Declaration
As the alien princess was burning through the air to the Tower, Robin turned to Raven, who's pale face looked sick, her violet eyes shimmering with confusion, and dread; Robin averted his gaze to stare at Doomsday, adjusting his gloves almost nervously, telling her quietly, "As I said to Starfire, you and the Teen Titans are to evacuate and rescue the people of Jump; no one will enter the area or engage the enemy. Understood?"
The empath, glancing quickly to the monster as it remained where it stood, its back to them, its head bobbing side to side, the creature still under the effects of the lethargic drugs, shook her head, speaking heavily, "No, Robin, I don't think I understand. What the hell is going on here?"
Robin, reaching up to his ear to pull out the medical plug, feeling his head clear up slightly, continued to avoid Raven's gaze, telling her, his voice very cold, "Jump City is under attack, and the Teen Titans will protect its citizens, that's what the hell's going on. You have your orders!"
The casual dismissal angered the young empath, and when she tried to appeal to their mental link, only to find it thoroughly blocked, her anger ignited; swiftly moving in front of the stoic man, her eyes blazing, she poked him sharply in the chest, hissing, "Don't you dare give me that bullcrap, Robin!" when he finally looked down to her, and she could see the fear in his face, her anger dissolved, "By Azar, I'm frightened here, and you're not helping; you can almost taste the fear from Starfire too, yet you have her racing off to get some kind of pin? She should be getting our friends; they're closer than the Tower, and we should all be here to face this thing." He voice was becoming panicked, and tendrils of dark energy were starting to whip around her as her emotions showed, "Damn it, I'm still weak from my contact with it, and the two of us aren't strong enough to defeat that!"
The young man, his face still blank, gently rested his hand on her arm, his touch calming the distressed woman, and he told her, "No one can defeat him, Raven, and we will certainly not be facing him." His gaze turned to Doomsday, who was now still, not a good sign, before speaking again, "…I will."
The young woman felt her chest tighten at his words, and she stared at him blankly, for a moment thinking she heard wrong; Raven was able to finally choke out, "W-what? Robin, are you insane? You can't fight that thing! You just said that he can't be defeated, but you turn around and tell me you'll be fighting this… this monster!"
Robin shook his head, facing the distressed woman again, telling her, "No… no, I will not be fighting Doomsday." His words, while confusing, did raise a spark of hope within Raven, who started to smile, but her lips were unable to complete the action, for Robin was not done speaking, "I'm going to stall him."
Raven's composure, already stressed, started to fail at his words, the woman feeling a torrent of emotions, most tainted with confusion, not understanding Robin's plan, his strong hand on her not helping her delicate state; grasping onto his arm for support, for her legs felt unsteady, she whispered, her voice hoarse, "Stall him?" she couldn't wrap her head around it, what he was saying was making no sense, "What do you mean 'stall him'? I've been inside that thing's head, Robin! That creature has to be the closest thing imaginable to the physical embodiment of violence and rage; how do you stall something like that? You can't strike up a pleasant conversation, and if he attacks you, you're as good as-"
The rest of her words died, her eyes widening as she stared up into Robin's face, once frightened, tight with stress and worry, was softer now, his jaw no longer clenched. Her chest became heavy, and she found it exceedingly difficult to draw in her next breath, with it asking something she hoped he would deny, "You… you're expecting to die, aren't you?"
His silence was all the answer she needed.
Digging her hands into him, she forced herself to remain calm, her overtaxed strength wavering, her magic slipping out of her control for a moment, causing more cracks of dark lightning to strike around her; the empath, like all of her friends, knew the dangers of their chosen professions, knew that they were risking their lives and limbs for what they believed was right, but out of all of them, she had always thought, deep down, that Robin was above this innate threat. He was Robin, protégé of Batman, acrobat and daredevil, leaping and tumbling above the grasp of death, taunting the dark spirit with his natural grace and dexterity. He was the only normal human, the only young hero who had no powers, or modifications, or magic, surviving on training and wits alone, yet time and time again he had earned respect from his friends, not only with his fighting skills, but leadership qualities. Never had Robin's lack of powers been a hindrance or handicap; the young man often working twice as hard as everyone else, as if he had to continue to prove his worth. As far as Raven, and every other Teen Titan, was concerned, Robin had no need to prove his value as a fighter, leader, and friend. An uncomfortable lump formed in Raven's throat; had any of them ever told Robin this, though?
Her mind busy, Raven didn't notice Robin moving slightly, shifting in her grasp, and it wasn't until she felt a warm, sudden weight rest upon her shoulders that she snapped out of her reverie; at first all she noticed was Robin's hands, which were hovering below her chin, his knuckles lightly brushing against her as he secured something. When he finished, he gently removed her clenching fingers from his aching arm, the empath's grip strong, and took a step back; Raven, missing the light touch, raised her own hand to where Robin's used to be, her fingers seeing for her, feeling a smooth, cool fabric covering her ruby brooch. Staring at Robin, she noticed that he looked different; she could see his strong shoulders clearer, his sculpted neck bare, and his figure seeming smaller, his ever present cape no longer obscuring his size. Eyes widening with surprise, Raven pulled the fabric covering her cloak forward, verifying that Robin did, in fact, give her his cape.
Robin spoke before Raven could ask, his voice surprisingly light, "It'll only get in the way; besides, I've been thinking about getting rid of it for a while now." This was true, but there was another meaning behind his gift, one that he hoped Raven would remember.
Raven, the cape gripped tightly in her fist, started to shake her head, not willing to abandon her friend, speaking brokenly, "Robin… Richard, don't-"
A booming roar drowned anything else Raven could say, and both heroes immediately turned to the source of the noise, Robin swearing softly; the young man thought that he still had a few minutes before they were spotted, but time ran out for the two. Doomsday, finally shaking off the most debilitating effects of the numbing drug, the creature able to think coherently once more, didn't care how he had gotten freed from his confinement, or how he had gotten back to solid ground; loathing festered within him, hatred for the being who had defeated him, for the costumed heroes who had imprisoned him within the Phantom Zone. He cared not that these two before him looked nothing like those who had mocked and tormented him; their dress was similar, outlandish, so they would be the first to pay for his banishment.
Howling with rage, he turned to the remains of his restrictive vessel, and hefting the heavy object without strain he threw the damaged capsule straight at the two teens; Raven, surprised by the sudden action, still had enough time to form a magical barrier in front of them, the heavy projectile crashing loudly onto her shield, Raven straining to absorb the blow and keep her magic active. The magic held, and the space cell shattered, debris scattering around the two heroes; Doomsday gave them no time to recuperate, as it had started its charge as the missile flew; both dodged, tumbling away from the other, and it, Robin hurling a handful of weak, but bright and loud, explosives into the monster's face. The grenades did as they were intended, drawing the creatures attention to the agile man; twisting and turning, Robin was, barely, able to dodge Doomsday's attacks, the monster's fists moving slower then normal, partly due to the side effects of his sedative, and partly due to the time spent in captivity.
Raven, having retreated a short distance, watched the two for a few seconds, her eyes lingering on the graceful, almost dancelike movement of Robin, before forcing her attention back to the issue at hand; growling her mantra, "Azeroth, Metrion, Zinthos!" she levitated a half dozen large pieces of spacecraft debris; the young woman needed nothing but a thought to move anything under her control, although she never got past the habit of using her arms and hands as an embellishment. Her hands were already moving forward, pointing at the lumbering monster, and her mental command was already issued when Robin screamed.
"Raven, no!"
The warning came too late; already committed to the act, six magically enhanced missiles crashed upon the back of Doomsday, the monster staggering under the unexpected blows. Doomsday roared with fury, already angered by his failed attempts to destroy the nimble boy before him, the small stings of pain upon his back enraging him further. It was then that Raven realized her mistake; Robin, trying bravely to keep the monster in check, found himself casually backhanded by Doomsday, the young man driven to distraction when he called out to Raven. The blow hurt, knocking Robin back a dozen feet, tumbling across the scorched ground to cushion his fall, feeling at least one rib break from the contact. Robin's wound was not the only repercussion of Raven's act, however; the empath did not notice Robin recover quickly, rolling onto his feet, hunched over, pulling something out of his belt, ready to spring. No, Raven was too busy staring down death, as her attack turned Doomsday's attention from the young detective to herself.
The monster, no longer finding sport in Robin, had turned to face the empath, a target that had hurt him, if only slightly, a hero who would be easy prey; in quick succession he struck Robin, turning abruptly, and charged the stunned empath, his eyes almost glowing red with rage, his spiked arm arched back to strike. Raven, her instinctive will to live kicking in, immediately created a magical, black wall between the rampaging monster and her; to Raven's horror, though, Doomsday passed through the wall as if it never existed, his fist rapidly closing the distance to its target.
Raven's life would soon be over; she knew it, as she stared at her own death, in the form of Doomsday's jagged fists. There was nothing she could do to prevent the end of her life, and, she realized, she wanted to live; a few years ago, before the defeat of Trigon, Raven held little value in her own life. After all, she was living on borrowed time; on her sixteenth birthday, as foretold in ancient prophesy, her body would be used as a portal, allowing her father and his demonic horde a gateway to the mortal realm. Raven never expected to live through the experience, let alone witness the defeat of her hated parent. But there was a miracle, and her friends stood up to the King of Demons, giving Raven the hope, belief, and trust she needed to tap into her latent powers, banishing Trigon back to Hell. She was able to live her own life from then on, and she had cherished every moment of it. What she adored more then all, though, was her friends, who had become her family; her heart ached, as, in one terrible moment, all of that would be gone, her life snuffed out.
The killing blow never landed; it happened so fast Raven's mind could only barely process the turn of events. She never heard it, her ears ringing with her own heartbeat, but she felt it; a breath away from death, so close that Doomsday's fist brushed the tips of her hair, a thin, strong cord wrapped around Raven's waist, pulling her away from danger at the last possible moment. Dragged through the air, she landed into the strong, warm arms of Robin, the empath immediately wrapping her arms around him, not only to steady herself, but to convince herself that he was real. The young man, rolling with Doomsday's blow, combined with his early positioning as he dodged the monster's hits, had ended up parallel to the empath, not behind Doomsday as they initially fought. Thinking quickly, he had used one of his few specialized grapple hooks to rescue Raven; while traditional grapples were used solely to puncture buildings and support Robin's weight, the young hero had a handful of 'capture grapples', as he had nicknamed them. With a subtle tug, they are designed to encircle an object, like a pole or girder, or a friend who's in trouble.
Raven, shaking from fear, looked up gratefully into Robin's face, only to see he was still staring off into the distance, to where she had come from, his hands moving behind her back, the empath feeling slight tugging from the cord that was around her; she called his name, wanting to give her thanks, but when his gaze finally turned to her, her breath caught. The boy wonder was smiling softly down at her, his face kind, his gaze, even through the mask, heartfelt; their faces were close, Raven able to feel his warm breath tickle her skin. Everything was moving too fast, Raven unable to keep up; all at once, a frightening and wonderful feeling washed over the empath as she clung to Robin, not wanting to let go, even though she knew Doomsday would soon be upon them. Robin was speaking, his lips moving, Raven staring at them intently, her ears trying to catch up; when they did, and she gasped in horror, she was already flying away, Robin having secured a second grapple to the one already encircling the empath, using it to force Raven away from him, away from the fight. It was his words that haunted her, though.
"Goodbye."
Raven, her mind unfocused and unable to call upon her powers, couldn't help but watch Robin, grasping out to him desperately, as she was pulled away, the long and powerful grapple finding a secure hold on a ruined building far off. It seemed to take forever until the empath finally landed, colliding into a crumbling wall, hundreds of yards away from Robin; the landing wasn't graceful, the ruined building crumbling due to the impact, dust and debris covering the empath. It took Raven a few seconds of struggling to dig herself out of the charred concrete, and seconds more attempting to remove the cord that was hugging her waist; it didn't help that the empath was frustrated, Raven not even noticing the small whirlwinds of dark energy forming around her as she tore at the chord, half a mind to ignore Robin's words and rush back there, even though her cold, logical mind told her that she could do nothing to Doomsday. Even though she had witnessed the monster's immunity to her magic, she didn't want to believe it, she wanted to think that she needed to fight beside her friend, to die next to him if it came down to it.
Almost free from her bindings, a sudden shockwave rippled through the ground, causing Raven to loose her balance, falling down once again; caused by Doomsday, no doubt, in his frustrated attempts to demolish Robin, the monster's blows had more power behind them then a tank, his wild swings damaging the already ravaged land. Her face paling, with her mind imagining what would happen to Robin if a punch from that creature landed upon his thin frame, Raven, thrashing wildly in her attempt, finally freed herself from the restrictive cord; the rope fell to the side, but the young woman didn't notice it. Instead, during her flailing, she had noticed a small note slip out of one of the pockets from Robin's cape; her hand darting to grasp the folded paper, Raven found herself opening it, not really knowing why. There were no names on it, it was addressed to no one, and there were five simple words written there, the penmanship sloppy, the note written in haste, but, she could tell, still written by Robin.
'Protect the people of Jump'
Raven clutched the note in her hand, staring at it, hearing more howls and crashes from the distance, her mind blank for a moment; the paper was meant for her, she knew it, but it didn't feel like an order. More like a plea. Raven cursed, loudly, using words that no proper young lady should ever utter; damn Robin for his stubbornness, and damn him for his selfish nobility. Raven, her loyalties torn between her dear friend and beloved city, realized the trap Robin had set, not only for her but all of his friends. No matter how much she, and all of the other Teen Titans, wanted to aid Robin, Raven knew that they would, in the end, carry out his orders; the fate of many outweighed the fate of a few, or of one, no matter how important to her that one person was.
Forcing herself to regain control of her powers, Raven took to the air, and although she hesitated, she did turn away from the crater, flying to find Cyborg, and, even though she wanted to, she did not look back, praying to Azar that Starfire would return in time.
Robin's fight for survival started the moment Raven was dragged away; Doomsday, a bloodlust overwhelming him, was relentless, striking out at Robin once he saw the female hero disappear from sight. It took all of Robin's skill and concentration to avoid the attacks, but even his great skills weren't enough; his head sill heavy from his ear wound, and his side aching from a broken rib, he was grazed by the great monster's knee jab, the young man using his arms to absorb and deflect the blow. Thankfully, Doomsday's knee was one of the few places that a crystalline growth was not present, but this was little consolation, as the faint hit still had the power of a truck behind it, causing Robin to get hurled once again a few dozen feet away. Although it hurt, Robin tucking into a ball so his back and behind would absorb the damage, the boy wonder found himself relieved to get some distance from Doomsday. Reacting quickly, tossing a smoke grenade to buy him another few seconds of safety, Robin tumbled to the side, reaching into his belt for something intended for emergencies like this, although the young man never though he'd actually have to use it. Pulling out a small syringe, filled with a clear liquid, Robin, without any hesitance, jabbed the needle into his leg, injecting himself with a dangerous medicine; Robin hoped that it would give him the edge to survive.
The effect was instantaneous; his head cleared, his vision became focused, all of his senses became sharper, and the pain in his back and chest vanished. Breathing deeply, the hint of a grin on his face, Robin turned to the charging Doomsday, who had finally found the young man, hindered by the smoke; moving faster then he had moments ago, or even ever before, Robin met the monster's charge, dodging skillfully through the forest of limbs and spikes, placing a small, but extremely powerful grenade in the crook of Doomsday's left arm. Continuing his tumbling, Robin emerged behind the behemoth without a scratch, and grinned widely as his grenade exploded. While no major wound, the attack had hurt Doomsday, who roared at the pain, turning yet again to Robin, raised both arms above his head to pulverize the annoying hero. Dodging at the last moment, looking like he was riding the massive shockwave Doomsday caused, Robin tossed a handful of razor-sharp birdarangs at the creature. Normally, an attack like this would have felt like the falling of leaves to the giant, but Robin, his accuracy, already pinpoint, further enhanced, landed each small missile right atop the other, all gouging at Doomsday's armpit, right where the grenade had detonated. It was like stings to the creature, small and insignificant, but still painful; Robin was confident that Doomsday had forgotten all about anything and everything else.
With a quick leap and rapid back flips, Robin backed up to face the behemoth, one hand holding a few small explosives, the other held in front of him, beckoning Doomsday closer, grinning as he faced his death, calling out, "Over here, tiny."
The monster bellowed in fury, rushing forward, and the battle was joined.