Chapter 9: Talking Big – Walking Out on Me
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Her emerald eyes were mystified by the red hoodie wearing teen; his appearance looking more a minor threat as the others, the Titans, took to checking for any damages left to the electronics and video store. ( Like a Best Buy.)
"They took a lot of loot. You, are you responsible for this, kid?"
"He looks to be in the "middle of being the caught " in the mess of those other children –
"Book em, Cy! My favorite game was out and they took the last copy!! DO YOU KNOW how long I've waited to play the sweet, glorious super monkey mash up brawl –
"Cool it, monkey boy." Raven, the goth of the group dryly reprimanded the green teen. Beasboy, and Dick really had to be careful with his whiny temper.
Starfire was too kind for her own good. Cyborg could be an asset too…as long as Slade was still interested on being on board. Dick wondered if the man had expected this. Semt a drone or a camera after him. Was it on his clothes?
"Hey!" Bb shot at the red headed kid. Dick pointed, turning to the side and trying to get up. He saw that the bruises hurt enough, so he faked really getting hurt. They'd find him still telling the truth. Slade had made Dick endure a lot of messes while they'd been in the manor so long together. Dick winced as Starfire flew over. Her scent was watermelon sweet as …for the first time, he felt outnumbered properly by her presence.
"He is injured. Must we leave him to the city authorities? Perhaps he would be of some assistance in revealing the location of the children who ruined this video shop?"
"I don't think –
"Cy. Book em." Bb said in a green mandrill body, his tail and fists moving with a snarl.
"I can see if he is lying, but he is still hurt. If we leave him, the system may help. Why were you here?" Raven tried to question, so Dick mimicked what he'd learned. "I stuck around and they left me to take the fall. I didn't have any other place to stay. I really just want to get something to eat, tell you the truth." Dick's stomach growled miraculously. Right on time, the team leader sighed. "We'll feed ya, but then you gotta start talking. Let's go out fir pizza. Raven? Tell the popo we got this one."
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"Come…on!!" Bb was dragging it on until they had Dick in the the famous " T" car. "He's a thief! You can't just be sweet to him and expect that he won't try to rob us!"
"I needed a place, and they offered if…" Dick sighed. "Forget it. I'm not worth the trouble-
"You most certainly are, mystery wanderer!" Starfide interjected as Bb was shoved into Raven. The goth tried to meditate it out on the way to the Tower. As soon as Dick entered, Raven and Bb got to work dragging his butt to an interrogation room. The walls were white, the sound? Not much but an echo.
"Ok, Mr. Runaway, tell us why you went and helped a bunch of thieves rob that particular store. Did they tell you anything else?"
Bb was shoved away from their as Raven growled at him. Her eyes from under her large hood looked vicious and mean.
Dick knew he'd have enemies. He was going to have a ton by the time he was done here. "Their leader was a go…girl, she wore goth clothes and was friendly with two other kids."
"Sounds like those three we were told about before. Cyborg, I could look into the evidence, if he's alright with my powers…"
"Rave…you gotta just take a step back."
Cy lectured her on being patient and Dick respected the cyborg's mettle. "OK, here is the conclusion; you are here because you may or may not know something about the real perps who took a lot of valuables and cash from Cook's today. If you fess up, we can lighten the sentence. Get you all cleaned up and send you back to wherever you haveta go."
"What if they come after me, if I tattle." Dick brought up to Cy, who knew the lid didn't want to end up in a ditch. Not as much as he wanted to help this kid find his family.
"We can offer some form of protection, but it won't be the full package." Raven recited the Titans cute bylaws to the runaway boy.
"That form you speak of shall not including the stalking or the violent arrests…. should you not allow us to take charge in this matter, diplomatically." Starfire pulled away as the others made her feel uncomfortable saying too much at once. "So, what's it gonna be, kid. We can do the rest, but you have gotta move us in the right direction. How about it."
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Dick told them about someplace by the end of the city, nothing much else. He told them about the claw machine and that they seemed nice before things changed…
And not drastically enough.
"What was your life like before coming to Jump City?" Bb seemed to warm up to the kid. He was bullied before; he knew how peer pressure worked. In a way, they all did.
"Your secret is safe with us. Or you need to tell the court about any a' this later. We won't press too much into you-
"Must he go in front of the big man and his gavel?? The justice will not be so forgiving as you said, Cyborg."
"Star, why are you so hung up on helping him?" Grumbled Bb . "Sure. Whatever - he fell in with the wrong crowd. This is how we tell of he'd rather be on the good guy's side or not. The judge is just, to make sure. He has to not break the law again." Snorted the morpher. "If he's not like the crazy kids who are still out there."
"We should keep him here, until the trial."
"THERE IS NO SUCH NEED!" Starfire protested. "He is only trying to find a home of his very own, so why must you all play the very mean bullies? Ooh, you are all just as my big sister!"
They all stayed quiet, then Dick put up a hand. It was time to take charge of his situation. "Robin." He said plainly to the group. "You can call me from now on, Robin. And I don't have anywhere to go back to."
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