A/N: Here we go… welcome to tourist fan fiction… 😉

Chapter 6: It Floats Back to You

He was making his way back to the elevators when he ran into Slade. Robin almost wanted to turn the corner and pretend he hadn't seen him, but that was childish, so he just stopped, warily. He then turned off his phone and the man did the same.

"Talk?" Slade suggested.

Robin nodded.

"Not here. Let's go back to our cabin," the man said, and they did, without uttering a word to each other. Very uncomfortable. Robin's brain was running hot, however, trying to think of things to say to cover up for his previous faux pas. He couldn't say he was drunk, could he? He hadn't found a single viable excuse and then it was suddenly too late: they were in the cabin.

Robin walked as far into the room as he could get, looked at the sofa but decided to remain standing, arms around himself as he didn't quite know what to do with his hands.

The silence stretched on and the teen felt almost a physical pain from it.

"I apologize." It was Slade speaking first and the teens eyes darted towards the man, widening in surprise.

"You do?" he asked. "Why?"

"It was unprofessional of me to be physical with you outside of acting in front of people," the man admitted. "I was weak." The mercenary made a small face of disgust, clearly aimed at himself.

"Well, I was… I was curious. I wanted it too."

"Would have been rape otherwise," the man joked lamely.

Robin sighed and then finally sank down on the sofa, where he put his head in his hands.

"We talked about feelings before it happened, I assured you there were none involved," he said. "But then you… like… treated me nicely…"

"Alright… sorry?" Slade said, clearly wondering what the hell the teen was on about.

"It wasn't just sex and then back to business, it was… you know… kisses, and caresses… and you saying you wished it was real, and… and… I started wanting that too… I know we are just "playing house", but when you just shattered the illusion by telling me I should have slept with someone else, it… it…"

"I think I was intentionally trying to push you away," Slade told him and sat down next to him. "I know I can't keep you, so subconsciously I was probably trying to get you to hate me again."

"As you had already gotten what you wanted?" Robin asked dryly.

"As I realized that I wanted so much more," the man explained. "And as I can't have it…"

"I know what you mean. I'm too young and too inexperienced to be this fucked up," Robin groaned.

"Well, you have to start somewhere," the man chuckled dryly.

"Thanks for the crash course," Robin muttered sarcastically. "So, what do we do now? Forget all this ever happened and be professional?"

"If that's what you want. I could make up this pull out couch and sleep here," Slade offered.

"Wait… this pulls out? We never had to share a bed?!" the teen exclaimed.

"I was sure you knew," the mercenary defended himself, but sounded way too innocent.

"Suuuure you did," Robin drawled, seeing straight through him.

"I have my own special strategies," Slade admitted, stretched and let his arm fall down on the backrest behind Robin in the old, classical move.

"Yes, you are so smooth. One as innocent as I am doesn't stand a chance," Robin chuckled, but took the man's hand and pulled Slade's arm closer around his shoulders. "What the hell are we going to do with each other…?" he added in a sigh.

"I have a suggestion."

"I meant long term."

"Oh."

Robin turned towards the man and buried his face against his chest, clinging to him, trying to gather the courage he needed to say what he needed to say next.

"Slade?" he mumbled.

"Yes?"

"Could you do me a big, really big, favor?"

"You're scaring me. What is it?" the man half joked, half asked seriously.

"When… when this mission is over… could you leave Jump?"

The man didn't answer and, in the end, Robin glanced up at him. Slade was looking back at him with a rather strange look.

"I… I know it's a lot to ask," the teen continued. "But I can't… I can't go back to the way it was before, so one of us has to leave and… the Titans, they… they are like a family to me. I don't want to leave them, but if you won't go…?"

"I'll go." The man's voice was somewhat empty, almost cold.

"Thank… thank you," Robin mumbled. "I'm sorry… I'm really sorry… I just… I can't fight you… you might… you might kill me-"

"Never. Of course not. I wouldn't hurt you!" Slade objected, pulling the young man tight.

"You play hard, Slade…" the teen said with a small smile. "I don't think I could match that, especially not if something was on the line… like the safety of Jump. It's better if it didn't come to that…. How could I fight someone I've… kissed?" the teen rose up and kissed the man's lips chastely. Then he grinned evilly and lowered his head, kissing the man's chest through his shirt. "How could I fight someone if I've kissed his nipple?"

"Don't let Red X hear that or he's going to take advantage," Slade chuckled.

"If it was the other way around maybe it would be worth it," Robin snorted. "Maybe I could kiss the whole world into law abiding citizens."

"Now, see, I wouldn't like that," Slade told him.

"Really now? An honest living is so abhorrent?"

"You kissing other people is that abhorrent. Just being honest."

"I like when you're honest. As long as you tell me things I want to hear," the young hero grinned.

"Let's 'play house', as you put it, again," the man suggested. "And when this case is over, we'll plan from there."

"There… could be plans?" Robin asked carefully.

"Of some sort… maybe. Like if you run me out of Jump you have to help me move."

The teen snickered. "Will there be pizza? Isn't that the traditional moving-food?"

"It's also traditional to help christen the new place by having lots and lots of sex in it," the man claimed.

"Really now? I haven't heard of that?"

"It is where I come from," Slade deadpanned.

"The Play Boy mansion?" Robin asked innocently.

"Exactly," the man smirked. "Now, it's getting late. Dinner-"

"I'm starving!" the teen suddenly realized and got to his feet.

"We should make it in time for the late sitting," Slade told him. "Unless we stay in? Order room service?"

"We should see if we could find more suspects," Robin said regretfully. "We'll be at St Thomas at ten tomorrow morning and won't leave until ten in the evening… we can't expect to find many more when the passengers are scattered over an island…"

"Unfortunately, you make sense," the mercenary sighed. "Very well, let's change and-"

Robin's phone rang. It was Bruce.

"Why did you turn off the feed?" the man asked.

"You wanted to see us change for dinner? Perverted," Slade snorted.

"Ah. No," the Dark Knight amended. "Going to dinner now, then?"

"Yes. How did we do today?" the teen asked.

"Over half the list. Very good work," Bruce answered.

"We just realized that it might not be as easy tomorrow, but we'll do the same thing as last time; go ashore early and hang around waiting for as many as possible to do the same," Robin explained.

"Good. There's no point in trying to use the recognition function on shore, and there is no use following anyone, it might just draw attention to you, so treat it as a day off… but keep your eyes open, of course."

"Yes, Sir," Robin nodded. We better go or I'll starve to death."

"Wouldn't want that," his mentor chuckled. "I'll be in touch tomorrow unless something comes up."

The dinner was nice and they managed to find two more suspects who had been hiding somewhere during the day. Robin didn't think either of them were the agents, but he would wait for the computer's result.

"I'd call that a good day's work," the young hero said as they entered their cabin. He had just turned off the live feed from the phone and Slade was doing the same. "How about a little reward"? he suggested with a grin.

"For me or for you?" Slade asked.

"Okay, here's the difference between villain mind and hero mind," Robin sighed jokingly. "For both of us, of course!"

"Then how are you supposed to know who's won?" the mercenary asked innocently.

Robin sighed, chuckled, and threw out his arms.

"Alright, you won, Slade. I'm your prize. Claim me." He laughed as the man swept him up, but when the man got on top of him on the bed, Slade stopped.

"So you're sure this is my reward?" he asked. Robin could see that the man was joking and smiled innocently back.

"Of course, Sir. Only yours. I shan't enjoy it for one minute!"

Slade stifled a laugh and then leered. "Very well, then."

"I have this nagging suspicion that you lied to me," the man said half an hour later. "It seemed you did enjoy yourself after all."

"I swear I didn't mean to!" Robin panted. "You're just too good!" he added, and grinned.

"You're completely disrespectful, aren't you?" Slade growled.

"Would you have me any other way?" the teen asked, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Yup," Slade told him and flipped the young man over. "From behind."

"If I'm ever angry with you again, remind me you're really good at sex," Robin sighed happily a little bit later. "I don't even know how I could come again…"

"I'm always willing to explore your limits," Slade chuckled.

"How about yours?" the teen asked haughtily.

"Darling, you're just a beginner. Pace yourself," the man laughed and patted Robin's head. The teen cracked up himself. "I would love to challenge you, but I am wise enough to know I'll regret it tomorrow."

"Well, normally I like your mind and how brilliant you are, but right now I would prefer if you were a bit more stupid," Robin was told with an almost straight face.

"Yeah, yeah, I know… maybe I'll feel a bout of idiocy in the morning," the hero grinned. "Sleep or shower?"

"I'm hoping a shower would be wasted," the man grinned and settled down. "I'm voting for sleep."

"Me too. I just need to clean up a bit, or my thighs will stick together and that would be bad news for all parts."

"It really would," Slade said, followed by a serious nod.

Robin slapped the man's ass when he got out of bed and quickly jumped out of reach, snickering.

"I'll get you for that one later," the man threatened and got up to clean off a little himself. "I am glad I won't be here when they change the sheets tomorrow." He added thoughtfully when he saw the state of the bed. "Actually…"

Robin heard him rummaging and when the teen came out the man had used the sheets that were meant for the fold up couch and put the others on the floor.

"A bit too small, but they will do for the night," the mercenary stated.

"You are such a home maker," Robin grinned at him.

"Watch it or you'll sleep on the floor with the dirty sheets," the man snorted and disappeared into the bathroom.

Robin, not feeling threatened in the least, snickered again and got into the bed. When Slade joined him, the man pulled him close and kissed him goodnight.

"You really need to look up what 'punishment' usually entails," the teen smiled lazily at him, and then blinked, eyes widening. "No, what am I saying?! Never look in a dictionary, ok?"

"I'm letting you get away with a lot today, but that's only today. Tomorrow starts with a blank slate, understood?"

"Mmm…" Robin hummed, making himself comfortable against the large man. "You might start with some plus points actually…"

"You should get hit on the head more often," the man chuckled. "Ow!"

"Ooops!" Robin innocently said, pulling his knee back. "Muscle cramp-thingy."

"Sure. Go to sleep. And no wandering around the ship alone tonight, alright?"

"Alright… night…" the teen mumbled and was out like a light.

The young hero woke up well rested and blinked in the light before he was able to grab his phone and check the time. Six thirty. Not a bad night's rest. When he sat up his wrist was grabbed by a Slade who still seemed to be asleep.

"No running around," the man muttered.

"Just going to the bathroom. Let me go or I can't promise I won't pee on you."

"We're not quite there yet in our relationship," Slade snorted and sat up, seemingly wide awake in a second.

"Ew. Let's never get there," Robin said. "Do you need the bathroom? If not I'm gonna shower as well."

"Go ahead," the man said. "I'm going to check in with the Batcave just in case."

"Good," Robin smiled and ducked into the bathroom. He enjoyed a long, well needed shower and came back out again to a pleased looking Slade.

"Everyone we found yesterday have been checked, no suspects among them, so the day off still stands."

"Great! Wouldn't it be amazing if the suspects aren't onboard at all?"

Slade gave him a strange look. "No, because then our missions would fail and they would be free to keep on murdering people… possibly risking the security of this country?"

"Oh… yeah… I didn't mean…" The teen said unsurely. "I just…"

"No, I like the way you would prefer this to just be a cruise," the man smirked.

"I wasn't thinking, okay?" Robin snorted. "I obviously need breakfast," he added.

"I'll hurry up and shower before more of your poor brain cells starve to death," Slade told him with a grin.

"Wow," Robin gasped. They had eaten and were now standing on the deck of the ship looking towards their destination. St. Thomas rose steeply out of the sea, its lush green sides dotted with white buildings. "It's a bit like mixing Greece with the tropics," Robin added.

"Looks very peaceful," Slade hummed.

"Don't tell me that was a bit of disgust I detected in your voice?" the teen laughed.

"I'm sure it's not boring," the man amended. "After all, it has tax free shopping."

Robbin chuckled. "Guess I have to be the one in charge of the wallet," he said and put his hand down Slade's back pocket.

"I don't carry my wallet there," the man snorted.

"Oh, I know," Robin grinned cheekily, his hand still in the man's pocket.

They heard a chuckle behind them and turned around to see the Germans, Carl and Victor, grinning at them.

"Too early in the morning for such things, isn't it?" Carl said.

"Never too early… or too late," Slade claimed, putting an arm around Robin.

"Ahh… romance… remember romance?" Victor teased his older partner.

"I'll show you-" Carl began but suddenly both their phones started beeping. They tensed, looked at their phones and quickly excused themselves.

"That was the same thing that happened when you broke into their cabin," Robin whispered to Slade.

"Maybe someone else did…" the man said. "Wait here!" he ordered and set off after the men.

"But-"

The man gestured for him to stay with an impatience that told Robin that he'd better obey.

Instead the teen started to scan the immediate area and then the whole deck for any familiar faces. People around him were not currently breaking into a cabin, after all. The only ones he recognized, however, were the Swedes, but he knew the camera would pick out the others. Still, it wouldn't tell them much; this was a huge ship with many decks, it wasn't exactly crowded up here.

Robin waited nervously for the man to get back and breathed out a sigh of relief when he finally showed up. Slade took him to the side, under the pretense of enjoying the sight of the island they were now very close to.

"So?" Robin breathed.

"No luck. I couldn't stay too close or they would spot me, and when I got to their room the door was closed and all seemed quiet… I couldn't stick around without looking suspicious so I kept a lookout from our own corridor for a bit. There was nothing, though. I'm wondering if they actually ran back to their room."

"Where else would they go?"

"Beats me."

"I don't like them getting…. Um… harassed, by others. It's probably the CIA, though, right?"

"Yes. And I wish there was a hero-approved way to get rid of them." Slade smirked. "There isn't, is there?"

"Leave them behind on this island?" Robin grinned.

"I wish." Slade sighed. "Seriously, a couple of bullets-"

"No."

"You just don't like solving problems, do you?"

"Not that permanently."

Slade gave him a level look. "That is incredibly stupid."

"Yes, well, luckily you love me anyway," the teen grinned. Then, just an instant later, he heard his own words and paled dramatically before flushing like a tomato. Sure, they were in public, but far from people and that had just been a far too intimate thing to say.

Slade seemed to be waiting for all this to register with the teen before grinning evilly and kissing him. Other than that, the man didn't comment on the event at all and it took quite a long time for the blush to die down on the teen's cheeks.

When they got closer to port, the ship maneuvered so it would come up at the side of what, from this height, looked like a very flimsy jetty.

"We need to get down there and get in line," Slade decided, and so they did.

The waiting for passengers to go by them and be filmed was a success, and Robin heard his phone beep quite often. It seemed more people were leaving this time, maybe because it was easier to disembark, maybe because they had grown a little bored of the on-board experience or maybe it was the tax free shopping that called to them. There was also only one way people could pass, so Robin and Slade took up places on each side of the jetty, Robin pretending to film a vacation movie and Slade looking at a map he had gotten at the closest kiosk.

"And there's my handsome husband," Robin said and temporarily pointed the camera at Slade, who looked up from across the jetty, smiled and waved, making the teen snicker before he moved on. "That man would do anything for me," he added, a little quieter but very pleased. Then he remembered that his phone was transmitting to Bruce and brought it closer to his mouth. "Only joking!" he added under his breath. Fuck, life was complicated when your 'father' was looking over your shoulder…

Soon the passengers had left and spread wide and far across the island and there was no reason to keep film anymore. They turned the function off, looked around and tried to decide what to do.

"I don't even know where we are…" Robin admitted.

"Havensight port."

"Ok, so let's just cross the street and go from there," Robin said. That turned out to be harder than he thought, though. He was just about to cross a lane when Slade pulled him back by his shirt.

"Look out! You were almost run over!" the man told him.

Robin noticed the small truck thundering by as well and gaped.

"But…" he couldn't quite put two and two together so Slade helped.

"They drive on the left here,"

"What? Why!?" Robin somehow felt personally offended by the island's driving rules.

"The island used to belong to Denmark and they had left hand traffic at the time it was sold to the U.S," Slade explained.

"How do you just know this stuff?" Robin, still a bit upset, asked.

"I didn't. It was on the map," Slade admitted, holding up the now folded tourist map.

"Okay. Hate you less," the teen admitted.

"Aaaw… warms my heart to hear," the man grinned. "Now, may I help the young sir to cross the street?" he asked and held out his arm.

"Hate you a bit more again," Robin grinned but took the man's arm anyway.

The first thing Robin noticed as they strolled along the street was all the colors. Each building seemed to compete with the next about which could have the loudest color, not to speak of the signs.

"Oh, dear, there's a Hooters," Robin sighed.

"Well, we should enjoy the local cultu-"

"No," the teen decided and pulled the man back. "But what are those things? Cable carts?"

It turned out that it was. The Skyride took tourists up to something called Paradise Point and Robin decided that was as good a place as any to start playing tourist. In the line they began talking to a local man who seemed to be working there, although it was unclear to Robin what he was actually doing.

"What is there to do on this island?" Slade asked him.

"Oh, lots, lots!" the man grinned.

Robin, who had grabbed Slade's map, which contained tourist locations, had spotted something interesting. "What about Black Beard's castle?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, very interesting, Built by the Danes… the Black Beard thing is probably just a legend, though…"

"Still would be interesting to see," Robin smiled

"Yeah, well… you can't."

"What? Why?"

"It's owned privately now… no admittance."

"Ah. Ok." Robin went back to scanning the map. "What's this then? Magens Bay Arboretum?"

"Oh, yeah, there's some really rare trees there."

"That sounds interesting," Robin only half lied.

"Yes," the native nodded. "But you can't go."

"What? Why?" Robin repeated.

"Closed. For repairs. Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria did a number on it in 2017. Not the first time it's been destroyed by hurricanes either."

"Ooookay…. So is there anywhere we can go?" the teen asked, getting a bit frustrated. "Magens Bay itself looks amazing from the pictures…?"

"Oh, you don't want to go there,"

"It's a bay, it can't be closed too!?" the teen exclaimed.

"Nah, just a lot of tourists. Say, you guys like water sports?"

Robin's cheeks colored. "That's a very personal question, I-"

"Not the kind of watersports he means, Robin," Slade interrupted with a chuckle. "But I'll be very interested to find out more about your preferences on that subject later, as you seemed so averse to it before."

"Oh!" the teen said and got even redder in the face. "I… I… yes…? I mean… I like… it…"

"Then you need to go to Lindbergh bay, only a fourteen minutes' drive from here. My cousin runs a flyboardning business there. Tell him Jimmy sent you, he'll hook you up!"

"That does sound like fun!" Robin grinned.

"Well," Slade said, "I wouldn't be completely against trying the other kind of-OUFF!"

"Sorry, my elbow slipped into your ribs," Robin smiled brightly. "Accidents happen."

"Yes. You would do well to remember that," the man grumbled rubbing his side.

The carts were connected three and three, and each cabin was quite small, holding around eight people. Slade and Robin were lucky to share their ride with merely one other couple who only seemed to speak French. They didn't take any chances and stayed in character, though, but that wasn't too hard, pointing out things to each other, like huge iguanas climbing the trees nearby.

The view from the top was spectacular. They looked down over the blue harbor where several cruise ships now rested, looking like white skyscrapers that had toppled over in the water. How any of them could actually float was beyond Robin.

There were a few shops and places to eat and get a drink. They sat down on a big wooden deck to just enjoy the atmosphere. Slade had chosen to try an apparently famous drink called the Baileys BushWacker which looked like a delicious luxury milk shake, but after a trial sip Robin was glad he had stuck to a non-alcoholic frozen drink that was perfect in the sun. The heat was more tangible here when they didn't have the wind at sea to cool them down anymore, and the teen made sure he had brought his sun screen, applying some to his arms and face right away to be safe.

After enjoying his drink for a while Robin quickly browsed the souvenir stands and picked up a cheap pair of sunglasses as he had forgotten his own onboard. He hadn't planned on buying anything else but then he spotted a key ring he just had to have.

"Why are you grinning like that, you're making me nervous," Slade said as Robin walked up to him.

"Bought this," the teen said, grinning wider holding the key ring up.

"Yes, and?" the man said, looking at the thing but obviously not getting the joke.

"It's a whitehaired pirate with an eyepatch and a beard!" Robin explained. "It's you! You're my souvenir," he added with a snicker.

"Well, I see the pirate has a red breasted parrot on his shoulder… nice pet…" the man replied with a leer. "I wonder what that symbolizes?"

"Aw, don't ruin my key chain," Robin said sadly, looking at the thing again. "Well, the bird looks happy, anyway."

"I feel I should get some royalty," the man muttered.

Robin stood up in tip toes and pulled him down for a kiss. "There. Royalty," he said.

"Just a prepayment, I want it paid in full tonight."

Robin gestured over to the salesman, an old man in his sixties or seventies who didn't look like he had had an easy life. "I guess you have to ask the one who actually sells the stuff then."

"Ah…" Slade looked the man over. "I think I'll pass, then. So, where now? To that bay?"

"Yup! Although first we have to wait in line to get down," Robin said.

"We can't just jump…?" Slade groaned and looked like he considered it.

They found a bus line, of sorts, called Safaris. They were open air covered trucks with bench seats. They seemed to come in different colors and the one they got onto was dark green with yellow details. They had found out that you were supposed to pay when you got off, one dollar, and you had to stomp your feet or ring a bell when you wanted off. Robin kept a very close eye on his map.

It turned out the beach was close to the airport, but you couldn't tell that when you were there; the beach was fantastic. Robin changed into his trunks with a speed that seemed to impress even Slade and just beamed at the white sand and turquoise water.

"This is amazing!" he breathed and barely noticed Slade feeling him up a bit as the man was helping him applying sun block to his back.

"It's quite nice," the man agreed.

"Oh shut up!" Robin bit back. "Quit being so damn 'meh' about everything, it's okay to show some damn appreciation for things sometimes, you know!"

"I could write poems dedicated to your ass, but I've seen more beaches like this," the man shrugged.

Robin found it a bit difficult to be angry at him after that. They had no problem finding the flyboarding rental and soon had their first lesson. From the moment those plastic boots where strapped onto his feet and he was lifted by the jet stream of water Robin loved it. The session was only thirty minutes but they bought more time. And then more. Flying through the air and the water, jumping like a dolphin, was, despite all of his gadgets and all of the time spent with friends like Aqualad and Beast Boy, one of the best experiences of his life.

After almost two hours Slade called a temporary stop to the joy, though, claiming that they had to eat and drink something before the sun would fry their brains and bodies alike. Only then did Robin realize how hungry he was. They found a Caribbean restaurant by the beach called The New Ashleys. Robin had the baked chicken while Slade was a bit more daring in his choices, but they both tried each other's food anyway. They could see the airport from the front but sat on the side facing the ocean and beach, refreshing themselves with soda and ice cold beer. Well, Slade had the beer, Robin still wanted to be careful around alcohol. The teen demanded one more go at flyboarding and Slade agreed even though he muttered about the trouble with getting changed again. There were bathrooms at the beach, though, and when it was time to leave, Robin decided to just wear his trunks and shirt and keep the rest of his clothes in the bag.

They travelled back by taxi this time, and it was four in the afternoon when they got returned to the ship. They showered, changed and set out again by five. The ship wouldn't leave until ten in the evening, and they still needed to see the city of Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the Virgin Islands, a bit more in depth.

"I wonder if I would feel more at home here or get some kind of discount if I hadn't had sex with you…" Robin wondered out aloud.

"Regretting it?" Slade snorted, like he couldn't believe something that silly.

"Well, you have to agree that it's kinda stupid to lose your virginity just two days before you actually set foot on the Virgin Islands…?" Robin insisted. "Like it's… ironic? Okay, no, you obviously don't get it," he added with a laugh after getting a look from the man. "You can take my Virgin Island virginity tonight, though?" the teen offered with a cheeky smile.

"I'll humbly accept that generous offer," the man answered and almost didn't sound sarcastic at all.

They strolled around aimlessly. The city didn't really look like a capital, it definitely had more of a town feeling, but the architecture was interesting.

"The Danish left a mark, huh?" Robin said, looking at a façade that didn't exactly scream 'tropical island'.

"They must have. This looks quite Danish in places."

"You've been to Denmark? Or have you just read another map?" Robin asked.

"I've been. I travelled around Scandinavia quite a few years ago."

"Doing what? Because there was a Swedish Prime minister who was shot-"

"Classified."

"I see." Robin let the issue go, though. People dying around thirty years ago wasn't really his business, he thought. He kinda had to focus on the people right here and now.

They browsed through the shops and Robin bought a pair of leather sandals which were quickly made to fit perfectly. Slade, on the other hand, bought rum, which the teen wrinkled his nose at.

"How can you drink that stuff, it's so awful!" he said, which somehow prompted the man to buy the Island's famous banana daiquiri as well. "Well, if you want to drink something that tastes of medicine and booze…" the teen muttered.

Next Slade bought something which he gave to Robin, however. It was a weird thing, a doll which first seemed to have very long legs but then the teen realized that it was on stilts.

"It's a Moko Jumbie doll. It walks on stilts to see evil spirits and then gets rid of them by mocking them," the man explained and then grinned. "I thought that suited you."

"I got the point, thank you," The teen laughed and kissed the man.

Robin then bought a cook book for Alfred and a "genuine pirate coin" for Bruce. He didn't know how "genuine" it was, the vendor claimed it had been found in a shipwreck, but it didn't matter too much to the teen, it was something he thought his mentor would appreciate either way. Just the irony of pirated pirate coins would amuse him.

The pirate heritage showed everywhere, and Robin had a great time teasing Slade about getting a wooden leg and a parrot, to which the man replied things that should not be repeated in front of children. He was quite imaginative, however, mentioning who he preferred on his shoulder and what he intended to do with the many inches of wood he already possessed.

They found a restaurant with a view over the bay and had spent almost two hours there, about to go back to the ship, when they heard the first siren. And then another. They all seemed to zero in on the docks, and people started whispering, looking around and reaching for their phones. Robin, who hadn't paid much attention at first, realized that this was the difference between his world and this one. Back in Jump, and even more so Gotham, no one would have even looked around at the sound of sirens.

"I wonder if there's a fire? Maybe we should go back to the ship?" the teen suggested.

"It's getting to be that time anyway," Slade agreed. "Let's go and investigate a little."

To be Continued…

A/N: It's going to be interesting to hear what's completely wrong with this from the reader who lives there, there are some details I'm not completely clear on, some qualified guesses and some complete fantasy-stuff, so… umm… yeah… And not the nice relaxing day off is at an end, because those sirens… well… You'll see next week.