Chapter 7-To Catch a Rat

(1 hour later at Jump City)

The three Teen Titans who were now exhausted, battered, bruised, and bandaged up were more then surprised when they saw Batman enter the tower. At first Starfire was happy because she had thought that Robin was with him while Cyborg and Beast Boy remain more...level head. "Robin is staying back in the cave with Raven till his muscles have had a chance to relax after all the stress they went through in such a short time. For the next few days I'm in charge and I'm going to be in the lb here looking at some things that Slade left behind that may help lead to his whereabouts," said Batman who saw Beast Boy jump for joy.

YES! No more tofu banning from Cyborg. Take THAT you overgrown garbage disposal," said Beast Boy while Cyborg slumped his shoulders.

Batman raised an eyebrow under his mask, but got an idea that would make Beast Boy in his place. "I don't like tofu either. Are you going to call me a name too? Because I dare you to call ME a name," said Batman as be walked up in front of Beast Boy and glared the shape shifter who turned pale white with a blank expression on his face.

"No...sir," said Beast Boy in a weak voice.

"Good boy. Now if you will excuse me I will go take care of some work that needs to be done," said Batman as he turned and left.

However, Starfire being the curious alien that she was flew up to Batman with the intent of asking a question. "I have a...a question that had been...sounding in the back of head," said Starfire as she stared into the masked eyes of the dark knight.

"That's 'echoing in back of my skull' is the term looking for. Now what's the question?" said Batman who was getting a little impatient with the alien.

"Robin and Raven have been acting quite...strange around each other. My question is doe Raven like Robin in the way of a...boyfriend?" said Starfire who hope the answer was no.

Batman just remained silent realizing that whatever he said may hurt Robin's friendship with the alien when she would be need to help him when it mattered the most. This was why he never went full time with the Justice League.

The possibility of sharing a love interest with a member of the female half of the league was small at first due to it originally having only two women as members. But now that the league had a significant number of female superheroes within its ranks, it was more important then ever to stay part time.

He did the only thing sensible and that give a half-truth. "I haven't really been paying attention to them when their together since most of the time Robin was either training or resting in the cave after training. Raven was deep in her meditation while I was doing a quick look at the criminals still loose in Gotham. So I can't really tell you what I don't know," said Batman who walked around Starfire as if she was a roadblock and headed to the lab.

Starfire stood there for a moment and thought of what Batman said as she reflected her thoughts on what had happened the before and after Slade's strategic attack on the Titans leader. At first she didn't notice the odd things like Raven training with Robin in one on one combat or that Raven was looking at Robin from the corner of her eye when it looked as if she was reading. Possibly, because she thought of the bond the two shared with each other that caused it.

It was then Starfire realized that Raven was in fact spending a lot more time with Robin then she thought she was originally. Raven playing several games with Robin only to lose to 'her boy' every time, yet she did not get angry. She seemed to be happy that there was someone who could challenge her intellectually. Starfire suddenly felt something in her heart she had only felt before with Kitten and a little bit with her sister. She felt jealousy towards Raven. "I must win Robin away from her," said Starfire as she flew to her room to think of a plan before Robin returned.

(Later on that day)

It wasn't long till Batman discovered a clue left from Slade's metallic boots that had traces rusted metal with traces of chemical waste in them. Batman had taken off with the Titans in tow to the chemical industry to match a possible chemical waste warehouse Slade might have used as a base of operations. Unfortunately, they were all fully employed and operational. However, that didn't mean Batman still couldn't try to find someone who may have had contact with Slade to lead him further on the trail to the mad man's hideout. "Are you sure that Batman is leading us on a goose that is wild chase?" said Starfire as she covered her nose from the fumes from the chemicals nearby.

"That's wild goose chase Star and if anyone can find anything in this place it's either Robin or Batman and we just happen to have Batman with us. So just try to stay a little more optimistic about the man's theory," said Cyborg as he covered his nose as well when he got close to the fumes.

It wasn't long till one o the employees saw the Titans and started to run only to bump into the Batman who grabbed him by his shirt. "We need to have a little talk. Let's go some place with...fresher air," said Batman in a terrifying voice that made the man whimper in fear of the Dark Knight.

(10 minutes later)

At first the Titans and the frightened chemical waste employee thought when Batman said "fresher air" they thought he meant the roof of the building. They did not think it was the roof of a twenty story-building complex, while hanging upside down from the arm of the world's greatest detectives. "What do you want to know?" said the terrified man as the cars behind them stopped due to the intense traffic in the area.

"First, your name," said Batman as he stared at the man.

"My name is...David. David Knox if you want to get specific," said David as the man was terrified beyond belief.

"I know that name. You were originally arrested for hacking into a bank and trying to take all of the Jump City National Bank's money and put it into a bank account in the Bahamas. However, you were stopped by Robin while he was on his way here to meet the rest of the Titans. You received a year and a half for that little stunt you pulled since you threatened to scatter the money everywhere if he didn't back off," said Batman in a angrily voice.

"Yeah, lucky for him I was bluffing or all of Jump City would be in a state of poverty," said David as he laughed nervously only to lose it when the Batman started letting go of him while still hanging over the edge.

"Dude. Do you think Batman will actually drop the guy?" said Beast Boy in a whisper to Cyborg.

"No way. He's Batman he wouldn't do anything like that!" said Cyborg whispered back while Starfire stayed silent and watched.

"Second question...where is Slade hiding?" said Batman who decided to get to the heart of the matter and ignoring the whispers behind him.

"Slade! I...I don't know...any...any Slade," said David who was obviously nervous and lying to the man...terribly.

"You're lying to me," said Batman in a deathly voice as he then let go of the man he had grabbed by the shirt sending him falling down towards the ground with the other three Titans in shock.

"ALL RIGHT I'LL TALK!" said David whose fall was immediately stopped with the help of Batman's grappling hook.

"Start talking. If you lie to me again I will drop you and leave you to fall to your death," said Batman as he stared into the man's terrified eyes.

(In the Bat Cave)

Robin awoke silently from his slumber with the presence of a pair of hands on the chest his torn Robin uniform. He turned his head to see Raven asleep in a chair next to him and that it was her hands on him. He was actually glad she was asleep or else she would have seen him blush. He carefully got off the table as to not wake her up and turned to find Alfred organizing things not far from where he had been sleeping. Ah master...Robin I see you are up and about," whispered Alfred who had to look over Robin's shoulder to make sure the girl was still asleep.

"Yep and I feel pretty good Alfred. Its strange really because I feel the same, but at the same time I feel...different. As if I changed somehow," whispered Robin.

"Master Br...uh I mean the Batman said he felt the same way you do now after he went through his struggles with his greatest fears," said Alfred as whispered afraid that the echoing of the cave would awaken Raven.

Robin could only nod because he didn't know what else to say to Alfred on the subject so he moved onto something else more...personal. "Alfred...how do you tell someone your in love without the fear her emotions will blow everything up around them?" said Robin who saw Alfred's expression of horror and surprise.

"I believe your surrogate father asked the same question, but I thought I'd never hear it from you," said Alfred who heard Robin give a small laugh at Alfred's reply.

"Well Raven secretly loves me and I...I do too, but her powers are controlled through her emotions. I'm a little afraid she might...nuke an entire city depending on what I say," said Robin who looked at Alfred now with concern.

"Oh dear. Well first, if your going to tell her make sure your in an area where no one would get hurt (Robin laughing a little) if she does...nuke an area around you. Second, I would tell her the truth about how you feel and how you discovered that you know that she loves you in return. The third, is...wear lots and lots of body armor in case she tries to hurt you for not telling her sooner," said Alfred as he involuntarily rubbed his jaw as if someone struck him their.

"Are we still talking about me or are we talking about someone you know who did that to you?" said Robin puzzled by Alfred involuntary action.

Alfred looked at him with a raised eyebrow the butler realized what he was doing and immediately stopped it with small-embarrassed look on his face. "Yes...well that was a...long time ago before I met your surrogate father. In any case master Robin you should get back to sleep I still have much to do, but don't worry next time your awake I'll have a new more improved uniform ready for you to wear," said Alfred as he noticed over his shoulder that Raven was finally awake.

"Thanks Alfred. You were always good to be like uncle in penguin form," said Robin laughing.

Alfred let out a small grown at humorous complement/insult the boy just gave him, but that came with the job of a butler. Especially when you are a servant of the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder. "How long have you been awake?" said Raven as she rubbed her eyes as she levitated over to the two of them.

"Not long mistress Raven, but master Robin needs some more rest so he best get back to sleep or I'll never hear the end of it from my 'other' master. And you mistress Raven can assist in helping me clean this place up with the help of your powers," said Alfred he had a commanding presence about him.

Robin nodded and head back to where he was sleeping while Raven looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I take it you were something else before you became a butler?" said Raven curiously.

"My dear Raven when you are a guest in the lair of the Dark Knight no one is whom you think they are. Especially the butler," said Alfred who winked mischievously at her and smiled as he set out to do some more cleaning in the cave.

"Well I guess I better make myself useful," said Raven as she levitated over to Alfred to help with the cleaning.