Four Titans held back a gasp as Robin's eyes narrowed.
Batman scanned the room, quickly studying each of the Titans before finally landing his gaze on Robin's face.
"Robin," he said blankly in greeting.
Robin gave a curt nod in response.
Batman was certainly intimidating to the others. None of them had ever seen him in person, and now that he was standing in their living room, they hardly even dared to breathe.
The Dark Knight's entire powerful physique was covered in his floor length black cape that put Raven's to shame.
Only his mouth and strong chin were visible under his cowl, and his eyes were covered.
All except Robin were actually more than just intimidated. It was little comfort to know that he was a "good guy." Batman was… scary. There was an extremely awkward and tense moment while no one moved or dared to say anything, the iconic figure in front of them simply staring at Robin with no emotion whatsoever.
Suddenly the tensed silence was broken when the doors to Ops slid open behind Batman.
Robin's face lit up when he saw who it was.
"Alfred!"
Robin rushed up and brushed past Batman to give his old butler and friend a hug.
"I can't believe you came!" he exclaimed.
"I know, I couldn't believe he actually wanted to see you either," Batman said, his gravelly voice dripping with sarcasm.
Robin scowled while Alfred rolled his eyes with a patient smile. Those two will never change.
None of the others dared to laugh at Batman's jibe, except… Raven.
She let out a quiet involuntary snort for a laugh. All surprised eyes turned to her.
Raven's eyes darted around the room nervously, feeling extremely self-conscious at all the attention and her slip of laughter. Her eyes finally landed on Batman, and the two stared at each other for a moment, Raven's mouth hanging open slightly, not sure what he'd think of her. A small smirk graced the corner of Batman's mouth, and Raven returned one. A moment of mutual respect passed between them.
"Great. You two will get along juuust fine," Robin grumbled. "No one's safe now."
"Master Robin, why don't you show us to our rooms?" Alfred broke in, hoping to avoid any more sarcastic comments from both of them.
Robin then noticed that Alfred was toting two large suitcases.
"Oh, right. This way, Alfred," Robin said, purposely ignoring his surrogate father. Batman rolled his eyes at Robin's childish behavior and followed after them, sweeping out of the room.
After the three were gone the four let out one gigantic sigh of relief.
Beast Boy crossed his arms and addressed Raven with a scowl.
"Oh sure, I try to make you laugh for five years, and the second Batman shows up you're giggling like he's a comedian!" he protested.
"What? He was funny, unlike you."
"Oh whatever!" Beast Boy grumbled.
As the two continued to playfully bicker Cyborg rubbed a hand over his face.
"Well, after that I think I need a nice cold one." The only current Titan in the tower old enough to legally consume alcohol, Cyborg went to the fridge and pulled out a can of beer, which he cracked open and took a long swig from. He planted himself on the couch and turned on the tv.
"Dude! How can you watch tv when Batman is here?!" Beast Boy exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his argument with Raven.
"Easy," Cyborg replied, letting out a loud belch and taking another large sip of beer.
"Nice one," Beast Boy conceded, his tooth poking out over his grin.
"Ugh… boys," Raven muttered, disgusted.
"Please," Starfire finally spoke up, wringing her hands. "Robin and the Batman do not seem to be getting along," she worried, as always upset when people around her were fighting.
"Ah, don't worry 'bout it Star. Robin's just being immature," Cyborg waved it off.
Starfire sighed and looked nervously at the door where the three had departed.
--
"I see a lot has changed," Batman said, walking behind Robin and Alfred as they winded through the tower's halls.
"I guess," Robin said.
"Liked the new getup. Saw you had changed it."
"Thought the old red and green was a little too bright," Robin answered. After Robin grew older and was no longer a teenager, he felt his costume was a little out of place, so he redesigned it. His mask was still the same, but his tunic was now long sleeved and half black and half a very dark red, his R emblem still over his heart. A metal plate encircled his neck and shoulders and the cape was gone. He wore black pants, gray metal shoulder pads and gauntlets, and his boots had metal shin guards. He had fitted black gloves on his hands, and his utility belt was the same style as the old one, but was now the gray metal instead of yellow.
"So, will I be staying in your room, Robin?" Batman asked, smirking with that irritating grin again.
Robin growled and clenched his fists.
"No, there's a spare room you can stay in and there's— one for Alfred too."
"So the tower just magically sprouted spare rooms? You told me you didn't have, and I quote, 'a single one'."
Alfred looked at Robin out of the corner of his eye, amused.
"A couple just opened up," Robin grumbled, annoyed at being caught in his lie.
Batman gave his trademark smirk.
"Are you mad? You don't have an excuse to share a room with your little girlfriend now."
"Shut up!" Robin yelled, his face red.
"Master Bruce, it is not kind to poke such fun at Master Dick. He is being a sport for putting us up like this."
Batman grunted in response to Alfred's admonition. Robin grinned himself when Alfred managed to put Batman in his place.
"Speaking of girlfriends, Bruce, how's Catwoman? Is she still the cat's meow or have you moved on to another blonde and busty?"
It was Bruce's turn to scowl. He shook his head slightly. "Catwoman's fine. I'll tell her you said hello."
"Mmm, oh please do," Robin murmured cheekily.
Batman cast his eyes dangerously over at Robin, who kept the shameless grin on his face.
"Think I'll say hello to that little red-head cutie back in Ops too."
Robin's smirk drained into a pout.
"She's like, half your age."
"Catwoman's twice yours."
"I like a woman with a little experience," Robin said, eyeing his former mentor with a side glance, trying to get a rise out of him.
"She likes her men with a little experience too. Guess that rules out you."
"Is this the proper time to say 'zing,' Master Dick?" Alfred spoke up, a grin on his face.
Robin scowled and crossed his arms. "Not you too, Alfred!"
--
Robin led the two down a hall that most of the Titans, especially Beast Boy, usually avoided. Unfortunately, it was one of two extra rooms in the tower. The room had once been occupied by the sixth Titan, but was now stripped of all memories, leaving behind a simple bed, desk, and bureau.
Raven and Cyborg had been the two Titans willing to clean out the old bedroom. Raven was determined not to let the bedroom turn into a sort of shrine to a bad mistake. She was rather frank about the whole issue, and was almost delighted to clear the old memories away. It was not that she hated Terra. She actually felt sort of sorry for her. But, she still could never get over the betrayal, and Beast Boy's broken heart. For that, she felt it was necessary.
Cyborg was the only other teammate willing, and able to handle it, to help; Robin didn't care what happened to the bedroom and felt he had more important things to do, and Starfire got upset every time she walked past the door. Beast Boy avoided the hallway completely. He often opted to take a longer route to get where he needed to go, just so he wouldn't have to go near it, even if it was a short-cut. It was just too plain hard to rip open the old wound and deal with the raw emotions.
"Well, this is it," Robin said stonily. "You can stay in here," he addressed Batman.
Batman nodded in reply and Alfred deposited Batman's suitcase on the bed.
"This way, Alfred," Robin said, guiding his old butler down a couple more passages and settling him in the other spare room.
"Thank you, Master Dick."
"No problem. Feel free to make yourself at home, Alfred," Robin said warmly.
"I will just get myself unpacked, then," Alfred said. "Have any of you eaten dinner?"
"Uh… I don't think so…"
"Really? It's eight-thirty already!"
"Guess we were all kinda busy…"
Robin's cheeks tinged red when he thought about what he and Starfire had been doing instead of eating dinner before their company had arrived. Raven and Beast Boy had been engaged in similar activities, and who knows what Cyborg had been up to.
"Well then, point me in the direction of the kitchen. I'll get dinner started at once."
"No, no Alfred, you don't have to make us dinner!" Robin protested.
"I can't let you starve, Master Dick. It is Master Dick when we're alone, Robin with the Titans, correct?"
Robin shifted uneasily. "Yeah."
"Understood. Now, where's your kitchen? I'll make something good and you have to introduce me to your friends."
Robin sighed. "Alright. But only because I miss your home-cooking!"
"No gourmet chefs among you, eh?" Alfred teased as they headed for the Titans' kitchen.
Robin made a face. "Cyborg and I are the master chefs here. Beast Boy insists upon a vegan diet, Raven isn't the housewife type; she tried to make pancakes once…" Robin shuddered. "And Starfire," he continued, "sometimes can't distinguish what's edible and what's not on our planet."
"Oh my," Alfred said with a laugh.
"Plus, her home world cooking is even scarier than what she does with non-edible Earth ingredients. Don't ever tell her I said that!"
"So, this Starfire is…" Alfred said, grinning and waving a hand for Robin to continue.
"A special friend," Robin said, growing shyer.
"How special?"
"Oh, all right, she's my girlfriend," Robin admitted.
"How wonderful! She's quite a looker. Very unusual."
"She's actually an alien princess from Tamaran."
"Oh my, royalty?"
"Not a blessing on her planet. As far as I can tell being royalty is a dangerous job there."
"She is the red-head, correct? I assume so since Master Bruce seemed to upset you."
"Yeah, that's Starfire. The other girl is Raven."
The two reached Ops and came in. The four Titans were sitting on the couch watching tv and waiting for Robin to return. Starfire immediately jumped up and flew over to Robin's side.
"Starfire, this is Alfred, Batman's butler. Alfred, this is my girlfriend, Starfire."
"Greetings," Starfire said, smiling.
"Pleased to meet you, young lady," Alfred said, kissing her hand lightly. Starfire giggled coquettishly.
"Your friend is most charming," Starfire said to Robin.
"This is the rest of the Titans," Robin said, indicating the other three.
"Raven, this is Alfred, Alfred, Raven."
"So good to meet you, miss. Ah, I see you like classics. I'm sure if you ever had the chance, the master has quite a library."
Raven gave him a smile.
"This is Beast Boy."
"Beast Boy! What an unusual name…"
"I can turn into animals," Beast Boy explained. He demonstrated by shape-shifting into several different animals in rapid succession.
"My goodness! What an unusual power. You must be invaluable to the team."
"And this is Cyborg," Robin continued hurriedly, before Beast Boy could start commenting on how 'See? Someone thinks I'm cool.'
"My word, you must be full of state-of-the-art technology! I'm sure Batman would like to converse with you later about gadgets…"
"I've got blue-prints to everything," Cyborg said proudly.
"Well, it looks like you've assembled quite an efficient group of friends, Master Robin."
"I keep 'em around," Robin grinned.
"Indeed. Now, tell me where your kitchen is. Any requests?"
"Can you do something veggie? I don't eat meat," Beast Boy jumped in.
"Right, but the rest of us do. Make whatever you want, Alfred," Robin said.
Alfred nodded and happily trotted off to the kitchen.
The Titans settled down in front of the tv again while Alfred stared into their refrigerator.
"Uh… Master Robin? Do you have any food that hasn't expired two months ago, isn't covered in a strange blue substance, or is… an unusually large worm?" Alfred held up a wiggling bundle.
"Silkie! How did you get into the refrigerator again?!" Starfire said, zipping up and enveloping the little larva in her arms. Silkie burped and a crushed saliva coated soda can popped out of his mouth.
"Oh dear… it looks as though we'll be ordering out tonight…" Alfred sighed.
--
The next morning dawned with no criminal activity and no sign of Batman, although Alfred was up and cheerily helping Cyborg make breakfast.
Titans trickled in one by one. All the Titans were pleased with Alfred's special banana pancakes, and Beast Boy gratefully accepted his soy milk and tofu bacon made just for him.
"Has anyone acquired the mail recently?" Starfire asked.
"Don't think so," Cyborg answered.
Starfire zipped out of the room and down to get the postage.
Batman had just entered the room quietly when Starfire came barreling back in with a squeal and clutching a magazine in her hands.
"Eeeeeeeeeee! The new issue of 'Teen Scene' has arrived!"
Robin smiled at her girly enthusiasm while Raven gave a small smirk.
"Look who is featured on the cover!" Starfire thrust the magazine in Raven's face. "Dick Grayson! He has been named number one on the most hunkiest list! Is not he as you say, dreamy?" she cooed and clasped her hands by her cheek.
Robin's face drained of color; he almost dropped his coffee cup and almost sprayed the sip he just took all over the place. He began coughing in a fit. Batman's eyebrows shot up. Alfred was ever cool and complacent, gazing at the two girls out of the corner of his eye.
"Oooh," Raven said, taking the issue and gazing at the cover approvingly.
Robin stared at her. She was… she was checking him out?
Beast Boy scoffed. "Dude, come on. What's that skinny little nancy boy got that I don't?"
"Money," Raven answered instantly.
"Good looks," Starfire added.
"A nice car," Raven nodded.
"Big celebrity."
"Oooh, he's Bruce Wayne's adopted son…"
"Oooh, Bruce Wayne," Starfire added dreamily.
At this Batman straightened. They were talking about him? Robin slapped a hand over his face. They thought Bruce Wayne was 'dreamy' too?
"Oh come on! I'm handsome, I have… money, and I totally have a sweet ride!" Beast Boy shouted, ticking off his points on his fingers. "And, I'm totally a celebrity in Jump City. Just ask all the ladies," he said, raising his eyebrows up and down.
Raven rolled her eyes. "You have a moped, a wallet with two dollars and sixty three cents in it, and the 'ladies' pretend you're not talking to them. Handsome can be debated," she said, cracking a hint of a smile.
"Let me see that," Robin said, grabbing the magazine from Raven's hand. He stared at the picture. When did the paparazzi get that shot? Oh yeah… Robin had taken a trip to Gotham a year ago under cover. He had business to attend to, but had refused to contact Bruce. The picture showed him almost from the side gazing at the camera. They had done quite a bit of airbrushing and photo manipulation effects to make it look like the photo had been taken in a studio. He flipped to the list inside the magazine and found his bio. Apparently the press thought he was away studying at an undisclosed prestigious private college.
Beast Boy looked at the magazine over Robin's shoulder.
"You know, that guy's always reminded me of someone, but I can never put my finger on it…" he mused.
The back of Robin's neck flushed red, but Beast Boy didn't notice.
"I always thought he lived up to his name," Cyborg said with a vicious chuckle.
Robin looked over at his friend plaintively.
Batman crossed his arms and listened with a small smirk on his face. Obviously Robin had not told his friends his secret identity.
"Yeah, I know! Don't you love how they plaster his name all over those charity balls? I bet he just goes for the publicity and to get drunk… isn't he still under age?" Beast Boy said.
"He is twenty years of age, and he does not just go to the balls of charity to get merely inebriated," Starfire said huffily. "He is a good citizen, and he and the Bruce Wayne donate much money to various charitable organizations."
"Whatever. Whenever they show Bruce Wayne leaving one of those parties, he always has like, three girls on him. He's a playboy," Beast Boy said.
"Something you aspire to," Raven said sullenly, crossing her arms.
"Aw, come on baby. You know you're my one and only," Beast Boy said, sitting down beside Raven and putting his arm around her.
"Take it off or I'll break it off. And don't call me baby," she said, turning her head away.
"Burned," Beast Boy said, removing his arm. "Ouch, that stings- baby."
Raven glared daggers at him.
Robin wasn't quite sure he wanted to enter this conversation. The girls obviously thought much of him, but the guys were trashing him. Should he say something in his defense?
"What do you think about this Dick Grayson guy, Robin? It seems like you better say something, 'cause your girl is drooling all over that cover!" Cyborg laughed.
Robin cleared his throat. "He's… he's not a bad guy, I don't think."
Beast Boy and Cyborg stared at him.
"Aw, come on Robin! The guy's a total 'dick'!" Beast Boy laughed.
"Ha! Yeah. He's too much of a pretty boy, he's only famous cause of Bruce Wayne, so it's technically not even Grayson's money!"
"I know!" the two boys began laughing and adding more comments, while Starfire was beginning to look quite angry and answering in Dick's defense. Raven was trying her best not to look miffed from Beast Boy, and Robin was sitting with his arms crossed and a pout on his face, pretending his best friends were talking about someone else. Finally he'd had it.
"Okay, enough!" Robin howled. They all quieted. "He's just some celebrity. What does it matter? Starfire, just go read your magazine."
She looked at him meekly for a second, then settled quietly on the couch. Raven peeked over her shoulder and turned away from Beast Boy with a miffed 'humpf.'
"Aww, babe come on," he protested. Raven ignored him.
Beast Boy sighed and scuffed his toe into the carpet. Finally he gave up and challenged Cyborg to a video game.
Robin sighed and went over to where Batman and Alfred were standing.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," he snapped at Batman.
"I need to talk to you."
"About Scarecrow?"
"Yes."
Robin sighed. "Let's go to the evidence room."
--
Once in the evidence room Batman fully allowed the grin onto his face.
"Seriously, it's not funny," Robin grumbled.
"I see you haven't told them who you are," Batman said, the laugh clearly evident in his voice. "Good."
"I'm not stupid. Even though I know I could trust them all, I just haven't. Out of respect for you," he said.
"Friends are overrated," Batman said, crossing his arms.
"Thank you, Sir," Alfred said stiffly, his voice sarcastic.
"Except you, Alfred," Batman added on hastily.
Batman and Robin stared at each other.
Robin scowled at his exclusion from Batman's addendum.
"Whatever. Just get on with it."
"Scarecrow has moved from the last known coordinates where he was residing. He has no tracer on him."
"Great," Robin muttered. "Now what?"
"We look for evidence as to where he may have gone."
"What if he's not even near Jump City anymore? Too bad, guess you'll have to leave," Robin snipped.
Batman narrowed his eyes. "I have reason to believe he's actually closer to Jump City, if not in the city itself."
"Why would he come here?" Robin asked, holding his hand out in a gesture.
Batman gave him a smirk. "He missed you, why else?"
"Shut up," Robin protested, annoyed. "Really, why is he here?"
"New territory, less opposition. There's been a lot of weight being thrown around in Gotham lately, all the big names fighting for dominance. Crane has always had issues with bullies, and no one can bully better than the Joker and Penguin. He's been locked away in Arkham but he escaped in a prison break, along with the Riddler, Killer Crock, Mr. Freeze, and Poison Ivy. I've had a hell of a time rounding them all up, and I'm guessing Crane took the opportunity to slip under the radar and sneak out of the city."
"But why Jump City?"
"This is one of the largest metropolitan areas on the west coast. Crime flourishes in large cities, plus there are more people in one place to terrorize. If he's planning on doing something large scale in a metropolis other than Gotham, Jump is a logical place." Batman gave him a reproachful look. "Was that really so hard to figure out?"
Robin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Insulting my intelligence now?"
"No, just wondering why my 'astute' protégé couldn't figure that out for himself."
Robin scowled angrily and jabbed a finger in Batman's direction, ready to really let him have it. "You know what?! I-"
But before a full scale argument could be had Alfred quickly pushed between the two.
"Stop it, both of you." He held his hands out to separate them. "This constant bickering will get us nowhere. You should both apologize."
The two of them huffed and turned away from each other, arms crossed with half lidded eyes.
"Oh for goodness sake," Alfred sighed, exasperated. "You would think two grown men would act their age instead of like children."
"He started it!" Robin insisted.
Alfred shook his head.
This was going to be one hell of a week.
I apologize if this chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it's all I've got ready for you so far.
Hope you enjoyed it! I promise I'll try and update as soon as I can, but like I said, the next part isn't completely ready yet.
I'm working on it!