I4.6

Chapter 20: Worthy

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Adult themes. DO NOT read if you are underage or dislike controversial things.

Author's Note: Woo-hoo! 20 chapters deep. I had a bit of writer's block with this one, that's why I'm uploading it so late. I hope you enjoy, anyway!

Richard slowly chews as he studies the stiff stance of Alfred's back. The aging butler has always had near perfect posture, but there was something clearly tense about the set of his shoulders. The shiny bald spot at the back of his head has grown a bit more since the last time they saw each other. That was only last week. Richard wonders what is really troubling the normally gentle man. Could he be stressing himself out over nothing, like the mother hen he tends to be? Both men knew that the impending conversation with Bruce Wayne has the possibility to sour if father and son did not tread carefully. They are at a point in their familial relationship where they are redefining boundaries. Richard has been pushing for more independence and Bruce has been wary about granting it. These growing pains are normal, expected, even if they are happening within a multi-billionaire's home.

Richard is generally not the problem son. He usually leaves the wild child life up to Jason. He likes to think that he is far more mature than his younger "brother" because he is. At least Alfred doesn't have to bail him out of jail at least twice a year. No, Bruce's watchful eye is trained on Richard for entirely different reasons. He has a sneaking suspicion that it is because he has almost always been on the straight and narrow path. Now that he is starting to deviate from that route, their alarm bells have gone off. Richard was incredibly reckless when he sampled I4.6 without providing a justification to one or both men before consuming it. They probably wouldn't have stopped him if they knew that it was being done in a controlled environment for the sake of research. That would have been the rational thing to do, but he wasn't thinking rationally that night. Visions of how slick and pliant Rachel would feel beneath his capable hands had danced around his mind in the most vivid of ways. He had just wanted it to stop. That rabbit hole was too deep. Too frightening. It swallowed him whole and now he is committed.

He licks his lips at the memory of that particular fantasy. The lace, the choker, the position. It sends a shiver down his spine as he tightens his grip on his coffee mug. Those images that haunt him when he closes his eyes at night will become his reality sooner or later. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't becoming impatient. He's so close, but still feels so far from his ultimate goal. He knows that if he approaches her now, then she will run from him. Resent him for forcing his desires onto her, but she makes it so difficult each and every day. Having her within touching distance, hearing her gentle breath in moments of peace, feeling her warmth as she sits next to him with a book in her hands...she's skating on thin ice and doesn't even realize it. How easy would it be to snatch her up in his arms? To sneak in her room at night and just lay beside her? Run his hands along the contours of her back? Her ribs? Her breasts?

He feels his hands flex around the girth of his mug as he recalls how soft and compliant her flesh felt in his hands when they shared a hug yesterday. It took all the willpower that Richard could muster to keep his hands still on her upper back. They remembered how silky her skin is and the way her back curves into a narrow waist. His mind's eye supplies the memories of the bruising that blossomed across her back. Bruises that he put there during their last "sparring" match. It was really just an excuse to put his hands all over her. He was enraged at the thought of her turning to other people, especially men, to find companionship and furious at her for putting him in that predicament. He wanted to touch her to prove to himself that he could. He had wanted to punish her to make himself feel better. To return his sense of control in that moment. Now, he knows better. He won't be able to physically beat her into submission, so he'll have to make her come to him willingly. Just like she did yesterday. She stepped into his arms and he could feel her heart pulsing in his hands. Yes, an ambush is the only way this will work.

"Master Richard?" can faintly be heard in the distance. "Master Richard?"

Richard looks up at the older butler who is standing in front of him with a pot of freshly brewed gourmet coffee. He glances down at the dregs of his own beverage before looking back up.

"Master Richard," says Alfred, holding up the pot, "would you like another cup?"

"Uh...yea...sure. Thanks Alfred," Richard responds while holding up his mug. The butler proceeds to pour the hot liquid. Careful not to spill any on the eldest Robin.

"Penny for your thoughts, Master Richard," inquires the older man. Richard wonders at the absurdity of sharing his lewd thoughts about Rachel with the grandfather figure in his life. He chuckles at the idea.

"There isn't much to share. I feel like my brain is fried," he provides. It isn't far from the truth. He has been so obsessively thinking about Rachel that there has been little room in his head for much else.

"Oh? Has something been causing you much stress lately?" asks Alfred in a kind voice. Any other person would have been tempted to open up to the butler and share their woes. His voice can be both soothing and confidence inspiring, but Richard can feel his eyes narrow at the line of questioning. He's known Alfred long enough to know that he is fishing for information.

Richard replies, "Oh. You know the usual stuff. Constantly monitoring the crime rates, keeping the team dynamics balanced, making sure we're all in tip-top shape. You know...the usual."

"Of course, Master Richard…"

Richard cuts him off with "Please stop calling me 'master.' It's unsettling. I know it's customary, but it's just the two of us in here."

There is a moment of hesitation before he says "As you wish...but Richard, it hasn't been the 'usual' has it?"

They both know that he's referring to last night's breaking news. Richard had been exiting Starfire's room before the evening news started covering the scandalous pictures of he and Rachel. He didn't think that the reporters he had released the pictures to would have moved so quickly or thought it would be mainstream news worthy. He had assumed that it would just circulate in the tabloids for a bit before dying down.

"...it really hasn't been," is his slow reply. Richard is contemplating how much to say, "Last night's news came as such a shock to the team."

"And to you, Mas...Richard?" Alfred's eagle eyes are tracking his facial expressions. How could he forget that this old man is ex-black opts? He needs to tread even more carefully.

"To me?" he asks innocently, pretending to be dumbfound.

"Was it a shock to you?"

Richard is mindful to school his face into a surprised and concerned expression. Furrowing his brows and raising his shoulders. "Of course, Alfred! I don't even know where they got those pictures from."

The butler nods as he goes about tidying up the kitchen area. Pretending to be busy so that he can lull Richard into a false sense of security. Richard knows what he's trying to do and analyzes the older man with his eyes as he takes another sip of his coffee. Eventually, he asks "You know, Richard. Master Bruce told me that those images were not photo shopped. Is that true?"

"...that's right," is Richard's quiet reply. Alfred nods. At least he is being consistent with his story.

"Then...can I assume that you have feelings for Miss Rachel?" he asks making Richard jump a little. Miss Rachel. That means that he knows who she is and her connection to the Titans and him. There is no real reason for him to be surprised. For as long as he has known this family, Alfred has always had unfettered access to both the crime fighting and business sides of Wayne Enterprise. If Bruce knows, then it's safe to assume that Alfred knows.

Richard allows a deep sigh to escape him, "It's complicated, Alfred. She is my subordinate and my friend."

He speaks the truth. As much as he lusts after her and dreams about pressing her body into his lush mattress with his own, she is his teammate and someone that he dearly cares for.

"Feelings are hardly ever straight forward, Richard," supplies the butler, pulling him out of his own thoughts. "But, I'm sure you understand why Master Wayne would be concerned."

Richard decides to drop his guard a bit. "I know. Believe me, I know," he says as he props his head on his hand. Now is the time to earn some sympathy points from the man who has Bruce's ear. "I'm also concerned about it. Those pictures...those pictures are real, but that moment wasn't meant to see the light of day. It was my error in judgment."

He knows full well that this is only a half truth. Richard doesn't regret taking or releasing those pictures to the public. They are a necessary evil to begin the isolation process of Rachel Roth. It's been less than twenty-four hours and the amount of turmoil that it caused has placed an incredible amount of strain on the team's bonds. His only real regret is his own impatience in that moment. He was so desperate for her recognition of his feelings at that time that he almost dealt their relationship some serious damage. It was a learning experience and every good leader knows that they must learn from their mistakes. Going forward, he has to get her to come to him. Lay the honey trap and make her think that stepping into it was her idea. Allowing her to explain away his strange behavior was step one. Under normal circumstances, she probably would not have been so ready to look the other way, but she is feeling ostracized by a makeshift family that she thought would never turn against her. Now, she is clinging a little more closely to him than she did before and he's not complaining.

"Ahh…," Alfred's voice cuts through his thoughts, "the young are always so passionate. Bruce wasn't much different when he was your age."

Richard watches the old man shake his head at the memories playing within his mind. There was a rueful chuckle before he mutters to himself while wiping the counter, "He nearly destroyed himself for her…"

This is is news to him. The playboy billionaire, infamous womanizer, perpetual bachelor, Bruce Wayne, was once madly in love with a woman? Who would have known? He asks, "Who is 'her?""

His question pulls the aging butler from his thoughts and he looks up in mild surprise. "'Her' was an old flame of Master Wayne from his younger days. Before Batman. Before he left to train. I believe it was high school?" Alfred asks himself while holding his chin.

"Anyway, Master Wayne was so smitten with this young woman that he was sure he was going to marry her. I don't think she was very interested, but I'm not sure why. He used to ardently chase her around and she had accused him of stalking her at one point," Alfred continues, lost in his own thoughts, "That was a bit of an over exaggeration, if you ask me. He was just a school boy experiencing some puppy love. So what if he asked her to wear some of his mother's furs and take pictures? She should have been honored!"

This was all news to him, but Richard just had to ask, "Does she have dark hair and dark eyes? Medium height?"

Alfred's eyebrows rose in shock, "Yes...how did you know?"

It was just a hunch, but the majority of women that Bruce favors tend to look similar. Some would say that he has a type, but Richard thinks he has a complex. It didn't click until he finally saw a portrait of Bruce's family hidden in an old dusty wing of the mansion. His mother was very beautiful, even exotic looking, with her dark features and even darker wavy mane. She radiated a mysterious, yet alluring, feminine energy. Selina Kyle looks strikingly similar to Bruce's deceased mother. She, also, embodies that confident, self assured energy that can draw a man to his death with no regrets. Richard isn't saying that his father figure may be suffering from an Oedipus Complex, but the man is searching for his mother and a sense of family every where he looks. He craves the one thing money can't return to him, which is equal parts sad and disconcerting.

"It was a guess based on his history with women," Richard supplies with a shrug. Either the trusted butler missed this pattern or he was choosing to ignore this truth about his charge. It was an incredibly sad day when Richard realized that the two men that he looked up to the most were deeply flawed. That the care and support they poured into him had more to do with them attempting to heal their own wounds than because they were really invested into making him a better man. Bruce was trying to fix the poor orphan boy, who witnessed the death of his parents and Alfred was trying to redeem himself as a competent caretaker (his original charge is a vigilante crime fighter with commitment issues, after all). Richard doesn't have commitment issues and while he is traumatized by the murder of his parents, he no longer has nightmares about it. He convinces himself that he is doing just fine.

"Yes..well, I suppose that you do have a point," is Alfred's reply, "What I will say, Mas...I mean, Richard, is that you need to be careful. You have your whole life ahead of you. Getting tied up in one, less than desirable, woman would do you no good."

Less than desirable? What the fuck does that mean?

Richard can feel his brows bunch together and his lips turn downward, "What do you mean by 'undesirable?'"

He has to remind himself to keep his temper in check while he waits for the older man to respond. He had figured, based on Bruce's call last night, that he did not approve of those pictures and what it means for the relationship between the team's empath and leader. He had thought that most of their objections would be to the power imbalance between a subordinate and her superior. But then again, if that were the case, then they would have kicked up a fuss at the thought of Robin and Starfire becoming Robstar. No, this clearly ran deeper than just team dynamics.

"Master Wayne will explain it to you more clearly," says the butler. He is obviously trying to avoid explaining it to him. "If you are done with your meal, Master Richard, then Master Wayne will see you in his study. I trust that you know where it is."

Richard narrows his eyes at Alfred. He's sure that the older man thinks that he has Richard's best interest at heart, but he doesn't understand his intense desires. He doesn't know the lengths that the eldest Batboy is willing to go to in order to ensure that the demoness he just snubbed becomes his and his alone. In fact, he's certain the uptight Mr. Alfred Pennyworth would be horrified if he took a peek into Richard's thoughts and plans. However, he nods his head anyway. He has delayed the inevitable for long enough. Besides, he needs to get back to the Tower as soon as possible before Cyborg manages to mend his teammates' frayed emotions.

"I'll check in with you before I leave," he says to the Butler before he exits the kitchen.

"Please do, Master Richard. I'll be sure to pack the blueberry scones that you asked for," is Alfred's curt reply. He had defaulted back to his professional mode and Richard shakes his head to himself for he leaves.

Richard finds himself slow walking to Bruce's master study. Mildly surprised that this conversation is not happening in the bat cave. Doesn't really matter to him. It's drafty down there, anyway. In the mean time, Richard has to decide how he is going to approach his mentor. He mentally reviews what Bruce does know:

(1) He has drugged himself.

(2) He kept calling Rachel's name in his unconscious state.

(3)They know that Rachel is Raven.

(4) He has been using I4.6 on his teammates and providing the data points to the Enterprise.

(5) Salacious pictures of Rachel and himself have been released to the public.

(6) There is something suspicious about Richard's psychological evaluation.

Based on these points and the conversation that he just had with Alfred in the kitchen, both men believe that he has feelings for Rachel Roth. They are correct. The extent and depth of those feelings are still unknown to them. Hell, it's still unknown to Richard. Therefore, it's no longer worth denying that he does have feelings for the empath. What keeps nagging at the back of his mind, however, is the psych evaluation. He was confident that he covered all of his bases. He made sure to avoid trigger words/phrases and to keep his responses light. He was fully cooperative with Dr. Kettlebum knowing full well that she would break the patient/doctor confidentially pact. The Wayne name has that kind of power. So, what could have tipped off the good doctor?

Richard assertively knocks on the thick mahogany doors before him. They were meant to keep people from eavesdropping on the transactions happening within. He hears the door knob turning and someone struggling to pull the door from the other side. Richard decides to help by gently applying pressure so that it swings a little easier. He has an idea of who might be struggling with letting him in. Sure enough, the door opens and a little head of dark wavy hair peeks out. Large, strikingly green eyes turn up to meet his grayish blue ones. A toothy, boyish grin spreads across little Damien Wayne's face as he realizes that it's Richard on the other side. There is a high pitched squeal of "Dick!" before the boy launches himself into Richard's arms.

Richard greets him with an equally large smile and scoops up the younger boy. He hugs him tightly as Richard carries them both inside and shuts the heavy door behind him. As he is hugging the fruit of Bruce Wayne's drug induced night with Talia Al Ghul, his eyes are searching for the man who holds the power in this room. His eyes land on Bruce who is reviewing various documents on his desk; essentially ignoring the other two in the room. Richard finds himself tisking under his breath as he puts Damien down.

"Come look! Father says that I have gotten better at forming my letters," says the young-in as he takes Richard's hand and tugs him over to the conference table. There are various pages scattered about, but Damien is pointing to a sheet that he was clearly practicing on. Richard finds himself smiling at the shaky letters. The handwriting is very childlike, but legible.

"This is very good, Damien. You've gotten better since the last time I saw you," he compliments with a friendly pat on the head.

He smugly crosses his arms and says "Of course I've gotten better. I can read and write in my mother's tongue. It's only a matter of time before I master my father's."

Damien is the only child that Richard knows who speaks in complete sentences and with such complex sentence structure. He has no doubt that Bruce's son will thrive, especially since he'll have the best tutors and schools that money can buy. Richard finds himself wondering what an interaction between Damien and Rachel would be like. Two know it alls in one room. Let the comedy ensue.

"Damien. Go find Alfred and tell him that you're done with the practice lessons he has given you." Bruce's voice cuts through the room. It was a directive that the youngest member of the room knows not to argue with.

"Yes, father, but I will be back," he replies with scrunched eyebrows. He is clearly not pleased that he is being shooed out the room so that the grown ups can talk.

Richard gently puts his hand on top of his shoulder and says with a warm smile, "This isn't a social call, buddy. I'm here on business, but I promise that I'll come visit you another time. We'll play a game or something."

"A game! Who has time to play games? We must train so that we can become stronger," Damien responds with gusto. His small hands are balled up into fists. He's not wrong. With parents like Bruce and Talia, there's plenty of raw talent pent up in his small body. Richard follows him to the door and opens it for him before crouching down to his level.

"Good point. When I come to visit you, we will train from start to finish. The loser buys the winner ice cream. Sound fair?" he asks. The little boy's face lights up again and he enthusiastically agrees. Richard watches as he marches himself down the hallway before stepping back into the room and closing the door behind him. Somehow, the room now feels oppressive, but Richard must face this head on.

He walks up to Bruce's desk and tries to swallow his nervousness. He patiently waits for his mentor to address him. He wants to break the silence first, but decides against it. Let Bruce set the tone for this meeting. Eventually, the older man looks up from his documents and gives Richard a once over.

"You seem to be doing well," he remarks as he takes in Richard's stature and clothing. He looks well rested and put together in his biker outfit.

"Am I not supposed to be?" Richard inquires with a slight edge to his voice.

"I assumed you'd appear more...frazzled? Sickly? Disturbed? You did, willingly, ingest an experimental drug," is his steady reply.

"I'm not a drug addict. It was a one time thing," Richard responds defensively, "I just wanted to see what I4.6 could do to a human test subject."

"That curiosity could have killed you, Dick," Bruce grounds out, "That was reckless and you know it. There's something deeper going on here. Someone doesn't just take drugs for shits and giggles. That's why I had you do this psych evaluation."

He waves a manila folder around before slamming it on the desk and Richard flinches.

"Did Dr. Kettlebum find anything disturbing in my review?" he asks his mentor. Richard is trying to remember the interaction that he had with the doctor, but can't think of anything that stands out.

"That's the problem, Dick," Bruce says, "your eval is a little too normal."

A frown pulls at both men's faces for different reasons. Richard is highly confused, "Isn't that a good thing? It means that I have adjusted well to the life of a crime fighter and leader."

"No. It means that you've learned how to game the system," Bruce replies. "I know and you know that you're very well informed about what medical professionals and body language experts look for in a person they're interviewing. Both Kettlebum and myself find is highly suspicious that you showed no signs of high stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, or any other of the common ailments that plague people who fight crime for a living. It's a high stress job...or have you not been taking your job seriously?"

That accusation prickles Richard's pride. "Of course I take my job seriously. It's reflected in my city's low crime rate. It's the lowest it's ever been in the last decade. Crime is far less frequent in my city than it is in Gotham! That's thanks to my team. We're a cohesive whole and we do our jobs well."

"Team," taunts Bruce, "funny you should mention them. Does your team know that you've been experimenting with an unverified drug? That you tried it on yourself? That you've tried it on one of them?"

Richard can feel his jaw tighten at the accusation his mentor is making. He can refute neither of those two things because they are true. But he does respond with gritted teeth, "You say that, but you didn't refuse the data that I provided you with."

"Ha! You know that the Enterprise will never turn away perfectly good research, even if we frown on how it was collected. My real question is what made you choose Beastboy?" asks Bruce. He is scrutinizing his mentee's body language. Richard is clearly tense. Even though he is standing rigidly tall, his shoulders are hunched as those he is trying to protect himself. When he realizes what Bruce is doing, he forces his body to take on a more relaxed stance. He is careful to shift his eyes to his left, to indicate that he is remembering the reasons why he chose the changeling. He can't outright say it's because he was over stepping his boundaries with Rachel.

"Because Beastboy is the most dynamic member of our group," he says with a steady voice, "He has the ability to shift into many forms, change his bone structure, relocate his organs, etc. While my other teammates are powerful, their powers are more predictable."

Richard is mentally patting himself on the back for a job well done. It is a believable answer, but Bruce is still scrutinizing him. Taking in his posture and facial expressions. Richard takes care to keep himself as neutral as possible.

"And you're sure that this doesn't have to do with the witch on your team? Rumors have it that they are romantically involved," comes Bruce's even voice and searching eyes. Richard presses his lips together in a fine line.

"They are not romantically involved," he is sure to stress the not, "They are coworkers who happen to be close. Like every other member of my team. We live together, train together, work together. It only makes sense."

"Right...but Dick, do you normally hold Cyborg's hands like this?" asks Bruce as he throws down the pictures that Richard released to the public.

"Rachel and I have a special connection...," Richard starts to say before his mentor cuts him off.

"Oh, 'special connection' you say. Like the one you had with the other girl on your team? What's her name? Starfire?" he asks with an arched brow. Richard can feel the muscles in his jaw start to twitch with his frustration. He is not surprised by the line of questioning, but that doesn't mean that he is any less annoyed.

"I realized a long time ago that Starfire and I are not compatible so I didn't pursue a relationship with her," he bites out. "Things are different with Rachel."

"You're admitting that your relationship with this half demon isn't strictly professional," Bruce states. "Tell me Dick, how does she feel about you?"

This was the second time his mentor has thrown veiled barbs at his beloved. The terms witch and half demon aren't inaccurate, but the tone tells Richard everything he needs to know about how Bruce feels about Rachel. His next statement pains him a little to admit.

"I know for a fact that Rachel does not see me in a romantic light," he responds, "but even if she does, is there a particular reason why you would be against it? You didn't complain about my growing feelings for Starfire."

"I didn't say much about the alien because I knew that infatuation would fizzle out. You used to gush about her looks and how strong she is. That's when I realized that this admiration only went skin deep," Bruce responds. "This is different. You call this woman by her name. You're very secretive about the type of relationship you share, even though it sounds as though it's extremely one sided."

"So, you're concerned because I'm more protective of this relationship than I was with Star?" asks Richard.

"I'm more concerned because of what she is. Her father is a demon and unlike your alien, she can actually bring about the end of the world as we know it," Bruce claims with more urgency in his voice. This statement causes Richard to huff in little laughter.

"I'm more likely to destroy the world than she is," he says in jest but continues more seriously, "Rachel has a stronger sense of morality than anyone that I've ever met. That might be because she is what she is. She knows what she can do if she is not careful. She is ever mindful of that. She reminds me of Superman in that way."

"Be that as it may, her dark past and mental instability makes her easy prey for those who would take advantage of her," Bruce says as he lays back in his chair. Richard would never let it get to that. He would not willingly allow someone else to take her from him. He will keep her safe. With him. Always.

"We've been working on that and instilling a stronger sense of confidence in her," Richard retorts. "She is better than when we first met and she'll only get even stronger going forward."

"With you guidance, no?" he taunts. "What makes you think that you're capable of keeping her in check when you're experimenting with substances and drugging her teammates?"

Richard braces his hands on the heavy wooden desk before him and closes his eyes so he can take a deep breath before answering. "I am not experimenting with drugs. That was a one shot thing and I have no plans or desires to do it again. As for your other question, I'm the only one that is capable of taking care of her properly. She is closest to me. She talks to me. When she is in crisis, she comes to see me because I am her leader and I am her friend. I'm the only one who knows her well enough to help keep her in check."

"Do you, honestly, think that you're the only one who is worthy?"

"Yes." No hesitation. No doubt. No concern. Just conviction in that one word. Bruce finds himself frowning heavily at this admission. There is no talk of a support system in place for the empath. Just Richard and that line of thought is dangerous.

"This belief that you have makes you incredibly unfit," Bruce states in a level voice. Richard has to remind himself to keep his composure as he feels the vein in his temple begin to tick in time with his elevated pulse.

"If you continue to show signs of being unable to adequately lead the team," he continues in a level voice, "then I'll have to replace you as leader of the Titans."

"What?" Richard gives a little laugh. "You can't be serious. In all the years that I have been in command, I've rarely ever made mistakes. I've always been detailed oriented and data driven. There's not reason for you to replace me as head of the Titans."

"Yes, there is," Bruce replies. His even tone just infuriates Richard even more. "Within the last few weeks, your behaviors have been erratic, your choices have been questionable and your rationale, faulty. Again, if this pattern continues, then I will have no other choice but to make Cyborg the temporary leader. Possibly, indefinitely if you don't regain your good judgment."

"Should I stop my little experiments, then?" asks Richard with sarcasm in his voice. "We both know that you want the information about how I4.6 effects different types of super humans, but you condemn my actions. I should stop at just the one and begin to clear my good name, no?"

There is a pause as Bruce thinks over his answer. He is no stranger to shady business in order to accomplish a goal. While he refuses to kill someone, he has poisoned, beaten, drugged and threatened various criminals to get his way. Like Richard, he knows that intel is king.

"I'll leave that up to your discretion. I have provided I4.6 to you as a means of protection. What you do with it, is entirely your choice as the leader of the Titans," Bruce finally replies.

"Ha! How diplomatically convenient for you!" Richard says as he backs away from Bruce's desk. It's moments like this that scares him when he deals with his mentor. Adroit business man by day and merciless vigilante by night.

Richard follows with "I will continue to do what I think is best for all members of my team because as it still stands, the Titans are my team. I will also continue to do what I think is best for Rachel. She may not look at me as a love interest, but she is still someone that I care about."

His mentor slowly blinks at him before saying "I highly suggest that you do yourself a favor and create distance between you and the demon witch. She may looks pretty on the outside, but her origins are deeply embedded in her being. You should also break away from her while you still can before you get hurt."

But Richard knows the truth. It's too late for him to break away. He is as drawn to Rachel as Bruce is to women with darker, dangerous feminine energy. Like father, like son. At least, that's how the saying goes. Damien Wayne is living proof of that fetish. Before Richard can open his mouth and tell him that he is the last person who should be offering love advice, his communicator goes off. Both men look at each other and Richard hesitates to answer it.

"Go ahead. Your duty calls," come from the man who is still seated in his office chair. Richard complies because he has an idea of why his team is calling him. When he answers, Cyborg's frantic face shows up on his little screen.

"Robin! You need to come back to the Tower quickly! Something is wrong with Starfire!" he booms into the communicator.

"What happened to her?" he asks.

"She's lost her powers and she keeps complaining that her face feels numb!" he exclaims as he shakes his head in disbelief. "You need to get here. Now."

"I'm on my way," he says before disconnecting his communicator and turns to his mentor. Bruce has a contemplative look on his face. Thoughts, connections and possible hypothesis are running through his head a mile a minute.

Richard says, "I need to leave. We'll talk again another time."

Bruce nods his head and watches as Richard rushes out the door. When he is alone in his office, he mumbles to himself, "Isn't it strange that the first two test subjects also happen to be love interests?"

That was a struggle, but thanks for sticking it out with me this far! I appreciate all the support and reviews that you take the time to write. I didn't think I'd make it this far in this story. Until next chapter!