Disclaimer: I DIS-CLAIM what I am writing. I do not claim Teen Titans. I don't even own the title; it was going to be used as an ep title.

NOTE: Everyone is now referred to normally.

Chapter 15: Zinothium

Beast Boy scuttled in the form of a small mouse down the hall. His nose twitched ever so often as he beadily looked for the two villains.

He crawled further down, turning the corner slowly to see a set of stairs leading down to the main living room. The changeling froze; ears, eyes and nose working as he checked over the area.

It looked pretty much vacant. The lights wre on, illuminating the area… but other than that there was no human life. With a small rodent sigh, Beast Boy turned to venture back to the other two.

The sound of elevator doors opening made him stop.

The green animal scooted back against the wall, watching carefully as Mad Mod stepped out of the elevator, grinning wildly. He seemed to be taking his time, as he strode into the room.

He stopped when he was at the main computer. "Bloody machine." He shook his balding head, running a hand across the keys. "Who knew Moddie's opportunity would present itself." He chuckled to himself before moving over to the couch.

Beast Boy had been about to retreat when heavy footsteps pounded past him and down the stairs. His heart leapt into his throat… and for a second he though his rodent body might have gone into shock.

Control Freak bound down the last of the stairs, his arms full of…well, Beast Boy couldn't make them out yet. He surprised Mad Mod as well, because the old man turned around wickedly fast in alarm.

When he spotted his partner, he heaved out a sigh.

"When I found the room… I figured these could be useful." Control Freak dumped the contents from his arms onto the couch seat. Mad Mod's eyes widened, as did Beast Boy's.

Control Freak had found the evidence room and he now had a stash of weapons from every villain they had faced.

With a tiny alarmed squeak, Beast Boy turned and ran.

Raven dropped Robin most heavily when they arrived at the B.R.A.I.N. room. Cyborg had most affectionately named it because it ran all the computer and energy programs of the tower. It stood for something long and technical Raven didn't care to remember.

Robin groaned, having landed hard on his tailbone. He looked up at Raven angrily for dropping him.

Raven gave him a blank look and shrugged before turning to the door. "What do you suppose is the best way in?"

"Couldn't you just create a portal through?"

"I don't know what's on the other side and it's dangerous to use my powers in uncharted territory." She traced a hand down the silver iron door.

"Oh." Robin got up, rubbing the sore tailbone, before moving over to Raven.

"Keypad won't work and the door is probably bolted." Raven moved to the small crease where the door and wall met.

"What about the wall?" Robin asked suddenly, looking down the paneled wall. It certainly looked easier to get past.

"Explosives will make too much noise." Raven bit her lip, thinking to herself.

"If I make a hole through, can you teleport us the rest of the way?"

Raven turned her attention to the boy, looking him over in a brief motion. "Yeah."

Robin grabbed a sharp ended bird-a-rang from his belt and immediately started hacking away at the wall. After a few minutes plaster pieces started falling away and a small indent in the wall was forming.

Robin had to hand it to Cyborg for his workmanship on the tower, as he continued lashing at the wall. His muscles began to strain after a while, but he continued at it.

Raven leaned against the wall a little further down watching him. He hadn't broken through yet, but she could tell he was already getting tired. Sweat rung across his forehead with the force he was using. His arm muscles worked in a rhythm that was getting tired with every hit.

At first she had enjoyed watching him carve away, pulling his weakening muscles as some sort of punishment. Served him right… didn't it?

And then she had to go and be reminded exactly why he was wasting his energy away carving the wall. So they could reset the security, take back the tower and put the two away.

But then she was reminded that it was his fault anyway.

Robin lurched back and brought the piece crashing tightly into the wall. The motion punctured a small hole into the other side, but managed to draw a large friction of pain up through his hand and arm. Breathing heavily, he leaned against the wall.

But he had done it for her and Starfire.

Raven's feet seemed to move forward of their own accord as her mind fought with itself on whether to forgive him or not. Before she knew what she was doing, she had pressed a hand lightly to his back.

His muscles slowly loosened under her palm, as black power diffused through her body and into his. When she was satisfied his muscles had healed, her power drew back.

A moment later she realized her arm was still on his back. She quickly drew away as Robin turned to look at her quizzically.

"Thanks." His voice was a different pitch than usual. Raven was sure he was giving her an odd look, but that mask hid away his eyes.

Her telekinetic tendrils ached to reach out and see exactly what that change in tempo meant.

Robin turned back to the wall and withdrew the bird-a-rang. It took only a few more hits before a quarter size hole appeared.

"There." Robin stepped back and swiped a hand across his forehead. He dropped the dull and dusty weapon and it clinked on the floor.

Raven moved forward and leaned a little to look through the space. She could see a large glowing generator, rigged to the center of a circular room. There was a small path from the door at her right to the generator computer and cameras (which may have doubled as lasers) hung up near the ceiling at convenient places.

The rest of the floor space beside the path was covered in wires that snaked like vines into and up the walls, disappearing from sight.

"All right." Raven spoke, backing up from the space. Robin placed a hand on her upper arm without having to be asked.

With a sifting black cover, the two slid through the wall.

Beast Boy was panic stricken by the time he got to Cyborg and Starfire. His words tumbled over themselves, as the two looked on worriedly.

"Could you slow down?" Cyborg put a hand on the boys shoulder to try and calm him.

Starfire bit her lip at the way her green friend was fumbling… he looked so very distraught.

"They…they got in the evidence room." Beast Boy was still breathing a little heavy from racing back to them.

Cyborg's eye widened and he swore a word that Starfire had never heard. She almost opened her mouth to ask before refocusing her attention. "They gathered evidence?" She asked, unsure why this was alarming.

"Weapons." Cyborg breathed, his expression had gone far off as though he were thinking. "Damn." He leaned against the wall, feeling a small spell of fatigue. He pulled up his arm, suddenly hitting Robin's number… their situation had just gotten worse.

Robin landed on his feet, though she still wasn't very gentle and the boy tripped forward over a rather large wire.

Raven turned her head away to hide a spot of amusement, as she started toward the main computer. "I suppose you should call." She called back

When Robin caught his balance he went to send her an ungrateful look, only to find her back turned. Was all this really necessary?

He mentally bashed himself over the head… though she'd never admit it, Starfire was Raven's best friend. She was a tad protective over her. And when he had-

Robin stubbed his toe, having not been looking where he was stepping. "For the love of-"

His communicator took that moment to ring. He rolled his eyes exasperated and grabbed the device. Raven leaned against the computer and watched him.

"Hey." Robin greeted when Cyborg appeared on the screen. "I was just about to call you, I need the en-"

"We have a problem." Cyborg cut him off.

Robin looked at the boy better. Come to think of it…he did look a little sickly. A bad feeling stirred in his stomach. "What?" He asked, hearing the light steps of Raven coming toward him. She must have noticed the seriously faltering pitch to his voice.

"They got into the evidence room." Cyborg frowned across the connection, wiping a hand across the back of his neck.

Robin swallowed recalling the items he had accumulated. That was… a big problem. He cursed, earning a look from Cyborg. "We'll be right down, can you send the encryption codes real quick?"

Cyborg looked dazed a moment before he nodded. "Hurry." With that, his face disappeared.

The screen blipped when the information was downloaded. Robin took an unsteady breath and turned to Raven.

She scowled at him unkindly. "Idiot."

"How was I supposed to predict this?" Robin shot back, tired of her abuse. He brushed past her toward the main computer.

"Maybe you shouldn't have kept an entire room of weaponry." Raven followed him, her own temper picking up.

"Evidence." Robin hissed, stopping toward the input computer. "And it was for investigation purposes."

"Now it can be used for 'elimination of the titans' purposes." Raven crossed her arms. Robin crooked his head in her direction.

"Will you just stop? It's not like I don't have enough guilt." He sighed giving her a long look. When he began to turn back, she spoke.

"I don't think you do." Raven's voice was crisp and strong. Robin paused, his hands clenching tightly to keep him from turning at her with anger. When the communicator in his hand made a small noise of distress, he loosened one hand.

"You don't understand." Robin had tilted his head ever slightly so he could see her face. His expression was an odd one and he turned away before she could examine it.

"You're right." Raven spoke while Robin plugged his communicator into the main computer and booted it up. "I don't get why you would go to all this trouble to fix Starfire so you could have her back and then you go and dump your relationship down the drain."

Robin listened, his muscles stiffly hitting the keys, his mind worked much faster.

"You're not an impulse guy. Everything you do is highly thought out and logical… and then you go and do this." Raven was just behind him now, as he tried very hard to not show any reaction to her words.

There was a stretched silence as Robin kept working, his mind was far away from the task at hand. Keystroke after keystroke was the only noise. Codes were entered as the system was slowly brought back online.

"Why?" Raven's voice sounded finally. It was deliberately delicate.

Robin hit the enter key, finishing the rebooting process. He turned to his companion slowly, returning the communicator to his waist. "I wish I knew."

He brushed past the girl back to the door to leave. Raven moved after a moment of documentation… when she had time later, she would analyze what had just transpired.

But for now… she strode over to the boy and pressed a hand to his shoulder. The two vanished.

The three (with the aid of Cyborg's finger cam) observed the two villains who were currently plotting in their living room.

The two were almost sickeningly merry while they fondled over the treasures.

Control Freak's remotes…Red X's stolen microchips… Gizmo's bombs…Trident's broken trident… Mad Mod's statue… Warp's stolen time transporter… plenty of Slade's old weapons… the Puppet King and his goods… vials of powder and goo…

Not to mention enough of Red X's Zinothium to blow up a neighborhood.

Mad Mod was currently examining a rather sharp discus that had previously been Slade's. A statue of himself sat on the couch beside him. "Ruddy lot to keep all of Moddie's things. Tough shot for them, eh?" He grinned to himself, poking the sharp tip of the weapon.

Control Freak was smiling as well. He had a pile of remote devices (including Puppet King's) piled beside himself and he was sifting through the collection of guns.

"Yeah," He clicked the safety off a larger black gun that had belonged to Chang.

"I do hope they fancy a bit of déjà vu…" Mod trailed off looking at the gun propped in Control Freak's arms. "What's that?"

"I do believe." Control Freak opened the breech of the mini-cannon where an empty chamber waited. He fumbled for a second through the mess of items around him. His hands closed over a small canister with a blazing red warning level. "That this beauty," He snapped the canister into place and slid it shut.

On the muzzle of the small cannon, a row of red blinking lights lit up.

"Fires Zinothium."

There was a devilish grin shared between the two.

Cyborg gasped for air his eyes glued to the broadcast. Starfire bristled beside him and there was a small noise from Beast Boy. Why was Robin even keeping something like that?

He set his head back against the wall, it hit the wall with a thud.

When he opened his eyes, there was a black misty puddle growing just in front of him. It had gathered Beast Boy's and Starfire's attention as well.

Cyborg carefully pushed himself up with his useful hand just as Raven and Robin appeared from the portal.

"What's the news?" Robin asked as soon as the blackness had cleared.

Cyborg looked back at him both flabbergasted and angry. "They have a Zinothium gun."

Robin stared at the older boy for a few seconds. His face looked so worn and tired. "You're sure?" Robin tried cautiously.

Cyborg raised his arm, giving Robin a look at the small transmitting screen. The two villains were now closer together, discussing something in hushed voices.

Robin caught the familiar sight of one of Chang's old guns in Control Freak's gloved hands. He swallowed hard, hating himself even more.

He stepped back, his attention to his team mates falling away. He had failed them, really failed them this time.

Robin made few to little mistakes. It was how he was taught, it was how he lived.

But, those blue-moon mistakes he made were always huge. His perfection only accented the fact. He had backed into the opposite wall without noticing a thing.

Raven was watching him worriedly. She didn't like the strained look his mouth had… he looked so far away.

"Rob?" Cyborg asked, leaning forward just a little. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. Starfire stepped up, worried now as well. Gingerly, she touched his arm.

The action made the ghostly boy immediately spring back. Without a word or explanation he turned and headed down the hall opposite from where the villains had taken up occupancy. Starfire had jumped back at the action, murmuring a small mewling of surprise.

"Dude?" Beast Boy input. The four watched their leader stalk down the hallway before he turned down another corridor and out of sight.

Raven straightened her cloak when it looked like none of the others were going to attempt a venture after him. "Try luring the two out of the tower." Raven spoke to Cyborg, before dashing, in a flurry of dark blue fabric, after her leader.

Raven grabbed Robin's arm just before he ascended up another set of stairs. With a vigor of force, she spun him around.

He looked as though he had been expecting it.

"What was that all about?" She looked him over. Whatever had previously been going through his mind was gone now. He had the inset of a determined leader once again.

"I've messed up." He spoke calmly, but kept his gaze looking down the hallway and away from her.

"So fix it."

"Yeah…" He trailed off half-committed.

Raven had an itching urge to grab his chin and force him to look at her. She batted it away, keeping her hands firmly fisted at her side.

"Robin, stop it." She demanded almost strongly.

He didn't reply and his gaze remained down the hall.

"What's wrong with you, you're always coaching us to keep going. Don't believe your own advice?" Her voice was spiteful now. Raven was hoping her offense would get a rise out of him.

It worked perfectly. "I'm not giving up." His voice was achy, as though he were holding back.

He just needed a little more encouragement. "Yeah, you were just abandoning us. Or was I confusing the self-pitying radiating from you as something else?" She planted a smug look on her features, one eyebrow raised.

Robin snapped his head to look at her. There was the anger. "I would never abandon my team." He started forward, closing the distance with his fury. "And yes, I did make a mistake, but stop being so damn critical and pessimistic."

"Mistakes." Raven corrected him.

"Yes, MANY." His voice was raising now. "But I was trying to fix everything! You were so perturbed with the whole body switching thing… and things with Starfire were becoming strained, so yes, when Cyborg brought them in… I allowed it."

"It didn't really help in the long run did it?" Raven brushed a hand on his shoulder, feeling his anger seep away.

"No…" Robin put a hand over hers, just as she was about to remove it. The mystic froze, unsure with this new physical contact. "So, I've got a plan, you ready?" He carefully grabbed her hand, lowering it off his shoulder as they spoke.

Raven kept her eyes off his face and her hand that was currently stuck in his. Ah yes, this was why she never made physical contact if she couldn't help it. "It's nice to hear Robin's back."

"Isn't it?" He let go of her hand, giving her the faintest trace of a smile. There was a moment of awkward stillness before Robin straightened up. "C'mon then."

Much to Raven's detest, he grabbed her wrist, leading her all too quickly up the stairs and down yet another hall.

"You knew I'd follow didn't you?" Raven called as she was dragged, the scene had just rewound itself in her mind.

Robin didn't answer her, instead he shot her a slick grin and rounded a sharp corner.

Boy, I had to do my research for this chapter. For all the items in the evidence room… I have to have it accurate.

Thank you all so much for the reviews, makes me so delighted to find my mailbox attacked, hehe.

Beta love to the most awesome Sara Cabbage Patch.

-Dragonslayer527