Chapter 2
"Robin." Raven called as he walked past her.
"I know Raven, I know," he said, and he stopped and looked at her, "I can feel you touching my mind, and I know that you know what I'm thinking," he went on, "Don't get me wrong, I want you to do that. It keeps me re-thinking about it, and re-evaluating what I'm about to do."
"Robin, I feel your rage, and I know it's justified," Raven told her friend, "But explain to me how this works.
"I can't Rae, cause I can't explain it to myself. It's just the way it works!" Robin replied as he paced, frustrated at being unable to express his feelings, or explain.
"Then I can't let you do this." she said raising her hands, preparing to use her telekinetic power on him, to keep him from going.
She was unprepared for Robin's next move, which was to grab her hands, and hold them to the sides of his head. She couldn't resist the thrust, and force of his mind onto hers, as her mental shields were lowered to enable her to use her telekinesis.
"Don't fight it Rae." his mental voice said, as he opened his mind to her, letting her see what he kept locked away from even himself.
Raven gasped as she watched, in much more detail, how Robin's parents died, and how the young man had turned to life on the street, stealing to make a living.
That is until Batman crossed his path, and made him an offer. She watched as, under his tutelage, he learned how to fight, and match his acrobatic, and gymnastic abilities to the martial arts he was learning. Robin was born, and Raven was amazed that she never learned who was behind the mask.
"I'm sorry I had to do that Raven." Robin said, as he took her hands from his head, and stepped back.
He watched as emotions ran riot over her face, as she assimilated what he forced on her, embarrassed by being the cause of it.
"I. . . " she gasped, "I never knew."
"Batman is the only other person that does." he said softly, "Can you see my side of things now?" he asked, hoping that she would, and not knowing what he'd do if she didn't.
He watched as his dark friend pulled her cloak tighter around her, took a few deep breaths, then nodded her head.
"So how do we go about finding them?" she asked.
"You could try tracing Starfire's communicator." Red X's voice said.
"That's what lead us here." Robin replied.
"No it's not." Red X said, "I did."
"How?" Raven asked.
"When I snuck into your tower to get the suit, I had a little look around," he replied, "I was very surprised to find one of your communicators in what appeared to be a evidence or trophy room. It's circuitry was a challenge, but I figured it out before I left."
"So you made the distress signal that led us here." Raven said.
Robin took out his communicator and opened it. "Locate Starfire." he ordered. The communicator bleeped for a moment, then a steady tone issued from it's speaker. "Got a lock." Robin announced, "North, north west about two miles." he said, then looked at Raven.
Raven nodded. "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos." she chanted, then her soul self enveloped the two young men and they vanished.
Robin stood in the middle of the street, sweeping his communicator in a circle. The section of the city they were in had seen it's better days. Many of the buildings had no windows on the lower floors, and most had boarded up doors.
"That building." he said, pointing at a rundown, abandoned apartment building.
The trio silently moved into the building, and saw three lumps on the floor that were people sleeping . Raven was almost nauseated by the smell that assaulted them when they passed through the doorway.
Robin pushed a button on his communicator, and a soft beeping came from one of the lumps. Raven quickly levitated the person, from which the beeping came, and floated it outside, glad to be in the fresher air..
"What's going on!" a voice demanded, as Raven lowered the lump with a small thump.
"You have something that belongs to a friend of mine," Robin replied, standing over the man on the ground, "and unless you want me to continue to think you're responsible for her condition, you better tell me where you got it from."
"Oh God! You!" the man had sense enough to gasp in shock, seeing Robin standing over him, his bo staff ready.
"I'm waiting for an explanation."
"A friend of mine knows how much I love electronics," the man said quickly, "He gave it to me saying that the owner wouldn't need it anymore."
"And this friends name?" Red X asked.
"B. . .Benny," the man replied, almost more scared of seeing X there than he was of Robin. "Benny the dart."
"Interesting name." Raven said softly.
Robin half thought the man was going to have a heart attack, his face twisting in fear, when he saw Raven.
"It's his style," the man said, shaking badly with fear, "he knocks his victims out with a trank gun, before he robs them."
"Did he ever beat anyone up that he put to sleep?" Robin asked, his gloves squeaking slightly as he gripped his bo staff tighter.
"Yeah. Some guy that tried to muscle in on his turf." he answered, then his face went parchment white. "There was a report on the news about one of you ending up in the hospital."
"We were never here." Robin told the man.
"And where might we find this Benny the dart?" X asked.
"Nice place." Raven said, looking at the building that Benny the dart was supposed to be in, from their vantage point on the roof of an adjacent building. The place was located on an empty lot it the rear of a group of warehouses. There were no windows, and if it hadn't been for the fact that they had seen two people enter the place, they would have thought it empty.
"They're all over the city" Red X said.
"No sign, but simply knowing where they are gets you in the door." Robin said, drawing a glance from X
"You know what you're about to do is illegal, right?" Raven asked, stating the obvious.
"In old time England, this would be called a matter of honor." X said, "ending in a duel to the death."
"The more things change the more they stay the same." Robin said with a sigh then slid down a drain pipe to the ground.
A few minutes later, a person entered the bar like atmosphere. Even though he was dressed in a trench coat that covered him from shoe tops to neck, and a fedora, that was pulled down to hide his face, he didn't even draw a second look from the patrons, who were seated at about two dozen tables that were scattered around the place. The two guys that were playing pool looked up as the person spoke.
"I got some business with Benny the dart." the person announced.
"Don't remember Benny telling me he was expecting anybody," the man behind the bar said, "What business you got with him?"
The trench coat wasn't buttoned, and the belt was tied very loosely, so that it could be taken off quickly. "That's between him and me." Robin announced, whipping the coat off.
"Oh snap it's Robin!" one of the patrons gasped, and made to leave.
"I've got friends out there, to make sure no one leaves until I've had a talk with Benny the dart." Robin told them, when he saw the doors were surrounded in Raven's power.
"You planning on arresting him?" someone asked tauntingly, drawing a laugh from everyone else.
"No," Robin said softly, but loud enough to silence the room. "I'm here for payback." he told them in a tone of voice that seemed to lower the temperature in the room.
"Hey I ain't scared of you," another man said. "I took out one of your so called Titans, and I'll do it again."
"I take it you're Benny." Robin said, looking the man over and was unimpressed. He was about five , six, and not fat, but not in great shape either.
"Yeah, and I'm smart enough not to fight you one on one with all your gadgets."
"No you're such a big man you'll wait until my back is turned, shoot me with a tranquilizer gun, and when I'm all but unconscious, you'll tie me to a post and, with two of your friends, beat me to within an inch of my life. Like you did Starfire!"
'That took some wind out of his sails, and lost him some support.' Raven's voice said inside Robin's mind. 'Seems our Tameranian friend has a bit of a following.' she added.
Raven hovered above the roof of the building next to the one Robin was in, concentrating. Not only was her magic sealing the door to the place, but she was in constant mental contact with Robin, keeping an eye on him, and watching to see if he'd need backup.
"Tell you what big man." Robin said, "I'll take you, and your two buddies on, no weapons." he offered, taking off his utility belt. "I know it'll be safe here." he added, putting it on the bar.
"Yes it will." the man said, bringing out a shotgun from behind the bar. "Sounds like a fair call out Benny."
Seeing that everyone else in the place was waiting for his reply, he had no choice but to agree. "Outside, then."
Robin backed to the door, knowing that his touch would break the spell Raven had keeping them closed, then he turned to cross the empty lot in front of the building.
"Ah, ah ,aahhh." he heard Red X's voice said from above him and off to his right. He also heard the sound of one of his X shaped devices fly through the air, and hit something.
"It was supposed to him and us three!" Benny complained, rubbing his sore hand.
"And no weapons." one of the patrons that followed them out. He bent over and picked up Benny's tranquilizer gun that had an X shaped blade buried in the middle of it.
"Let's do this!" one of the other two yelled and charged Robin.
Robin grabbed the fist that was aimed at his face, and guided it on by. Maintaining his grip on it he wrenched the arm up behind the man's back, then pushed him away so the man fell on his face.
"Hey Luke that was smooth." someone taunted.
Robin thanked his training as he jerked his head back, and watched an arm extend through his field of vision. He quickly struck out, hitting right on the extended elbow.
"Ahhhh! He broke my arm!"
"No, just wrenched you elbow real good. It'll move, just hurt like hell." Robin said.
Raven maintained her vantage point, fascinated. She had many chances at watching Robin in combat, but never an opportunity like this, where she could focus on simply watching him, and not worrying about her own attack strategy, or defending herself.
"Hand to hand 101 is now in session." she muttered under her breath.
"With a master teacher." X said as he sat down beside her.
"You admit that?" Raven asked, stunned by X's statement.
"Just watch." X replied, "he anticipates his opponents next move, and counters it in a manner that moves his opponent away from him, giving him time to prepare for his next attack."
Raven watched for a few moments, impressed by how fluidly Robin moved, and by how well he controlled his anger. 'I wish it was as easy as he makes it look.' she thought to herself.
"Ouch that hurt." X said, as he watched Luke collide with a telephone pole that happened to be in the lot.
"That's one down two to go." Robin said, taking the classic enguard position, then made the "come on" motion with his extended hand.
The two remaining men rushed Robin at the same time, each throwing a punch at the same time. Robin trapped their extended arms under each of his and did a standing forward flip which caused the two men to jerk inward toward each other.
Benny was the only one to get up.
"Looks like just you and me now, slime." Robin said disgustedly, "Come on, I'll even give you a free shot."
Benny managed to stay on his feet, but his body hurt all over from being thrown into anything and everything in the lot. He glared over at Robin who hadn't even broken a sweat, and wasn't even breathing hard.
"Rraarrrrahhhh!' he shouted throwing a right jab, which Robin dodged easily.
"Watch it kid." X said softly, as he watched Robin slowly backing up, simply head dodging, and blading his body away, from the fists thrown at him.
Suddenly Robin stepped on a loose stone, and stumbled.
Benny saw the opening and took it. His right cross connected with Robin's jaw, then he threw a blow to his mid section, and followed it with a right upper cut that sent Robin falling backwards.
Robin was more surprised at finding himself on his back, than the fact that Benny finally landed a punch. He looked up, and saw that Benny had taken a running start, and was now in the air, planning to land on him with both feet.
Robin rolled, gathered his knees under himself, then kicked out with his right foot, catching Benny in the stomach, driving the wind from his lungs and stopping him in an instant. He watched as Benny tried to get to his feet again, then fall to the ground with a moan.
"That's my return message!" Robin said loud enough for the crowd to hear. "The Titans are here, and we're going to stay."
"Behind you!" A voice shouted.
Robin spun around, and saw that Benny had gotten back to his feet and thrown a baseball sized rock at him. He snatched to rock out of the air, and reflexively launched it back at Benny, but with a lower trajectory.
Benny yelled in pain, as his right knee was shattered by the rock.
"Robin!" Raven shouted, as she felt his control of his anger slip.
"Give him a chance." X said, "Benny deserves what he's about to get."
Robin sprinted over to Benny, his fists clenched so tight the leather of his gloves threatened to split. A right to the jaw, followed by a left, then uppercuts to his ribs ,and two jabs to his mid section, then he stepped back.
"You see that? Six hits in less that two seconds!" someone gasped.
Benny then threw a right jab, that Robin trapped under his arm then jerked upwards, popping the shoulder out of joint. He then blasted Benny to the ground, with a hard right to the jaw.
"Anyone else got a problem with the Titans fighting the likes of Cinderblock, Mumbo Jumbo and the like?" Robin asked, "We usually leave you non super criminals to the police."
Silence fell over the crowd.
"Hey! Boy Wonder!" the bartender called, then tossed Robin his utility belt.
"Thanks." Robin said, as he buckled it back on, "I'm done here." He started to walk away, then turned back. "Someone here know how to pop a shoulder back into joint?" he asked, "or does he need to go to the hospital?
In reply a huge man walked over to Benny, put his foot near his shoulder, grabbed his arm and gave it a hard jerk. Even ten feet away Robin heard the pop of the joint going back into place.
Evidently the pain was enough to wake Benny up, and he shakily got to his feet.
"You know Luke wanted to have some fun with her before we beat her up," he said, "But thinking of doing that with that alien slut turned my . . . Ahhhhh!
Benny's tirade got cut off, because he was suddenly covered in black energy, and slammed against the wall of the building.
"That alien slut, as you called her, is my best friend!" Raven shouted, materializing in front of Benny, "I could kill you!"
"You're not capable of that." Benny said, then screamed as he looked at Raven's face.
Instead of a normal face with two eyes, he saw only blackness under Raven's hood with four eye shaped red lights.
"You have no idea what I'm capable of." Raven hissed, twitching her hand.
"Raven, stand down!" Robin ordered coming up behind her.
Raven turned to glare at him, her anger still flaring, and Robin gazed coolly at her. "He's not worth it." he said softly.
With a muttered curse Raven, called her power back into herself, and turned her back on Benny.
"Let's go home." she said.
"No to the hospital." Robin corrected, "You coming X?"
"He's gone." Raven said looking around.
Robin shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get outta here."