The four Titans rushed downtown to Jump City Hospital. As it was the middle of the night, the front entrance was closed, but the emergency entrance was open.

"Oh! The Teen Titans, hello again!" Said the nurse behind the counter. "Mr. Rancid is out of surgery, and the police have sent an officer to watch him––"

"That's nice, but we're here for something else. Where are the labs where they do blood work?" Cyborg asked, rather impatiently.

"Uh, down the left, you'll see a sign. No one is in to draw blood––"

"Is the unit open?"

"I can page a Doctor to meet you there…" She trailed off, going to the phone. Who was she to question the teen superheroes?

They didn't stick around for her response, just followed the signs like she said.

"So our man was talking in song titles? Why?"

"I believe in the last video we saw, one of the men that were escorting him asked what he was doing with the head of a Slade-bot. I do not believe that was Robin, but that would have been the same camera, would it not?"

"And Robin probably thought if it could work, someone would be watching," mused Raven.

"He was trying not to get caught leaking info, or having his cover blown," Cyborg finished.

They reached the labs just as a doctor was keying the door. "Ah, there you are! What business do you have in the labs? Can I help you––"

"We aren't sure," Raven said, moving past him. "We're looking for something."

"Okay," said Beast Boy, looking at his notes. "Last Flowers for the Hospital, check. We Suck Young Blood, check. Now we're looking for Fake Plastic Trees and/or a ladder."

"I see many fake plants," Starfire said as she went to each, and looked in and around them.

"I don't see any ladders though," Cyborg looked around.

"Hmm," Raven looked up to a ledge above the waiting room. "But, if you were unable to fly, wouldn't you need a ladder to get to that fake plastic tree?"

The team all looked up and saw what she meant.

Starfire flew up and looked, parting the branches, moving the pot around, and then she saw it, under the pot. A file folder.

"Could this be it?"

They opened it up while the doctor waited by the door. The many documents spread out on the counter, and they examined them together.

"Project: Duality," Raven read aloud from a pamphlet. "A revolutionary treatment for young men suffering with chronic hospitalization for mental disorders. Join our program for a fast track to your better self. Volunteers requested for experimental treatment, no booking fee, treatment absolutely free to patients. Spots are filling up quick!"

"Dear Robin," Cyborg read from a piece of paper.

I'm sending you this email in regards to my son, Darren West. He has schizophrenia. He was recently a psychiatric patient at Jump City Hospital. We heard about a program called 'Project: Duality' that promises treatment for low income families. When we interviewed with the psychiatrist, Dr. Jack White, he denied us outright, even though my son is exactly the kind of patient Dr. White is looking for. While visiting my son one day, Darren revealed he talked to some of the other candidates to find out if they got accepted. Every one that did is an orphan.

Perhaps this means nothing. Perhaps Dr. White simply thought that because Darren has a family, he was more privileged than others. But I would not be doing my due diligence as a mother if I didn't reach out to you. I find it suspicious. Any other information you need for your investigation, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Angel West

"Well, here's the tip off."

"These look like applications," Starfire showed the files she and Beast Boy were looking at. "They have names and patient numbers…" she gasped. "Look at this one!"

The young man's portrait was on the top, black hair in two spit curls, blue eyes, and a simple smile.

"Name: Richard Grayson, Age: 17, Patient #: 8! This must be him!" She kept reading over the file. "Patient shows great physical strength and quick wit. Status of parents: Deceased. Interview with Dr. Jack White shows severe undiagnosed depression and suicidal ideation. Treatment prospects are good, and the patient is approved for Project: Duality."

"Oh yeah, this has Slade written all over it," Beast Boy said, looking at the other files. "This one kind of looks like Black, right?"

The photo attached to the top was a dark haired boy with a bowl cut, nervous smile, and blue eyes.

"Name: Justin Krieger, Age: 17, Patient #: 2. Patient shows great physical strength, but a prolonged thought process. Status of parents: Deceased. Initial diagnosis: extreme schizophrenia. Believes his father was Ed Gien, a serial killer that skinned his victims to make various crafts from them. Seems rather proud of this fact. Treatment prospects are good, and the patient is approved for Project: Duality."

"Dude, they put someone with depression in treatment with a skin stealer?!"

"Excuse me," the doctor spoke up. "I'm trying not to eavesdrop, but I overheard you mention Project: Duality."

"What do you know about it?" Raven asked.

"Not a lot, honestly. I did hear about it from my colleagues in the psych ward though. Apparently, it was introduced by an adjunct psychiatrist, Dr. White, who was visiting from his psychiatric hospital. He got about twenty boys to volunteer for the project. One night, he escorted them all out to a van, and disappeared. When we went to the police, we found out there was no Dr. Jack White, there was no psych hospital, and none of the boys had any family to miss them. We're all very upset about it, but the board is choosing to keep it quiet."

"So this 'Doctor' just kidnaps twenty mentally ill teenagers and disappears off the face of the Earth?" Beast Boy shivered. "Sounds like the premise for a horror movie."

"It does, doesn't it?" The doctor blanched.

"Do you remember ever seeing this boy?" Raven held up Richard Grayson's application.

"No, sorry. I'm a cardiac doctor. But I bet I know someone who might! Are we all done in here?"

"Yes sir, lead the way," Cyborg said as Starfire and Beast Boy gathered all the notes.

He led them into the hospital and upstairs. When they were about to pass through some double doors, he warned, "please keep your voices down. Patients are trying to sleep."

Inside, they led down a long hallway of patient rooms. The lights were dim, and it was quiet. He led them to a desk where a nurse sat.

She looked up at his approach. "Oh! Doctor Collins," she said softly. "And…The Teen Titans? What's this about?"

"This is Susan, head nurse of the Psych unit. Ask her."

"Um," Starfire started, holding up Richard's file. "Have you seen this boy?"

"Oh!" She smiled at his photo. "Dickie Bird!" Then her smile faded as she looked over the application. "Is that…for Project: Duality?" Her voice warbled.

"Yes," said Raven.

Susan put a hand to her mouth as her eyes welled up with tears. She blinked them away. "Of course I know him. Dickie was what we call a candy striper. It's an old term for a volunteer. He um…" she sniffed, and wiped at her eye with a tissue. "He'd come here and volunteer on the weekends, the late night shift. He said he had experience from volunteering with his father at Arkham Asylum in Gotham. He was our best volunteer, and I kept trying to get him to come in more often because he just worked wonders with the patients. I had no idea he was suffering…" she put her head in her hands. "If I had known…and now…" she sighed. "I wondered what happened. He just…stopped coming in, months ago. I thought he got busy or it was something I did…"

"Please, Nurse Susan, do not blame yourself."

"Oh," Beast Boy dug around in the file for the application for Justin Krieger. "Does this guy look familiar?"

Her nose scrunched up in disgust. "Yes. I know him too. And…well, it's not his fault. He's not––" she realized it was another Project: Duality application and changed what she was going to say. "He was a very ill boy. When I heard of Project: Duality, I thought of him first. He needed treatment in a specialized facility, much more attention than we could give him here."

"And um…if he was ever out on the streets, unmedicated?"

She shook her head. "Never. His group home dropped him off here after what he did to…his sister." She winced. "I'm sorry, Titans. Heroes or not, I've said too much. Patient confidentiality."

"Even after death?"

"I'm afraid so."

The team shared a look, each asking the other, 'what now?'

"Thank you for your time, Susan," Raven said before departing.

As they walked back to the entrance, they pondered over what they had learned.

They never even knew Robin's real name.

And now they were going to go home, where the monster lived.

The monster that killed him.

—

Black arose with a shout. That damned place, those damned memories. Echoes of the most vile of humans.

Where he was cleft in two.

He panted, looking around the room. Soft bed, soft light from a little night light in the corner. Brown walls, clean and not stained with blood and filth.

Titans Tower. His home, for now. As long as he behaved.

He sat up, sitting at the edge of the bed, his head throbbing. It was all too vivid, all too real, all too––

He nearly flipped his mattress to get to his stash. The baggy was nearly empty. He'd have to find a way to get more. He promised no more wild stunts, but if he stayed away from the Titan's villains and went after petty criminals, they wouldn't be too mad, would they?

It would be a smaller dose than normal. Maybe half. The effects would be…less than ideal. He should have paid better attention, but he never could.

He laid there for a while, letting it work. Smoothing the edges, easing the pain, quieting the voices.

Then he dressed for the day and strolled out to meet his friends.

The four Titans were all awake, sitting around the table, each with mugs. Coffee presumably.

"SUP NERDS?" He bellowed as he entered.

They all looked at him, different expressions of disgust and fear on their faces.

"Okay, if it's about the bathroom, I can explain––"

Starfire was the first to fix her expression into something more friendly. After all, Black didn't remember who he was, or who he used to be. "We merely had a long night. Did you sleep well, friend?"

"Ah…I had some nightmares. That's pretty typical for me though. Can I have some coffee?"

"Knock yourself out," Cyborg threw a thumb over to the counter where the pot sat.

"Much obliged!" He poured his mug and took a seat with them. "So, pardners, I'm fixin' ta get out and visit some folks. Do one of you fellers or darlin's wanna give me a lift inta town?"

"You're not going anywhere," Raven said crossly.

"Yeah, Justin Krieger!"

Black squinted slightly. "Who?"

"That's you, dude! That's your name!"

He scratched his cheek. "I never pictured myself as a Justin…I'm more of an Antonio, don't you think?"

Beast Boy slapped the application down in front of him. "This is you, dude!"

Black rolled his eyes and picked up the application to better examine it.

The Titans all prepared to fight if this triggered his memory to return. But instead, Black squinted more. "No, that's not me, but he looks familiar. He looks––" his eyes blew wide open and his breath got caught in his throat. He suddenly felt very ill and faint.

He pushed away from the table, running from that image to the nearest trash can, where he vomited. Vomited out that last little bit of his stash.

"I don't want to see that face again," he said, darkly.

"So…maybe this isn't Black?" Beast Boy said after a moment. "But it has to be! Only one person survived!"

"I don't know where you all were, or where you got that picture, but that is a can of worms you don't want to open." Reality crept like writhing tentacles at the edge of his vision.

Damn, his headache was back.

"And what would that be, exactly?" Cyborg egged him on.

Nausea quaked through him again, but he looked back up at Cyborg. "Hell."

"We knew someone that went through it," Raven urged. "Project: Duality. That's where you lost your memories, isn't it?"

Black shook his head. He didn't have the stomach for this. He was too lucid for this. "Let me out of this damn tower."

"Not until you tell us what you know!"

Black swallowed, heat burning on his face and behind his eyes. "Fine." He started pacing back and forth, concentrating on those early memories. Those things that happened right after his birth. He gnashed his teeth as the poison burned his veins, as the laughter pelted against his psyche.

"I can't," he whispered, near breakdown. "I'm awake, and I don't want to be."

"What are you talking about?" Raven prodded. "Black, make some sense for once."

"No! No no no no no!" He started hitting himself in the face. "Go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep!"

"What is wrong? Is it…too painful?" Starfire asked, resting a hand on his clammy skin.

Her touch burned. Hot like the needles. Hot like the knives. He screamed. He screamed loud and unrestrained. He screamed like the Masters were watching and laughing. He screamed like he was fighting for his life.

"IT HURTS! MY FACE! IT HURTS!"

Raven set her mouth into a tight line. "He's having a traumatic flashback. I'm going to attempt to read his mind and see if I can glean anything from it."

"You sure that's a good idea?"

"No." She closed her eyes. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…" After only a second she startled back. "It's no use. He's…he's insane. There's no mind for me to grab onto!"

Black reached out, feeling his way around, gasping and sobbing all the way. "Cyborg! Cyborg please!"

Cyborg caught his hand. "What do you need?"

"Make it stop!" He cried. "Fentanyl! Morphine! I need an opioid!" He curled over as heat pulsed through his body. He'd burst into flames at any moment.

"Seriously dude?" Beast Boy asked. "All this drama for drugs?"

"We have a small amount of OxyContin for emergencies."

"What?!" Beast Boy cried. "You're going to indulge him?"

"He has an addiction! We cut him cold turkey, he could die!" Cyborg grabbed Black and threw him over his shoulder. "Come on, to the med bay with you."

Black continued to cry as Cyborg took him down the hall. He continued to spiral as they dropped him onto the bed. He continued to hear the laughter as they gave him the pill and he drank with shaking hands.

15 minutes later, he was down to hiccups. The burning subsided. The days in his cell faded.

"Feeling better?" Cyborg asked.

Black turned to him with a smile. "So much better, my foiled wrapped chocolate bar."

"I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that."

"Well, if you're feeling better, then we want answers," Raven demanded. "Tell us about Project: Duality."

Black stuck a pinky in his ear. "Look, it was an extremely painful experience. Why don't you ask me questions about it, and if I remember it, I'll tell you."

Raven frowned. "Fine. What do you know about Jack White?"

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"Do you know who led the project?"

"Nope."

"Do you know where it happened?"

"I think it was on the south side of town. I spend a lot of time there though."

"Face it Rae, he's clammed right up," Cyborg sighed.

"One more question, Black, and then I'll leave it for the day."

"Shoot."

"Do you know where they took the bodies of the people who died during the project?"

Black was quiet, gnawing on his tongue, then he begrudgingly answered, "I've already told you."

"What does that mean?" Asked Beast Boy.

"Can I go now?" Black asked, impatient. "I have some appointments to make."

"No," Raven stated. "You're a hazard. We have to keep you here."

Black jutted out his jaw. "How much OxyContin do you have left?"

"Enough for a few days. But don't worry. Now that we know you have a problem, we can help you get off of it."

Black gnawed on his lip. That wasn't good enough. He didn't have an addiction. It was worse than that.

"Please, Friend Black, do you wish to partake in the creation of Arts and Crafts with me?"

He perked up. "Oh boy! Do you have macaroni noodles?"

"Indeed!"

After he and Starfire left, Raven looked meaningfully at Beast Boy. "Can you translate the rest of Robin's videos?"

"I'll do my best."

—

Raven, Cyborg, and Beast Boy returned to the ops room and loaded up the three remaining messages.

"You can keep what you want. I want none of this. They're just bad memories I don't want."

"That one is 'I Want None of This.'"

"You possess me. You're there again, ahead of me and I won't let go. I won't let go. You're inside my head…inside my head…inside my head…inside my head."

"'Inside My Head', kinda obvious."

Then, they watched again as the boy they thought was Black crept across the floor, smiling in a horrible way. He poked Robin, curious.

"Don't touch him," Cyborg growled.

"I…I want his face."

Raven turned her face away. All that was important was the sounds. She didn't need to watch.

"I want the toys of other boys. I want a knife and a gun and things. But mom and dad will not give in…and I can't put the needle in."

Beast Boy frowned, taking out his ipod. "I don't know that one off the top of my head."

Raven ended the video, not wanting to watch more than she had too. Then both she and Cyborg watched Beast Boy as he scrolled through his song list.

"Wait, are these CDs out here?" Cyborg pointed to their media shelves.

"Oh, yeah, the band is Radiohead. This sounds like their earlier stuff."

Cyborg and Raven went to the shelves and found Robin's section, and then the band in question. Thankfully, the CDs all had the song listings on the back.

"I don't know if this is the right song, but there's one called 'Faithless Boy Wonder'," Raven pointed out.

"Let me listen," Beast Boy found the track, listened for a moment, then frowned. "Yeah, that's it."

"So, I want none of this inside my head, Faithless Boy Wonder? That's the message? What does it mean?" Cyborg asked.

"We know they were poisoning the patients, maybe that's what he was trying to say. And give us a reminder that he really is Robin."

"Makes the most sense. You ready for the next one, Beast Boy?"

"Yeah, hit me."

When the video started, they remembered how things changed. There were less boys, and they were sitting around, watching him. Listening to him.

"You follow me around. You follow me around."

"'Follow Me Around'. Luckily, some of these are easier to pick out than others."

In the video, one of the boys on the bed started coughing and crying.

Beast Boy whined. "Can we skip over this part? It was traumatic enough the first time."

Cyborg agreed and scrubbed the video forward.

"Even though I might, even though I try, I can't."

"The song is 'I Can't.' And I think it's the last one he sings in this one. So the message is 'Follow Me Around, I Can't.'"

"Easy," deduced Raven. "He can't investigate or communicate because he's being followed."

"So he just has to survive," Cyborg sighed. "And even then…"

"There's one more," Raven reminded.

"Isn't there two? Not including the one Gizmo's working on."

"I thought we established that the last one wasn't Robin."

"Would you like to hear my theory?" Raven asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes please."

"If Robin created this code made up of songs, and sung them on tape, I think he may have practiced. In that last video, a bunch of boys were gathered around to listen. I think he sang often. If he practiced the code in order enough times, the boy in the last video, Black or not, may have just repeated it after hearing it so many times."

"That's a nice theory, Raven, but I don't know," Cyborg shrugged.

"Let's decode this second to last one, and then we'll try that one and see if there's any message there."

When they started up the last video, they all grimaced as they remembered how it started. An empty room, covered in filth. Robin was sobbing.

This was the video where he—

"I don't know if I––"

"We must, Beast Boy," Raven insisted. "Robin took the time and effort to send us these messages, we have the obligation to find out what he was going to say."

"Can we stop before the ending?" He begged.

"Yes," said Cyborg. "I can't watch that again."

They pressed play, listening to their friend, their brother, weeping. They hadn't ever heard Robin cry. Shout, scream, yell, yes…but never weep.

"I will…Lay me down…In a bunker underground. I won't let this happen to my children…"

"Oh…" Beast Boy moaned. "This is 'I Will'."

They watched with disgust as the other boy pet Robin's head with his blood stained hands. Then Robin raised his head and looked at the camera.

"I wish I had seen his eyes before, and not like this," Cyborg lamented.

"Don't hurt me…don't hurt me…don't hurt me…don't hurt me."

Beast Boy sighed as he covered his face. "'Give Up The Ghost'."

"Every day every hour…I wish that I was bulletproof."

Cyborg stopped the video there, cutting off the attack at the end.

"'Bulletproof…I wish I was'."

"I will give up the ghost, Bulletproof…I wish I was?" Cyborg put together. "So…"

"He knew he was going to die. But he thought he was going to be shot."

"So this message was…wrong. Slightly wrong." Raven scowled. "Then we're back to nothing."

"Beast Boy, you want to rewatch the last one?"

"I don't need to. First song was 'Cotton-Eyed Joe', which isn't a Radiohead song anyways, so it breaks the code, and the second song is 'Karma Police'. I don't see any message. I thought maybe it would continue from the last one."

"Maybe it does," Cyborg poised. "We won't know until Gizmo recovers it."

"If he recovers it."

Hey! I'm going to try to share 70 blurbs from my WIPs and unfinished fics on Tumblr to celebrate reaching 70 posted fics! To help with this endeavor, please feel free to send me a word or a fandom you know I write for, and I'll share the blurb. IDK if I'll get 70 prompts, but let's try it! Send as many as you want!

My tumblr is P-Artsypants, link in my profile!