Judgment
Part 6
[All standard disclaimers apply.]
Robin surveyed the gray landscape around him. A dense mist hugged the ground, obscuring most of the features. There were a few sparse trees. But no monuments. No buildings. Not even a hill.
Nothing to point towards a destination. Or even a target.
A check of his equipment wasn't promising either. His communicator was out, meaning he was cutoff from the team. He had no GPS so he had no idea where he was.
He was on his own.
But he was in his complete uniform. With a full utility belt. And his sword.
So it could be worse.
He activated a tracker, picked a direction at random and began walking.
He didn't know how long he had been walking when something knocked into him, threatening to take him off his feet. He scanned the area, trying to find what had hit him. All he could see was the same gray mist and the same scrawny trees.
Suddenly something bumped into his back, followed by a gust of wind. Robin stumbled forward a few steps. He drew his sword as he stood back up.
He knew this type of attack. He had seen it before. He had fought against it.
He was dealing with a speedster.
The question was which one. Was he dealing with an enemy like Zoom? A corrupted ally like Barry or Wally?
He sensed a disturbance in the air. He quickly stepped to the side and caught a glimpse of red and yellow. Definitely a speedster.
The blur whirled and came to a stop some distance away from him. Robin watched as the figure pulled a pair of goggles off its face. "Hey, Damian."
Robin tightened his grip on his sword. "Bart."
"Man, I knew your dreams were gonna be messed up but I didn't think they were gonna be this bleak."
"My dreams?"
"Well, we're definitely not in one of mine." He took a look around. "Would it kill you to have some color? Or are you allergic or something?"
"What's going on, Bart?" He tightened his grip on his sword. "Why are you here?"
"Man, that hurts. Expecting someone else?" His grin turned lecherous. "Maybe Raven?"
"Leave her out of this."
Bart raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Okay, okay, whatever you say."
The speedster began to circle him. "Look, man, I know that you wanted to be appointed leader instead of Jaime. Everyone could see it. But obviously you're not ready. I mean even your own adopted brother didn't appoint you as leader."
"What's your point, Bart?"
"Why are you still here? In California. You've been part of the Titans for years. You're about not to be a teenager anymore. You're obviously not going to be the leader. Take the hint. Go back to Gotham."
"Why do you care?"
"Because it's just sad. Watching you linger around the Tower. It's time to grow up. Move on."
"That's rich. Coming from you."
Bart shrugged. "Truth hurts."
"But this is a dream."
"Doesn't mean it can't be true."
"Enough of this," Robin growled.
"If you say so," Bart said, popping his goggles back into places. "If you're sure about this."
Robin raised his sword.
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"Raven."
She fell back against the headboard with a groan. She felt someone grab her shoulder as she struggled to bring the world into focus. She found Damian still asleep in her lap.
"How long?" Her voice was raspy from disuse. "How long do I have left?"
"You've been out for a few hours."
"How long, Gar?" she snapped.
"Nineteen hours."
"Five hours already gone."
"Any luck?"
"He's still holding on. Still fighting it." She sighed. "Whatever it is."
"It's not too late to call for help, Raven."
She shook her head. "I can do this." She stroked Damian's forehead with a shaking hand. "We can do this."
"You need to eat, to drink." He pressed a cold glass into her hand. "Please drink."
"I need to get back."
"You will. After you have something to eat and drink. You're no good to him like this. You know I'm right." He squeezed her fingers around the glass.
She took a sip. At his pointed look, she took another drink. "Happy?"
"I will be when you've finished it." He rose from the edge of the bed and retrieved something from the nearby side table. "Sandwich."
"Gar."
"Eat the sandwich, finish the drink and I'll leave you alone. Promise."
She accepted the sandwich and took a bite. She was expecting tofu, not peanut butter and jelly. She took a drink before quickly finishing the snack under Gar's watchful gaze. She passed the empty plate and cup back to him.
"Thanks, Gar."
He squeezed her shoulder. "Good luck, Raven."
She settled back around Damian. She placed her hands back on his temples. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."
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Robin ignored the aching in his ribs as he continued to secure the unconscious Bart.
"Why would I think that he would last longer?" Robin looked up to see Wonder Girl a distance away. "Of course, this being Bart, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
Robin looked down to see that Bart had disappeared.
With a hand on his sword, Robin rose to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
"You're the great detective-in-training. Haven't you figured this out yet?"
"Enlighten me."
She shook her head. "Taking the easy way out?
"You seem to have all of the answers. Surely you're willing to share."
"You're so eager to prove yourself our leader." She unclipped her lasso. "Do it."
