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Ch 11

"What!" Nightwing exclaimed, eyes wide. "The J-HIM? No way. He's gone. Just-I-Ugh. Just go get some sleep for now, okay kid?"

"How am I supposed to get any sleep after that?" Robin shot back.

"Wait, what's going on? What about the Joker?" Beastboy asked impatiently. Sighing, Nightwing ran his fingers through his hair.

"Notice the nice big smile now adorning Robin's face? What exactly do you find that reminiscent of?"

"Dude… no way. Rob, you told us you aced the Joker! He can't be, like, not dead… can he?" Glaring at the changeling, Nightwing began pacing the length of the room.

"Well to start, the clown can't-couldn't teleport. Since there's no sign of anyone being down there now -according to all of you- the intruder is most likely a copy-cat crook who knows a bit too much, and has some form of teleportation device, or is real good at hide and seek. Now, I could name about thirty people who could fit that bill off the top of my head, but most are, to the best of my knowledge, on the good guy side of the law. Any names in particular come to mind?"

"Slade," Robin immediately muttered. "Not a teleporter, but he's brilliant, in a twisted sort of way. And he's good with tech and chemicals, too. I'm sure he could've figured something out." Nightwing stopped his pacing for a second, to spin around and face Robin.

"Slade? You guys have been brawling it out with Sladey Wilson?"

"You know him?" Robin asked, incredulous.

"Yea, Deathstroke? White hair, beard, eye patch? Looks like a pirate?"

"Well, we've never seen him without the mask, but one of his eyes is completely covered…"

"He's wearing a mask now? Tell me he's still wearing his orange and blue disco suit of doom!" seeing the blank stares, he asked, "Does he at least still carry the guns and swords? The laser pointer?"

"Uh, no, dude. You sure we're talking about the same guy? Our Slade's not some dope pirate in a disco suit. He's totally sane in a crazy sort of way, tricked out robots, metal mask, tactician? Obsessed with Robby?" Nightwing smirked at the description.

So, he got a costume change? It's the same guy. Sladey might not have a good sense of fashion, but he's damn smart. And one of the world's greatest tacticians. He took out a good chunk of the league with nothing but a laser pointer once. Crazy stuff."

"Yea, that sounds more like our Slade," Raven said with a nod. "Where do you know him from?"

"Encounters here and there. He's not too bad, he's helped mjeOld titans, you know, me, Donna, Garth-hey!" he exclaimed, rubbing his arm, which Robin had just elbowed, rather harshly. "What was that for, Tiny Tim?" Robin glared at him, and he finally got the picture. "Oh, the secret I.D. thing? Troia and Tempest don't care, you know that as well as I do."

"Okay, but Speedy-er, Arsenal and Flash probably care!"

"Did I speak Arrow-for-brains or Fleet-Feet's names?"

"You were about to!"

"Are you a mind reader? No? So how, please telleth good sir, did you knoweth which words would come forth from thy mouth?"

"… you've been working at the renaissance fair again, haven't you?"

"No! Well… not recently… and like the renaissance fair comes to the 'haven! Besides, Amy and Babs keep me busy."

"Who are they?" asked Beastboy.

"Bosses."

"I'll be sure to tell Babs that next time I talk to her," Robin said with a smirk.

"No way, she'd tease me for the rest of eternity!"

"Exactly, my friend!"

As Nightwing and Robin continued their play-arguing, Raven turned to Cyborg, asking, "Shouldn't we be figuring out what happened to Robin down in the basement? The Joker? Any of that? Robin was in pretty bad shape a few minutes ago, mentally, and is still pretty bad physically."

"Yea, but that was then. Nightwing ended up changing the subject around, and look at the mood Rob's in now! He's more relaxed, not thinking about the Joker, or whatever attacked him. Not obsessing. None of us have ever been able to do that. Whatever Nightwing is trying to do, it's working. We'll just have to trust him for now, and ask questions later. The two look over to Robin and Nightwing again, both leaning against the back of the couch.

"You know little dude, it's late, 'specially Bludhaven time. And last time I talked to you was what? A few months ago? How's about we all chillax for a while, and watch a movie," Nightwing suggested.

"But what about-" Robin started to protest.

"La la la! Nope! Not listening! What mystery? Too late for crime solving! All brains are officially in mush mode!"

"Speak for yourself, 'wing."

"Like I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language!"

"Quoting The Breakfast Club? Really?"

"Yeppers, Tiny Tim! Or should I call ya Tiny Titan, since it isn't Christmas time?"

"… just pick a movie." Nightwing started to laugh, and his face lit up in a smile, as he went rummaging through the movies Robin had pointed him over to. "And it better not be 'It's a Wonderful Life!'"

"Kill joy!"

Seeing the confused expressions of his friends, Robin explained, "He's obsessed with the movie. Even makes Batman watch it around the holidays." The confession caused Beastboy and Cyborg to start snickering, cowed by the mental image of Batman of all people watching 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

"And you'll help us figure out… whatever that was… tomorrow, right? And you won't tell Batman?"

"Tell Batman? As if! I won't even tell Alfie if you don't want me to! Scouts honor!"

"…You're not a boy scout."

"If you ask anyone else, they'd disagree. Roy used to think I should sue 'em for copying me or something, and Amy is convinced that I'm secretly a Cub Scout leader or something, and that's why I'm barely showing up to work on time." Robin laughed, and joined his friends on the couch, just as the movie started.

A few hours later…

The movie was almost over, and while Cyborg, Raven, and Nightwing were wide awake, while Starfire was half awake, Beastboy curled up as a kitten on her lap, and Robin was leaning on his brother's shoulder, almost asleep. When Cyborg was about to start talking a few minutes later, Nightwing stopped him, pointing to the now (barely) asleep Robin. Raven and Cyborg shared a look, and quietly moved to the kitchen area, Raven teleporting Beastboy to his own room, and Cyborg leading the drowsy Tamaranian to her own dwelling.

Nightwing dutifully let his little brother drift into slumber, until gently prying him off when he was sure the young boy wonder was asleep, laying him down on the couch. He then met the remaining two Titans in the kitchen area. "Shoot, it's already two thirty? Hold on a sec, gotta call out of work."

"At two thirty?"

"It's later over in Bludhaven, and I'm not planning on going on patrol today, what with all that's happened. If the Joker really is back… you're gonna need all the help you can get. And Ti-Robin's gonna need family close by."

Nightwing walked over to the far end of the kitchen, and took out a cell phone. As the phone rang, he again began to pace. "Hey, Serge-sorry, sorry, Amy? Yea, it's me… I know it's early… yea... I-I can't be in today, sorry… Kid brother's sick – gotta take care of 'em… nah, Bruce is outa town… thanks… I promise, I'll take double shift some other day if you want me to make up for- … yes, I'm aware that I'm a rookie… alright. Thanks, Amy!" He hung up the phone, and went back to Cyborg and Raven.

"So, where were we?"

"Where were you?" Raven shot back.

"Told my boss, Sergent Amy Rohrbach, that I have to help out my kid brother – which I do," he pointed at Robin, "And that I'm super-duper sorry, and all that, she yelled at me, said I needed to take a break anyway, sounded like hell myself, and told me to enjoy my day off."

"Sergent-? You're a cop?" Cyborg asked confused. Nightwing shrugged indifferently, neither confirming nor denying the question. "And Rob really is your brother?"

"In all the ways that count, yes he is my brother. Now, tell me exactly what happened."

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