Chapter 8
Robin realized two things a moment later, one was that he was holding his breath, the other was that it was taking Anella way to long to do what healing she was going to do to Star. He looked over at Anella, and saw that sweat had broken out on her brow, and Starfire was still enveloped in her healing energy.
"Raven what's going on?" he asked, when the others came up. He wasn't happy to see the open concern on Raven's face, and was startled when Anella suddenly sank back on her haunches panting heavily.
"I've done all I can for her." Anella panted, looking over at Robin. "She's very weak, but will survive, although it was a near thing."
"Do you know what you've done!" Mathias asked his wife angrily. Robin figured that a confrontation like this might happen, due to the exchange the two had, right before Anella started healing Star.
"I did what was necessary," Anella replied, slowly rising to her feet, and facing her husband. "would you rather I left her for dead?" she asked, "My husband, hers is a strong spirit, with much life ahead of her. I could not stand by, and watch that life expire."
"And don't give us any of that 'letting Memnoch know we're here' stuff," Robin argued, "He knows we're here alright, and he controlled Stars mind.
Mathias looked from Robin to his wife's face, then to Starfire as she lay on the ground, and Robin saw him go from being angry, to confused to ashamed. "Forgive me my outburst." he said, "Of course you did right my love, I'm sorry I tried to prevent you." He paused for a moment, then went on. "Anella and Starfire are in no condition to go anywhere right now, so I suggest we all take the time, to rest for a bit. Raven, and I, can shield you against Memnoch while you rest."
"Then why didn't you do it before?" Robin demanded.
"Because we were moving." Raven replied. "The shield spell is an easy one to start, but needs a level of concentration, that can't be maintained while walking." she explained.
Robin nodded, accepting her explanation. "Okay, Beast Boy, you and Raven take the first watch, Mathias, you and Cyborg will relieve them in two hours. That will give Starfire, and Anella, four hours to recover."
"Yes we should both be able to go on by then." Anella said. As the others settled down to rest, Raven began chanting the spell, soon all was quiet, as the chant was complete.
Robin sat on the ground, near Starfire, his back to a rock. For the first half hour he stayed awake, but the exertions of the previous battles won out, and he drifted off to sleep.
Two hours later, Cyborg's systems came back on line, and he walked over to Mathias, to wake him up, then they both went over to Raven, and Beast Boy.
"All quiet?" Cyborg asked, drawing a nod from Raven, and a yawn from Beast Boy. After the few moments it took Mathias, to chant the spell, Raven went over to sit next to Anella, and Beast Boy morphed into a dog, and curled up at Starfire's feet.
"So that's it?" Cyborg asked as they sat on the edge of a stone slab. Mathias nodded without speaking, and Cyborg knew better than to keep talking, and break his concentration, so he decided to run some diagnostics.
After a few moments, Mathias glanced over at Cyborg, then, quickly whispered a spell, and gestured at him with one hand. Instantly the glow of power went out on Cyborg's arms and legs, as well as his electronic eye. Moving silently Mathias got up, and went over to stand beside Robin. With an evil grin, he held up is right hand, which started glowing with power.
"All to easy." he muttered, as he focused the power to a small sphere, that stayed at the tip of his index finger. His smile grew larger, as he lowered the sphere toward Robin's head where, it seemed to sink in, and vanish.
Before Matthias had gotten one step away from Robin, the Boy Wonder began twitching in his sleep. Wiping the smile from his face, Mathias resumed his position, next to Cyborg, then gestured at him with one hand, and he lit back up, as though nothing had happened.
Robin's Nightmare
Robin snapped awake, and looked around, to see what had wakened him. Seeing no threat, he relaxed a little, then realized that he was alone in the cavern. Pulling out his communicator, he opened it, planning on calling Cyborg, but the static, that crackled from the speaker, told him that there was no one in range.
"Hello Robin." A silky smooth voice said, from behind him. "It's been far to long."
'That voice!' Robin thought to himself, as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 'The one voice that I'd recognize anywhere.' Robin spun toward the source of the voice, his bo staff out, extended, and ready. "Show yourself Slade." he said softly, the hatred that he felt, all to evident in the way he said his nemesis's name.
Robin's eyes caught the movement, even before Slade stepped out of the shadows, by the cavern wall. Even before Slade stopped, Robin sprinted toward him. Planting one end of his staff on the ground, he spun around it, planting both of his feet into Slade's side, sending him flying several feet, where he collided with a stone column.
"Good, Robin." Slade said, as he stood up, and dusted himself off. "you've gotten more ruthless, not giving you opponent any warning, or the chance to attack first."
"You'll find I'm full of surprises." Robin hissed, as he again attacked with his staff. Landing several blows, he pressed his advantage, forcing Slade back, either a step at a time, or by sending him flying through the air.
Suddenly something occurred to him, and he jumped back, away from him. "What are you up to Slade?" he demanded, keeping his guard up. "You're not fighting back, what do you want?"
"You've already given me what I want, dear boy, and you don't even know it." Slade replied. "You really shouldn't keep secrets from your friends." he added cryptically, then jumped at Robin, going on the attack.
Robin found himself on the defensive, but still realized that Slade was toying with him, as they fought, moving all around the cavern. "Quit the games Slade, and get to the point."
"Oh, but Robin, the game is the point." Slade replied. "And the game is, 'Who's the Apprentice, and Who's the proof?' he added, throwing a kick at Robin, which he avoided by doing a back flip.
The two stood, glaring at each other, about ten feet apart. Robin was breathing heavily, but Slade seemed calm, and relaxed. "Apprentice, attack!" Slade shouted.
Knowing that a stationary target is a dead one, Robin leapt into a back flip, throwing some explosive discs at Slade for good measure. The instant he jumped, Robin heard a noise, from his left, that distracted him enough, that he almost stumbled on his landing.
'That was. . .' he thought to himself. "No that's impossible." he muttered, dismissing the thought, then looked to his left to see his new opponent, and was totally stunned by what he saw. 'That WAS one of her star bolts!' the thought washing over him, like ice water, as he gaped at Starfire. She wasn't wearing her usual purple skirt, and top, but was wearing, what looked like, the outfit she had on when they first met, and he had to do a double take, to make sure it wasn't her sister, Blackfire.
No, it was definitely Starfire, and the look she was giving him was one of pure, unadulterated, hatred, which cut deep into his soul. "What did you do to her Slade!" Robin demanded, as Starfire floated over to Slade's side.
"I didn't do anything to her, dear Robin." Slade taunted. "All I did was open her eyes to the truth." he added as Star floated over, so she was standing about a foot in front of Robin.
"Star, why are you with him?" Robin asked, desperate to know, so he could find a way to get her away from Slade.
"Because I know who he is." she replied. "I mean are you Robin, or. . ." she paused for a moment, then her hand quickly moved to Robin's face, stripping away his mask. "are you Dick Grayson?"
Robin staggered back a few steps, absolutely unable to give the woman before him an answer, or dodge the hand that connected with the side of his face, in a slap. "Star I can explain."
"You are a deceiver!" Star shouted at him, "all this time, and all I ever thought of you as was Robin, it never occurred to me that you might be someone else under that mask."
Rubbing his face, Robin's head jerked up at the word 'deceiver' 'Star's English might not be that good, but her using that particular word reminds me of something.' he thought to himself.
"Now for the second half of the game," Slade said, smiling behind his mask at the despair on Robin's face. "who's the proof? You know Robin, I had a choice of two of your team, that I wanted for my apprentice." he kept on, piling the defeat up on his foe. "Starfire here, was the one who passed the test. This one, however, did not." he added, sweeping his hand toward a section of the cavern wall. "This is the only other of your friends, to be here with us." he told Robin, as torches flickered to life.
"Raven!" Robin shouted, seeing her with her back to the wall, her hands shackled to it above her head. "Let them both GO Slade!" Robin shouted, charging at him, his staff poised to strike. He never landed the blow, as he remembered, to late, that Starfire was no longer on his side. Her star bolt didn't knock him out, but it made him fall flat on his face at Slade's feet. Robin managed to get to his feet, and took a swing at Slade which he blocked easily, and wrenched the arm around behind Robin's back.
"Now watch." he hissed into Robin's ear, as he quickly grabbed the Boy Wonder from behind. "Apprentice, you know what you have to do, to prove your loyalty to me." he said to Starfire.
Robin knew what was going to come next, and he furiously thought about what to do, to stop Starfire from her mission. Suddenly he shifted his weight backward, and knocked Slade off balance. He kept pushing him backwards, hoping that they'd find one of the stalagmites, or columns in the place.
It came surprisingly soon, and Robin winced, as he felt the shoulder, of the arm that Slade was holding, pop out of joint, but he almost rejoiced that he was now free. His good hand snatched a birdarang from his utility belt, and he threw it with all his might. "Starfire stop!" he shouted, as the device flew true, and shattered the chain holding Raven's hands.
"Azarath, Metrion. . ." Raven began, gathering her power in her hands, but was distracted by a star bolt hitting the wall, a few feet from her.
Robin watched, as Raven looked at Starfire in astonishment, then put up a shield to defend herself.
"Nooooooo!" Robin screamed, as Starfire used her eye beams in a steady ray, and the star bolts from her hands, to quickly shatter Raven's defenses, then kept going, until Raven lay broken, and still.
Back in real world
Robin suddenly screamed in his sleep, awakening everyone else.
Mathias was impressed by the other's reactions to the scream jolting them awake. Anella, and Raven, both leapt to their feet, shields of power surrounding them, and a breath drawn to utter an appropriate spell. Beast Boy instantly morphed into a T-rex, his predators senses searching for prey. Cyborg jumped up, his sonic cannon primed, and ready to fire, and even Starfire rose to the occasion, a few feet off the ground, star bolts ready, but not quite as bright as normal.
"Azar's mercy, what was that?" Anella wondered aloud.
Suddenly Raven noticed that their leader was still on the ground. "Oh no!" she gasped, when she saw that Robin had his fists clenched, pulled tight against his chest, and his knees were drawn up, just like Anella was, when Starfire first found her. She quickly crossed over to him, followed by the others.
"Rae, what's wrong with him?" Cyborg asked.
Not answering right away, Raven put her hand against Robins head, and closed her eyes for a moment. "It's Memnoch." she announced, after her eyes opened back up. "There IS something I can do for him, but there's one thing first." she told them then spun toward Mathias. "Devian hespah rocoun jal crystalis!" she shouted, then launched the blast of power at him.
When the blast hit Mathias, his legs were instantly encased in a clear crystal, which quickly spread upwards, but stopped at his waist. Raven gritted her teeth, and growled, as she put more power behind the spell
Suddenly she heard words being shouted. ". . . rocoun jal crystallis!" Anella's voice rang out, and Raven thought that she was aiming the spell at her, but was surprised when a blue shaft of power hit Mathias, shattering the crystal that Raven had made, and replacing it with a new one, that almost instantly covered him.
"Your thoughts were right, Daughter of Arella." Anella said, as she walked over to where Raven stood, "as an arch mage, Memnoch should not have been able to penetrate his shield. I will ward this spell, while you help your friend."
Not sure what to say, Raven simply nodded, then turned back toward Robin. "Starfire, I'm going to need your help with this." she said.
"What can I do?"
"Memnoch has Robin locked in a dream, where he's fighting Slade and his new apprentice. . . and losing." Raven explained, her tone urgent, "We're going to enter his dream, and try to help him. Star he's going to be very upset, and confused, when we reach him, and he might lash out at us." she told the redhead, "but we have to try. Now, remember what I taught you, on how to meditate, and calm your thoughts?" she asked, "Good," she said, when Star nodded, "I want you to do that now, take yourself, as quickly, and as deeply, as you can, into a trance."
The others watched, as Star levitated herself in a sitting position, her legs crossed, hands on her knees. "Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos." she chanted a few times, each one getting softer, and slower.
Raven nodded, and copied Stars position, facing her. Once she got herself, to the proper level of her trance, she reached up with one hand, and placed it on Starfire's head, the other reached down and touched Robin's
"What did she say Memnoch was doing to him?" Beast Boy asked, after Raven was still for a moment.
"Fighting Slade, and some apprentice." Cyborg replied. "But who?
Anella moved closer to the three still figures, her brow furrowed in concentration for a second, knowing not to probe to deeply, and disturb Raven's link. Suddenly she stepped back with a gasp.
"What is it?" Cyborg asked, seeing the surprise on her face.
"The one he fights." Anella whispered, "It's Starfire." she added, looking over at where Star was joined to Raven, and to Robin, "But not her."
Limbo
"Friend Raven, where is this place, and why are we here?" Starfire asked, as she looked around and saw, nothing, but. . .nothing.
"For lack of a better term, we're between our own minds, and Robins, and we're here, because I've got to explain things to you." she replied, "remember when Robin took you to the circus?"
Starfire's face fell slightly at the memory, and she nodded her head. "I didn't know it would cause him such pain." she said softly, the regret she felt coloring her tone, "if I had known about the accident, that killed his parents, I wouldn't have wanted him to take me."
Raven thought about that for a moment, then went on. "Like I said, Robin is going to be confused, and upset, and he's been injured in his dreamscape." she told Star, "but he'll mostly strike out at you, not me."
"But why? Why would he wish to harm me?"
"Because in this nightmare, Memnoch has Robin believing that you, voluntarily, became Slade's apprentice." Raven replied, "Star, Robin is human, and all humans keep secrets. Some they keep from all but their friends, and some they keep even from themselves. Don't look so shocked, Starfire, even you have secrets that you have kept from us, even from Robin."
Starfire thought for a moment, then nodded her head. "Then in Robin's mind, Slade has learned a secret, that he has told a version of myself, and turned her against Robin." she reasoned.
Raven was impressed, then embarrassed with herself, at the fact that she underestimated how smart Star really was. "That's correct," she said, "so right now he's fighting Slade. . . , and you.
"Then we must hurry to his aid. Slade I have no fear of him defeating, but fighting against someone that looks, and acts like me. . . . I do not think he will win, because he will not fight back."
Raven nodded grimly, then took Starfire's hand.
Robin's Nightmare
'The cycle keeps repeating itself!' Robin thought angrily, as he squared off against Slade, for the third time. He'd land several blows, then Slade would, then Robin would smack Slade with his staff, and send him flying, as he just had. 'I've got to take her out.' he told himself, but when he was confronted by her, facing him, he checked his blow, narrowly missing.
Starfire simply didn't have any such restraint, and her star bolt threw Robin back about thirty feet. He managed to twist his body, while airborne, so that he landed in a crouch, his feet skidding on the dirt floor.
"Got to get away and think for a moment." he muttered, taking several flash bombs from his belt. With a quick flick of his good arm, he sent half of them at each of his opponents, and the instant they went off he dashed for an opening he had noticed in the wall, behind a outcrop of rock.
What he didn't know, was that he now had an audience.
"Quick, follow him." Raven ordered, seeing that the other Starfire, and Slade, were still blinded by the flash. The two girls quickly flew over to where Robin had hidden himself, and quickly entered the small cave.
"Who's there?" Robin asked, praying it wasn't Slade, or Starfire. A thrill of hope flashed through him, when he heard a familiar voice.
"Give us some light." Raven's voice said softly in the dark.
"NO!" Robin gasped, when he saw Starfire, her left hand glowing softly with a controlled star bolt. True to what Starfire thought, instead of attacking, Robin tried to scramble away.
"Robin, it's alright." Star pleaded with him, her eyes stinging with tears, at how afraid of her he was. "I am NOT that creature."
"Robin it, me, and Star, from the real world." Raven said, hoping to get through to him, "this is a dream world, created in your mind by Memnoch."
"The deceiver." Robin said softly, as his mind finally latched onto something, "That's why what she said sounded familiar."
"Robin you need to focus." Raven insisted, "you can beat him, but in order to do so, you need to defeat your own inner demons, and face certain truths."
"Robin you are not wearing your mask!" Starfire gasped, "They're blue." she added, realizing how much she liked the color of his eyes.
Robin turned his head, then realized that it really didn't matter anymore. "Star, Raven, this is a part of me that I haven't been for almost five years." he told them, "Then my name was Dick Grayson, and my parents and I were an acrobatic troupe called the Flying Grayson's, and we were part of a circus. One of the cities we stopped in was Gotham, and my father found out about some illegal dealings, the owner of the circus was doing. He didn't know it, but he had been discovered, and the next night there was, what the police termed, an accident."
"When your parents died." Star said softly, then gasped at the hard glare she got from Robin.
"When they were killed." he hissed, "I may have been only thirteen at the time, but I knew every bit of rigging in the trapeze, and the line didn't break, it was cut. Because I was so young, the police wouldn't listen to me, so I started digging, and I found the information my father had, and I went after the people that killed my parents." he paused, wiping at his eyes. When he looked up, both girls could see the loss, and helplessness, in his eyes. "I was young, and stupid." he went on, "I had some crazy idea, that when I confronted them with what I knew, they would just give up, and turn themselves into the police. Instead they almost killed me." he continued, looking off into the distance, "fortunately for me, Batman was on the trail of the same people I was. He saved my life, and offered me an opportunity, to turn my hate, and rage, into something helpful, and good." he looked over at Star. "The reason I wear the mask, is to hide my old self, because there are people out there, that if they knew that Robin, the Boy Wonder, was Dick Grayson, they would hurt innocent people, who's only crime is being special to me."
Starfire was silent for a moment. "That is. . . In your past." she said finally, "as I have learned, since I came to earth, everybody has secrets. I trust you, and believe that you wouldn't keep anything from me, to hurt me."
Robin sighed with relief, then got down to business. "Raven, I know what happens here feels real to me," he said, "but can I get killed here?
"We all can." Raven replied, "What's wrong?' she asked, seeing the worried look on Robin's face.
"Then how can you be here, when you're already dead?" he asked, "Slade ordered Star to kill you, in order to prove her loyalty to him." he explained.
"I can't stay then." Raven said, "Let's get that shoulder of yours fixed. Starfire, hold him still."
Star got behind Robin, and put her arms around his chest, and held him tightly as Raven grabbed his arm, and jerked it back into it's socket. She placed her hand on the shoulder, and chanted, using her magic to heal the injury.
"You must go, friend Raven, but I will stay and assist Robin. I have fought with the evil part of me before, but this time I will be victorious."
"Just remember to confront Memnoch with the truth, when he shows himself." Raven told them then vanished.
"When we leave this cave, I want you to fly up, and hide near a stalactite." Robin told Star, "while I'm fighting Slade, the other you will try to get behind me, to attack."
"I will stop her, and keep her occupied, until you defeat Slade, then we will defeat her together."
Robin looked into Star's eyes, seeing the trust, and loyalty that he had learned Star reserved for those she called friend, the depth of those emotions he saw now, indicated something deeper. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek in his hand. "Yes, together."
The two moved to the entrance to the cave. "I'll go first, and draw their attention, then you." Robin said.
"May the Goddess protect you." Star whispered, as she watched Robin leave cover.
"Slade, let's get this over with." Robin called, stepping out from behind a pile of boulders. Without warning, Slade attacked, and Robin defended himself, as best he could, remembering not to use his right arm.
"Why don't you admit it Robin, you're beaten, and have no hope of defeating me." Slade taunted, as Robin picked himself up from the ground, for the second time.
"As long as I'm alive, I have hope." he replied, and attacked again, using his feet, and left hand. Suddenly his spirits soared, as he heard a familiar voice.
"You will interfere no longer!" Star shouted at her other self, as she attacked.
Slade momentarily dropped his guard in surprise. "What!" he gasped, seeing the other Starfire.
Robin saw his opening, and took it, driving his right fist into Slade's face. "Now let's see how good you are here, without your apprentice to help you." He growled, as he pummeled Slade mercilessly. After a flurry of blows, Robin had Slade backed up to a crevasse, whipping out his bo staff, he took a defensive stance.
"You disgust me Slade!" he spat, "trying to corrupt someone like Starfire, to your twisted ways, your servitude." he laughed lightly at that thought. "The Gordanians had her on one of their slave ships, and they couldn't hold her, what ever made you think that you stood a chance?
Just then Slade lashed out with his foot. Robin ducked instinctively, and just as instinctively struck back, swatting Slade in the side of his head with his staff, spinning him around.
Robin watched, as his nemesis fought a losing battle with gravity, then fell into the chasm. He stood there a moment, and was snapped back to the business at hand, by hearing a chorus of Tamaranean battle cries. Turning toward the sound, he saw a bright flash of green energy, followed by an explosion.
"STARFIRE!" he cried, seeing the good version of her flying backward, very fast, and out of control. She smashed through the lower part of a stalactite, then hit the ground a short distance away. Sprinting over to her, he found her face down, the back of her top was laced with slashes, from her impact with the stalactite, her back bleeding from the gashes. "Star!" he half gasped, half sobbed, as he sank to his knees beside her.
"Mmmm. . . . .Robin." Star moaned, as she tried to push herself up, and stand. Seeing that she wasn't going to make it, Robin eased her down, so she was on her back, her head and shoulders supported by his lap. She lay there, panting, for a moment then looked up at him. "I am afraid I will not be with you, to defeat her." she said weakly.
Robin could see the pain in her green eyes, and also heard it in her voice. Not just her physical pain, but emotional as well, because she felt she was letting him down, and breaking her promise to him. He swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.
"It's alright Star." he soothed, "thanks to your loyalty, friendship, and love, you'll always be with me."
Star nodded, then she grimaced as a wave of pain washed over her. "Go." she said softly, "go and be victorious so, this will end."
Robin gently lay her on the ground, and stood up, his face reflecting the resolve in his mind. Turning to head toward the other Starfire, he knew he was walking away from someone, that meant a great deal to him. "Only this time, I'm not a kid, I'm not helpless, and I can strike back." he said softly. Letting the rage, and hurt, that went all the way back to his parents death, flow through him, he quickly went, from a walk, to a run, when he spotted the evil version of Starfire.
"So I got rid of that pest." she said derisively. "and now I'll get rid of you." she added, and started firing star bolts at him
Robin never even slowed down. What bolts he couldn't dodge, he deflected with his staff, right up until he was within arms reach of her. Throwing down his staff, he finally went on the offensive with her. "You are NOT Starfire! She's to strong, and caring, to be fooled by Slade." he shouted, throwing a furry of punches and kicks, backing her up, so that her back was to the wall. Suddenly he stopped, seeing that tears were flowing down her face.
"Go ahead, kill me!" she shouted, "that's what you want to do, isn't it!"
Robin raised his hand, ready to strike, and knowing that he knew, at least three blows he could land, that would kill the being before him, but still he held back. Thinking about something Raven had said, he took a step back. "Nice try Memnoch." he said. "I kill you, and the real Starfire back there dies. You've run out of tricks for me here, I no longer have those secrets, that you used to get me here." he went on, his voice getting stronger as he did. "Starfire knows the truth, you have now power here!"
Robin watched, as the Starfire before him winced, with apparent agony, then an unearthly scream came from her mouth. As he watched, her body was surrounded by a bright light, and when it faded, in her place was, what appeared to be, an old man. He was wearing dark gray robes, and had very thin white hair. The feature that caught Robin's attention the most, was what looked like horns, that were on either side of his head, and grew in a spiral, like a rams.
"Very good, young one." Memnoch said, "you have a very strong mind, and have chosen your friends well."
"Thanks for the compliment, now get out of my head." Robin told the thing before him. "You've lost."
Memnoch gave his a small bow, and Robin thought the movement of his hands, was in preparation to his leaving, and was surprised at the blast of power, that hurled him back. "Only this battle boy." he hissed, then vanished.
Groaning in pain, Robin rolled over, and saw that Starfire was just a few feet from him, and was relieved to see she was still breathing. "Star, you're still with me." he said softly, and reached out his hand. He smiled broadly, when he saw her move her head, and look at him, and he almost laughed, when she smiled back weakly, reaching out her hand to his.
Limbo
"What? Where is this place?" Robin asked, suddenly finding himself. . . .nowhere.
"In between your mind, and mine." Starfire replied, looking around.
"You have to decide how much of what just happened, you want Starfire to remember." Raven said, as she suddenly appeared.
Robin thought for a moment, then looked at Starfire's expectant face. "All of it." he told Raven. "Star, you do know, that you now share my secrets, that you can't tell anyone about my being Dick Grayson, or that you've seen me without my mask?"
"I understand, and I thank you for trusting me with this." Star replied. She was suddenly surprised by Robin moving next to her, and putting his arm around her waist.
"I saw, in there, just how much you care for me, and it let me know, that you care for me, as much as I do you." he told her, then kissed her cheek.
Star was silent for a moment, then smiled broadly, when she realized just what Robin had said.
Real world
"He's won." Anella said, seeing Robin's body relax from it tight clench on the ground.
"What's going on?" Beast boy asked, as he watched Robin roll over, his hand reaching out to where Starfire sat. "Whoa!" he gasped, as Starfire opened her eyes, and took a deep breath.
"I'd say that Star had a hand in helping Robin." Cyborg said, as he watched the flame haired girl take Robins hand. A moment later, Robin moaned, and opened his eyes, smiling softly at the beaming smile that Starfire was giving him, then they both looked at Raven as she, too, came out of her trance.