Chapter Text
“Lets go home.”
Robin’s sentance was spoken like a command to the others - said with the harsh tone the other Titans associated with his stern leadership style.
But Raven caught the plea weaved between his words,
the melancholy energy that was pulsating around him, which was evidently missed by the others. Starfire clasped her hands loosely together and wore a weak smile, clearly still feeling the effects of the probes that weakened her.
To be honest, they all were. And externally it seemed Robin wasn’t sharing in thier aches and pains from the device, but Raven was sure that internally his suffering was the most severe of them all.
Then he turned, and stepped outside the collapsing building.
The change was instantaneous.
His sudden slumped shoulders and less than graceful steps ( which were very juxtaposed to the way he fought so methodically only moments before ) indicated that the “big bad bat” persona he’d put on while facing Slade was withering from him with each moment, leaving - at its core, a very shaken up teenager that looked simply lost.
Now his struggle was becoming more noticeable. Second to Raven to notice anything truly wrong was cyborg, who observed the way he had distanced himself from the group, trudging forward in what felt like his own personal bubble from the team. Beast boy was next, who glanced at Cy in both confusion and concern when Robin’s body began to sway.
Starfire may of been last to catch on, but she was certainly the first to rush to his aid. With one swift
‘woosh’ she found herself in a very close proximity facing him while flying backwards.
“Robin, are you alright ?” She asked, with thick worry weighing down her words.
Robin kept his eyes fixed on the floor, as if he couldn’t look at her, or maybe didn’t want to. For a while, there was no answer ( Raven could feel him trying to come up with one, but it was as if the disjointed words in his head couldn’t quite form a sentence that was worth leaving his lips. ) Starfire, being the persistent person she was, took a breath in to prepare herself to ask another question.
“I’m fine.”
Star breathed out. An answer, but a very vague one at that, it wouldn’t do for her.
“Robin, forgive me but you do not seem fine, if you are hurt we can be of assistan-”
Robin shook his head firmly, which even Raven would admit she couldn’t tell weather it was out of frustration or defence, maybe both ?
“I’m fine, let’s just go home.” The words from earlier, spoken once again like a command but now sounded noticeably more like a plea to the others.
Starfire continued to fly infront of him, watching his mannerisms. Her fingers twitched in response to how tightly his arms were wrapped around himself. Cyborg once told her that Robin liked crossing his arms all the time to seem more ‘tough’, but this was excessive. His grip was too strong, his arms were more stiff than relaxed. To her it looked more like he was hugging himself than doing the arm crossing Cyborg has spoken about. But that made no sense ? If Robin wanted a hug he could ask her for one - she’d be more than happy to oblige.
She also watched the way he was breathing. Earth people did not need to breathe so hard, and so frequently, right ? Was it normal for them to be getting faster and faster with each new breath ?
Further behind, The remaining three titans were quiet, moving sheepishly. Raven led the trio, seeming very concentrated on Robin.
“Dude, what’s wrong with Robin ?” Beast Boy whispered to Cy, in a tone that didn’t at all emulate his usually boisterous manner.
“I don’t know man, but I don’t like the way he’s swaying, looks like he’s about to topple.” He replied, sticking with the seriousness that BB had established.
And as if almost coincidentally, seconds after Cyborg finished speaking, Robin collapsed sideways, his body buckling in on itself and landing in a very sprawled heap on the floor.
“Robin !” Starfire gasped, immediately halting her flight and kneeling down by his side.
Raven was next to join her, throwing off her hood to get a better look at her friend. She also knelt down by Robin, placing a hand on his chest and closing her eyes. Cyborg and Beast boy were close behind, remaining in silence, waiting for Raven to say something.
“Raven, what has happened ?!” She shouted.
Raven quickly held up a finger to shush her, taking in a deep breath and attempting to calm herself. A couple moments later and she reopened her eyes.
“He’s unconscious.”
“Gee, thanks Raven.” Beast Boy replied sarcastically, which then resulted in getting a weak slap on the back of his head from Cy.
Raven breathed in again, “He’s unconscious because he’s exhausted, and plagued by something I don’t think ill be able to comprehend until he comes to.”
Starfire shook her head sadly. “I do not understand, why would Robin respond to my questioning if he was alright - if he really was not .” She looked down at him solemnly. “He would tell me if he was not okay.”
Raven knew she was trying to convince herself more than the others, but there was no use arguing about it now. It was more important to help Robin than to discuss his previous avoidance (though she knew it would inevitably be brought up later.)
“Starfire, can you carry him to the car ?” She requested.
Star nodded slowly and scooped him up in a wedding style hold, clutching him close to her body to keep him upright ( strange, he had never been this light to hold before, perhaps she had become stronger ? )
Robin groaned quietly as she lifted them both off of the ground and began her journey to the car which was luckily quite close to where they currently were.
Cyborg followed close behind, yelling something about needing to unlock the vehicle first.
Beast boy trailed along seeming mostly confused with the whole situation, however undoubtedly worried about his friend.
And Raven was still. She had turned to face the building they’d recused Robin from earlier. Staring at it intensely, searching for answers and reasons to why Robin was so disconnected from them all. It was obvious he’d been hurt, but if she was honest with herself she’d really expected him to be more angry than reserved. She thought they’d find him swinging for Slade like a bat out of hell, deliver a few quips about how he ‘won’t get away with what he’s done’ , then come home and half brood half vent to his friends about what occurred.
For the most part, it was true, they did find him in the midst of a fight, he did deliver his fancy quips, but when Slade had fully become shadow and that eye was no longer pearcing a menacing glare at him, Robin had shrunk into a character she wasn’t familiar with.
Well, now she had to just adapt. Now she had to learn about this new branch of Robins personality she was yet to know. Now she had to help.
But first, there was one primary objective.
“Let’s go home.” She whispered, before turning back and floating purposefully towards the car.