(Another month, another chapter, the third should be up in another month. Going to try and stay on top of these. Anyway, enjoy, reviews are special things I cherish. ~RavensMind~ )
Chapter 2: Drop the Case
"The ones we lock up, I lock up in my own way. Every case has its place here in this tower I've fashioned in webs of neurons. They get as much light as I allow, which isn't much, but if Robin had a tower like mine – they would rarely be in the shade. Wielding everything from switchblades and grenades to elaborate remotes and reality-bending canes, they will line up to annoy him again every time he combs the Titan database. If he could only get away from his detective work more," – Raven, to herself as she wanders the levels of her memory tower.
Sitting in his chair at his desk, Robin waited anxiously for the blueprint to copy from the data-stick onto the computer. This reactor core had been made for a purpose, and he had to know what it had the potential to do before he handed the schematics over to his contact.
If the group he was investigating was from Gotham, his work would be finished and Batman would take over the case. If they weren't…well, he was hoping they weren't. He didn't want to give the case over – this was his city and he would be the one to protect it. He left Gotham for a reason…and that reason hadn't changed, or called him for anything until this.
Aware that he wasn't alone in the evidence room anymore, he leaned back in his chair and spoke without turning his head.
"You should knock…or use the door," Robin said.
"Doing it my way disturbs you less," Raven said, appearing from the shadows.
Swiveling around, Robin gave her an appreciative smile. Raven stood with her arms crossed over the journal against her chest.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
"…No," she replied softly.
"Oh…sorry, I'm uh, glad you told me, but I wish you didn't feel bad," he said carefully.
She nodded and looked to the floor before stepping closer to him, holding the journal out for him to take. Reaching out to take it from her, his fingers grazed hers and a feeling of hopelessness shot through his mind. The feeling diminished when he took the notebook from her grasp. He opened it and read the response she had written to his message:
"Knowing you're here for me is enough, I appreciate it, I do, but I can deal with this – it's you I'm worried about. This case feels like it might consume you, none of us want to see that again. Please don't go after this group alone." –Raven.
Closing the journal, he stared at the cover as he thought.
"I need to deal with this, I can do it alone, there's no need to risk anyone else," he said slowly, determined.
"We're here to take the risks…what is it about this group that has you so on edge?" she asked.
"…Don't ask me that," was all he said, looking up at her.
"You came to me. You can't do this all by yourself, don't be an idiot. I can help," she said, getting annoyed.
"I know you can…but I just," he gave a long sigh, "I need to handle this mission."
"So, you don't trust us, or me, to do this with you?" she asked.
"Yeah, well…it's not just me...and this is complicated, I can't talk about it," he said.
"Okay, what can you talk about? Just the weather?" she asked, agitated.
Robin shook his head, opening the journal and writing below her response. She raised an eyebrow, curious. When he'd finished, he handed her the journal. She read what he wrote:
"I dealt with them before I joined the Titans with my friend, I won't add to that. Sorry, just trust me this is for the best. It's bad enough that I have to get involved again, the team shouldn't suffer for it."
She looked up and nodded somewhat reluctantly, well aware that she kept plenty from him and the others, but still annoyed that he wouldn't say anything – even to her. They let the other know more about their lives than they had told Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire. Yet, it wasn't enough that they could talk about anything. Taking out her pen, Raven wrote below what Robin had written. She then handed him the journal. He read:
"I trust you. At least promise me that you won't let this mission get to you."
With a small smile, he looked up from the page.
"I promise," he said.
She gave a satisfied nod and reached out to check his wrist, mostly to avoid an impending awkward silence. Their conversations seemed to inspire those like nothing else. She wanted to convince him that she trusted him and decided to explain why she'd been feeling bad. He held out his arm so she could examine it better, thinking of something he could tell her. After looking to see if his other injuries had any remaining effect, she gave a low sigh and spoke suddenly before he had found something he could say.
"I haven't been sleeping well…if at all. At night, my emotions just rage over possible bad futures and I can't silence them without meditating through the night. I'm exhausted…all the time. I've only been able to sleep by taking some…strong sleeping medicine," Raven explained.
"Bad futures?" Robin asked, unsure of what she meant.
"Being able to see what might happen, or will happen…isn't usually pleasant. I think I'm focusing on what I won't be looking forward to more than I should…" she said.
"You're…depressed, or…I guess it's worse than that isn't it?" he asked, in a concerned tone.
She nodded and lowered her hood, revealing her face, she let her true feelings show in her expression, which let Robin see the strain and weight that was on her. He thought that if she held that expression for much longer, his, or her, eyes would start tearing up.
"I've bothered you enough…I guess I should let you get back to your search…" she said, starting to leave. He half-leapt forward out of his chair and took her hand.
"No. I'm glad you told me, but I can't let you run to your room feeling the way you do," he said, gently tugging her back towards him.
Facing him, she gave a nervous nod, unsure if she should stay or leave, yet stepping back over to him regardless. She would tell him more if he wasn't somewhere else, as she knew he was partially preoccupied with the case, which he was far too often. For those cases, she would often sit with him, or bring him something to drink, and just check in to be sure he wasn't too lost when he sat pouring over files. Every now and then he would look over to her and talk, but other than that he was immersed in the case details. During the longer nights of his, she would get up to secretly look in on him. She'd found him asleep at the desk more than a few times.
The days after those nights, she would pick up more tasks that were usually his as far as leading the team through training and other things when he did neglect them. He hadn't officially thanked her once for it, but he knew she had been doing it for him. Instead, he would spend the evening those days with her, staring off the edge of the roof, watching the sunset, and talking. That had been the best part of their day.
They hadn't watched a sunset together for a few months now. She missed it. He missed it terribly.
"You aren't bothering me and if you're having a problem, I'll do my best to be here to listen and help you. The others can help you too, you know that. Being alone shouldn't be your first or second idea," he said.
"I can't talk about this with them…I can only talk about it with someone who understands the feeling," she said, shaking her head slowly.
"Why do you think I'd understand it any better?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I've sensed what you've felt enough to be sure in saying that you've dealt with something like it too," she said.
At this, he frowned and looked down at the floor between them. Through their bond she felt a distant pain resonate in his mind, rising fast to the surface and lingering before he batted it back down forcefully.
"…You're right," he said, a little reluctantly.
"Do you…want to talk about it?" she asked.
"No. Someday, maybe...if we get to know each other that well. Anyway…uh, I do need to get back to work, but let's talk later alright? Go make fun of Beast Boy, help Cyborg, or do something with Starfire – just please don't shut yourself in your room," he said.
"I'll try," she said, giving a slight smile.
He smiled back and gave an approving nod. They realized that he still had her hand in his and she withdrew it quickly with a small nod and a hint of red in her cheeks as he gave an awkward smile.
"Uh, let me know if you need my help again – and don't worry, I hid your R-cycle, so the others will think it's being fixed," Raven said.
"I will, and thanks Raven, I owe you one," Robin said.
"You owe me more than one," she teased, leaving the room through the floor in her dark power.
Robin chuckled and went back to his desk to continue his work. He set their journal next to him on the desk, planning to write something when he was finished for the day. Pulling up several files from the database, he noticed something he hadn't before.
There was a file he hadn't seen before on the screen. Opening it, he frowned as he saw that it had been sent to him by Batman. He read every word, more than once, as it was now clear that the group he was after were working on something that dealt with a few cases Batman had been working on in Gotham, which meant that Robin had turn over the blueprint to his old partner and drop the case. Completely.
He growled and leaned back in the chair, putting his hands behind his head as he took a long deep breath. Going back to the computer, he sent the blueprint along with the details of last night to Batman and got a response immediately:
"I'll take it from here. I might need you again, I'll be in touch. Get some rest Dick."
Shaking his head, Robin grabbed the journal along with his pen and left the evidence room. Writing might help him stop the inner growling he was doing in his head. Then he'd find Raven and tell her that they weren't on the case anymore…and let her read what he wrote.
