Chapter Text
The zeta-tube lit up with its familiar hum as Robin stepped into Mount Justice, the soft glow of the transporter fading behind him. He tugged at his gloves, rolling his shoulders to shake off the unease that had settled over him during their last mission.
“About time you showed up!” Wally called from the couch, his legs kicked up as he polished off a bowl of popcorn. “Thought maybe you got lost out there, Bird Brain.”
Robin smirked, slipping into his usual banter as he approached. “Nah, just trying to decide if it’s worth telling Batman that you almost face-planted into that explosive canister.”
Wally sat up, looking offended. “I had it under control!”
“You were screaming,” Artemis said dryly, walking in with Kaldur behind her. She plopped into one of the chairs, arms crossed but smiling slightly.
“Heroic screaming,” Wally argued, pointing a finger at her.
“Definitely heroic,” Robin deadpanned, dropping his holographic mission report onto the table.
The group chuckled, but Kaldur’s voice cut through the humor. “Robin, something seems to be troubling you.”
Robin hesitated, the faint smile fading behind his mask. “It’s… probably nothing. Just feels like we were being watched out there.”
That got their attention.
M’gann floated in from the kitchen, her hands still holding a tray of cookies. “Watched? Like by who?”
Robin shrugged, sitting on the edge of the table. “Not sure. But those mercenaries we fought—they weren’t normal. Too… coordinated. Like they were testing us.”
“They didn’t seem that organized to me,” Conner grumbled, leaning against the wall.
“Not how they fought,” Robin clarified. “How they reacted. They weren’t trying to win. They were trying to figure out how we work.”
“Okay, that’s creepy,” Wally said, his usual joking tone dropping as he exchanged a glance with M’gann.
“Yeah, creepy,” Artemis agreed, but her brow furrowed. “And come to think of it, they were really focused on you, Robin.”
Robin froze for a moment, but he quickly covered it with a laugh. “Please, everyone focuses on me. It’s the cape.”
“Don’t deflect,” Kaldur said firmly, stepping closer. “Artemis is right. They targeted you. Even the leader seemed more interested in engaging you than anyone else.”
“I thought it was weird, too,” M’gann added, her voice soft but worried. “They didn’t press as hard when you weren’t in their line of sight.”
Robin shrugged, trying to play it off. “I’m the smallest. They probably just thought I’d be the easiest to pick off.”
“No way,” Wally said, shaking his head. “They didn’t just target you—they watched you. Like, laser-focused.”
“And not for the first time,” Artemis said, glancing at Kaldur. “This isn’t the first mission where things seemed… off.”
Robin sighed, realizing he couldn’t brush it off. His gut was telling him something was wrong, and now it seemed like his team had noticed it, too.
“Okay, maybe it’s not nothing,” Robin admitted.
“Ya think?” Wally said, trying for humor but unable to hide his concern.
Later that night, the team gathered in the Mission Room, their earlier lightheartedness replaced by a shared unease. Kaldur had called for Batman, and now they waited for the Dark Knight to arrive.
“You think he’ll take us seriously?” Artemis asked, leaning against the table.
“If Robin’s feeling it, Bats will take it seriously,” Wally said confidently. “He always does.”
The zeta-tube lit up, and Batman stepped through, his cape billowing behind him. “You called,” he said simply, his eyes scanning the room and landing on Robin.
“It’s not just me,” Robin said quickly. “We all noticed something.”
Kaldur stepped forward, his expression grim. “The missions have become strange, Batman. The enemies we face seem more interested in studying us than defeating us. And the focus of their interest appears to be Robin.”
Batman’s eyes flicked to Robin, sharp and calculating. “Explain.”
Artemis spoke next. “They’re targeting him, but not in a ‘take-out-the-leader’ kind of way. It’s… personal. Like they’re testing him.”
“It’s happened on at least three missions,” M’gann added. “Even if they weren’t as obvious before, this time it was clear.”
Batman turned to Robin. “And you didn’t report this earlier?”
Robin folded his arms, his mask hiding his frustration. “I wasn’t sure. It felt like a gut thing at first. But now? They’re right. Someone’s watching us—and they’re watching me more than anyone else.”
The room fell silent as Batman considered their words. Finally, he nodded. “I’ll look into it. In the meantime, maintain standard protocols, but stay vigilant. Robin, you’ll stay close to the team on all missions. No exceptions.”
Robin opened his mouth to protest but stopped at the warning look Batman gave him.
“Understood,” Robin said quietly.
Batman gave a curt nod before stepping back into the zeta-tube and disappearing.
As the glow faded, Wally broke the silence. “Okay, so… creepy stalker confirmed?”
“Creepy stalker confirmed,” Artemis agreed grimly.
Robin tried to shake off the tension, standing up and flashing them a grin. “Relax, guys. If anyone’s gonna get stalked, it’s me. Who wouldn’t?”
The team groaned, but the laughter felt forced. They knew better than to push him when he deflected like that, but the unease lingered.
For the first time in a long while, they weren’t sure if Robin would always be okay.
Somewhere else…
The screen flickered with grainy footage of the day’s mission. The figure in the chair leaned forward, his single eye watching the boy with a predator’s patience.
Agile. Clever. Defiant.
“You’ll do nicely,” Deathstroke murmured, his voice dark and amused.
The screen went black as he stood, his armor gleaming in the dim light.
The hunt had begun.