Teen Titans Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, its Production Company, affiliates, and sponsors. Everything is fictional and any similarities between the characters and any living person are purely coincidental.

Legend -

Normal Font: Basic read and insight.

Bold: Change of location or time.

Italics: Individual thoughts and recollections.

SACRIFICE

Starfire and Robin seem to have come across a dead man with a smile on his face? What does it mean? Will they find out any answers?

Chapter 4 - The Call

Robin didn't know if the scene was clear of any villains yet. "Starfire! Illuminate the area!!"

Without a word, she held up her right arm and a starbolt filled her hand, illuminating light for the entire area. Robin stood up and surveyed the area. Looking to his left, he saw nobody suspicious. Scanning from left to right he saw nothing out of the ordinary. People were coming up now to see what the commotion was all about, several people seemed to scream.

"It's him...It's the Joker!!! Everyone run for your lives!!"

"Oh my God, why is that man smiling?"

"Is that guy dead?

"Whoa, cool!"

Several people seemed to realize that it was indeed the Joker's calling card. These people did not wait around. They instead ran into their cars and started the engines. One couple hurried back into their car, but when it started, green gas started to fill up the car. "Hey?! What is this?! What's up with this...hehehehehe...hahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"

Robin turned over to see the small Sedan covered in green smoke. Oh no, please no...

"Everyone get out of here now!! Your cars maybe infected with Joker gas and there's no way to tell if yours have been hit to, so take a Taxi or use public transportation. Do it now!!!" Robin shouted. He reached into his utility belt once again, and grabbed a gas mask from his utility belt.

"Starfire, I want you to call the others and tell them to bring gas masks. Looks like we've got a long night ahead of us." Robin turned and head over to the car.

A local decided it was time to give Robin a piece of his mind. "Hey! Boy Wonder! If that creep is here, doesn't that mean he's come after you? We'd all be a lot safer if you'd just leave town and never show your face again!"

Several of the other locals seemed to share his viewpoint. They all raised their fists and shouted obscurities at him.

Starfire hoped in front of them, between Robin and the mob.

"You all don't know anything!!! Robin works as hard as he can to keep our city free of criminals. He works harder than anyone else so that no harm comes to others! So please, do not judge him until he has had a chance to make it right!" Starfire held both arms out, as a shield protects its wielder.

"Tsk. He'll still never be Batman." the local said as he walked away.

Robin stood there for a moment, then collected the young couple and laid them both out onto the ground. He reached into his utility belt once more and found two chemicals. He mixed them together then injected both of them with it. The ambulances had just arrived. Two workers put one on a stretcher and bound it.

"They've been infected with Joker poison. It causes the heart to shut down after an intense laughter attack. I've injected them with a small sedative that will hold until you get them both to a hospital. Unfortunately, I do not have the antidote for it with me at this time. I will find the hospital they are staying at and deliver it personally." Robin told the ambulance workers as the other one helped the second of the couple.

"What about the other one? We heard there were 3 victims." the ambulance driver asked.

"He's gone, he was dead upon my arrival. I'm sorry." Robin replied.

"Look it happens, the fact that you stopped these two from dying says enough." the driver smiled as he was finishing up.

"Yeah, but who's to say it wouldn't have happened if Wonder Boy wasn't here?" the other driver asked.

"That's enough, Ralph! You have no right to question their actions after your wife's life was saved by these brave individuals last year." the driver defended Robin. This actually made Starfire smile for a brief moment. Even if there were people who did not appreciate Robin being around, one person did understand what they were fighting. And for that person, fighting evil in the city was more than enough of a reason to continue.

The second driver knew he was caught and didn't say another word. The driver who defended Robin introduced himself, "My name's Frank, I'm not sure why the Joker's decided to come here, but I know you'll bring him to justice. I'm counting on you all, Teen Titans." Frank bowed and then left.

Robin looked around and found what he was looking for. He jumped up onto a large semi-truck that was high enough where he could survey the entire scene. The T-car had just arrived carrying Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven. The third ambulance was right behind them. The last driver got out and shouted to Robin, "Hey! I just got the scoop from Frank! We'll take care of the body from here, just find the Joker and make him pay for his crimes!"

The 3 other Titans did a double take. Each one had a different thought about the situation.

THE Joker?! Ho man, I gotta get his autograph.

Joker? Boy I'd like to blast him once with my sonic cannon.

Joker? That guy's even creepier than I am.

Cyborg walked up to the semi-truck Robin was perched on. "Hey, what do you want us to do?" He had to shout just so he could hear him.

Robin took down his night-vision goggles. He sat there for a moment. Then he hoped down to join the other Titans. Robin thought to himself for a minute before he answered the other Titans. He knew the Joker's methods better than any of the other Titans. He himself had fought against him and had seen what cruel effects Joker used in his tactics. Fighting the Joker was never easy, he never made it that way.

"Ok, team, here's the situation: we've got a serious madman on the loose in the streets of Jump City. With the calling cards he left, we know that it was the Joker's handiwork. Cyborg, I need you to scan all of the cars in this lot. When a couple started their car, Joker gas filled the car and paralyzed them. Beast Boy, I need you to turn into a dog and find out if you can't smell where any of this came from or went to. Raven will back you up in case you do run into trouble. Starfire, you're with me, we're going to look for clues around this place and interview all the employees of the carnival. Everyone make sure you have your gas masks handy, if you inhale enough of this stuff, I can't guarantee you'll be the same person when you come out of it..."

Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy all sighed then nodded as they understood what needed to be done. It was going to be a long night.

Robin had started to walk towards the main sites of the crime when Beast Boy stopped him. "Hey, are you sure it was the Joker?"

Without looking back or answering, Robin continued to walk off. Beast Boy replied, "Oh yeah, it's him ... why couldn't it be the Penguin or even Two Face?"

Raven smacked Beast Boy upside the head. "Don't you have some work to get started on?"

Beast Boy smiled then turned into a greyhound dog. He started sniffing around with Raven right behind him.

Cyborg was already starting scanning each car. Man, I can't believe we're going up against him. Another beep on his arm interrupted his thought process. "Good thing Robin told everyone to leave their cars here, of ten cars I've scanned, 6 had gas in it." Cyborg shook his head. Man, I hope we're ready for this.

Starfire had started hovering and followed behind Robin slowly. Robin was kneeling at the site where Danny was first found. His was rubbing his index and thumb of his right hand together. He had already found something. Starfire set down and looked over at Robin. "Robin? Were you able to find something?"

Dust? Plain old ordinary dust? He stood up and addressed Starfire, "I'm not sure...ACHOOOOO!" Robin had sneezed hard.

"Great...Just great..." Robin had lost the sample of dust. He had inhaled some and it caused him to sneeze. He stood up and then looked over at Starfire.

"Come on, Starfire, let's go talk to the employees." Starfire nodded at they both went into the circus.

The Tower the next morning...well almost...

It was almost noon before everyone was up and about. All of them had been working very well into the morning without so much as a break. All 5 of them met in the meeting room after having a brunch meal to discuss their individual findings.

Robin spoke first, "Ok, Cyborg, how many cars did you find that were poisoned with the Joker gas?"

Cyborg stood up and spoke, "Man you're not going to be believe this, all the cars that had Joker gas were lined up in a certain way. The cars with the gas formed a pattern of sorts."

Robin raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, so?"

Cyborg continued, "Well I was wondering why some cars were infected in a row and others weren't even touched for rows. So I mapped out all of the cars and it showed this exact diagram." Cyborg pulled out two pieces of clear material, each with something different on it. He placed one on the table.

"Look, here's the layout of the entire parking lot. And if I overlap it with all the car's positions it made a design or pattern." He layed down the second piece which overlapped the parking lot. Cyborg wasn't kidding...it did make a pattern. Starfire gasped, Raven eyebrows rose and Beast Boy shouted "Oh man!" The pattern, when turned 90 degrees made a big letter R as clear as day.

Robin spoke once again, "Beast Boy, were you and Raven able to find the source of where they got that much gas?"

Beast Boy nodded and spoke, "Man are you ever going to love me after I tell you something that's gonna break the case wide open!!!"

He held both arms at his hips showing off what a great job he had done. He never got the chance as Raven used her powers to throw him across the room to the kitchen. Beast Boy crashed into the pile of pots and pans, they all crashed loudly as everything hit the floor.

She instead spoke for him. "We found two very large gas trucks. Each were labeled Nibor's Natural Gas. That's how they were able to get the gas here. We've run a complete scan but we can't seem to find this company anywhere, we think it maybe a dummy corporation."

Robin squinted. Nibor. Raven raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Robin explained, "Nibor backwards."

He continued, "Starfire and I talked to the Nights watchmen. Each of them claim to see those two trucks come out. They remembered them well because both men were wearing make-up and thought it was odd. That's all we've got at this point."

Cyborg and Raven looked at each other as each had figured out what Robin had already done so. Nibor backwards was robin. Beast Boy was still trying to put it together. He was writing N I BO R then underneath it he wrote R O B I N.

Silence now filled the room. Robin looked puzzled. Cyborg was the first one to break the silence. "Something on your mind, dude?"

Robin thought for a moment more and then decided to share part of it. "I'm not sure, all of this has Joker all over it, but something seems off."

The other 4 were now the ones who had puzzled looks on their faces. Beast Boy was the first to speak, "Yeah, but aren't you the one with the most experience with this guy? None of anything he's ever done has made sense to anybody."

Robin looked at Beast Boy. "It's not that Beast Boy. I've run into the Joker more times than I care to remember, he's a smart guy, that's no question, but to call me out isn't like him. Plus, he usually likes to broadcast his scheme to the entire world before he's done anything and yet it's been nothing but..."

The silence was broken by the video monitoring system.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"You have a video phone call. You have a video phone call."

Robin stood up and answered the machine. "Transfer the line over to my room." With that said, he stood up and left.

"Roger" the computer responded.

Beast Boy once again spoke, "What was that all about?"

Cyborg and Raven each shrugged. They honestly didn't have a clue. Video phone calls normally came on screen automatically. It was a very rare sight for a call to come in announcing before hand, though.

Starfire made her appearance known by speaking up for the first time all morning. "Cyborg, Beast Boy, Raven..." She paused for a second after addressing all 3 of them. "Everyone I wish to know more about the past of this 'Joker' person. Robin was not Robin at that carnival. I have never seen Robin so..."

Cyborg responded, "so determined? Look Star, we all know he gets this way, but this one's sort of personal because it dealt with him years ago. We can tell you what we know about the guy because you weren't here and we know only what was reported, but it should be enough to answer a few questions."

Starfire spoke up once more, "Thank you Cyborg, but no, it was not the determined Robin that worries me..."

All 3 of them turned to her, now focusing more intently. Starfire continued, "Robin...he was acting very differently after addressing everyone. For the first time, I think he was scared."

Cyborg and Beast Boy said nothing and closed their eyes. Raven and Starfire noticed and exchanged puzzled looks.

Cyborg walked over to Starfire, "You need to sit down and listen to this, something happened a while ago I think you need to know..."

Starfire's eyes popped open a bit more, but she sat down as Cyborg requested. She wasn't sure whether or not hearing what had happened in the past was actually beneficial, but she went along with it. Hopefully, she could help out her teammates and Robin more effectively.

Meanwhile in Robin's room...

"You have a Video phone call waiting!!!"

Robin responded, "I'm here, and I want answers, why is he here? How did he escape Arkham? And what are the chemical components needed to make an antidote?"

The figure just sat there, absorbing all of his information. Robin could see behind him, bats flapped their wings as they were starting to wake up.

Back at the hideout of Slade...

Slade was reviewing old footage of the Titans. He seemed bored of sorts, so he turned off the set. A news reporter came onto the screen and announced a very special bulletin.

"Hi, this is Rachel Heissman with the latest report from Gotham City's traveling carnival. Tragedy has struck, as three people have been infected with what appears to be Joker gas. Joker gas is most commonly known as the lethal one of a kind gas that Joker uses to make people laugh. Its effects are deadly when left untreated. One victim has already been claimed. Danny Elfman, he was 25 years old when he inhaled some strange substance when he started his car."

Slade sat up as he heard the report. Things were finally starting to get interesting around the city.

"Robin of the Teen Titans warned everyone to leave their vehicles as they too may have been infected. At this time, it is not known whether or not more cars were indeed infected. But questions have arisen, what is Joker doing in Jump City? And are the Teen Titans the ones we should be asking for help or blaming for causing this tragedy in the first place? More of this at ten, back to you at the station..."

Slade sat back as he heard the report. It was time for the party to start, and soon, he would have more information on the Titans than he would ever truly need...

As Cyborg and Beast Boy begin to explain the past, Robin seeks answers from his mystery caller. Who is it? And can he give Robin the answers needed to save his city?

Next time: Chapter 5: The Past.

As Starfire hears the explanation of the past, Robin's doubts start to rise. Can Starfire and the other Titans remind him of what it means to be a hero?