Little One, Little Danger
(The Revision)

Chapter 28:
Remnants of Hope

Robin opened his eyes to see the alarm clock on his nightstand that read 7:45am. He rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling above. There was this weird feeling inside of him that rose and made him uneasy. Perhaps it had something to do with the encounter they had with Mumbo the magician the night before. He had hired a group of thugs that were dressed in circus clown getups. The whole thing was a waste of their time, though, they did put up a good enough fight. Even tossing Raven off of the—
"Raven." He quickly sat himself up remembering that he wanted to take her some pain meds this morning. The boy got dressed and grabbed his mask that was resting on his dresser. He caught sight of his reflection in the small mirror that hung next to his bedroom door. Something…felt different. His reflection was the same as it always was but he could feel a change within him.

~o~

Robin stepped out of Raven's room after placing two aspirins on her dresser. Beastboy and Cyborg was making a commotion in the kitchen; another heated debate on what to serve for breakfast. Robin sighed as he headed there to sort things out between the two of them yet again. Once handled, he plopped down on the couch to watch television while Cyborg cooked breakfast for everyone, excluding BB who was going to prepare his own. Robin then got deja'vu type feeling like he's had this day before. Not only that, but for some reason he found himself very concerned about Raven's condition. The girl was strong and could take care of herself so why was he so worried? Could it be that he felt like it should've been him who was tossed off the roof instead of her because he was the team leader?

"Yo Robin!" Cyborg's call interrupted his thoughts and he informed him that he had a tray ready and prepared to be taken up to Raven.

~o~

Raven awoke and swiftly sat up in her bed. She lifted a hand to her head and could feel the throbbing headache she had. For a brief moment she questioned what happened last night but soon remembered their fight with Mumbo and his goons. They were dressed like…clowns? She noticed that she was alone, which is how she expected it to be. However, when she pulled back her bedcovers she saw that she had been changed into her pajamas. One of her eyes twitched hoping that it was Starfire's doing. Her room door suddenly opened, "By all means, come right on in Robin unannounced. It's not like I was getting dressed or anything." The sarcasm was not masked.

"H-How…" He chuckled nervously while stepping inside, "…s-sorry. I actually thought you'd still be—"

"Asleep?" Wait. Raven's mind trailed off. Haven't they done this before? She shook her head, "It's uh…it's fine." She sat at the edge of the bed.

"Not feeling the greatest huh."

"I have a—"

"Splitting headache." He nodded, "I'd rather that than—"

"Cuts and bruises?" What the heck? Were they finishing each other's sentences now?

Robin chuckled curiously, "Yeah. You aren't uh…reading my mind are you?"

"No I…" Was he reading hers? Raven shook the thought out and noticed the tray in his hands. Just as she opened her mouth to say something however.

"Breakfast for you." Robin shrugged, "Cyborg's idea. You know how he gets the following morning after a mission. Figured you be too out of it to make the trip down."

"By your cheerful attitude this morning, I assume we were victorious."

He placed the tray beside her, "No doubt about it heh. Though things got a bit hairy in the end though. You were—"

"Thrown off the roof."

"Yeah." He raised a brow, "But…how do you know? You were unconscious for the whole thing."

That's right…she was. So how…? Raven shook her head and the both of them suddenly felt this unfamiliar vibe between them. "I think I just need some rest."

"That's probably for the best." He chuckled nervously as he headed back to her door, but then remembered something.

"Thanks for the aspirin." Had she seen aspirin in her room? Sweat ran down both the backs of their necks as he chuckled nervously for the third time. He finally made his leave and Raven couldn't help the feeling of something being slightly off about their recent encounter.

{ }

Robin walked around the grocery store still trying to figure out why the entire day had been feeling like deja'vu. What took place yesterday and this morning; he just couldn't quite put his finger on it but something was amiss. Being lost in his thoughts, his basket soon collided with another's. "Sorry about that!"

"Oh! No worries!" It was a teenage girl with blonde hair, "Hey, aren't you one of the Teen Titans?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I'm Robin."

"Karen." She held out her hand to shake his, "Nice to meet you."

Robin hesitated at first but then shook her hand, her face familiar to him, "Have we…met, before?"

"I don't think so." She cocked her head to the side a bit confused but then smiled, "I think I'd remember meeting a cutie like you."

He blushed, "Right. Do you by any chance know where I can find the cereal?"

"Next aisle hero." The girl smiled before walking away with a wave.

{ }

Raven showered and dressed before heading out to the living room only to find the space decorated. Cyborg was goofing off with Beastboy while trying to explain something to Starfire. "Is it the birth of Tamaran already?"

Starfire turned to her in an instant with a smile, "Friend Raven!" She flew over to the girl and embraced her, "Yes, it is!"

"Hold up." Cyborg raised a brow, "How did you know? Don't tell me you have a Tamaranian calendar stashed somewhere?"

Raven shrugged, "Lucky guess." Her teammates begun to converse and Cyborg made a comment about Raven needing to get some more rest. Though she retorted in saying that she was fine enough to be out of bed. Several moments later, food dishes were set out and Cyborg turned the volume on the radio up to the highest frequency; it made Raven regret sticking around. Suddenly the front door opened, revealing Robin who was struggling with grocery bags. His teammates teased him as Raven assisted him with the use of her telekinesis in taking some of the bags off his hands.

"Thanks Raven."

"Don't mention it, grocery boy." The team roared in laughter as she smirked and Robin rolled his eyes.

Their leader soon noticed the decorations, "Birth of Tamaran?"

"Yes!" Starfire embraced him tightly and he could've sworn his ribs would be crushed if she hadn't released him soon after.

"Alright you two, break it up. It's party time!" Cyborg bobbed his head as he amplified the radio speakers with an invention of his and pushed them towards the area they made into a dance floor.

~o~

Some hours later…

The team were playing an almost innocent game of 'truth or dare' when Cyborg excused himself to the kitchen to refresh his drink. It was Robin's turn and their leader was daring Raven to do something. The doorbell rang and the chime triggered something in Robin's mind…the face of a little girl that sort of resembled him. They heard Cyborg call out that he'd answer the door but Robin's reflexes kicked in and he headed to the door in a hurry, nearly knocking Cyborg over. He got to the door and hesitated…what was wrong with him? Robin took a deep breath, closed his eyes and exhaled, not knowing what to expect on the other side of the door.

"Pizza delivery for a Mr. Cyborg." An acne faced teen who obviously worked at a pizza joint stood across from Robin with a dumb look on his face.

Robin's brow twitched, "Ugh…Cyborg, it's for you!" He walked away feeling disappointed and Cyborg crossed his path up to the delivery guy. Robin soon remembered that he had overheard Cyborg ordering a pizza about an hour ago. As he reentered the living room, he noticed that Raven was heading down the hall to her room.

~o~

1 hour later…

Robin sat at the top of the tower at its roof's edge, legs dangling over the side. He stepped away from the party to get some fresh air and calm the thoughts clouding his head. A feeling had come over him that he couldn't rid himself of it ever since the pizza was dropped off. The girl's face entered his thoughts again, this time with images of some events that he couldn't quite make out, but as he let himself dwell on them…they got clearer. "Didn't expect to find you up here."

Robin became startled and grabbed his chest, "R-Raven." He turned around to see her standing, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"A bit jumpy tonight aren't you?" She raised a brow.

"Just…" His heartbeat was finally starting to slow down, "…give me a moment." Raven stood there unimpressed and he soon got to his feet to face her. "Are you out here to get some fresh air too?"

"Negative." She folded her arms beneath her chest, "What's going on with you? I'm the one who's usually the first to bail out of the festivities."

Robin hunched his shoulders, "I just wanted some fresh air." He turned to look down at the city lights in the distance, "Nothing wrong with that right."

"No." Raven moved to stand beside him, "But just so we're clear, the title of loner belongs to me on this team. So, no switching roles."

Robin chuckled slightly to himself. Did she just really make a joke? He shifted his gaze to look at her out the corner of his eyes, noticing that her face held no kind of expression, same old Raven. They stood in a comfortable silence as the nightly wind blew over them, letting their capes dance gently with it. "So…you're okay?"

He turned to her, "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"You can just ASK me. Without telepathy."

Raven sighed and could feel herself grow a little uncomfortable and nervous, "Well…?"

"Yeah. I think I am anyway." He shrugged, "Nothing the fearless leader can't handle, right?"

"I can't tell you without knowing the issue."

He smiled softly, "I guess it's just one of those things every hero faces sooner or later." His softened tone really grasped her attention, her eyes shifting to look at him. "Like…what does ROBIN stand for? Who's Richard Dick Grayson beneath the mask?" The girl had to admit that she was pretty surprised to hear him say his real name aloud…in front of her. "Bruce he…he always said I would have to find out the answer to those questions for myself but…"

"They're YOU Robin." He turned to her but she simply shifted her gaze ahead again. "Sure, you live most of your life through the guise of Robin for the time being. That's because you haven't matured to the point of accepting Ric…erm…the person you are behind the mask yet." Robin narrowed his eyes at her, thinking that she was basically calling him immature. However, he couldn't argue with her statement…she was absolutely right. But he knew he didn't have to tell her that…she was already aware of that fact. "Who knows…" Raven shifted her eyes to meet his, "…maybe one day we'll all get to meet Dick Grayson."

Robin's heart ached at her use of his name, "Richard, would do just fine."

"No. I think Dick suits you much better."

"What?" He couldn't help but laugh, "Not cool Raven." After his laughter died down, they both looked back out at the view. "What about…Raiden?"

Raven raised a brow, "Want a name change?"

"No." He shook his head with a smile, "Was just thinking about names in general and…that one popped into my head."

She thought to herself, wondering if this was a test or if their team leader needed more fresh air than she thought. But what harm would it be in entertaining him a bit…at least it was Robin and not Beastboy. "Raiden's an odd, but okay name. Simple, delicate and maybe mysterious. Suited for a young girl, not you." Raven's heart skipped a beat from her response, but she shook the feeling off and decided that she was ready to retreat to her room. "Well, now that that's over with. I'm going to turn in for the night."

"Hey." Robin stopped her just as she turned to walk away, "You have a book signing you're going to in a few days right?"

Raven turned to him, "You know about that?"

"Saw the flyer on your dresser this morning when I dropped off the aspirin."

"Why are you asking about the book signing?"

"Want some company in going to that?"

Her brow twitched, "ME? Wanting company?"

Robin chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck, "I know it's farfetched but I'd like to join you, if you have no objections."

"YOU want to come to this book signing?"

"It IS your favorite author right?"

Raven folded her arms beneath her chest, "Yes. But you DO know what genre book it is."

"Y-Yeah, of course I do." Some kind of horror no doubt, "Nothing wrong with expanding one's horizons and getting into new things, even in literature. Especially if those things are what my teammates are interested in." His voice softened again with a smile to match.

The girl was slightly taken aback, though unreadable, "You're serious." Robin gave her a nod and she sighed, turning her head to the side but he could've sworn a small smile formed upon her lips. "Fine. Though, I doubt the others would want to join."

"Oh by all means, I wouldn't DARE put them through that. We'll count this as me, taking one for the team. Just you and me, how's that sound?" Robin walked up to her and stopped, a foot between the two of them. Raven couldn't mask the pink blush that lightly appeared on her cheeks.

"F-Fine. But if you end up getting cold feet and run off scared, I'm not affiliated with you." She turned to continue towards the entrance of the tower.

"I never get cold feet…often." He chuckled, "And you should smile more...Rachel." Raven stopped in her tracks but didn't turn to face him. "It really is…a beautiful sight to see." Another soft smile passed his lips and the girl still didn't turn around. However, even though he couldn't see it, a soft smile made its away across her lips as well before he entered back into the tower. Robin turned his attention back to the city, plopping himself back down to sit. He then laid back and let his gaze linger on the stars of the night sky before letting his eyes close.

"Daddy…"

~o~

{Flashback}

Raiden transferred her form into his thoughts before Robin blacked out. He was currently still his older self and she clung onto him. "Daddy…we'll be able to stop the submersion of the world but…there are some consequences that I'm sorry to tell you will follow." His memories of the time he and the team spent with her begun to play themselves out. "Daddy I'll…I'll be going away and initiating this countermeasure will turn back time…erasing every memory we created. It will be like I…*sniff*…never existed. Like we were never…*sniff*…a family." Raiden buried her head in his chest as he simply stroked her hair and reassured her that they'd never forget her. "There is one thing I can do…with the small fragment of what's left of my power, I can ensure that at least one of you can retain their memories. It has to be you. Mom's too weak to endure it and you'll be drifting off into darkness soon yourself." She lifted her head to lock with his gaze, "When you wake, it'll all come back to you. Just give it some time." The girl straightened herself and released him so she could levitate to his height. She leaned towards him to rest her forehead upon his, "Please, be strong and remember…I love you."

{end}

~o~

Robin slowly opened his eyes, removing his mask as the tears streamed down his face. He remembered. He remembered everything and the day's events finally all made sense to him. The boy couldn't help his lips from forming a smile that turned into laughter mixed with some minor sobbing. There was no way he could forget what happened and he wouldn't let himself. Even though he was the only one who knew…that was more than enough. He knew who he was and who we wanted to become. It would not be created in some lab or fabricated with experiments; he'd make the path to his future and he was going to do it his way. However, the first step would be surviving a horror book signing with Raven. Robin could feel a cold chill sweep over him causing goosebumps and he shivered. He stood and returned his mask to its rightful place upon his face after wiping away the tears. He turned to look at the entrance that led back into the tower, "Rachel Grayson." He chuckled as he moved forward, "It does have a ring to it, doesn't it."

{ }

[Tokyo, Japan]

A woman sat at a table alone in a café in the early hours of the morning. She was reading a novel on a tablet when the barista dropped off her order. She smiled at the young man and thanked him before picking up the mug and taking a sip as he went on his way. The taste reminded her of someone. Somehow it wasn't the drink that she ordered but it was made specifically to her taste just the way she liked it. There was only one person that could do such a thing.

"How is it?" A voice came from behind her.

The woman turned around, though wasn't prepared to come face to face with the man that stood, "B-Bruce?"

"Hello, Kida."

"How did you—?"

"Why don't we start by just taking a walk." He motioned for her to stand.

She turned away from him, "And why would I join you?"

"Kida…" He turned her face back towards him, "…please." She sighed and obliged before taking his hand so that he led them out of the café. The two walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. "You remember everything, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Everything was my doing to begin with. However,…" She grinned, "…how do YOU remember?"

Bruce shrugged, "Strong willed I suppose." She chuckled as she intertwined her fingers with his and he gently squeezed her hand. They continued their walk and had a way overdue chat that should've happened years ago.

{ End }