Yea yea I know... I know, right in the feels right? I'm sorry for the last chapter. Wait... no I'm not. =P

ANYWHO Thanks to Asilla and Phantom Trainer and JeromeHaddock15, your guys' reviews and whatnot keep me going, and keep me posting!

This is a bit more of a mellow chapter but it is needed. But no worries there is some fun and exciting action coming soon... .

Oh and by the way the Houthis are a real group in Yemen and they are considered a "Islamic religious-political-armed movement", and yes the whole death to everyone is their slogan. This is not meant to be mean in any way, but the point of bringing in an actual real part of what is happening in Yemen today *actually something that has been going on since the 90's* is part of what is making Robin think on the world around him. Why are these things happening around him? That sorta thing. Plus I just like bringing in current events every now and then to actually give it all a bit more realism or something... Besides they are simply just mentioned and not really part of the story. But yes go look them up, they are real.

Oh and by the way I'm also making this thing a proper cover picture... I believe I have the line work on my twitter, I go by the name Fangalang there. So if ya want to check that out, it's there.

But onwards with the story!

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It had been two days.

Two days since the fire. And nothing was the same since.

The fire as it scorched the sky still burned its way into his mind each night and left him feeling raw and brittle. He still couldn't believe it. Each day had felt like nothing had changed, until one remembered. Asif was gone, everyone in that damn hospital was gone.

They had asked around, and they soon found out it was an attack by the Houthis, a Islamic religious-political-armed movement, or so Sariel had called them. They were bad news and caused a lot of havoc. Their entire trademark was "The God is great, death to the US, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam". Robin shook his head. Why would anyone proclaim such a thing? It all sounded like something from Beast Boys action movies he had seen back home in the tower. Or something he had seen on the news in the morning. The idea of what was going on out here in Yemen, it was always something so distant. Something he would never have to deal with... until now. He couldn't understand how a group of people could hate so much. There wasn't any use in it. The world would turn with or without you. Regardless of your actions, time would move on and leave your husk behind.

The boy wonder groaned from the heat. His little room was like an oven, it almost felt as if he hasn't left it in weeks. But of course he had, to retrieve food and water, but that was about it. Sariel had closed herself off from the world and he simply waited for her to open up to him again. She needed time, he knew. And he would give it to her.

With nothing to do Robin contemplated on calling the Titans but thought against it. Again he felt that if he left now, he'd be abandoning something important. He didn't quite understand why, but after everything that had happened... After Asif... Robin stiffened at the thought. No, he wouldn't leave now. He to felt a pang of responsibility for Asif's death. He was put in the hospital because of him. Because he was reckless, because he momentarily lacked foresight, lacked in leadership skills. He was careless and Asif paid for it.

In the end Robin didn't know Asif all that well. But he knew his name, and that seemed to be enough in his eyes.

The chair he was sitting on creaked a little as he shuffled in the seat. Robin almost wanted to imagine himself back with the Titans... but he just couldn't. They seemed so distant now. He could clearly remember them all, their voices, their laughter. As crisp and clear as if they were standing next to him. But they weren't. He was alone here.

His room vacant, all but for his still figure sitting on that chair looking out the window. Contemplating the world. The fan was at the highest speed but it couldn't seem to cool him down. It wasn't quite useless however as the sound muffled a bit of the banter from outside. All he could think about was the fire, Sariels eyes that burned with anger and sorrow, and Sergeis words.

"War is a business."

Robin had to agree with that, The gun trafficking was evident enough.

"No matter how many lives it costs, the wars keep coming."

For the profit. Was it so simple? Did lives not matter out here?

"is it fair for them to give up their lives?"

Not it's not, it never was.

"There is no beat them up and win the day out here, you kill or be killed. Because your enemy simply doesn't care. War is not so 'different' as you would say boy, it's real, it's all around you, and it devours all that enter it."

There was always a choice to kill or not to kill? Wasn't there? Robin never wanted to hurt anyone, he never wanted to kill... but lives where taken for granted out here. Why was this place simply about survival? Did everyone have to stand on their own out here? Did Sariel speak the truth to him all those nights ago? Shaking his head he told himself he would not kill simply to justify the means of some broken unsaid laws of the desert.

"Then why did you leave all those people to rot and die back at the temple?" Robin jolt at the dark thought. It was almost as if someone had spoken to him, but it was his voice. However, he swore he heard it as a whisper that poured like honey into his ear.

Feeling a bit awkward, Robin picked himself up from the chair, gathered his things and decided to go for a walk to loosen up.

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Slade had seen the boy become distant over the past two days. At first he thought it concerning, but thought it better to leave it be. He would give Robin the space he needed to think. He had hoped that his words would settle into the boy. In reality he wanted Robin to soar above all this, but for now Slade knew he had to clip the birds wings to bring him crashing down into reality. When Robin was ready he would regrow those tattered wings and become stronger for it.

But as with all things, it took time, and a delicate hand.

The young man had exited the motel and taking the chance he called him over. He stifled a laugh when Robin frowned at him. But he walked towards the mastermind regardless. Today he would start to change Robins views on the world around him.

"Your friend is still not doing so well hrmmm?

Robin looked back to the motel. "Sariel hasn't really come out of her room. She must feel pretty bad about the whole ordeal." Robin lied, he knew she felt horrible about it, they talked for a little bit yesterday. She expressed that she felt she had to"chill out" to get her head back into the game and figure out what her next move was. And whatever that was, Robin was unsure if he was going to be involved or not. In some weird way he hoped that he was. He didn't know why exactly. Maybe he was just growing an attachment to the woman.

"I am sure with time she will get things in order." Sergei had put a reassuring hand on the boys shoulder. Robin didn't frown or narrow his eyes, the past couple days he has just seemingly been accepting the mans friendly gestures.

"So where are you going?"

"Just for a walk." Robin shrugged. There really wasn't much else to do other then visit the tiny markets, which he did yesterday.

Sergei smiled at the young man. "I found a few men in a courtyard near to here playing a game of horseshoes. Care to join me for a game?"

Robin wanted to say no, but with his ever growing suspicion he agreed to the game.

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Again.

And Again.

Robin never missed when throwing a bird-o-rang, but this, oh this he couldn't do at all. The premises was simple, toss the horseshoe at the metal stake in the ground. The horseshoe having to hit the stake itself. The more you could pile up around the stake the more points you gathered. He tried various ways of throwing the horseshoe, but to no avail...

Sergei was winning, Robin hadn't been able to get one damn horseshoe anywhere near the metal stake. He grunted at every throw and he couldn't find a way around it. This shouldn't be this hard.

"Have you ever even played this before boy?"

Robin shook his head. "Not since I was very young." He threw another and missed the target. He sighed, and walked over to other end to retrieve all the horseshoes. Was he loosing his touch?

"Let me show you the trick on how to do this, yes?"

Robin walked back and dumped all the metal horseshoes from where he originally had gotten them from. "Ok." he shrugged.

"Pick one up."

Robin did as he was instructed. "Now feel it's weight, feel where it is more heavy then the rest of the metal. It's that part you want to toss at the stake. The weight will guide it to it's target."

The middle was obviously the strongest part of the horseshoe. Robin brushed his fingers over the molded metal. "Now you want to gently toss it. This is more about accuracy and direction then strength or speed."

Robin nodded and began to line up the horseshoe with the metal stake, then with just enough strength but not to much, he tossed it. The boy wonder was surprised when it met the metal stake in the ground, the two pieces making a "clunk"sound.

"Hey, I did it." Robin smiled to himself. This felt like one of the first victories he's had in a long time. Even if it was something very simple.

"Ahhh see what one can do with a good teacher."

The smiled still graced Robins lips, but as he turned to Sergei it became more of a smirk. "Ok so another round?"

"Of course."

The two played a few more games before they simply started walking aimlessly around and talked for what seemed like hours. About everything and anything, the world, politics... At times they would agreed to disagree, and whenever they did disagree about something Robin would gain a monologue from the Russian. But it wasn't all that bad, the mans company wasn't so awkward as it had been in the past. He was still suspicious to be sure. But even if the man was Slade in disguise he could use this to his advantage. If Sergei was Slade he could uncover the villain, but if he was not then he somehow gained another interesting ally.

No matter which way it worked, he could benefit.

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Robin felt a little more rested that night when he returned back to the makeshift remnants of the motel. He had knocked on Sariels door, with no answer he slowly opened it. "You decent?" he asked. But no answer. The lights were all turned off, but as he looked around her room he found her sleeping. Robin smirked. Leaving her to her rest, he walked out of her room and closed the door gently behind him. Slowly he wandered down the hall and turned the corner to a longer hallway which held his and Sergei's rooms. The Russian and him parted ways some time ago. Sergei said he had some work to do before he came back to the motel. The mans room was at the end of the hallway. Robins in the middle, being closer to Sariels.

Upon entering his own room, he removed his boots and placed his knife on the nightstand, he briefly wondered why he kept taking the knife with him, but he guessed it was better kept on him then to have someone steal it or use it against him. Robin shrugged and allowed himself to melt into his bed, where he began to casually wonder about the Titans. The more he spent away from them, the more he missed his little group. But he didn't have time for them now. He would see them again... he kept telling himself that. A reassurance. He would. And hopefully sooner than later. But he knew he had to take care of all of this first. Whatever was going on, he felt like he needed to be involved. Although, he wasn't sure if he was going to like the road it was going to take him down.

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The Batman still didn't know where to look, he was still in the dark. But Slade knew that being the world's greatest detective he would figure things out eventually. According to Wintergreen however he hadn't left Gotham and the Titans hadn't seem to given any word to the rest of their honorary members that Robin wasn't dead, he was just missing. It seemed they wanted to keep this "in the family" as it were.

Slade shook his head. He had just gotten off of the phone with Wintergreen. Things were still going as planned. He still had time to do what he needed to do, and by the time Batman did find Robin. He wouldn't be the same young circus boy he knew all those years ago.

No Robin was already beginning to change, and soon enough there would be no going back for the boy.

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ANNNND that's a wrap for now.

Like I say there will be more action adventure soon. This chapter is just kinda mellow... and it's mean to be that way... yeeep... .;;;

Anywho please please review, let me know what you think!

Thank you guys!

-Fangs