Disclaimer: I own nothing except maybe the storyline.

Chapter 15

He gasped as a sudden pain shot up the previously unaffected arm. He had been so concentrated on avoiding the sprays of poison from the green cobra before him that he had forgotten to look where he was going. It was a painful reminder of just how much xinothium hurt when he came into physical contact with it when he brushed up against the wall.

Bringing out his bo staff, he tried to pin the snake down at the base of the head where it would be more vulnerably, but the green creature became instead a large buffalo, slamming into his exposed torso as he had bent down to deliver the blow. All of his breath rushed out at once and he had to stifle a groan as he once again slammed into the xinothium covered wall.

"Had enough?" smirked Beast Boy, transforming momentarily into a human as the Boy Wonder tried to catch his breath.

"Not even close," he replied angrily, throwing a freeze disc at the young Titan, momentarily rendering the changeling immobile. He sighed in something close to relief, but when he looked up at the block of ice, there was nothing in it. A low growl escaped his throat as he saw the small hole in the ice where a green mouse had slipped out. Alright, so the kid had done research to find an animal for every attack that he had in his belt, huh?

Again, the green cobra was before him, this time with a much greater advantage. A small scratch had penetrated his skin on his right leg. Though not neccessarily significant in normal battle, this tiny opening would provide a way for the poison to enter his system if Beast Boy aimed it right.

Robin saw this, and reached into his belt to pull out a grappling hook. He was glad to have such easy access to familiar gadgets, as it was finally proving to be an advantage. Giving the rope a slight tug to make sure that it was sturdy enough to hold him, he jumped up out of reach of the deadly fangs.

The green cobra become a large hawk and dove at the boy climbing up the wall. He jumped out of the way just in time, although the hawk's sharp talons managed to sink into his upper arm. In anger, Robin grabbed the green bird by the neck and slammed it against the wall, stunning it. The green creature fell to the ground, changing back into a human.

Beast Boy rubbed his neck, grimacing. He tried to change into a rhino, but when he did so, he fell slightly to the side. Robin had broken his right arm. The changeling attempted a bird, but it would not take flight.

He grinned. "Not so tough now, huh?" he smirked, but his relief was short-lived, for a green monkey climbed up beside him and jumped onto his face. As he struggled with both the stench filling his nostrils (sweat and fur made a potent combination) and the weight on his head, his hands slipped and both boys fell to the ground.

He landed on the green changeling, both boys rubbing their heads. As he jumped to his feet, he noted that the green Titan was no longer here. As he glanced furtively about, he felt a stinging sensation in his leg. He looked down, and to his surprise, he saw a green cobra, its fangs embedded into his skin.

"You bit me," he gasped, surprised that Beast Boy would have it in him to even do something like that.

"You broke my arm," Beast Boy countered.

A small "oh" escaped his lips before his hands went instinctively to his leg and he doubled over. Already, the poison was started to spread throughout his body, and he shuddered. He tore fabric from his sleeve and tied it around his leg and cutting off the circulation to his leg, hoping to stop the flow of poison.

"Now who's the weakling?" Beast Boy snarled before leaving the former Boy Wonder alone, shuddering from the sudden effects of the poison. This was one challenge he was not sure he would make it through...

TTT

As the door opened, everyone turned to watch as he stumbled in. Every eye was on him, everyone wanted to know where he had gone. Perhaps it would have helped matters if he hadn't been cradling his arm or sporting a badly torn uniform.

"Beast Boy, where were you? What happened?" Jinx demanded, rushing to support him over to a couch.

He grinned evily, something that none present were used to him doing. "Oh, I was just...tying up some loose ends," he answered.

Cyborg's eyes narrowed as he hobbled over to sit down next to his friend. "BB, tell the truth. We're really worried about you, and you came back all beat up, and..."

He growled. "It was busy, alright? I had a little trouble getting back, but trust me, you'll thank me for this later! Now can everyone please just get off my back?"

Everyone immediately backed away, surprised to see the normally upbeat Titan so...angry. He sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that I just got back from something that was extremely hard for me to do and..."

"Well, what was it? Maybe we can help you deal with it," Kid Flash offered. "After all, we're all pretty much in the same boat with all these emotions suddenly hitting us, and maybe we can give you some advice about that. Besides, you can't keep things to yourself, that's what got Robin in the position that he's in."

He shook his head respectfully, saying, "No, I think I'll have to wait and see if I really did get it right before I tell you what happened."

"Are you sure?" Jinx pressed.

He nodded, turning to leave, then added over his shoulder, "Oh, and if you happen to take a walk, you just might figure it out." Smirking, he walked out of the room, heading straight for the hospital ward. He knew that now that he had done the deed, he was going to have to tell Raven about it. She might not be too happy with it...

The door opened slowly and he walked inside. The very first thing that he noticed was that she seemed...paler than usual. Not only that, but she was noticeably thinner, and the waves recorded on the machines surrounding her had become only slight pulses. Was she losing her grip on life?

"No!" he shouted despite himself, rushing to her side and holding her hand up to his lips, kissing it gently. "No, Rae, no, don't give up on me just yet. I have some wonderful news for you, and it should help you to stop worrying about what I just told you. I won the fight Rae, I won it! He may have broken my arm, but I got him! I turned into a cobra, Rae! Even as I tell you this, he's dying! Rae, I won! Be happy for me, Rae, and wake up! Please, wake up!" he choked, lifting the limp hand up to meet the tears on his cheeks.

"Don't lose hope on me, Rae. I did this for you. Don't make it have been in vain," he sobbed quietly.

TTTTTT

He had to admit it; he was amazed, shocked. There his apprentice lay, shivering on the ground, from an attack by one who was previously thought of the be no more than a slight danger. Yet there was the image before him.

There was nothing to say, nothing to do about it, other than to rush out to get some help to the boy. They had come so far, and the young man had been progressing so far, so close to becoming a younger version of himself, so close to becoming the apprentice he could be, that it would be a shame to have to give up so easily.

Wintergreen took action as well. Within seconds, the butler was back at his side, holding a strange bottle and glistening needle. Well, at least there was some action that they could take to save the pitiful figure in the streets.

"How long do you think he has?" he asked tersely as they took off running.

"It does not look good, sir," was all the butler said, his voice tinged with worry.

He started running faster, thinking of nothing else but the goal to save this former hero. He didn't know why he cared so much about this boy's safety. Was it because he saw himself in that boy? Or was it because he finally had what he had been working so hard to achieve and was unwilling to let it go? But wasn't this what he had wanted? Hadn't he wanted to destroy the Titans? But not Robin, he hadn't wanted to destroy Robin. So much potential... He couldn't just throw that away.

As he turned the corner, he realized that he hadn't been prepared for it. Robin was even paler than he had been when he had come to ask to be an apprentice again. There was absolutely no color in his face whatsoever, and his breathing was erratic.

"What...what are you...?" Robin gasped, but could not even finish the question. His eyes closed and his mouth opened in a silent scream, and he gripped his leg even tighter.

"Believe it or not, I'm about to save your life," he answered, smirking inwardly at the shocked expression on his apprentice's face.

"Now, don't squirm," Wintergreen commanded as he quickly filled the needle and injected the boy with the antidote.

Though his eyes widened as the needle went into the flesh on his leg, Robin did not move, and Slade had to admit that the boy was stubborn and determined, like himself.

The former Boy Wonder started to gasp for breath; each inhale was a chore and each exhale was the expulsion of precious energy. The antidote needed to take hold soon, or else the boy would surely die.

The young man's chest rose and fell heavily, then was still for a moment. His head lolled gently to the side, and he seemed to be dead. But he couldn't be, no, not Robin, not his apprentice.

"No!" he shouted despite himself.

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing else that we can do," Wintergreen said sadly.

"There must be something!" he growled angrily, upset with himself for not getting there in time and annoyed with Robin for being in this predicament in the first place.

"There is nothing more that is in our power to do, I'm sorry," his butler repeated again, his head on his chest.

He sighed, preparing to move the body lying on the ground, but Wintergreen suddenly held out a hand to stop him. "Wait," he said gently before anything else could be done.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the slight wind left by the exit of the recent storm, but then the sound came; the small but hopeful sound of a tiny gasp of breath. Even as he watched, lips white with the pale hue of death parted to let a small amount of air in.

"He's just as stubborn as you are," Wintergreen remarked, though he could not hide the relief in his voice; Robin was holding on to life, even just barely.

"Yes, he is," he mused. "But the question is: is it enough?" he asked quietly, and even as he spoke, there was a lull in the tiny sips of breath.