Disclaimer: All copyright and credit goes to the original creators of the Teen Titans, Batman, and the DC Universe. This is for entertainment purposes only! I do not own any of the characters!
Author's note: So sorry that this update is a little late! I hope everyone had a great Friday! Enjoy!
Chapter
Catastrophic
Debris crashed down around Robin as he dashed through the forest. Fire licked at his heels, scorching his shoes and tickling his feet with heat. A large sickening crack echoed through the forest, and he skidded to a stop as a tree toppled to the ground in front of him. The flames crackled and sparked against the dark sky, illuminating the forest in a glow of shadows.
Robin whirled around and froze. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Out of the mountain of flames, a single person walked toward him. Smoke swirled and parted around the silhouetted creature that moved through the fire with an effortless agility and ease.
"Slade," Robin spat, bringing his arms up in a defensive position. "What are you planning?"
The masked man stepped forward and fixed Robin under his steely glare. The boy tensed as sweat rolled down his arms and dripped onto the fiery ground. Seconds passed as the fire roared around the hero and the villain.
"Come find out, little bird."
Slade turned around and dashed into the waiting fire, disappearing into the smoke. Robin hesitated and charged forward into the fiery abyss, ignoring the intense heat that bombarded him. Sweat poured off of him as he dashed and hurdled through the forest, dimly keeping track of Slade's distant outline. The smoke grew stronger as trees continued to crash down around him.
With each terrifying crack of a falling tree, Robin ran faster, but Slade seemed to be getting farther and farther away. Everything became a hazy blur as smoke curled up around him and into his lungs. A thick branch caught his legs, and he crashed into the ground. Pain assaulted his arms as sharp branches sliced into them.
He rolled to his feet as a dark, metallic taste overwhelmed his mouth. He stumbled forward, hacking and coughing while the fire and smoke seethed around him. The burning chaos overpowered all of his senses until he could barely see the outline of his fingers. Each breath he took sent the potent smoke deeper and deeper into his body. He gripped his chest and tore at his uniform, trying to relieve the building pressure in his lungs.
The world began to tip dangerously as time slowed. Each spark from the fire took longer to ignite. Every falling tree took years to hit the ground. Each breath seemed to take a century. Robin looked at the hazy chaos around him and he began to fall forward. The trees moved by him inch by inch as the ground grew closer and closer to his face.
A silhouette of something Robin didn't recognize appeared in the outline of the trees. Through the stormy haze, he dimly heard his name and let out a quiet croak in response. The roar of the fire grew into a blaring thunder and cut out all noise from his world. The dark ground was slowly consuming his vision, blocking out everything from sight. He saw the shadow extend a hand. But it was so far away. Robin felt the world grow dim around him. He couldn't reach it.
He hit the ground and felt his world go black.
"ROBIN WAKE UP!"
The Boy Wonder bolted up, the Titans' alarm blaring in his ears. He jumped off of the couch and looked around wildly. His heart pounded madly in his chest and sweat poured down his face. He threw his hands up in a fighting position as his eyes settled on Beast Boy.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Robin said, stuttering slightly and vainly trying to get his bearings. The green boy merely raised a weary eyebrow and shook his head.
"Dude, calm down. You fell asleep on the couch while watching TV. It's not like the world is about to be invaded by zombies," Beast Boy muttered crankily while plopping down on the couch. His eyes drooped with weariness and he rubbed them with his fists.
Robin took deep breaths trying to calm the adrenaline that raced through his system while he mentally recounted his restless night. After Starfire had left him, he had heeded her advice and had taken a shower, ignoring the numerous bruises that laced his skin. He had then decided to go watch some TV in a vain attempt to take his mind off of everything. The rest of the Titans had already retired for the night, so Robin hadn't been concerned about being disturbed.
He just didn't remember falling asleep…
"What time is it?
"Three A.M.," Beast Boy grumbled while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Why any villain would want to be up at this hour, I have no idea." The boy muttered something else under his breath which sounded suspiciously like 'I swear I would rather eat meat than be up this early...'
"Friends, I have come as soon as I could. What is the cause of urgency?" Starfire said, floating over. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she looked around with her dull eyes, clearly disoriented.
Cyborg stormed into the room, muttering obscenities under his breath. All eyes in the room swung to the cranky teen, and Robin raised an eyebrow at his friend's dramatic entrance. Cyborg pointedly ignored everyone and instead marched up to the computer and shut off the alarm and the obnoxious flashing lights.
"Someone needs his beauty sleep," Beast Boy muttered with a devious smile on his face. Cyborg snapped around and gave the younger boy a look of pure annoyance.
"Watch it, green bean."
"HEY-"
"Guys," Robin snapped, drawing everyone attention. He sighed in annoyance and rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the unpleasant effects of lack of sleep. His body groaned in irritation and he let out another sigh. "Can we just get this over with?"
Cyborg and Beast Boy looked away from each other and nodded in wearily agreement. Cyborg turned back to the computer and pulled up the police report.
"Looks like someone broke into the Jewelry shop down on east and 23rd," Cyborg said, his eyes scanning computer terminal.
"Who?" Raven asked. The Titans snapped around at the girl's quiet and unnoticed arrival. Of all the teens, she seemed the least disturbed about being woken up at the unusually early hour and merely raised an eyebrow at skeptical glances she received.
Cyborg muttered something under his breath and continued reading the report. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he hunted for the information he needed. The boy paused in his typing and scrunched his face up.
"I just don't believe it…what is she doing in Jump…"
Robin walked forward and glanced over his friend's shoulder. Cyborg tapped his fingers on the terminal, and an image lit up in front of him.
"Who?" Raven repeated.
Robin looked back at his team, disbelief evident in his voice.
"Catwoman."
To a casual observer, the pacing woman would have looked absolutely normal. He or she would have dismissed the occurrence and assumed the woman just couldn't sleep. But if they had looked closer, they would have noticed that the woman had a large sack in her hands. They would have also noticed how gracefully she moved, striding across the rooftop like a caged lion. After some time they would have also noticed the distinguishing cat ears, and then they would have realized that something was wrong.
The Titans split up, each taking a different route to the villainess from the vandalized jewel shop. Robin tracked her down first and radioed her location to the other Titans. He paused under the cover of an adjacent rooftop and watched her movements for a few moments. The lithe woman paced back and forth in the shadows that covered the rooftop. Her slender form was barely visible in the dim lighting.
"Titans, I'm moving in. Remember Catwoman isn't your typical villain so be prepared."
"Okay."
"Will do."
"Got it."
"Of course, Robin."
The Boy Wonder rolled forward and jumped off the building. He launched his grappling hook and used his momentum to swing up to the adjacent rooftop. He flipped upward and rolled to a stop on the hard concrete. His eyes scanned the area as he tucked his grappling hook away and stood up.
Catwoman's faint outline caught his attentions and he paused, studying her silhouetted form. From far away, she had looked like the Catwoman he had always known. But up close, something was wrong. Her normal cocky aura was still there, but her shoulders sagged slightly as if they had developed a terrible burden.
"Selina," Robin said softly, taking a tentative step forward. It had been years since they had last seen each other, and Robin had no idea how the woman would react to his presence. One could never be too careful around cats.
The woman snapped around and laid her sharp eyes on the Boy Wonder.
"Richard."
Robin visibly flinched at the use of his real name and ducked his head. Catwoman let out a smooth, purr-like rumble that echoed through the still air. She cocked her hip and stayed in the shadows, effectively concealing herself from the young boy.
"Where are your friends? I was finally excited to meet them," she said, turning away and resting her hands on the railing. A large sack dangled from her hands, which she mindlessly swung back and forth.
Robin slowly moved forward, approaching the woman with caution. There was something in her voice. Something wasn't right.
"Drop the sack cat lady and no one gets hurt."
Cyborg appeared behind Robin along with Beast Boy, who morphed into a large lion and let out a powerful roar.
Catwoman let out another smooth laugh.
"I like the lion. But where are the girls?" she purred, appearing to lick her hands. The lithe woman turned around, her yellow eyes glowing in the shadows.
"They should be-"
"We're here," Raven said, landing directly next to Robin. Starfire dropped to the ground beside her with green starbolts ready in each hand.
"Oooooh aren't you cute," Catwoman said pointing her claws toward Starfire, "Robin always had a thing for red heads."
Heat rushed to the boy's face and Robin let out an indignant cry of embarrassment.
"CATWOMAN," Robin yelled as the laughter of Cyborg and Beast Boy reached his ears. The boy whipped around and gave his fellow teammates a threatening glare. Beast Boy's eyes widened and he nudged Cyborg in the ribs. The laughter quickly died down.
The woman merely chuckled at the boy while swinging the bag back and forth in her hands. Starfire lowered her arms, the green starbolts going out. Her green eyes swung to her leader, and she gazed at Robin with confusion.
"What does the woman of cats mean, Robin?"
"It's nothing, Star…" Robin muttered looking down at his feet. For once he was glad to hide his embarrassment under the cover of the night.
Raven rolled her eyes and stepped forward from the group, an edge of impatience in her voice.
"Look Catwoman, we don't have time for this. Just return the jewels so we can all just go home."
"Gladly."
The sack hit the ground with an unceremonious thud. Raven raised an eyebrow as Robin picked up the bag.
"Well, that was easy."
The Boy Wonder narrowed his eyes at the sack and hesitantly pulled it open. Inside the bag, a mountain of gold and jewels glittered and sparkled. Robin immediately snapped the bag shut, feeling the rough fabric grate against his gloves. Something wasn't right. The woman would never give up without a chase. Robin had spent many nights in Gotham hunting the berserk woman, and she never surrendered. The woman loved the thrill of the chase too much to give up this easily. The boy looked back down at the bag in his hands as suspicion crawled around his feet.
"Catwoman come out from the shadows," Robin ordered sharply, peering into the darkness.
The two yellow glowing eyes blinked once and fluttered closed.
"Cats come when they want too," she shot back.
"You're hiding something."
Catwoman paused and cocked her head at the Boy Wonder, a playful note entering her voice.
"How'd you guess?"
"I know you Selina. You would never give up without a chase," Robin replied while moving closer to the shadows. The Titans watched with growing interest as Robin fearlessly strode closer toward the wild woman. Cyborg made a move to follow, but Robin held up his hand, stopping him.
"I had to find a way to get your attention."
"You could have come to the tower."
"I play on my own terms, little bird."
"So do I," Robin replied, one foot in the shadows. The woman snapped around, and her yellow eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"That type of attitude will get you killed."
"Then why aren't you dead?"
"I have 9 lives."
"Seven, Selina. You only have seven left."
"Eight," She snapped, "The last time didn't count. I simply played dead."
"HA! I saw you get-"
"Um, sorry to interrupt, but what does this have to do with anything?" Beast Boy said shyly, scratching his head.
Robin stopped himself, and glanced over at the boy. The green changeling concealed a yawn, and shrugged slightly.
"What, I'm tired…"
Robin nodded once and stepped back, taking a calming breath of air.
"Catwoman, please," Robin whispered as his hands fell to his sides and a layer of desperation entered his voice.
The two yellow eyes blinked again and then flickered closed. They opened again and slowly moved forward out of the shadows. Robin held his breath as the shadow approached him, the yellow eyes piercing into him. The light gradually fell on the long, lithe form, illuminating the elusive woman.
Catwoman looked exactly how Robin remembered her. She was decked out in her traditional gear: long black gloves, high-knee leather boots, a mask concealing the upper part of her face with the trademark cat ears, and a long whip hanging from her utility belt. Her brown hair was cropped into a short pixie cut and her lips were stained a deep red. She blinked once and her big, yellow eyes turned back into their normal brown color.
Robin eyes widened in shock. Her leather uniform had three long cuts running across her arms and her midriff. Blood oozed from her cuts onto the concrete as the woman's eyes flickered to the ground. A dark purple bruise leaked out from under her mask and traveled down to the corner of her lip.
"Woah…" Beast Boy whispered, his eyes flickering to Cyborg. The older boy gave his teammate a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder while his eyes darkened with a deep seriousness. Starfire let out a squeal of surprise and covered her mouth with her hands. Only Raven remained unmoved by the shocking injuries.
"What happened?" Robin whispered, numbly staring at the woman before him. In all of his years as a crime fighter, he had never seen Catwoman like this. She seemed vulnerable and exposed.
The woman let out a long sigh, and pulled something out of her belt. She flipped the folded piece of paper in her hands before extending it to Robin. The Boy Wonder cautiously stepped up and took the note held in her claws.
The stained paper was cold in his hands and he opened it slowly, reading the words sprawl hastily across it.
Bird Boy,
I have Batsie.
But don't worry, I'm hiding him right here in Jump.
If you want him, you better find him, little birdie.
It felt as if an unforeseen force had slammed into him, taking away his ability to breathe. All of his worries suddenly vanished from his mind. The wind whipped around him, grounding him to the spot while the night seemed to grow into a cavernous darkness that threatened to swallow him up. He looked back up at Catwoman, who was crouched on the ground licking her hands. She drummed her long black fingernails on the concrete as she locked eyes with the Boy Wonder.
"Who?" Robin said. His grip on the paper slackened as his hands began to shake uncontrollably.
"Who what?" the woman growled, turning away. A defensive edge rose in her voice as she tried to block the furious boy out of her vision.
"Robin, what is the matter?" Starfire asked moving toward him. The alien girl brushed against his shoulder, her eyes bright with concern.
Robin took another step forward, breaking free from his contact with Starfire and ignoring the worried looks he was receiving from his friends.
"Who took him, Selina?" Robin asked, a sinister edge creeping into his voice. The lights flickered on the rooftop as the agile woman took a second card out of her utility belt. She twirled it through her fingers before throwing it at the young boy's feet.
Robin picked it up, his stomach sinking with dread as a vision from his nightmare was reflected in front of him. He stared down at the bloody joker card and felt the buildings crumble down around him. It looked like his suspicions were correct. There was only one person that called Batman, Batsie. And there was only person that could do this.
The Joker.
"How did what happen, Rob?" Beast Boy asked curiously. He walked forward and Robin roughly shoved the paper and the card in his hand. Beast Boy looked down at them and his eyes widened at what he saw.
"NO WAY. Guys you need to see this." The Titans gathered around Beast Boy, and each let out a collective gasp. Robin ignored their reactions and stalked closer to Catwoman.
"Catwoman. How. Did. It. Happen." Robin growled. His voice was sharp as ice. The streetlights illuminating the rooftop flickered.
"It wasn't supposed to happen," she said in a small voice, looking down at her hands.
"But it did," Robin snapped, his face set into hard lines. The boy snatched the cards out of Beast Boy's hand and turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.
Catwoman glanced at the anxious Boy Wonder and let out a sigh. "It's a long story Robin…"
"I've got time," Robin growled, his harsh voice cutting through the night.
The woman raised an eyebrow, a devious smirk pulling at her lips. "That wasn't what you said five minutes ago."
Robin stepped forward and grabbed the woman by her arm. He yanked her to her feet, gripping her arm in an iron hold. His blue eyes narrowed and hardened under his mask. Despite his short height, the boy's cold and hard demeanor bore into the woman, giving him a deadly edge. Behind him, the Titans grew deathly quiet.
"Answer the question, Selina."
The woman's eyes widened at the boy and she pulled away, only to have Robin grab her other arm.
"Don't make me ask again. I am not in the mood," Robin snapped, his impatience finally bursting through. The woman sighed and slackened in his hold.
"Let go of me and I'll tell you."
Her voice was as calm as night. After a few seconds the boy complied and released the powerful hold he had on the woman. She took a step back, her heels clacking on the ground. Brown eyes softened with a deep emotion.
"You're not the same boy that left Gotham," she whispered, more to herself than to the boy.
Robin flinched at the words and looked away. The metal 'S' in his utility belt grew heavier.
"People change."
The woman continued to stare at the boy. He hands fell limply to her sides and a long breath of air fluttered out of her lips.
"I just never thought you would, Richard."
The words were only spoken loud enough for Robin to hear. The boy stared at her for several seconds before turning around as a hand grabbed his shoulder. Bright green eyes fell on him and Starfire gave him a small smile.
"Please, how did this man of bats get captured?" Starfire asked, turning her attention to the woman behind Robin. The woman moved over to the railing that ran around half of the perimeter of the rooftop. She leaned up against it, resting her hip against the smooth metal bar.
"The museum down on 51st had just opened up a new exhibit that I wanted to check out," she said clacking her fingers on the rail. "I decided to borrow an artifact-"
"Probably more like steal," Cyborg scoffed.
"A relative term," Catwoman said waving the accusation away with her hand. "Bats caught me in act like the good little hero he is."
Sarcasm dripped in her voice, and Robin's hands twitched with annoyance. He held back his temper though and let the woman continue.
"He gave a good effort, but I eventually I lost him – at least I thought I had. I ran down an alley…right into the Joker and his cronies."
She slid her leg in and stood up in a fluid motion. Yellow flecks appeared in her brown eyes, and a vicious growl escaped her blood, red lips as the woman continued the story.
"Normally I could handle the Joker on my own. But it was just one bad coincidence after another. I had used most of my gear against Batman and was not prepared to fight. Long story short, I got cornered. Not without leaving a few scratches though," Catwoman said with a wink. The flicker of amusement quickly died in her eyes as her mind took her back in time.
"I was lucky the Joker didn't put a bullet through me right then and there." Her voice was very distant and she gazed behind Robin as if she could see the whole scene playing out again. The next words slithered out of her mouth and fell onto the concrete with a dull thud.
"And then Batman showed up."
The wind brushed over the concrete and Catwoman began to pace the narrow space. Her heels clicked on the ground, setting a steady rhythm to her words. "The Joker had me at gunpoint, and he threatened to kill me if Batman didn't surrender. So being the fabulous hero he is - he gave up. Guess he didn't want to take the chance like last time…"
Beast Boy frowned and stepped forward from the group. "But you said you had eight lives left. Why didn't Batman let the Joker shoot you and then take him out?" It seemed plausible to the boy, but the look Catwoman gave him quickly silenced all of his thoughts.
"He tried that. Needless to say, it didn't work," Catwoman said, her eyes darkening.
"So you are down to seven?" Robin asked.
The woman growled and nodded her head. "I told him to fight. I screamed at him. I yelled at him. But he didn't listen. He didn't want to gamble away the remaining seven lives I had."
Robin swore under his breath. That sounded exactly like something Batman would do. He wouldn't risk a life of a civilian or even Catwoman (no matter how many she had) – ever. The man was too grounded in his morals that he would rather accept defeat than break them.
"How'd you get away?"
It was Cyborg that asked the question. The woman's eyes flickered to him, before she jumped onto the metal railing and shut her eyes. The breeze flowed over her body, sliding around her.
"I didn't. The Joker gave me the cards to give to Robin. Once he had Batman in his possession, he couldn't care less about me."
The Boy Wonder rubbed his temples. Everything had come crashing down on him in one cruel blow. The Joker may be a crazy clown, but the villain was psychotic and unpredictable. If he had captured Batman, the Caped Crusader was in some serious trouble. Who knew what that crazy clown was going to do to him?
"Where can I find him?"
"Last I heard he had moved bases to Jump, somewhere down in the north end of town. Said he missed seeing you around Gotham," she said. Catwoman flipped off of the railing, her body moving gracefully against the night sky.
Chills raced down Robin's arms at those words. That had been one saving grace about Jump when he had moved here. There had been no Joker.
Until now.
"As I said, it was one bad coincidence after another."
"I don't believe in coincidences," Raven growled. It was the first thing she had said throughout the entire story, and her voice was dark and scathing. Her hands glowed with an eerie black haze as she advanced on the woman. "She's hiding something Robin."
"Oooooh a feisty one I see. Wanna fight little girl?" Catwoman taunted, pulling out her whip. She dragged the thin leather material through her fingernails while studying the hooded figure.
Before Robin could stop the advancing girl, Starfire stepped forward from the group, her hands blazing with starbolts.
"STOP. We do not need to result to combat, friends," Starfire pleaded, her eyes lighting up in the dark night.
"Star's right. Catwoman is all we have," Robin responded walking up behind Raven.
"But she's LYING!" Raven snapped, whirling around. Her black eyes bore into Robin with a raw, untouched fury. Wind spun around her, causing her cloak to writhe and snap at her heels.
"Catwoman wouldn't lie Rae. Especially not with Batman involved," Robin replied vehemently. A prickle of irritation rushed through Robin as tried to get through to the girl. He reached out to grab her shoulder, but Raven took a hasty step back.
"I can sense it Robin. She isn't telling the TRUTH."
"She wouldn't lie, Raven."
"I told you. I can sense it!" Raven continued, strongly rooted in her belief. Her eyes narrowed at the woman and a dark magic seeped out of her hands. Robin grabbed her roughly by the shoulder and pulled her back.
"Raven, STOP."
The girl twisted in Robin's grasp and yanked away. Her eyes flashed a deep black.
"Why don't you believe me?"
The boy let out a frustrated growl.
"Because I know Catwoman. She wouldn't lie about this!" Robin yelled. His frustration boiled over in his words. They sounded harsh, short, and clipped. He suddenly became conscious of the piercing eyes that bore into him. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire were all watching the argument, but no one made a move to intervene.
"You trust her over me?"
The words were barely above a whisper. Robin sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. The girl was being unreasonable. This wasn't about trust. It was about the facts. Catwoman wouldn't lie when Batman's life was in danger. The woman just wouldn't.
"Raven this isn't abou-"
"Answer the question."
Her dry and hollow voice cut him off. Dark purple eyes stared into him. The wind whipped between the pair but neither broke eye contact. The girl stood deathly still – every muscle in her body was tense and stiff as she awaited her answer. A breeze fluttered through her cloak. Stillness hung in the air like a piece of glass that could be shattered with a single touch.
Robin's eyes hardened behind his mask as he realized that the girl was not going to back down. He didn't need this right now. First, Slade comes back to Jump, and now Batman has been captured. The last thing he needed was for Raven to doubt his leadership. He had enough stress to deal with at the moment. Couldn't the girl just back down?
"Yes."
The word hit the ground with a thunderous bang. Raven's eyes snapped through many emotions in a single instant. Shock. Surprise. Disbelief. Hurt.
The emotion burned into Robin. He hadn't meant to hurt the girl. He had only wanted her to stand down. Regret immediately bubbled up within him and he reached out to grab the girl.
"Wait, Raven – I didn't –"
The ppale girl slapped his hand away and a vicious, dark magic swooshed out from under her cloak.
"Don't touch me."
Her eyes were a deep, swirling black and the girl stormed off, muttering something under her breath. Robin watched with numb shock as she moved to the opposite end of the rooftop, a black cloud following her trail.
"Raven, wait!" Beast Boy cried, spurring into action. Out of all the Titans, he was the only one that had been able to overcome his shock and race after her.
"I'll be at the Tower," she snapped as a black raven encased her form. It grew larger and larger and then suddenly vanished, taking her with it. Beast Boy stood dumbfounded, staring at the spot she had just been.
"She just…left…she never…" he stuttered at a loss for words.
"Robin! Why did you- " Cyborg started, but was quickly cut off by a menacing laugh that echoed through the air.
Catwoman jumped off of the perch and brushed past a silent and shocked Starfire.
"Guess she couldn't handle the truth," Catwoman smirked, sauntering over to Robin. The boy stood frozen to the ground. He didn't know that a single word would have such harsh effect on the girl. He glanced around at the rest of the Titans and saw a mirrored shock on their face. What was happening? His team was crumbling before his eyes.
"I suggest you get a move on though little bird; Batman is waiting."
Right.
Batman.
Robin tried to wrap his head around the situation. Raven could wait. She would get over it. The girl always did.
But a small sliver of doubt told Robin otherwise.
"Wait, you're not going to help us?" Beast Boy asked, his eyes narrowing.
The woman smiled and her crisp white teeth glowed in the night.
"I would, but the Joker said that if I showed my face again, he wouldn't hesitate to kill Batman. He also said the invite is only for one," Catwoman said pointing at Robin.
The woman smirked at the Boy Wonder, a fiery amusement burning in her eyes. She placed her hands on her hips, and puckered her lips together as if remembering something. "Oh and I suggest you leave your friends out of this one. They don't know the Joker like you and I do."
She moved past him and paused, leaning in close to his ear. Her claws brushed against his cheeks sending chills racing down his back.
"Wouldn't want them to get hurt now would we?"
Robin glanced over at Starfire, feeling the hot breath that trailed down his neck.
"Hey wherever Robin goes, we go! We're a team, Catwoman," Cyborg replied, challenging the elusive woman.
"Yeah! Right Robin?" Beast Boy added, turning to face his leader.
Catwoman let out a long chuckle and moved toward the edge of the building. "Take my advice on this one, Robin. I'm sure you can handle it on your own."
She blinked and her brown eyes flashed back into their deep yellow. Robin locked eyes with the woman and for several seconds, no one moved. A stillness fell over the group, holding them captive and frozen with their thoughts.
Catwoman rose to her full height and smiled. Moonlight illuminated her slim and slender form.
"Meow."
With that, she flipped off of the rail and into the dark night, leaving the Titans alone.
Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin stood staring at each other for several moments before Beast Boy broke the tense silence.
"Um…Right, Robin?"
The Boy Wonder looked at his team and slowly shook his head.
"No guys, this is something I have to do alone."
Starfire's eyes flickered in the dim light. "Friend, Robin. Could we not-"
The girl was abruptly cut off as Cyborg raised his hand. His body grew tense and ridged as he stared at his leader.
"What do you mean alone? We're a team Robin, you can't just run off on your own adventure, and pretend we don't exist," Cyborg said, anger rising in his voice. "First, you lock yourself in your office and now you chase Raven off. How co-"
"You don't understand Cy-"
"Then help me understand Robin. Why can't we help you with this? Why do you always want to do things on your own? First with Slade and now this," Cyborg yelled marching up to the Boy Wonder. The older boy towered over him, his physical presence enough to scare most people out of a fight. "Why do you always close yourself off from us?"
"This is different," Robin said not wanting to get into another argument with his friend.
"HOW?"
"It just is," Robin muttered turning away. Cyborg grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back.
"You're avoiding the question! HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT?"
Robin shook out of the older boy's iron grasp, his temper reaching his breaking point.
"Just DROP it Cyborg!" The Boy Wonder yelled, a vicious edge entering his voice.
"NO. For once I'm not going too! I am sick of the lying, the hiding, and the excuses! For once be a leader and answer the question! HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT?"
"THE JOKER WON'T HESITATE TO KILL ANY OF YOU."
The older boy took a step back, clearly shocked by the words.
Robin inhaled a tired breath and ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I know from experience …."
"What do you mean you know from experience?" Beast Boy asked a chill crawling through his body. He had heard stories about the Joker, and none of them ever ended well.
The Boy Wonder shook his head and turned away, walking toward the edge of the rooftop. "A story for another day," he whispered under his breath.
"Robin, where are you-" Starfire said, watching him bend down and grip the edge of the roof.
"Just go back to the Tower," Robin replied, waving his hand dismissively through the air.
"Wait! Do not-" Starfire said dashing forward. Her feet ghosted along the rooftop while Beast Boy and Cyborg stared in numb shock.
"Watch out for Slade."
"Please, you must-"
"And keep Jump safe," Robin said turning around. In his hand, he held two bird-a-rangs. Starfire halted a few feet away from him, her green eyes filled with worry and dread.
Behind the mask, his eyes looked at Starfire with regret. His team would never forgive him for what he was about to do, but maybe she would. He watched as she extended her hand out to him…
He threw the bird-a-rangs at the street lights above. In a blinding flash, they snapped out, cloaking the entire area in darkness. Starfire let out a squeal of shock and quickly raised her hand in the air. A starbolt appeared, illuminating the area in a green haze. But when she looked around, the Boy Wonder was already gone.
Authors Note: What do you think? Leave a review and let me know!
Next Update will be sometime next week! Thanks for reading!