Chapter 5-Inner Hell-Part 1

The next morning the storm had passed and the Titans woke up and got up and decided to clean up the place. But not before Batman took things from the wreckage, he considered important evidence to find out the location of Slade in the future. Only after he left the room did they clean up the mess Slade left behind from his all out assault on Robin. Preferably where their leaders blood was spilled over the table and the area surrounding it like the kitchen and sofa. "What do you guys think of Robin's father, this...Batman?" said Starfire as she put the sofa back in its proper place.

"Creepy," said Cyborg as he remembered how easily Batman had disabled him in two quick moves.

"Strong," said Beast Boy who lost a tooth as he rubbed his jaw as he remembered how hard Batman hit him.

"I would say he is both. What say you friend Raven what do you think?" said Starfire as she turned to Raven as she saw the dark sorceress clean the table that was stained in Robin blood with her powers.

"I don't know. I could read his emotions or his mind. What ever training Robin learned from Batman the two are good at hiding things that they choose not to show," said Raven as she touched the now seemingly normal table that was covered red with the blood of her secret love.

"Well that says a lot," said Beast Boy with a frown with his arms crossed.

Raven could only nod because like the father that was Batman, Robin was also a mystery to her despite the bond they both shared with each other. When she touched the blood and the stain it left with her powers, she felt nothing in the remains as if Slade had broken just more then just his body, but also...his very spirit and soul. Yet, there was something else she didn't understand was when she felt the nothingness. When she thought she felt a hint of something, she couldn't understand, no matter how hard she pressed her powers into it. She finally decided to think nothing of it and leave it alone until the time and opportunity presented itself to learn the truth about what it was she felt. "Just because he kicked your butt and not mine doesn't mean you have to be upset about it," said Raven in a very calm voice.

Before Beast Boy could respond Batman entered the room and his very presence got everyone's attention...just Robin's would have. "I'm taking Robin home with me," said Batman getting to the point of what he wanted to say.

"SAY WHAT?" yelled Cyborg whose jaw like Beast Boy's and Starfire's fell like anvils off a cliff.

Raven on the other hand kept her face expressionless though her emotions were yelling at her to do something to keep Robin in the tower though she knew it would do no good. "You heard me. Robin needs to retrain back in the cave and learn what is now lost to him. Only then will he be ready to lead the Titans again. You didn't really expect everything to return to normal after all of this did you?" said Batman as he looked at the other Titans expressions in the room.

"For how long?" said Beast Boy worriedly.

"As long as it takes Beast Boy," said Batman as he turned to go, but Raven suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Can I come with you," Raven said surprising everyone except the Batman who probably anticipated in her saying it.

"Yo! If Raven's going then were going," said Cyborg without waiting for a response from Batman.

"Please! I can tell that whatever training Robin will have to do he's going to need medical attention and I'm the only one who can heal right away," said Raven who was showing more emotion then she would have like the others to see much less hear.

"The Bat-jets a two seater and I don't think you can fly all the way to Gotham. Can you?" said Batman giving a long 'no' in sentence form.

"I can try if you give me a chance. I can make try helping his training go better," said Raven who was now being uncharacteristic by sounding optimistic.

"Or you could make it worse and become a distraction he doesn't need right now," said Batman showing her and everyone else in the room that he was more negative then she ever could be.

"The harder the training difficulty the better," said Raven with a hint of anger in her voice.

"You making it harder is not the problem Raven. Making it easier is," said Batman.

"What?" said Raven.

"Think about it for two seconds. You and Robin have bond that has become strong over the time since it started up till now. This bond is both an advantage and disadvantage and right now having you around when he is training is a disadvantage I cannot allow. And deep down you know it as well as I do," said Batman.

"Batman," said a voice from behind Raven.

Raven turned and saw Robin their in a new Robin outfit and mask using the wall next to him for support. "What is it?" said Batman who was a little surprised that Robin would be here and not in the Bat-jet waiting for his return.

"Just let her go with us. Its not going to kill you to show the cave to one more person is it?" said Robin who cracked a small smile as he then looked at Raven who returned it with her own.

Batman let out a sigh. He knew he wasn't going to win the argument and if they stayed here any longer then Robin's training would be further delayed. "Fine she can come. But she's going to have to behave as we fly their. The Bat-jet is a highly sophisticated vehicle designed for flying at intense high speeds. It is NOT a jet version of the Tunnel of Love," said Batman as he saw Robin and Raven secretly blushing when he said that.

"Lead the way," said Raven as she followed Robin and Batman to the roof to see the Bat-jet for herself.

The others quickly ran themselves to see the Bat-jet since they hadn't seen it once since Batman arrived. They had actually forgotten to see with all that had happened. When they got to the roof, they saw the jet black colored vehicle that clearly put any thing Cyborg made to shame. While Raven and Robin are with me, you three will have to have a new leader till they both return. Since Cyborg has experience in that field he will be the new leader till these two return," said Batman as he opened the two-seater jet and jumped in.

"This is going to be one cramped seating arrangement," said Raven who blushed a little while her more hormone driven emotions were somewhat...overjoyed as Robin went in first followed by a somewhat hesitant Raven.

"Possibly, but it will be short one. Just remember you wanted this and now you are stuck with it," said Batman as the hatch closed over both seats and the Bat-jet raised itself a few feet off the roof and then took off back to Gotham City.

(Some 15 minutes later)

The Bat-jet landed behind a secret cavern behind Wayne manor that lead to the heart of the legendary Bat Cave. Batman had wasted no time getting back home and had flown at Mach I yet again, which terrified Raven a little considering she didn't think anyone could fly something like this much less steer it the way he did. She had to on several occasions hold onto Robin and then when she realized she had done it stopped and started blushing as did Robin.

When the Bat-jet stopped and the hatch opened Batman got out and left the two Titans in the jet. While Batman made preparations for Robins, training Raven was having a...small problem with the seat belt she and Robin shared. Therefore, she had no choice, but to use her powers to slice it in to and then leap out to get free from that tightly enclosed space with Robin.

Though an enclosed space with Robin was something to consider, she would prefer in a different way and not like that. "Well...that was...interesting," said Robin as Raven used her powers to help Robin out of the back seat of the Bat-jet since he didn't have the strength to get out of it in his condition.

"Yeah I agree with that. Next time I think I'll risk the exhaustion and fly myself back and forth between Jump City and Gotham," said Raven in her depressing voice.

"I see your back to your old depressing self again," said Robin somewhat jokingly as he kept a smile on his face while Raven just scowled at him.

She then looked at her surroundings were more depressing then even she had imagined and was somewhat of a vacation for her as she like all dark and depressing things. The Bat Cave in her mind was the very definition of dark and depressing things as she saw that most of the cave was still in its natural look. "Nice place you have here Robin," said Raven as she saw a small group of bats fly to an unknown destination.

Robin laughed a little. "You should see it when it gets dark then you'll like it even more," said Robin, which stopped Raven in her tracks and realized that Robin was kidding.

She started laughing a little, but she was able to keep it under control, but just barely as she followed a still limping Robin to the giant computer console, where Batman now sat. "Having fun?" said Batman seeing Raven and Robin blushing a little.

"Yes and no," said Raven who got a raised eyebrow from Robin to signify how it cold be a no.

"Well the fun ends here and the training begins," said Batman who turned his chair around to face the two heroes.

"What's first?" said Raven as if she was the one getting the training.

"You aren't doing anything. Robin you still remember the training course is right?" said Batman who turned his attention to his son.

"Yes," said Robin more seriously.

"Head over to it and set the difficulty training to it highest level," said Batman as he turned around to face the screen again.

"Hardest! Come on," said Robin knowing he would never passed the training rooms tasks.

"GO!" said Batman who voice echoed through out the cave sending more bats flying around somewhat crazily.

"I take it your still new to the whole loving your son thing huh?" said Raven as she saw a still tired a stiff muscled Robin walking toward the training area the Batman told him to go.

"In order to properly re-train Robin I must his master and teacher first...and his father last. Just like the first time I trained him to be as good as he was. The only difference is this time I'm going to push till he quits or he dies and frankly I couldn't care less, which happens first," said Batman coldly to the now surprised Raven.

"I doubt your father pushed you this hard when you were becoming Batman," said Raven who must have it a sensitive subject because the giant control board for the computer seemed to break where ones hand would be.

"I didn't have a father to push me to become the Batman. I became the Batman through the darkness in my heart on my own just as you became who you are on your own though your own darkened heart," said Batman as he slowly left his chair and went to check on Robin.

Raven could see the giant control board now and was a little frightened by the damaged controls at the mention of the dark knight's father. "I think I'll check on Robin too," said Raven out loud as she glided her way and followed Batman to were Robin was training and hoped it wasn't too lenient for him

Robin's training was anything, but lenient could be considered cruel, even for her standards of training. The training ground consisted of over 5 different areas each one more dangerous and more hazardous then the last. Robot soldiers like Slade's were created and designed to look like Gotham most notorious criminals like the Joker and Two-Face.

More like them were also in this training ground that fought and thought like the real deal monsters that Robin and Batman fought everyday in Gotham. Robin whose body was still not 100 fought with everything he had, but from what Raven saw in the past compared to now Robin was seemed to be moving at a slower pace. It was as if Robin was second-guessing his every move because he feared something would go wrong. "He's acting like a whole different person," said Raven frowning at Robin's poor performance.

Raven had seen Robin fight like a crazed animal with the speed of a demon and the strength of one to match, but here he was struggling and was almost...a shadow of his old self. The fire in his masked eyes was nothing more then smoke from a blown out candle that was once a flamethrower. Needless to say, she could tell that Batman was less then pleased with Robin's performance by the look in his masked eyes even though he didn't say anything. She didn't have to try and read his emotions to read his eyes like those that clearly screamed disappoint about Robin. "The one true test will show how much damage was done to him. This is just the pre-test," said Batman as he checked to make sure Robin did put the difficulty level up to the highest.

About ¾ done the course after 5 hours of fighting through what seemed like hell itself to Robin he made his way to the final obstacle filled with bits of the other four integrated into a huge maze that would lead to a door to the finish line. Robin felt more exhausted then he did when he first trained with Batman to become Robin in the beginning. He fought all the old enemies of Gotham that were either in jail or were biding their time to strike his master. Robin saw the door straight ahead and was about to reach it, but was hit by a shadow he saw out of the corner of his eye. "Batman you didn't!" said Raven in disbelief when she saw what robot form that hit Robin.

Batman said nothing as he saw Robin's expression when he himself saw who was that attack. "Slade," said Robin as he went into battle stance.

"Robin what a pleasant surprise this is for me to be here with you in the legendary Bat Cave," said the robot copy of Slade as it went into fighting stance.

"Your not real. Your just a robotic copy to test my reaction to you," said Robin who tried to focus himself into a fighting stance.

"Perhaps, but its having the affect your father expected you to have," said robot Slade as it attacked with the same strength and speed as the real Slade.

Robin tried to fight back, but he felt slow and sluggish for every punch and kick the robot Slade delivered. 'I have to beat him, but why I am I so afraid?' thought Robin as robot Slade deliver a punch to Robin's face sending him into the maze wall.

"What's wrong Robin? You can't fight any more? Don't tell me you've gotten weak over the real little old me," said robot Slade who picked Robin up by his shirt and did a strong head butt to Robin's head causing a nasty bloody gash on the boy wonder's forehead.

"Batman stop it the robot Slade is going to kill him!" said Raven worriedly as Batman shut down the training program while Raven flew down to Robin who was once more on the ground wounded like before.

"It's as I told him. He would come face to face with his greatest fear. That fear is fear is failure and it has taken the form that is Slade," said Batman as he stared over at Robin who was now in Raven's arms bleeding all over his Robin uniform and masks.

"Raven...I...I...was afraid. That was...was the first...time I...I fought Slade...and...and I was afraid! Like a...a helpless child," said Robin as Raven used her powers to take him to the Bat Caves med-lab that Batman showed when she flew with Robin out of the training course.

Batman gave Robin a sedative and some medicine for the concussion he had received while Raven healed the wounds from the training areas. The wounds in total consisted of multiple burns, buts, bruises, and the concussion received by the robot Slade that fought him. When Robin went to sleep from the sedative Raven turned to Batman surrounding him with her dark powers. "He could have been killed by that impact of that robot, but you stay perfectly calm as if he is expendable. What kind of father are you? Answer me!" said Raven as she stared at Batman who seemed to be unafraid of Raven's dark powers.

"I'm not a father. I'm a teacher to him. Master of many things. I cannot be the father that holds their son in their arms saying everything will be all right. If I did that every time I thought he would die, he wouldn't be the Robin I trained him to be...and what he could become," said Batman as he stared into Raven red eyes with his steely ones behind the mask.

"I've heard that before...from my father!" said Raven angrily.

"You don't think I love my son the way a father should? Well believe it or not, Robin will always love me as a father and will always be loyal to me as a student is loyal to the master that teaches him. You want to talk about your father go ahead and compare him to me, but you'll find I am nothing like your demon dad. And deep down you know this will help Robin in the end. So why fight me when he will benefit in the long run?" said a calm Batman as if Raven's anger was nothing to him.

Raven looked at him coldly and then to Robin who lay their on the med-lab bed with sensors input into his skin. 'Robin' she thought and she finally decided that even though Batman's method of fixing Robin could be considered cruel or even inhuman, Raven knew it was in the best interest of Robin.

She removed the dark fire surrounding Batman and he walked passed her without a second thought to their little discussion. "If you ever try that again I will hurt you more then your father ever could," he said as he then walked into the shadows of the cave to another area where he had other things to do besides watch over the originally uninvited guest.

Raven herself stood their in shock for a moment over what Batman just said as she came to a realization. She realized that no matter how scary she was or how powerful she maybe, she would never be able frighten or intimidate the Batman. He was the definition of intimidation and fear that could not be found anywhere else. She snapped out of her frozen state and saw Robin squirming like an animal a lab with sweat pouring down his forehead as he was sleeping and no doubt having a nightmare.

She approached him with great concern as she gently wiped the sweat off his face with a nearby tablecloth. She knew it was clean and even if it was not she had had used her healing powers to clear of all diseases and filth instantly. "That's better," said Raven after cleaning his face and gently touched it with her hands as she moved her hand into his hair. She had so longed to touch it with affection like this, she only wished he was awake to say he liked it.

As if reading her inner desire's, Robin's squirming ceased a little and he started to relax a little as she continued to play with his hair. She smiled at this as she could clearly tell from her powers that he enjoyed what she was doing and appreciated it. She then looked around to see if Batman was around, but saw nothing except the shadows of a dark and near empty cave.

She carefully moved her hand from Robin hair down to his mask as she slowly tried to remove it to see him without the mask. To see the person she loved with his mask of darkness and see him for what he was...a simple boy. She was seconds away from removing it only to have a dark hand grab her wrist fast and hard to stop her. "What do you think you are doing?" said Batman angrily at Raven.