The next morning, Robin walked in expecting to find the usual morning scene. Cyborg and Beastboy fighting over breakfast (tofu or meat) Raven on the couch reading, and Starfire playing with Silkie. Instead, he found four curious friends waiting for him.

"Mornin Rob."

"Morning Cyborg."

"Have anything you'd like to tell us?"

"Not in particular. Should I?"

"I don't know, just wondering..."

Confused, Robin walked over to the kitchen area and grabbed a water bottle. As soon as he started drinking it, Cyborg asked, "So, how's your girlfriend?" The poor boy immediately started into a caughing fit, and looked up at his friend.

"Excuse me?"

"How's your girlfriend? What's her name... Steff, or somthin?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow, as the rest of the titans oggled on, curious by the exchange.

"Oh, Stephany. She's fine. But we're JUST friends. She is NOT my girlfriend. Well, anymore... Wait... how did you...? You were the one spying on me!"

"You knew I was there?"

"I thought someone was there but blamed paranoia."

"So, who else were you talkin to?"

"Just her."

"Really, cuz you called someone Spoiler too. Unless her and Stephany are the same person?"

"Look, I just called up Gotham to see how things were going with a few friends, that's all."

"You talk to Batman?"

"No."

"Really? And why is that?"

"None of your buisness!" seeing the curious stares he added, "But uh, he was on patrol."

"You must've had a lot of friends in Gotham. You mentioned quite a few names."

"What is this? An interrigation?"

"Well, I was just wondering if I heard some things correctly."

"Well why don't you just ask? You already admitted to evesdropping."

"Ok. For starters, why would Batman be questioning your sanity, or draggin you to Arkam?"

The boy wonder glared at the metal man. "Because of some issues in my past, which I'd rather not bring up."

"Like that man you killed?"

Robin stared at the metal man with such intensity, it made the infamous batglare look like a pouty four year old before answering, "I don't have to answer that."

"Like hell you don't! We have the right to know if under that mask you're a murderer! Or wanted by the FBI!"

"It's none of your buisness who I am under this mask!"

"Oh, but it's Stephany's? Whether she's Spoiler or not, you were talking to her about Batman, and the Batcave and all this other hero stuff, so you're obviously pretty close."

"Your point?"

"How come she knows who you are under the mask, but we don't?"

"You just don't understand!"

"Why not? Why wouldn't we get it?"

"Just-... never mind!"

"Who did you kill?" silence hung in the air, until Robin responded.

"It is not a who that I killed, It is a what. I killed a monster, because of what it did to me, to my family, and what it put me through! If anyone here would understand what happened," he looked up. "It woud be Beastboy." When all eyes turned to the shapeshifter, who was watching him, Robin gave a little smile, tilted his head to the side, a blank look on his face. Beastboy's eyes grew wide, understanding.

"You're the kid..." he mumbled, and Robin nodded as he left the room.

"Now why wouid the lil grass stain know anything about understanding a murderer? Hey! Get back here!"

"Cyborg." Beastboy stopped the furious man. "What he means is, that I started working as a hero around the same time as him. I know all the 'hero gossip' from back then. And if I'm right... well, lets just say i don't blame him for killing who he did."

"Well couldja clue us in on why Robin is exempt of this murder?"

"He saved many lives by killing this monster."

"Could you please tell us what's going on?" asked a ticked off Raven.

"A few years ago... there was a story going around that..." he sighed. "At the time, we thought it was a rumor. A story to keep us kid heroes out of trouble, if that makes any sense."

"Please, what was this story?"

"Have you all heard of the Joker?" they each nodded. "There was a rumor going around a few years back, that the Joker was hoping for a kid of his own, someone to take his place once he died. His girlfriend, Harley Quin, didn't want to go through child birth or somthing, so they decided to... adopt. Rumor had it that Joker had kidnapped someone, and turned him into..."

"Into... what?" asked a worried Raven. "JJ, or Joker Junior." they each gasped in surprise.

"Thats... thats just... horrible."

"Yea, I know." he shook his head. "I used to have nightmares just thinking of the possibility. Then I heard another rumor. That the kid that Joker and Harley had kidnapped, was a super. We all thought of the possibilites. A second Joker was bad enough. But one with super powers?" he shuddered at the possibility.

"Once we thought about it, we realized it probably wasn't a super kid. at the time, the only young superheroes had been Robin, Speedy, Nightwing, Batgirl, Wondergirl, Supergirl, Stargirl, Kid Flash, Aqualad and me. And a couple others that were just starting out. But then, Nightwing had too much experience to get captured by Joker. Kid Flash would've been to quick to be captured unless REALLY surprised. Joker probably wouldn't have gone messing with Supergirl or Wondergirl either, considering who they're related to. And it wasn't me.

"That left Robin, Speedy, Batgirl, Stargirl, and Aqualad. Only Aqualad had powers. Stargirl just has some magic staff and armor, plus she was just starting out." he stopped his story. "Once we saw pictures, we stopped trying to figure out who he was. Whoever Joker had kidnapped, hero, or normal, super or human..." he paused, trying to think of a humane way of putting it.

"Joker didn't just turn the kid into a mini him. The kid was too stuborn for some chemicals to work on him. First, he tourchered the kid, electrocuting him on higher and higher voltages, until he told Joker everything he new about any heroes identitys, along with his own... but that wasn't enough. The Joker messed with this kids brain with help from Harley, who used to be a therapist. They broke this kid. And once the kid was broken... he had nothing to loose. No reason to keep fighting. The abuse lasted three weeks, until Joker sent Batman a message... that should've clued us in, but we were all too scared... the adults wouldn't tell us what was going on... Batman and Batgirl found the kid. He was an almost exact replica, wearing a purple jumpsuit, green hair, and bleach white skin. I saw a picture of the Joker Junior when I was spying, trying to find out what was going on. Joker had sent all of the heroes with kids or sidekicks a message: 'Consider this a warning.'" Beastboy looked up at his friends, hands shaking.

"That picture... it was the absolute scariest thing I have ever seen in my entire life. Besides looking like the Joker, this kid... he was smiling, but only had a few of his teeth. Joker had knocked the rest out. And even though he was smiling... in his eyes, was this absolute expressionless look. Completely blank." He shook his head.

"So, that was a nice little horror story, but... what does that have to do with Robin and murdering someone?" asked a clueless Cyborg.

"That kid, the one Joker did that to... when Batman and Batgirl came to save him, they knew who he was. Us kids never were told, because the adults didn't want us to think differently of them... Joker wanted him to kill Batman, who had just faught Joker, and was on the ground. Batgirl had tried talking to him at one point, but went off fighting with Harley. He was torn. He had remembered Batgirl, and remembered Batman, his old life as a hero. But he was still partially crazy. Thanks to Batgirl helping him find that one last string of insanity, instead of killing Batman... he killed the Joker."

All was silent. "And that kid... was Robin."

*Ahhh! Suspense! please review! :)