PART III
–There must be another way in. He has been in there for so long. —exclaimed Donna worried. Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Donna had been waiting for Beast Boy to come back. He had been down there for a long time, and they were worried that he could have been detected.
–I think there is a way in. —whispered Raven hesitantly.
–What do you mean? —asked Starfire.
–I can project myself astrally. —answered Raven. — I can try to find Beast Boy and if he let me, I can see through his eyes and I'll just open a portal for you guys to get there.
–Don't you need to see where you're heading to? —asked Cyborg.
–Yes. But this is not a portal, it's my soul. —replied Raven timidly.
–Huh, what do you mean? — asked Cyborg again cluelessly. The others remained expectant.
–If you let me, I can go inside your head. I didn't suggest it before because I have only done it a couple of times. —answered Raven insecure. — But It has worked.
–Fine. —Encouraged Cyborg after thinking about it silently for a couple of minutes. — What do we have to do?
–Nothing. Just wait for the portal and be prepared. They might need help. I can barely feel Robin now. —said Raven while sitting on the floor with her legs crossed. She pronounced her mantra a couple of times and started levitating. A few more times and a dark shadow detached from her body and left through the small hole on the whole, leaving the rest astonished, since unanimated Raven's body fall to the floor.
Raven started calling for Beast Boy. She couldn't what was ahead of her, she could move around the physical space trying to find him. If she was moving to the left or to the right, was unknown for her, astral projection works differently that moving inside a body. Soon she heard Beast Boy replying, he seemed uncertain at first but eventually he let her in and took possession of his body.
Raven experienced for the first time the vision of this world through the eyes of a moth, it took more than a heartbeat for her to adjust at this perception. Once she focused her vision, she created immediately a portal and abandoned Beast Boy's body. This process has consumed a lot of her energy and went rapidly and scared to find her own body.
Cyborg, Donna and Starfire had passed through the portal without Raven on it this time. They found themselves in the small room and immediately detected a human's figure laying down on the floor.
–Robin! —shouted Starfire worried and they all moved towards him. Beast Boy had also turned back into a human next to him.
–He's alive, but he has been unconscious for a while. —replied Beast Boy.
–Let's get him out of here. —shouted Cyborg who examined his vital signs. He also detected all the people outside of the room. They could already hear them outside.
–The door is sealed. Where is Raven? —asked Beast Boy concerned.
–We don't know. — answered Donna disturbed. She and Beast Boy tried to carry Robin up, and Cyborg prepared his sonic canyon. Starfire went to the door, and as the same way she had done at the Gordonians ship, she put her hands towards it and starting concentrating the energy of her star bolts into the metal until it starting collapsing. Quickly she hit the door with both hands, and soon the door flew out. Many men were holding the resin sprayers they have seen before and shocker-staves outside of the room. They tried to attack Starfire first, but Cyborg started blasting at their guns, making room for Starfire to move out. Beast Boy and Donna went out of the room behind Cyborg carrying Robin. They had to cover themselves from the resin that was coming also from some men to the left at the end of the hall.
Cyborg came to assist them and tried to hit the attackers and covering with his sonic canyon, so that Beast Boy and Donna could go further.
–I know where the exit is. —shouted Beast Boy, leading Donna to the ladder he had seen before. They had to stay behind Starfire, who was blasting with her star bolts all the men that tried to attack her. She was capable of melting a few of the staffs by touching them with her hands and concentrating her energy towards it. She couldn't get much ultraviolet energy from that place, so her powers were getting wicker, so she decided to combat the men as hard as she could without hurting them with her strength.
–Over here! —some men yelled to alert others who just went in through the only exit.
–I can't see Professor Chang! —shouted Donna up to some point.
–We can get these guys arrested once we knock them out! — commented Cyborg in response after blasting carefully. Starfire's star bolts was turning into their only light, and sometimes she had to create more to break the resin their guns shot at her, even though they weren't as powerful as before. After a while, many men were on the floor, and they continued moving steadily until the only exit. As they were going upstairs, Cyborg took on the lead and hit the metal square door on top of him, and once he went out, he saw more men as the ones downstairs preparing to shoot.
–I need your back up! —he shouted, and Starfire and Donna went behind to support him. Beast Boy stayed downstairs with Robin, who was slowly waking up.
Up there, Donna started combating as many men as she could do at once with her fists and legs, and the restaurant was totally destroyed. Starfire felt powerless, but continued hitting them, and took some of the shock coming from their weapons as well. Cyborg didn't have enough battery to continue using his sonic canyon, so he continued hitting them too.
It seemed that they were losing, when a dark energy covered the weapons up and were suddenly destroyed. Raven had appeared and moved the few tables from the place and throw them towards the men who were still standing. Donna saw the cashier trying to hide behind the register, and since he didn't attack them back, she decided to go easy on him, so she threw her lasso towards him and dragged him back at her.
–Where is Professor Chang? —yelled Donna furiously.
–Not here. —was the only answer the men had given her. Donna tight her truth lasso even harder when an incoming call to the restaurant interrupted their fight. The man writhed trying to reach the phone. Donna loosed the rope a little bit and allowed the man to pick up the phone, which he did in the speaker.
–I'm sorry I'm not there to meet you this time. Change of plans. Someone else has caught bidders attention. We'll see each other again. —said the man over the phone and hung up.
Donna let them man go and push him against the floor. Beast Boy came upstairs helping Robin, and walked out of the kitchen. Raven appeared next to the bar too.
–He's severely hurt. I can help him. —said Raven confidently and Beast Boy helped Robin lay down in the floor.
–Azarath Metrion Zinthos. —pronounced Raven and this time the energy coming out of her hands was light bluely. Everyone saw that after Raven have repeated her mantra, many of the bruises on Robin's body started disappearing, which cheered them all up.
–Let's take him go, can we? —whispered Cyborg. — We'll get that bastard another time.
They started moving towards the exit, avoiding stepping on the unconscious men. Raven couldn't teleport all at once and Beast Boy needed space to go out flying. Right outside there was a police officer waiting for them, next to his police car, although it seemed that he had no intention to fight them.
–Guys like you just bring more problems to the cities. —He exclaimed and sounded pissed off. — We had a big operation going on trying to catch Professor Chang. Many of our undercover men might be already compromised.
He lit off one cigarette and looked at them with contempt. The others stayed silently.
–No one is looking for her anymore, so congratulations. You weirdos won again. —He shouted on the same position, they all started moving towards the alley. — You all make mistakes, and I'll be here to take you in myself.
–See you at his apartment Beast Boy. —whispered Cyborg before entering the portal Raven had created.
Once they got there, Donna and Starfire helped Robin to lay down on his bed.
–When did you get here? —asked Robin to Donna.
–The day before yesterday. I came here to pick her up. —answered Donna enthusiastic.
–And It took you almost two days to find me? You're getting old. —he answered sarcastically and smiled at her.
–Maybe. —She answered jokingly and smiled back. — Now rest, Dick.
–Thanks. —He answered and glanced at Starfire, who couldn't understand his look. She didn't say anything back, since she felt guilty of the distress he had been through, he and all of her friends for the whole day, so she looked away. Starfire and Donna left the room and closed the door. Robin stayed thoughtful for a moment but soon fall into a dream.
–I checked what the officer said. It's true. —Announced Cyborg joyfully. — The police are not looking for you anymore.
–It seems our friends have gotten a permission for you to stay. Welcome! —deduced Donna cheerful, smiling at Starfire, who stayed puzzled. Donna continued checking her phone for messages and alerts coming from Bruce and Alfred.
–Cool. What are you going to do? — asked Cyborg excited.
–I want to go with Donna to New York, for now. —answered Starfire after meditating the events for a moment.
–I think it could work. There was an auction made by the government. Wayne Industries has bought the ship. You guys can do with it whatever you want. —announced Donna cheerfully.
Before anyone else could say something, they were interrupted by the door bell.
–It's Beast Boy. —announced Raven embarrassed before Donna could get to the intercom. She opened the door and left the door opened. Soon was Beast Boy at the front door carrying a few bags, he then closed the door behind him.
–I brought tacos to celebrate! —he shouted.
–Where did you get tacos at this hour? —Cyborg asked. — It's too late.
–Or too early. —commented Raven, since outside it was bright enough already.
–Hello, last time I checked this was America. We can find any type of food all day. Wanna some? —Beast Boy said genuinely happy.
He went to the sofa, and the others joined him and eat with him.
–So is he better? —Beast Boy asked shyly.
–He is sleeping, or at least I think so. — Replied Donna and after thinking a while, she continued. — Starfire and I will keep going, there is a flight we need to catch. We also need to go to pay the informants for their help.
–Am I allowed to use my powers now? —asked Starfire naively.
–Yes, but not that kind of flight. Earthen style. —motivated Donna happily.
–What about Robin? —Starfire asked worried.
–We'll check on him. —Assured Cyborg seriously. — We also need to figure out this thing with Professor Chang and find out who they are after to now. We got this.
–Thanks again. —Answered Starfire relieved. — Let me know if you need my help some day.
Donna and Starfire stood up and were heading towards the exit, when Starfire went back and hugged the rest for their surprise.
–See you my friends. —she said with a wide smile.
Before heading out, Starfire grabbed the sport bags with all of her belongings and left through the hall. She also gave a quick glance at the bedroom's room.
A few hours later, Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy have rested inside the apartment by doing nothing, and Robin came out of his room, with other clothes than his damaged uniform.
–Hi. —He said sleepy. — Welcome to my apartment, I guess.
–How are you feeling? —Beast Boy asked him happy after seeing him standing.
–Way better. —He answered smiling, then look around the room confused. — Where is Starfire… and Donna?
–They left to New York. —answered Raven.
–Oh… both of them? —He asked rhetorically. — I thought I heard that Starfire could stay without problems here.
–Yes. Apparently Donna got her a good deal, and she can do whatever she wants now. — commented Cyborg enthusiastically.
–Good. — Whispered Robin and cleared his throat. Raven felt a sudden sadness coming from him.— And how are you? Are you hurt? What happened?
–No, we're not hurt. — Assured Cyborg. — Chang is still out there, now he's after someone else, not only Starfire.
–I see. — said Robin. He sat on the floor and grabbed some leftovers from the plastic bags over the coffee table. — We need to get him.
–We need to rest now. —Demanded Cyborg. — Specially you.
–Sure. — confirmed Robin after taking a bite.
–We also got the ship. We used it to find you. —remarked Beast Boy.
–The Gordonian ship? —asked Robin taking another bite with a surprised look.
–Wayne Enterprises has given it to us. —Commented Raven. — Know anything about it?
Robin snorted laughing. He seemed deep in thought for a moment, but then continued talking.
–Listen, when we defeated them, the Gordonians, I didn't really think I could be in touch with you guys. Like as a team. —He stayed quiet for an instant.— But now I do. I want to team up with you, if you want it that way.
–Sure. — answered Beast Boy excited.
–I'm in. I have some ideas how to get this guy already. —commented Cyborg. Raven only nodded in agreement.
–So we go after Professor Chang? — asked Beast Boy.
–Now? No. We need to figure out what we're going to do with that ship. They will be waiting for us, and we need to be prepared. But now, we can just hang out. —Suggested Robin smiling. — Are there more tacos?
Later that evening, when Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy have left his apartment, Robin decided to have a look at the arrivals from Jump City to New York. He looked at a couple of airlines who have flown that day and hacked into their systems to get the passengers data. A strange feeling invaded him when he saw the name "Kory Anders" on the arrival at 17:40 on the passenger list.