was Raven's. Instinctively he took a step back remembering Raven's words,

"No one ever goes in my room"

But he needed to go in there now, so stepping up, Robin waited for the door to open. With a faint hiss it slid to the side and once Robin walked through, closed.

If Robin could sum the room up in one word, it would be creepy. It was neat and tidy but reeked of darkness.

Raven's bed was pushed against the far wall. The figure under the blankets lay motionless. Robin slipped a hand over her mouth and gently shook her. He quickly learned to never surprise Raven again. Her eyes shot open and black tendrils threw Robin forcefully into the wall.

Raven was on her feet in seconds.

"Who are…..Robin?"

"Guilty" Robin got unsteadily to his feet, nothing seemed to be broken but he knew he would sore in the coming days.

"Are you really?"

"Raven, I felt in you in my mind before. How deep did you go?"

"I only saw flashes, Batman, a clown. And Red X"

"Can you go deeper? I want you to find the truth. What has really been going on"

"Why don't you tell me, in your own words. The flashes I get when I go inside your mind are confusing. My powers aren't that strong yet" Raven helped Robin onto her bed then sat down next to him.

"Ok, it all started when……." For what seemed hours Robin reviewed everything that had happened to Raven. "And so I came here to see if you would believe me, do you?"

Raven opened her mouth to answer but the flashing red lights and screeching of the alarm drowned out her words.

"Raven!" Nightwing called through her door, "Trouble!"

"Stay here" Raven got swiftly to her feet and left the room.Her cloak swishing behind her. Robin followed her seconds later. Everyone was gathered in the living room. They were all looking at the television screen. Robin stood in the doorway at stared at the TV. He couldn't believe it. He was dead!

"Hello Titans."

"You're dead!" Beast Boy yelled at him, "Tera killed you!"

Slade ignored this comment and instead set his eyes on Nightwing "And I see you have a new number in your ranks."

"The name's Nightwing, and you're going down, Slade"

"Impetuous, but I am not here for you. I am calling for Robin. Who has remained uncharacteristically silent. What's wrong Robin? Cat got your tough?"

All of the Titans spun around and saw Robin standing in the doorway staring unbelievingly at the screen.

Slade laughed, it was a laugh that sent shivers down the spines of everyone in the room "We will be in touch, Nightwing" With that the screen went black.

Reviews:

Jeanniestorm: I wish I could say yes to all of your questions but I can't. I swear she said Friend in front of someones name before….maybe it was just in the fic I have read…and I have read waaaay to many of those.

GDeacur: The story is going to wrap up pretty soon. 10 more chapters or so. I could see it getting old (it was that evil writers block!) and hopeful it won't be any more, I have a fresher plot line.

shadow0015: NOOOOOO! I was doing so well! I think there might be a few baddies in this chapter. I was writing and checking it so fast. You don't like rainbow suspenders?

Alexnandru Van Gordan: -bows down- you are my hero! And say Hi to Vicky to me ok? I don't know what I like to read better, your story or you and Victor duking it out. Yeah I saw the show after I read the comics for a while and I was like, Why is Deathstroke now Slade? I read somewhere that they couldn't use 'death' on a kids show. Whatever. I like the name Slade though, if you look it up in the dictionary it makes sense….you know I work with someone named Slade (last name), we hate each other, I swear he is evvvil. Think he and this Slade are related? You got your question answered, Slade is back baby! I hope I get him in character…..I wasn't going to have him in here but I couldn't resist! And it will tie up the ending nicely and hopeful leave room for a sequel with Slade and Robin. And you better get over and start updating your fics before I twack you and give Victor your secret diary.

A/N: I just quit most of my dance stuff because I was so stressed trying to get every where that I couln't take it. So that might mean more updating. Or it might not. I am going more often to my martial arts classes and riding my horses more often (they are so fat, then need to be ridden so much more than I am riding them). So we will see.

Tune in next time, same bat time, same bat channel!