Chapter 7

Okay I'm back... sorry this break hasn't been the best time for me, I've been busy and had writer's block... again... I was thinking that maybe I could do a Jurassic Park theme for my next story for the Titans. What do you guys think? And like always there will be a preview of the next story at the end of this story. Okay enjoy this one... it will burn you up, literally.

Jump city high school

It was early April and the air was hot and dry, which was unusual. Usually it would rain constantly during this month, but not a drop came from the sky. Richard had ran into some trouble starting his motorcycle this morning so he had to take his dad's car. Richard found a decent place to park and turned off the engine. He took the key out and rushed out of the car and into the building. Mrs Petro was standing there patiently, tapping her foot as the bell rang. Richard ran into the room with a note in hand, backpack slung over his shoulder, he was already sweating from the heat, all the kids were. Mrs Petro was hot too, even though she didn't look it, she was getting hot under the collar. Richard sheepishly walked up to her and handed her the note, once in her hands she opened it and scanned it quickly.

"Alright Mr Grayson, I'll let you off this time." her voice was stern and had a red flag go up saying, 'Your in trouble if you didn't have this note.' Richard slid back into his seat, by Gar. Gar looked like he was going to pull of his dark blue shirt any second, most of the kids sighed, moaned, or whined about moving or handing back papers. It was a harsh morning, and it wouldn't get any better.

Once class was over everyone went into the hot, clustered hallway. Where teens bumped into one another and shouted at each other, some were lined up at the fountain, others were at their lockers trying to cool off. Richard had already slung his backpack into his locker and got his stuff ready for 2nd period, Math. Richard grabbed his things for Math and Science, cause he didn't wasn't to be caught up in this cluttered hallway. They flew by fast, and before Richard knew it he was on his way to gym.

"Curse it! Why didn't we have swimming at this time?" Richard groaned. They had to run the mile, as everyone knows how tough that is! But despite the heat he got a good time, 8 minutes and 27 seconds. He and Vic ran together most of the mile but Richard kept going while Vic finished.

Richard went to his exploratory after gym and then to Language Arts. On his way there he ran into Rachel, but she didn't look to good, her eyes didn't shine, she looked pale, her face looked straight, she didn't even stop to say hi to him, and she was wearing a long sleeve knit sweater, purple, and jeans. Unlike everyone who was wearing shorts and white t-shirts. That wasn't like her.

"Maybe I should go talk to her after school." Richard stated, so only he could hear what he said. "Oh that's right!" Richard smacked him self on the forehead. 'I have to patrol the city tonight.'

Jump city

Once the teens got out of school, Richard went home and did his home work. It took him, what felt like for hours, soon it became dark and he went out on duty. He just sat there on the roof top scanning the top of buildings and listening carefully, for anything out of the ordinary. It was, yet again, another typical night in the city. People down on the streets, cars going by, all seemed quiet, that was until sirens broke the silence. It was a parade of fire engines, like 7 or more, going down the street heading towards the outskirts of town. That's what made Robin perk up. He stood quickly and watched them pass by, they looked like they were going towards Rachel's house.

"Don't turn right." Robin pleaded. But just like that on his command the line did. "No." Robin shot off after the fire engines. He leapt over buildings and houses trying to keep up. "Titans!" Robin had pulled out his communicator and shouted in to it. "Fire on the east side of town! Hurry!" Robin put his communicator away and put a good burst of speed into his already fast sprint. Robin had already seen the smoke rising up from the building complexes. He soon found himself down on the street, standing in front of a huge, roaring flame that had engulfed the whole row of 6 houses, one of which was Rachel's.

"Is that everyone?" the fire fighter asked as he put a little girl down on the pavement. Then there was a scream that came from the burning houses.

"No! There's still some one in there!" One of the woman shouted as she pointed to Rachel's house.

"No." Robin had gasped and ran in to the burning building, not thinking.

"Rachel!" Mrs Roth shouted as she walked in to the burning flames. A beam fell in front of her, she put her arms up to block the debris from hitting her face. "Rachel!" she tried one more time.

"Mom!" Rachel shouted. "Mom!" she ran into her mother's room. "Mother!" a wall came down behind Rachel causing her to move forward into the flames more. Rachel covered her face as she searched the up stairs floor.

"Rachel! Rachel! Ra-!" Mrs Roth saw a shadow move behind the flames. "Rachel?" She took a step forward towards the figure. Robin came out of the flames.

"Ma'am you have to come this way!" Robin shouted over the roar of the flames. Part of the ceiling fell beside them.

"But I need to find my daughter!" Mrs Roth tried to go away, but Robin grabbed her wrist.

"You daughter is probably out side already." Robin said, he flinched as another support beam fell behind him. That comforted her a bit. "Come on!" Robin pulled and they ran out the front door. Once Robin and Mrs Roth had got a safe distance, Robin let go of her hand. The 3 Titans were trying to help put out the fire. Starfire had noticed Robin was out of the building.

"Robin! Are you okay?" she asked worried.

"Where's my daughter?" Mrs Roth asked worried. "I don't see my daughter. Where is my daughter?" She ran her head back and forth looking frantically for her daughter. "Where is she?" Robin snapped his head to the woman who was raging back and forth. He then looked at the burning building and ran back into it.

"Robin!" Starfire tried to fly in after him but the door gave way and collapsed, leaving him trapped in side. "Robin!"

Robin took off up the stairs and ran around calling her name. "Rachel!" he knew she wasn't down stairs because he was already down there, but he hadn't checked up stairs yet. He soon heard a faint shout some where. Robin knew this house by heart, he first checked the mother's room, Rachel might have been there looking for her mother.

"Mother!" Robin heard a faint female voice from the other side of the wall, that was Rachel's room.

"Mom!" Rachel shouted, she didn't notice that the support beam above her was going to fall. "Mother!"

CRRAACCKK!

"AH!" Rachel was hit by the beam, she fell unconscious underneath it, both from the fall and the smoke.

Robin had heard the fall and rushed to the room. He yanked open the door to find Rachel unconscious, under a burning beam. "Rachel!" Robin ran over and grabbed the support beam, he grasped one part and tried to lift up, it was too heavy. Robin knew if he didn't get this off of her she'd die, and he'd never forgive himself. That thought made him feel anger, hatred, and that made him get enough energy to lift the beam off of the girl, he pushed it off to the side, knelt down next to Rachel, he took her into his arms and pushed the hair out of her face. "Please be okay." He pleaded. Then the house decided to cave in at that very moment. Robin looked up and pulled his cape over both, Rachel and him. The house collapsed around them.

Everyone was waiting anxiously out side. Everyone heard something snap and after that, the whole house caved in, putting out the fire, but leaving a mountain of charred rubble and thick smoke rising up from the mountain.

"NO!" Mrs Roth yelled. A fire fighter had to hold her back.

"Robin!" Starfire yelled. She landed and turned around to Cyborg and cried into his shoulder.

"No... no..." Mrs Roth went weak after a while, she started to sob uncontrollably. It was a good 5 minutes before any one spoke.

The smoke hadn't settled yet, a black shadow made it's way into peoples' view. Everyone gasped, "Star... look." Cyborg stated in awe.

"I can't the scene is too-" Starfire turned and looked at the smoldering rubble to see a figure slowly appear. "Robin!" Star whispered. Mrs Roth looked up at the figure too. Tears stopped falling, she ran up to the boy carrying Rachel, the boy put her down on the ground.

"Mom?" Rachel said weakly as she opened her eyes, a very little bit.

Mrs Roth's eyes brightened up, her lips turned upward into a smile. Mrs Roth embraced her daughter. "Don't ever do that again, promise?" she backed off the hug.

"I promise." Rachel stated.

"Rachel, promise me you won't stay in a burning building." Robin stated with a smile, Rachel smiled back. "I know your brave, but you almost gave me a heart attack. I don't want to lose you."

"So you're the one that's been stalking my daughter!" Mrs Roth spat protectively. She pulled Rachel closer to her.

"No Mom you've got it all wrong." Rachel said. Rachel tried to sit up a bit. "He's not a stalker... he's my hero." Rachel said sweetly as she hugged him. Robin was caught off guard by this, but he hugged her back. Mrs Roth's eyes went wide, then her face turned soft, she was glad her daughter could find some one she could trust.

"Thank you." Robin whispered in her ear. Rachel was getting weak, her arms slid from his neck as she fell back, her mother caught her and a paramedic came up beside them.

"She's getting delirious." he stated. "Get a flat bed and oxygen over here!" the man came over and walked in front of Mrs Roth and took the girl. "Get in." Mrs Roth did as she was told. The man put Rachel on the flat bed.

"Robin!" Rachel whispered as she reached out to him with her closest hand. Robin reached his hand out and touched her's. Then they put an oxygen mask on her face. "Robin." she called out one last time, before she fell into unconsciousness, her arm fell from his grasp. They loaded her in to the ambulance, and took off. Robin was standing there with his arm stretched out, the 3 Titans gathered around him as he put his arm down and watched the truck drive off, lights flashing, sirens blaring.

"She'll be alright, Robin. You'll see." Cy assured, he put his hand on Robin's shoulder.

Jump city Hospital

Richard had stopped by after school, to see Rachel. Mrs Roth came out of the room where Rachel was kept.

"She wishes to see you now." She said. Richard got up and walked in and saw Rachel on the bed, some wires, tubes, and monitors were hooked up to her. Her hair was cut, cause part of it was burned, she had a hospital skirt on, with a blanket over her, her body was all bruised, cut, and bloody, she looked so sad and broken on that bed.

"Richard?" Rachel turned her head and spoke very weakly.

"Hey Rae." Richard came over and kissed her on the forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"What do you think?" Rachel stated. Richard chuckled. Rachel scooted up in her bed, so she could sit up, not lay down.

"Oh! I found this on today's news paper." Richard held up the front page and it had a picture of the paramedics loading her up into the truck and Robin at her side. "Some one was there for a while to interview the victims of the fire." Richard took a good look at the front picture. "You look so helpless there. I wish I knew, then I could have been there, with you."

"It's not your fault." Rachel shook her head. "Some one had saved me, I'm betting you would have pummeled him into the ground for touching me." They both started to laugh.

"That would have been a maybe." Richard put the paper down and placed his hand on her cheek, "That would have been a maybe."

"Richard?" Rachel asked. "How do you feel about me?"

"More then you could ever know." Richard stated. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, it was full of passion. Rachel was so glad that Richard felt this way about her, he would never lie to her... or would he?