Chapter Four: Nightmare

Robin snapped out of his reverie as the sound of his communicator went off.

"What's up?"

The same female who had interrupted Beastboy's video game a few days ago appeared on his screen. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders and her expression was grim. She took her glasses of slowly, seeming to contemplate each movement.

"Sorry to have intruded at such a time of night. I hope I didn't wake you." She said.

Robin glanced at his clock and saw it was one in the morning. He shook his head. He hadn't even noticed the time. He must have been sitting on his bed thinking for hours. "You're fine."

"Good. From now on I'll be relaying all information to you." She announced.

"Why? What happened to Officer Thomas?"

She paused for a moment. "You're needed now Robin. I'll send the address to your handheld." With that she disappeared replaced, with a flashing Titan signature background. Two seconds after his handheld went off with coordinated to his destination.

Robin dressed and left to the address.

He arrived to a small house in a peaceful suburban area that rarely saw this much activity. The night's streets were glowing with the trademark blue and red lights of police and ambulance vehicles. People swarmed around the house, snapping pictures, gawking at the home as if it had begun walking, a woman cried hysterically in someone's arms, her agony interrupting the quiet murmurs of gossip. Robin watched memorized as the beautiful blond wailed, sliding down to the floor as she clutched her ribcage, the whole time her cries getting louder, more haunting.

"We have a problem."

Robin snapped around to the sound of the voice. Behind him the Chief was watching the woman as well, his cigarette lit but idly being held in his hand. The Chief's eyes looked empty, circled with the marks of stress and sorrow. His eyes flickered from the woman to Robin briefly then back.

"That there is the wife." The Chief explained. "She had the misfortune of arriving at the scene first. Walk with me, you need to see this."

Robin followed the Chief past the caution tape and into the house. The home was eerily still compared to the commotion outside on its lawn. It seemed to mute the police activity going on inside, as if it was watching, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. The décor was simple. Flowers, aged mahogany wood furniture, family pictures placed in random spots. Robin paused to examine one of the photographs.

He saw the woman who was outside smiling up at a face, the shadows of a nearby tree casting her features into a slight shadow. In her arms she held an infant swaddled in pink silk. The man she was looking up at was smiling down at her, his blue eyes sparkling with admiration. Robin swallowed.

"Thomas."

"C'mon kid." The Chief barked from the other room.

Robin lingered at the photo for a second longer before tearing his eyes away and going to where the Chief was. He stood waiting in front of a door. "Ready?"

Robin reached around the Chief and flung the door open. Immediately the restroom park flooded Robin's memory colliding with the new images set before him. He wanted to gasp, to scream, to do something but his body froze, his lungs refusing to draw in air and his heart sped up even though his senses were taking everything in at slow motion.

The scene was laid out before him, from the blood splattered on the princess decorations to the torn teddy bear thrown across the room. Laid on the bed, in a mix of parts and gore were two body's. A father, and a daughter.

"This isn't real." Robin heard himself mumble the words before he realized he had even been thinking them.

The Chief stayed just outside the door, leaning against the wall. "It's as real as it gets. That's Thomas and his seven year old little girl. We found another vile of the same stuff the men in the restroom had consumed. Same conclusions though this time we don't have any witnesses to Thomas going crazy beforehand. We just kind of have to assume, ya know?"

Robin took a step back out of the room but kept staring, some sick need to take in everything taking over his natural instinct to look away. "Why…that's a child."

"Evil has no age limits." The Chief spat out. "This is what we're dealing with. If it wasn't top priority to get this solved, now it is."

Robin dragged himself through the doors of the Titan Tower, his heart heavy and his mind unable to see anything but the photo he had seen in the house. He jumped at the sound of Ravens voice as he was crossing the living room to the hall.

"A bit early to be up." Raven said keeping her eyes closed. She sat crossed legged, floating in the air in a meditation pose.

"I'd say the same for you." Robin replied. He paused a distance away from her, drawing his face expressionless once more.

"I went to sleep but I kept sensing something dark, something not natural. When I was finally able to sleep I woke up only an hour later to a nightmare." She opened one eye, flashing a purple glance his way.

Robin shrugged. "I'm sorry your nightmares are coming back." He said "I'll see if I can get something for you." He began walking away towards the hall again, dismissing Raven.

"In my dream my father was giving me something to drink, something sickly sweet. I was afraid of him, afraid of what was happening. I knew I was going to die."

Robin froze. "What?"

Raven lowered herself back down to the floor, her gaze set intently on Robin. "You've been in my mind, in my world and vise versa. You're closer to me than anyone Robin and we have a connection. Any intense emotions that you're feeling I feel as well in some form or another. Did you really think you could hide this from me?"

Robin scoffed. "Hide what? There's nothing to tell. I've just been a little stressed."

"Robin." His name came out sharply on her tongue, cutting through him like a knife. He felt her presence standing just inches behind him. "What's going on? I know you've been working on the Sanity Epidemic and don't insult me by denying it. Something happened today—what was it?" Raven reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, pleading with him to share the burden.

Robin took a deep breath, thinking through his options. There was no point in lying to her. She was right, they're connection was far deeper than he could ever explain. Every cut, stab, and pull Robin felt mentally Raven was notified of because of. He knew it was a taxing bond on her. He was fully aware of all the demons and shadows the dark princess had in her own mind. The image of the little girl's blood splattered over the pink sheets sent Robins mind reeling for a brief second, the second after he made his decision. He gently pulled Raven's hand off his shoulder and walked down the hall without a word.