XIII.-
"He is... inside the rat?" Asked Beast Boy finally, breaking the silence.
I looked at the rodent and then at them.
"Er... Yes?"
"You know how creepy is that!" Gar shuddered really violently. "I can't imagine how he can feel inside that tiny little body... Wait. I can." He said, turning into a rat. "Not that bad."
This was the cue for all of us to laugh and relax.
Victor came to me and patted me on the back, nearly making me to face downwards. Then came the rest of greets and cheers, and Raven even kind of smiled my way.
So.. I was cleared?
"OK, we have finished here." Anounced Cyborg. "Let's go back to the jet. We should make a report and decide what to do with those magical items."
I looked at the goblet and the staff laying over the altar.
What to do with them?
I let the others carry them while I distracted myself with Harm.
"Yo, Billy... and what we do with you?"
Bart came round me.
"Can we keep him, please? We don't have a pet."
"We do." Said Speedy, coming too. "We have Gar."
The changeling and the speedster eyed her.
"Come on, Rob. Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease."
Harm was struggling in my grip frantically, trying to bit me and get free.
I moved my head in disagreement.
"No, I think this is cage enough."
And I let him on the floor, where he scurried off.
I felt kind of bad while he disappeared through a hole in the wall, because he was not used at being a rat and rats had lots of predators... And at best he was going to last.. What? One more year? Rats life span was really short.
Did it count as if I had killed him? Better not to think of it. Con was right. I just thought too much most of the time.
So, to get rid of that thoughs I turned to my friends.
Somehow, while I was watching Harm get free, Conner had managed to send the others away to stay alone with me.
"What...?"
He showed me the goblet.
"Hold it." He said.
"Con... I..."
My entrails burned.
He shoved it to me, so I took a step backwards.
"Superboy... you promised..."
"I know what I promised, Tim."
I gulped, stretching my arms, holding the cup.
Moments before, when I had used it to trap Harm into a rodent corpse, it had been just a tool. Now it was... real.
"Do you want me to destroy, Rob?"
I closed my eyes.
"No."
The air itself went hot and dense. I heard him swallow and take a step, hesitating.
I sighed, opening my eyes, handing the goblet to him.
"Don't destroy it. It's not necessary." I clenched my fist as soon as he took the cup. "I miss them, I miss them like hell... but magic it's not the answer."
He smiled and then he smashed the cup.
"Con! I said it was not..."
"I know. And I'm happy. But it was dangerous just the same."
I smiled back, sadly and bitterly. I felt like crying. I felt like hugging him. I felt like shit.
"Now let's make up something to tell Cyborg about it." I said.
His smile froze.
"I'm not comming, Rob."
Mine stood there, just because I was a better actor.
"I had guessed."
"The crisis is over and I'm not a Titan anymore."
"You will always be a Titan."
"You know what I mean."
"Yeah."
"Are you mad?" He asked gingerly.
"It won't change a thing so, why do you care?"
"You are mad." Now he was stating.
"Just go while I still feel grateful and don't spoil the moment, will you?"
He nodded and flew again, leaving me alone with the knot in my intestines and the enormous responsibilty of explaining the Titans that he hadn't stayed.
If I just could hate him life would be so much easier to bear.