Chapter 7: Leadership Issues.

"No! I will not allow this!" Starfire paced back and forth in front of Robin, who fancied he could nearly see flames spurting from her maw.

"Now Robin, remember what Beast Boy told you." Raven's calm voice anchored Robin, made him feel like he might not have accidentally slipped into Bizzaro World after all.

Robin nodded. "He's faster than he looks, and a lot stronger too, especially in his arms. However, if he rears back onto his hind legs, his centre of gravity is unstable, and his hind legs are too weak for him to run on."

"And?"

"He learns quickly, too, so I can't try the same trick twice." Robin knew this already. The first time the Titans- or three fifths of them- had fought the Beast, they had eventually subdued him. However, the second time around, the Beast was ready for them, and dispatched them within seconds. "However, since his senses are so strong, if I overload them, he could be distracted for a few seconds." As he said this, his gloved hands drifted over a row of dull grey balls on his utility belt. They looked identical to his smoke pellets, but since smoke hardly phased a creature with night vision, hearing that ranged from the ultra to the infrasonic, and a sense of smell that could pick out what cologne Robin had put on last week, he and Cyborg had cooked up some…specialised…ones.

"Anything else? What was the last thing Beast Boy said?"

Robin frowned, clearly disliking this last piece of advice. "No mercy. The Beast doesn't understand the concept, and will take the opportunity to give me some new scars."

Raven nodded. "You have the advantage that the Beast probably isn't going to try to kill you. After all, he needs a pack to lead, and we're a small enough group as it is." Raven didn't mention that Robin wasn't supposed to try to kill Beast Boy, either.

"And you two will be on hand in case things get…dangerous."

"Things will be dangerous from the instant you enter that room! If we are to pursue this foolhardy course of action, we must have Cyborg on hand! Where is he?"

"Cyborg's gonna be…busy." Robin recalled the private conversation he'd had with Cyborg a few minutes ago.

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"Yo, Robin."

"Cyborg, I'm a little preoccupied at the moment."

"This won't take long. I need your permission for something."

"What?"

"…I want to see BBs personal file. I know you wrote one."

"Why do you want to see that?"

"Well…when I talked to him it seemed obvious that there was a lot I didn't know about him, and I thought if I looked on the file-"

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"He's got a lot on his plate at the moment."

"That's true. Well…alright, on the condition that anything you see remains completely confidential."

"Of course."

"Well then, I guess so, but only because I know if I didn't give you permission you'd just hack in anyway."

"You know it."

"…Oh, and Cyborg?"

"Yeah man?"

"I can't guarantee you'll like what you find."

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"Besides, I know that you two are more than capable of keeping me safe." Robin finished with more confidence than he felt.

"And you are certain that there is no viable alternative?" Starfire sounded almost pleading.

"Sorry, Star, this is the only way."

Starfire looked conflicted for a long while. "…Very well, then."

Robin nodded, and turned towards the door.

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Beast Boy stood alone in the gym, preparing himself for the ordeal to come. In truth, he would be doing very little, only stepping in if it looked like the Beast was going to kill Robin. If Robin did not win fairly- at least, by the Beast's definition of 'fair'- then the Beast would not accept the outcome. He felt his heart rate spike as his leader walked through the double doors. The smell of fear was palpable on his brow, and the Beast revelled in it.

"So, what do I have to do?" To his credit, none of the fear was evident in his voice.

"To challenge the Beast, you need to maintain eye contact." Beast Boy marvelled at the way Raven was able to maintain a monotone even now.

"Alright then, let's get on with this." Before I lose my nerve completely, Robin finished in the privacy of his head.

We'll be on hand, just in case anything goes wrong. You need to stay calm.

Well, relative privacy, at least. Robin's attention was drawn back into reality by a strange and highly unpleasant sound, one composed of squelches and cracks and what sounded like stretching rubber which melded into a prickling sound which Robin presumed was the sound of hair growing. His head jolted around and his eyes locked with those of the Beast. Remembering what he had been told, he stared at the Beast, bo staff in hand, stance defiant. In response, the Beast raised its hackles and growled, deep in its throat. Robin took one cautious step to the left. The Beast padded right, its eyes never leaving its erstwhile leader. The two circled, spiralling closer together until, as if by some prearranged signal, the Beast let out a deep bellow and Robin hurled a set of explosive dicks as they charged towards each other, Robin vaulting high into the air.

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Cyborg heard the booming roar. He fancied he could feel the vibrations from the cry through the floor. Nonetheless, he forced himself to continue, deleting any unbidden images of Robin laminating the gym floor from his brain. This was important. As he navigated the Tower data files, inputting the required passcodes, he wondered how in the name of all that was holy Beast Boy had ever managed to hack his way into Raven's profile. Maybe he was about to find out. He finally found the relevant page, and called it up. As he scanned the file, downloading it into his brain for detailed analysis later, he couldn't hold in an exclamation of shock.

"Sweet Monkey Jesus…"