Whaaat? Yeah, I thought I was done with this thing... but, I got to thinking about the ending, and decided to do some more. Here are some answers, some Robin/Raven one-on-one time (even though I'm anti Robin/Raven...), and happiness.
Hope
"It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."
A masked boy sat on the roof of the familiar T-shaped tower.
He stared at the glowing horizon. The brightening sky was just beginning to become tinged with gold.
He smiled softly as a gentle morning breeze tickled his pale skin.
Finally, a new day.
He felt good, ready, agile in his crisp, traffic light-colored uniform. Looking down at his still aching wrists, his smiled faded. The wrappings around his wrists were too thick for his gloves to fit over his hands. He closed his eyes, willing the recent events to not enter his mind's eye.
"You still are obsessed with sunrises...?"
Thankful for the distraction, he smiled slightly as Raven carefully sat down beside him.
"It's the best part of the day." He marveled, focusing his attention on the rising sun again.
Her eyebrow arched mischievously. "Sure, just like the daily breakfast explosions..."
Robin laughed at her sarcasm. "Believe it or not, I missed that..." He said nostalgically, looking down at his hands again.
She looked out at the glowing horizon, her dark eyes solemn. "You've been very quiet since you've been back."
He was silent, gently picking at the wrappings around his wrists. "I'm just... nervous to be back." He mumbled.
She was silent, her expression piteous. "Robin... what happened?" She whispered, not looking at him.
He closed his eyes. "A... lot."
She eyed his bandaged wrists. "Like what?"
He sighed, the blinding white of the sun finally beginning to peak over the horizon.
"So, how did you get out?" Raven asked him, urging him to continue.
He sighed hesitantly. "It's... complicated."
Raven stared at him, her dark eyes fearful. "What happened?"
He closed his eyes, trying to find the courage to admit what he had done.
I did terrible, unforgivable things.
"The day it happened, my doctor told me that someone was going to visit me... some famous doctor, I'm guessing. She left me alone with a nurse while I was eating, and I... I..." He faded.
She would hate me if she knew what I did.
"I found a way to escape while she was gone." He finally whispered, feeling cowardly.
Raven looked down, her dark eyes troubled.
"What is it?" Robin asked her tentatively, noticing her conflicted expression.
Please, don't ask...
She licked her lips, taking a careful breath. "We... we received a call from a doctor. She asked for one of us to come to the hospital to see you."
All breath left Robin's chest, his eyes widening.
Her expression darkened. "Starfire was the one who went. She came back that day and said... there was some sort of problem, that she wasn't allowed to see you."
Oh. My. God.
Robin put his head in his hands, breathing heavily.
"Robin?" Raven asked him cautiously, concerned. "What is it?"
He couldn't say anything. He painfully swallowed the bile rising into his throat.
"Raven, I did something... something horrible." He whispered.
The doorbell rang.
Alfred slowly made his way into the foyer, wondering who would arrive so early in the morning.
His eyes widened when he opened the door to find Robin standing awkwardly over the threshold.
"Master Dick!" Alfred said, ushering the boy into the house. "To what do I owe this early visit?"
Robin smiled warmly. "Sorry to come unannounced, Alfred. I... I need to talk to Bruce."
Alfred nodded, leading the boy into the adjacent sitting room. "I shall fetch Master Bruce. Would you like any breakfast?"
Robin shook his head. "No, thanks." He said, his smile slowly fading.
Alfred left with a nod and headed upstairs. He returned a few minutes later with a tired-eyed Bruce.
"Dick," He grumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Glad to see you, but isn't this a little early?"
Robin rolled his eyes at his mentor, smiling. "A few days ago, you were waking me up at the crack of dawn for training. Stopped that, I see?"
Bruce grinned. "With you gone, I get extra beauty sleep." He chuckled sarcastically, gesturing for Robin to sit on the sofa.
Robin's smile faded. "Bruce, the reason I'm here..." He nervously picked at the wrappings on his wrists. "I was talking to Raven this morning, and... I'm not totally convinced that all the doctors at the mental health clinic in Jump City were out to... hurt me."
Bruce frowned at him. "Why's that?"
Robin took a tentative breath. "The doctor who talked to me the most. Dr. Wilkins. She had arranged with the Titans for one of them to come see me."
Bruce ran his hand through his hair, shock present in his eyes. "So, why didn't that happen?"
Robin was silent for a moment. "It was the day that they sent me to Arkham. Starfire was at the hospital when I tried to escape."
Bruce looked into his eyes. "So... what are you saying, Dick?"
"I'm saying... I don't think she was a part of everything they did. I think she really was trying to help me." Robin said softly.
Bruce's expression was conflicted. "Dick, all the doctors from that hospital are either in jail or have lost their licenses to practice."
Robin thought for a moment. "Can't her license be given back to her?"
Bruce smiled grimly. "It's not that simple... You know that."
Robin slowly nodded, his eyes hopeless.
Bruce heaved a sigh. "I'll see what I can do."
A middle-aged woman with light brown hair was sitting on a park bench, reading a book.
Her tired eyes were sad, depressed. Her shoulder-length hair was streaked with strands of gray.
As she reached another chapter in her book, a thin, lanky youth sat down next to her. His t-shirt and jeans were faded, his black hair untidy.
She continued reading, paying him no mind.
"Dr. Wilkins?" The boy said softly.
Annoyed, she looked up at him.
Almost immediately, her face fell, her mouth dropping open in shock. "...Dick?"
Robin smiled at her, his blue eyes shining.
She smiled brightly. "My goodness... how are you?"
"Pretty good, actually." He said softly, his smile fading. "How are you doing?"
She couldn't hide her also fading smile. "Well, after all that happened at the hospital..."
Robin nodded knowingly. "Bruce told me about it."
"Well, I've decided I'm going to try and get a teaching certificate from the university."
Robin looked down guiltily. "We... we were going to try to make sure you got your license back."
She smiled at him, her eyes warm. "As much as I would like that, I think I want to try the teaching scene. I appreciate the thought, though."
Robin nodded, still looking shameful. "I'm... I'm really sorry."
Elaine shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I should have known what they were doing... The way your hallucinations were coming and going, I should have known that it was something external."
"It's okay..." He said, feeling awkward.
"So, did Bruce Wayne take you back to his home after the fiasco at the clinic?" She asked him curiously.
Robin stared at her. "...I was sent to Arkham." He said softly.
Her face paled as she shuddered. "They... oh my god, Glenn didn't say that..." She stammered. "He said Bruce came for you."
Robin grimaced angrily. "He did... after I was in Arkham for 9 days."
There were tears in her eyes. "Dick... I'm so, so sorry."
He shook his head reassuringly. "It's fine. I'm just glad that Dr. Owens is in jail."
Elaine nodded, pausing thoughtfully. "Have you... had any more hallucinations since you were at the clinic?"
Robin grinned at her concern. "Nope."
She smiled warmly. "Good."
Robin was silent for a moment. "I think Slade is finally gone... forever."
There were tears in her eyes as she reached over and hugged him.
Author's Note:
I began this story the week I was studying for a teaching certification exam... Just found out last Friday that not only did I pass, but I did best on the writing subtest, of course. :) Thank you in advance for your kind reviews.