Teen Titans
in
Courage
Part 2
Robin and Lang walked to the center of the ring where referee Lou Filippo gave the final instructions prior to the match, as he spoke Lang, who was about two inches taller than Robin, looked down and with a look of disgust on his face said:
-Dead meat...
Both contestants went back to their corners, Cyborg placed Robin's yellow mouth piece on him while Lang's seconds did same, the bell rang and both began to move, from the start Cyborg noticed how slow Robin was, while Lang showed a very impressive agility on his leg movements, Cyborg knew that Robin could be very fast when jumping around and using his martial arts skills but to fight mano a mano he was very limited, his thoughts where cut short when Beast Boy yelled to Robin as a powerful punch from Lang sent him to the ropes.
-GET OUT FROM THERE!
Robin was able to connect a couple of punches but they had little to none effect on Lang who, in retaliation, landed to powerful hooks that cut Robin's left eyebrow, to his relief the bell rang and dizzy he returned to his corner where Cyborg and Beast Boy tended to him.
-Where's... Raven? -he asked
-She's fine don't worry -Cyborg replied as he cleaned the cut.
But in the dressing room things weren't going as Cyborg hoped, the doctor tending to Raven was not optimistic.
-Have everything ready for CPR, pressure is 200 over 50…
Starfire held Raven's hand
-Please friend Raven don't leave us
The teenager couldn't answer just held tight to her friend's hand. In the ring the bell rang for the second round, Robin tried to avoid Lang's onslaught but the champion was better and landed two more punches on the Titan's face injuring his eyes and literally closing the left one, although the boy was able to land a couple of punches it wasn't enough to even worry Lang, Bumble Bee's face was a tombstone as she saw the beating her friend was getting in the ring, the bell rang and once more Robin got to his corner, injured and shocked.
-You got him twice Dude, just keep away from him… -Beast Boy said
-Move your legs, avoid him as much as you can –Cyborg added
The bell rang again and Robin continued his struggle, Lang knew that an early finish would be a bigger humiliation for the Titan, as Robin tried to move aside he pulled him from the waist and threw him to the corner, there he began a merciless attack on the Titan for a moment he stopped and glared at his bloodied face, then, as if it was a shotgun he threw his arm back as far as he could and then, with supreme violence, unloaded a monstrous hook that landed right on Robin's face, the boy fell to the canvas, his mind was a whirlwind of images, the death of his parents, the creation of the Titans, his love for Starfire, his big brother care for Raven, in the distance he could hear a voice counting.
-4!
-ROBIN GET UP! –yelled Cyborg
-6!
-Please dude… get up…
-8!
Lang just glared at him.
-It's over.. –he said
-10! YOU'RE OUT!
The bell rang and Cyborg along with Beast Boy got in to help Robin, the boy just saw as Lang was carried by his seconds. Hurt and defeated the boy arrived to the dressing room, he went towards Raven.
-Is… is… it…. over –she asked in a whisper
-Yeah… it's over…
-and… how… how… you.. got him.. right…?
-Yeah… now let's get you to a hospital, they need to check you and
-You… always… were… a big…. broth
The pressure of Raven's hand on his stopped and he felt her relax.
-Raven? RAVEN? RAVEN! NO NO NO! RAVEN! PLEASE! RAVEN!
Starfire just hugged Cyborg and sobbed, Beast Boy just stood there, tears wetting his face, for several minutes the only sound there was Robin crying. Two days later in a very special a beautiful place of Jump City's cemetery the Titans (East Coast Branch included) paid their respects to their fallen comrade, all where dressed in black, Robin spoke.
-There's a lot to be said about Raven… but nothing I can say matters now… I will never forget you Raven… you were the best…
And to prove it he removed a golden Titan's symbol that he worn on his right wrist as a symbol of his leadership and placed it in the center of the flowers that covered the place where Raven now rested, then, silently he left.
THREE WEEKS LATER…
Robin was in his private gym on the highest level of the Titan Tower, his face still had the marks of the fight, a small bandage covered the cut on his left eyebrow, he was glaring at his exercise machines when a voice spoke.
-I was right to look for you here.
-Bumble Bee?
-I have been calling you.
-Look I…
-You need to fight him again.
-What? Does Cyborg know you're here asking me this?
-No. But you're better than this, look Raven was my friend too, but you can't go on feeling like this for the rest of your life.
-I don't know…
-Do you know what I saw on that ring?
-What?
-I saw a guy that was hungry and one that was just there… you lost it Robin, you lost that hunger, you fell in the monotony, it happens to all of us.
-I didn't lose anything.
The girl walked towards him.
-Look, I know how it is, it happened to me once… when I found out that Brother Blood had lied to us all… I was devastated, didn't want to do anything ever… but then I learned that I was a fighter… that I wasn't going to let anything stop me… and look… I'm the leader of the East branch of the Titans… look, I offer you this, come to the East coast for a while, there's a beach there where I can help you train, I want you to beat that chump, and I know you do too.
-I don't know…
-Give yourself a chance.
That night Robin was packing when Starfire walked by his room.
-Dear Robin… what is it that you are doing?
-I'm leaving
The Tameranian girl gasped.
-But… you are our leader
-I'll be back… I'll be with the east branch for a while
-Can I… go with you? I can provide you with support of moral…
Robin glared at her.
-Please…
-Okay you can come…
That night Robin told Cyborg and Beast Boy about his plan and also that Starfire was going to be with him.
-Dude… you really think we can take care of everything on our own? –Beast Boy asked.
-Aqualad will be ready if you need help. –The boy wonder replied.
Cyborg approached and laid his hand on Robin's shoulder.
-I hope you know what you are doing. –he said.
-I'll be fine. You just have to
Robin glared in shock as he saw a light blue hooded figure beside the door…
To be continued…