Consequence

There were flashes of color and lights, and he felt moments where he was flying, or floating, or rocking; memories, distorted and confusing, surrounded him, and he was unable to tell if they were real or not; at first there was no noise, a complete silence accompanying the random images or sensations, then noise existed, sometimes in the form of static, a raspy sound, or beeps, clear and ominous. Later he could hear other things, names being called, voices of strangers hovering near him, over him, under him; sometimes they spoke softly, saying a single word, a name he could not recognize, and sometimes they were loud, frantic buzzing swirling around him. Feeling came next, for the longest time nothing, not able to tell if he had a body or if he was just a thought, an imagined spirit, but then he could sense touches, holding, lifting, wiping, sometimes soft and sometimes strong, but always gentle and careful. Smell was the last thing for him to understand, few things penetrating through his mind, blood and bleach burned into his nose. Even as all of he senses started to awaken, he never felt alone; since it started, he could always feel something with him, almost like a column within the empty space, something he could lean upon, a landmark within all the chaos, for, as time passed, everything started to swirl around, jumble up, confusing and frightening, before it all, suddenly stopped.

Beeping.

This was what he really heard first, as his mind awoke for the first time in many long days; slowly senses returned to him, controlled and voluntary, not chaotic and random. He could feel soft sheets covering his body, a plastic tube in his mouth, with more in his nostrils; he gradually felt feeling return to his face, his chest, his arms, his legs. Moving, ever so slightly, each finger and digit, he counted ten, his arms snug against his sides, both present. Continuing his exploration, he sent small twitches through his legs and feet, verifying that he was whole, accounted for; he knew no time, slowly climbing away from the abyss of unconsciousness, back into the land of the living. He was unsure how long he had lain there, twitching his body, waking his mind, before he felt someone approach his area, the light scratching from a pen on paper the only noise heard. With monumental effort, he opened his eyes, slowly blinking, his unused orbs sensitive to the light, hearing a gasp of, "Robin!" then the clunking of a clipboard falling to the ground.

The first thing he saw was the surprised and overwhelmed face of Cyborg, the man shocked motionless, staring at Robin, the boy wonder's medical chart forgotten on the floor as the cybernetic man's jaw hung open, trying to form words. Cyborg watched as Robin's eyes, cloudy with confusion, cleared, his gaze catching his; shuffling over to the bed-ridden hero, Cyborg, his single human eye misty, smiled brightly, "Thank God, you're awake!"

Robin grinned as much as he could with a tube down his throat, lifting his right arm weakly to vaguely point at the breathing apparatus; Cyborg nodded, telling his friend, "I'll get that out of you in just a minute, Dick, while I check your vitals." With quick movements Cyborg retrieved his dropped chart and pen, checking monitors and screens, scribbling down notes, before setting down his clipboard, saying, "Alright, let me tell him that you're up, and I'll get that tube outta ya."

Robin could only arch an eyebrow in confusion as Cyborg walked to a small communicator in the wall, pressing a key and speaking softy, "He's up," before joining Robin; it was then that the young man realized that he did not recognize this medical bay. Definitely not the Tower's small hospital, and with equipment far too advanced for any local or governmental emergency ward, Robin deduced, his mind enjoying the analytical activity, that he must be in the Watchtower; it could have only been one of two men Cyborg had summoned, then. Feeling slightly anxious, Robin squirmed as Cyborg removed the medical tape strapping the plastic tubing to him before extracting the extremely uncomfortable apparatus from the young man's throat. Feeling much better now that he could close his mouth and swallow, Robin wet his lips, giving his thanks.

Cyborg nodded, his grin faltering as he stood next to his friend, hesitating a moment before resting one of his cool hands on Robin's shoulder, speaking thickly, "You… you have no idea how much we missed you, bro. It's been hard, without you, hard to see you…" he paused for a moment, swallowing heavily, "You had us worried Dick, you were so… hurt… we could only hope…" he trailed off again, forcing a small grin back onto his lips, "You pulled through, you stubborn bastard, and you had the best the world could offer patching you up." He was silent for a moment, obviously controlling his emotions, before a true smile overcame is face, "Some big favors, or big bucks, were spent for you, man, to get those hot-shots up here, including my Dad from S.T.A.R Labs."

Robin, guessing easily who had provided the funding, wet his lips, his voice still weak, "S.T.A.R. Labs?"

Cyborg nodded, continuing his work, disposing of the breathing tubes, checking Robin's IV and drip chamber, muttering, "Saline bag needs to be changed; hold on." Striding away to one of the clean, metallic cabinets, Cyborg removed a saline IV bag from storage, returning to Robin to switch out his nearly depleted bag, before answering his friend's question, "Yea, S.T.A.R. Labs; we needed an expert, and my Dad is the best."

Even though Robin's mind was still foggy, he was still able to readily recall information on Silas Stone, Cyborg's father, and head cybernetic scientist of S.T.A.R. Labs; obviously, there was only one reason a cybernetic scientist would be needed. Feeling suddenly anxious, and slightly frightened, Robin tried to sit up more, ignoring Cyborg's cry of disapproval, lifting both his arms before his face, both feeling incredibly heavy, his left more so, and kicking back his sheets; relief, then confusion rushed through the recovering hero, as he could see no metal parts covering any part of his visible flesh, and there was a lot of flesh visible. Dressed only in boxers, white of course, Robin was able to view the state of his body, and a lump caught in his throat as his eyes roamed over what used to be a healthy, strong body. Muscles that used to be strong and lean were shadows of their former selves, atrophy decaying his body as he had lain motionless, recovering. His skin was nauseating to behold, a combination of ugly, yellow blotches where the bruising was still recovering clashing with the abnormally pale skin that had been grafted onto his body, replacing the flesh that had been torn from him.

Feeling self-conscious, Robin pulled the sheet over his legs and waist again, turning back to Cyborg, his voice hesitant, "Cyborg… how long have I been out?"

Cyborg scratched the back of his head, silent as Robin inspected himself, replying carefully, "A little over a month; thirty-three days, to be exact."

Cyborg's words hung heavy over the wounded man; over a month he had been sleeping, lain still, unmoving. His mind burst with activity as he immediately recalled all information he knew about muscle atrophy, numbers and percentiles flashing through his head before he forced it away, the information giving him a headache; in short, by his best approximation, he had lost probably a fifth, or even a quarter, of his muscle mass and strength, and the month of inactivity would require over four times the amount just to get him strong enough to just walk on his own. Hell, to get his body back into the condition it was before his coma, it could take up t a year of recovery; shaking away the morose thoughts, Robin, glancing again at his much smaller frame, asked, "Alright… I've been out for a month… but why S.T.A.R. Labs?"

Cyborg gave a small grin, pointing to Robin's left arm, "That's why; your arm was so mangled, we thought we'd have to remove it. All of your large bones, the radius, ulna, and humerus, were in so many pieces that we couldn't splint them together. That's where my dad came in, and why we put you in a coma; the surgery lasted twenty two hours, but my pa was able to graft some metal bones into your body, saving the arm." Cyborg's grin widened, pride in his father clearly seen on his face.

Robin, lifting his left arm and gazing at it, moved his fingers slowly, twisting his wrist; there was a difference, a change in weight, the movements less smooth and unfamiliar, a deep ache within the entire arm. With his other hand, he lightly touched the arm, feeling warm flesh, the skin tender; letting his arms drop, he closed his eyes, breathing deep. He was surprised, and relieved; Robin didn't think the arm could have been saved, as memories of the last, horrifying moments he could fully recall resurfaced, remembering the condition of the arm. His musings were brought to a halt by Cyborg, as the large man coughed, speaking jovially, "C'mon Dick, no more dozing, I'm sure you've had enough of that; besides, you're going to have yourself a busy day. There are lots of folk who will want to see you."

Robin nodded, slightly, asking softly, "Um… where are…"

Cyborg cut him off, knowing what his friend was going to say, "I'm going to get them, Robin, they're all here in the Watchtower, waiting; if you had woken up fifteen minutes ago, Starfire's face would have been the first you've seen." He grinned, "I'm sure you would have appreciated her lovely face over my ugly mug, eh?" he gave a good-natured chuckle as Robin grinned in return, turning and calling behind his back, "I'll be back."

Watching Cyborg leave, Robin laid back into his bed, his gaze turning to the room around him, his eyes wandering, trying to prepare himself for whom he thought would next enter the room; long seconds passed, Robin's gaze finally catching something of interest. Folded neatly on a shelf next to the bed lay his uniform, the clothing clean and new, obviously retrieved from his room, a recently cleaned belt laid on top, still bearing some marks from his battle, capsules open yet to be refilled; it felt strange yet comforting that someone had retrieved his belt, his hand reaching out to touch it lightly. As soon as his hand had touched the cool metal, a sudden, uncomfortable feeling jolted him, and he jerked his hand away, frowning; that was odd. The belt didn't seem… right. Before he could further ponder this new feeling, the door opened again, Robin turning his gaze instinctively to the person entering, trying to organize his thoughts. What he was going to say died on his lips, however, as a person he did not expect entered his room; pausing at the door, he looked tired, but in high spirits, a grin on his face. Taking a few steps forward, the man of steel spoke, his words warm, "Welcome back."

Robin only nodded in reply, asking, "Doomsday? What of Jump?"

Superman grinned, shaking his head slowly, chuckling; he was his father's son. Turning his gaze to the young man, he replied, "Of course; Doomsday has been subdued, banished yet again to the Phantom Zone. The Green Lantern Corp have graciously offered to post guards around the gateway to prevent, or at least warn, of other escape attempts." He paused, "We're still not sure how he escaped, but the Corp are investigating."

Robin nodded, asking again, "Jump?"

"Rebuilding and mourning," said Superman, simply, "It would take more then a meteor strike to destroy the people of Jump City."

Robin paused, looking away from Superman, asking, "How many?"

There was hesitance in Superman's voice as he tried to dodge the question, "Richard, you know that this was out of your hands, and could do nothing to stop-"

"How many?" Robin asked again, his voice firm.

Another pause, before, "There's no real way to tell, but the official report claims over seven thousand dead."

Robin nodded, once, remaining silent for a few seconds, then asking, "Bruce?"

Superman shifted, knowing of the strain between Batman and Robin, a little uncomfortable, "He's been here a few times, either checking your vitals or speaking with one of the three doctors that have been overseeing you, Leslie, Pieter, or Michael." He paused for a moment, trying to gather his words, "You know Bruce; the less he says the more he cares."

Robin nodded again, turning his gaze back to the powerful hero, a small smile shadowing his face, "Thanks. For… you know… getting there in time."

Superman shook his head, "I should be thanking you; I don't now what you did to him, but Doomsday didn't put up a long fight after I got there." Reaching his bedside, he gently rested his hand on Robin's shoulder, "Don't dwell on those who died, Richard; without you, tenfold more would have perished if you hadn't made your decision, as hard as it may have been." His voice was solemn, "You knew it was a fight you couldn't win, yet you fought it; you lived, Richard, something, sadly, that few could say when facing Doomsday. I'm proud of you."

The older hero smiled, patting Robin before turning to leave, waving his goodbye, "I'll stop by later, once the chaos has died down a bit. I do think I've used up my seniority privilege by seeing you first and keeping you to myself."

Robin grinned as he watched Superman open the door, about to leave; however, before the great man could step outside the door, he was nearly bowled over by a streak of red, a loud cry of, "Robin!" wailing from the culprit, Starfire bursting through the door, leaping upon the bedridden hero, clutching him tight, bursting into tears. Just as Superman regained his balance, he was pushed aside again by a green skinned teen, Beast Boy voicing his objection that Starfire got there first, yelling, "Hey, give him some air, Star! I want to yell at him before he blacks out again!" The man of steel shook his head as he watched Robin greet the energetic changeling, turning yet again to leave, another body blocking the way, only this one was more polite, calmly stepping aside for the older man, nodding her head lightly, her face covered by her hood. Superman wasn't fooled; he knew that Raven was just as overjoyed at Robin's recovery as the rest of her friends, but remained silent, thanking the young empath, and nodding to Cyborg, who stood close by, waiting his turn to enter the room again, before giving the five their privacy.

Robin, a sincere smile plastered on his face, didn't bother trying to explain his actions to Beast Boy, his young friend berating him one moment then expressing his relief and joy the next; Robin just nodded absently as he held the weeping Starfire, using his hand to gently rub her back. As his bedsides were already occupied, Raven, her face calm, almost unusually so, a faint smile on her lips, stood near Starfire, her gaze caught by Robin's, sharing her feelings of relief and happiness through their bond, feeling the same care and joy from her recovering friend. All but Beast Boy remained silent for a while, Cyborg having taken a seat in one of the chairs in the room, the green changeling's mouth running nonstop, although his voice was quieter then normal, respecting Robin's sensitivity to noise, and Starfire, who's muffled sobs continued; Starfire did eventually calm down, her tears spent, tears of sorrow and joy, detaching herself from Robin, leaving a mess of tears and snot on her friend's shoulder, causing Beast Boy to theatrically gag, the alien princess blushing at the mess she made, looking about for something with which to clean Robin.

Gliding past the searching woman, a clean towel in her hands, Raven, showing great care, gently wiped up the mess, dropping her gaze from Robin, her face controlled, emotionless, but somehow soft, drawing curious stares from her friends, which she ignored, concentrating on her work. The simple act, of Raven showing such tenderness, quieted the never-ending sound from Beast Boy's mouth, silence hanging in the air; finished, Raven started to pull away, her head rushing, but was prevented by Robin's hand, slithering out of Beast Boy's grasp to hold hers, not caring about the mess, preventing her from retreating, drawing her gaze up to his. He spoke softly, simply, "Thank you." There was a pause, Raven shrugging, before he continued, "For being there, in my mind, while I was sleeping; thank you for giving me your support. It helped."

Raven swallowed, her breath quickening as she forced herself to remain calm, attempting to break free from Robin's gaze, but unable too, his dark, blue eyes capturing her gaze. The shield she had so carefully constructed around her was starting to crack as she fell into Robin's deep, piercing gaze; she had always been taught that expressing her emotions were a form of weakness, that she must remain stoic and strong, but the longer she was held captive by Robin, the more she questioned her lessons. It was when Robin spoke, his words exceedingly kind, full of care and understanding, when her wall broke.

"It's ok, Raven, everything's ok know; let it go, you don't have to hold it in anymore, we're your friends, and we're here for you."

To everyone's surprise, Raven, who had remained too calm and too controlled throughout this ordeal, where the others would express their sorrows and worries, completely broke down. Richard, able to sense her repressed emotions, coaxed her out of the shell she had built with his heartfelt words, and, falling to her knees, her head pressed into the bed, her forehead resting upon Robin's side, her hands tightly gripping his bed sheets like a lifeline, she surrendered to her emotions, expressing a months worth of worry, fear, anxiety, and sorrow, bawling into his sheets. The room remained silent as Raven grieved, Beast Boy and Cyborg averting their eyes, giving her what privacy they could, Starfire watching her friend with loving, tearful eyes, Robin gently stroking her hair as she wailed into the bed. The feelings were overwhelming, the release was life changing, Raven realizing now, when she finally embraced this sorrow, when she understood that her friends cared for her, when she realized how much she cared for Richard, that these emotions, that allowing herself to feel them, was not a weaknesses. Allowing herself to feel is what made her human, what made her strong; many minutes passed before Raven quieted, embarrassed by her display, yet feeling lighter, her heart no longer heavy. Blushing, and using a part of the sheet offered by Robin, she cleaned herself before standing, starting to apologize before being quickly hushed by Starfire, the taller woman pulling Raven into a warm, long hug, effectively silencing the empath.

There were a few more minutes of silence, Cyborg standing to change Robin's sheets, the young leader blushing at his lack of clothing, Beast Boy not helping as he pointed out all the bruises on Robin's legs, commenting how one looked like a bunny, another like a sailboat, Starfire eyeing them critically, stating she saw no such thing, although one did closely resemble a Dkel'tront, whatever that was. The two's musings were silenced by Cyborg, who deftly replaced the sheet, Robin, his cheeks red, asked what he had missed. He wasn't sure how much time passed as the five, settling around him, Raven taking a seat near Cyborg, Beast Boy setting himself down at the foot of the bed, while Starfire remained standing, constantly touching or petting Robin in reassurance that he was real, talking of what they had done in the time he was sleeping.

Like Superman said, Jump City was being rebuilt, the four spending their time split between staying in the Watchtower and helping where they could in their city; granted a rare honor, they were all given League pins, allowing use of the Watchtower's powerful teleportation devices, as well as some living quarters within the space station. When asked about crime within the city, Beast Boy, his voice awed, had explained that Superman himself was making constant and very public appearances in Jump, causing the crime rate to effectively disappear, not even the lowest purse-snatcher wanting to risk a confrontation with the man of steel.

With the powerful hero's presence in the city, and little crime needing to be fought, the four young heroes were able to spend more time within the Watchtower then out, mingling with the heroes of the Justice League, amazed by the massive scope of the powerful group. Most of the members were nothing but polite with the younger heroes, many having heard of the team, escorting them around the station, asking questions about themselves and their leader; the Teen Titans were startled by the amount of heroes who knew Robin, the older Leaguers in particular, folk as well known as Green Lantern and Hawkgirl to lesser known like the Question and Stargirl, all entering his medical room at some point to check his condition or offer words of hope. When asked how he knew so many League members, Robin just shrugged, reminding everyone who his name was tagged onto, Batman being one of the founding members of the League, and, in a lot of cases, wherever the Batman went, Robin was close bye.

After he was brought up to date of what was happening now, he, quietly, asked about the immediate aftermath of Doomsday's attack; this was more a more solemn discussion, everyone's laughs dying off as they told him how Raven's magic had gone haywire when Robin's life was in danger, the empath falling unconscious for a day while the Martian Manhunter delved into her mind, repairing the damage that had been inflicted. There had been a positive outcome of the ordeal, however; due to the similarities that the two shared, their dry humor and mental powers, the two had formed a rather close bond during the past month, Raven seeing J'onn as a sort of mentor and teacher, the green alien educating the empath, enhancing her mental capabilities, and the fact that Raven had made a new friend put a small smile on Robin's face.

None of the teens had seen the final fight between Superman and Doomsday, although they did hear it, the sounds from the clash reaching even their ears; it was not real long after Superman left the group, less then an hour, probably half that, when he returned, his uniform dirty and torn, his body roughed up, but in rather good health, all things considered. His passenger did not luck out so well, the Teen Titans looking upon the unconscious form of Doomsday, the monster beaten thoroughly, his crystalline armor shattered and bones broken. After the man of steel informed the young heroes that Robin had been transported to the Watchtower, and providing little other information aside that Robin still lived, the powerful hero left with is captive, rising steadily into the air. The people of Jump witnessed a rare spectacle as dozens of the Green Lantern Corp members swarmed the sky above the ruined city, surrounding the beaten monster with layers of green force fields, escorting the two out of Earth's atmosphere.

Otherwise, there was little else of importance that the recovering man missed; as Beast Boy started telling tall tales of his adventures and wanderings through the Watchtower, Cyborg, moving next to the recovering man to be better heard, spoke below the gibbering changeling, flushing out the month with minor details that the large man knew Robin would want to know, such as the medications he was given, details about his operation, and who had visited the room for reasons other then social calls. Both Cyborg and Beast Boy were mid sentence, everyone ignoring the green teen, not that Beast Boy minded, the hyperactive man caught up in his own story, when the bay doors opened with a small hiss, everyone staring at who had entered, a chill breeze drifting through the air.

Three figures stepped through the door, all easily recognizable, two with smiles, one without, the grim man being the first through the door, his cold presence silencing the room. Without even acknowledging the young heroes who crowded the bed or chairs, Batman, his eyes narrow and lips thin, approached the bed, Beast Boy and Cyborg both retreating from the imposing man, the two in Batman's way, the dark knight's presence clearing the area around Robin's bedside. Silence hung in the air as the mentor and student stared at the other, Robin having, gently, pushed Starfire, and her warm hand, away, leaving Robin facing Batman alone, the wounded man sitting straighter as he returned Batman's glare. The older hero, ignoring Superman's and Wonder Woman's words of greeting to the other Teen Titans, focusing solely on his young ward, said nothing for a few moments, observing Robin, his young partner returning the observations.

Robin could only wait, knowing Batman had to speak first; the tension in the air was palpable, the strain between the two heroes relationship clearly visible to everyone else in the room, neither acting as one would have expected if this was a normal family, a son waking from a long coma, the father there to express his relief and joy. Instead of what should have been a tender moment, the two just glared at one another, the silence dragging, heavy. Finally, Batman spoke, his voice harsh, cold, "I can't do this anymore; I've accepted your relocation to Jump city, I've allowed you to play leader with this group of teens. I've tolerated your absence from Gotham, and permitted your disregard to my orders, my command. No more."

Robin didn't flinch from Batman's words, hearing the anger in his voice, seeing the disappointment in his face; but there was something else that lay, almost hidden, in his words.

The imposing hero leaned forward, ignoring all the other people in the room, his voice bitter, "What you did was beyond reckless, Robin! It was foolishness on such a scope I don't have words to describe it; you never risk yourself if there are other options! There were a hundred other ways to approach that scenario, seventeen well within your capabilities, ones I know I've taught you that could have been viable tactics!" He paused, breathing deep, controlling his anger.

"Yes…" Robin replied, softly, his gaze still locked with Batman's, "and ten would have allowed Doomsday to spread his destruction, five would have resulted in more casualties, deemed 'acceptable losses', and one…" he paused for a moment, his gaze tearing away from his mentors to rest upon Starfire before returning to the dark knight's, "…one I wouldn't risk."

Batman's face was cold, but not more so then his voice, "The Tamaranean's physique is more than capable-"

"One I would not risk," Robin repeated, his voice frosty, "So I chose the one that would risk the least. Myself."

Batman clenched his fists, his gloves creaking, gritting his jaw, expressing the most anger his two colleagues had ever seen, the dark knight normally very controlled of his emotions; with a deliberately cool voice, Batman spoke, "And here is where our methodologies differ, Robin. I can't partner with someone who does not see eye to eye with me, who abandons his priorities for other responsibilities."

There was a heavy pause, "You're fired."

A small part of him had expected something like this, had accepted that this might happened one day, the rift that was torn between the two too great, without either attempting to repair the gap; still, Robin, Richard, felt like he had be punched in the gut, ignoring cries of disbelief from the heroes around him.

"What!" exclaimed Cyborg and Beast Boy, both stepping forward, not believing the dark knight's words.

"No!" cried Starfire, her hands covering her lips in shock, turning to Raven in confusion and worry, the empath only sparing the alien princess a glance as she watched Robin carefully, startled that she felt nothing from their link.

Superman only frowned, staring at Batman, not understanding his friend's reasoning or actions, but knowing it was not his place to question, not yet at least.

Diana, not caring about the man's pride, gently gripped Batman's shoulder, asking quietly, "Bruce, I don't think-" but her words were cut off by the dark knight, who abruptly shrugged her grip away, ignoring the woman's pained look.

This was between mentor and student, father and son, and both drowned out the sounds around them, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Starfire, and even Diana starting to speak up, asking questions, demanding answers.

All were silenced by Richard, who spoke clearly, "Understood."

Although Batman did his best to hide it, Richard could still hear it, the fear that was in his voice, which was on his face; Bruce's fear for his ward, edged with regret of the path Bruce had lead him on. Richard knew what had prompted this declaration, his dismissal, having realized early on that Batman had blamed himself for every wound Robin would take; this was not he first time his life had been in danger either, and only passionate words and infallible logic had kept Richard as Robin, but this time was different. There were many things that made up Richard's mind, the fear of never growing out of Batman's shadow, the hatred for being the tagline of 'Batman and…', the need to become his own man; however, what had made this change to be easily accepted by Richard was a moment he had a few hours ago, when he had first woken from his long sleep, his fingers making contact with his belt.

Richard felt, deeply, and was certain of it, more confident in this realization then any that had come before, the he no longer needed to be Robin.

Robin was dependent on Batman, Robin was the sidekick and jokester, Robin was the follower.

Richard was no longer dependent on Batman, no longer a sidekick, but a battle-tested, experienced hero in his own right.

Richard was no longer a follower.

Richard was a leader.

Richard was no longer Robin, he couldn't be Robin anymore.

What could he be?

Richard set aside that question, the words echoing within his head, even reaching Raven who looked at her friend with a mixture of concern and curiosity; turning stiffly, shaking his head to Starfire as she approached to help him, Richard gently, almost reverently, picked up his Robin uniform, offering it to Batman, the older hero's face suddenly cracking, sagging, sorrowful, before becoming grim once again, taking the offered uniform. Turning sharply, avoiding Diana's piercing eyes, he hesitated for a moment, quietly saying, "Welcome back; I'm… happy," before exiting the room.

Wonder Woman, her eyes wet, took a few quick steps forward, kissing Richard lightly on the forehead, expressing her joy at him waking, before following in Batman's wake, having words she must share with the gruff man. Superman lingered for a few moments as well, before telling the young man, "Regardless if you wear a uniform or not, you're always welcome here, Richard. Stay as long as you need to."

With Superman gone, the five teens remained still, silent, not knowing what to do or say. It was Beast Boy who broke the silence, his voice sounding small, asking, "What do we do now, R-… Dick?"

Richard didn't immediately answer, his gaze turning to the faces of his friends, all looking shell shocked, even Raven, Starfire starting to cry again, silent tears staining her face; sighing heavily, he replied to the green changeling, "The Teen Titan's live on, and return to Jump, to protect their city."

"Actually," Cyborg spoke, a small smile on his face, "We're just the Titan's now; kinda happened while you were out."

Richard grinned, "I like it."

"You… you will be coming with us, yes?" Starfire pleaded.

There was another pause, Richard's eyes never leaving Starfire's, as he thought, slowly shaking his head, "No… not right now… perhaps not for a while…" His gaze silenced Beast Boy, who was about to speak, telling his friends, "I'm… my body's weak right now… I'm in no condition to be a hero, to lead and fight along side you… I don't even know who I am anymore…"

"You're our friend!" Raven said, her voice fierce, stepping forward, resting her hand on his, "…And we care for you."

A warm smile split his face, his blue eyes catching her breath, "Yes… and that means the world to me. But…" his gaze turned, looking out the medical room's window, into space, speaking softly, "I need to find myself, discover who I am… what I'm meant to be, who I'm meant to be." Turning his gaze back to his friends, he smiled softly, "When I do… I'll come back."