RAVEN
I awake from the comatose Slade had put me in. After his message, I tried to attack. Tried. He threw me, threw rocks on me. My sight regains light and I push myself up. My magic is weak and unusable. Rain beats down heavily from a hole in the wall to the outside world. A cold wind dances through the room from the rain. I stand on my two feet, looking around the dimly lit room. Robin lies on a pile of rocks, barely breathing.
I run to Robin, checking his pulse. His pulse is low, barely even allowing the circulation of blood. His skin, cold and blue. He's dying. Robin jolts quickly, causing him to hit his head on a rock. His pulse rises then drops immediately.
Robin. You cannot die. I won't let you.
I press my hand onto his chest and then onto his head. I focus my breathing, trying to relax my own anxious pulse. I focus, trying to go into his mind, trying to revive his energy with mine. My magic is weak, but just enough.
Images.
His childhood. He was an acrobat. Performed with his family.
His school. He was a star athlete, and a star martial artist.
His parents. Loving and caring. Suffered from a death of falling during trapeze act.
His relationships. With Beast Boy, Starfire and Cyborg. A family.
His mentor. Slade. He pushed Robin. Destroyed him. Forced him to join the side of evil. Slade created Robin into Red X. Oppressed Robin into thinking he was worthless. Made Robin suffer with beatings and verbal taunting. Took every last shred of young Robin and tore him into slivers. Scars that will never heal.
Images slide through my mind as I connect with Robin. I look into his mind, see his past. I know I am invading, I know that he will hate me for this, but I cannot let him die.
Another image of Slade and another. Several pop up. Several voices of Slade.
Worthless.
They'll hate you.
You are no hero.
You are just a fucked up kid.
Disappointment.
Crying makes you weak.
I should beat you unconscious.
You're no leader. Nor will you ever be.
I cringe at the sound of his voice, at the meaning of his words. I feel the pain Robin is in, I absorb his pain and I alieve him from it. I have one last look at the vision of Slade before he vanishes.
Taking my hand away, I look at Robin. His spikey black hair and masked face, almost makes him seem like a child. I monitor his breathing, a steady pace now, and a stronger pulse. I stand up, falling against the wall slightly. Weak as ever, Raven, weak as ever.
I sound comes from Robin's communicator. I reach down and grab the communicator from his belt, flicking the screen up. Cyborg comes onto the screen, his face going from worried to relieve.
"Oh thank heavens you are okay!" Cyborg says with liberation. "We didn't know what happened and Robin wasn't picking up his communicator. We all went to search for you in the city, but no sign! Thank god you are okay! Where's Robin?"
"Injured, but I'll bring him to the Tower," I say, looking down at Robin. Peaceful Robin.
"I'll prepare my medical equipment," Cyborg announces, closing the communicator. I close the communicator and look back to Robin.
A few minutes of sitting in the dark, with only the light of the rain.
Robin begins to blink, his eyes looking up at the cracked ceiling.
"R-raven?" he weakly asks. I bend down to him.
"It's okay," I reassure. Something snaps in him and alert drives him awake.
"Where's Slade?" Robin asks, trying to get up quickly, but I wrap my arms around him to keep him stable.
"Gone," I say. His face drops immediately.
"We need to go after him," Robin orders.
"Robin, I'm getting you back," I say. "You are injured."
"I'm fine," he ushers.
"Robin, fighting weak will do nothing," I try to persuade. "Fight strong and more will be accomplished. Fighting without strength is tedious."
He considers my proposition. "Let's go," he says, trying to get up, but falling once again. I catch him on my shoulder, giving him support. I lead him out into the rain and around the corner of the vacant hospital.
I see his red motorcycle still in the parking lot. I lean him against a post just until I find the helmets to his bike.
"I can drive," he says.
"No," I reject stubbornly.
"Raven, I know how to drive this, you do not, please let me drive," he begs. I don't say anything, making a mental note to learn how to drive a motorcycle. I straddle the seat and allow him get on. He leans onto the handle of the cycle and waits for me to put on a red helmet. Revving the engine, Robin makes a start out of the parking lot. "Raven, you need to hold tighter or you will fall."
I let my arms slide around his waist, holding onto the little fear I have left. He revs the engine again and veers onto the street. The rain beats harder and harder.
Slade. Slade. Need to find Slade. Robin's inner voice hammers into my brain. He better not think to leave and run off to find Slade in his current condition.
No, Robin, you are not going after Slade. I push forcibly into his skull. His body stiffens against me.
Raven? I'm going crazy. I'm insane. His inner-voice says anxiously.
No, Robin, you are not insane. Confession time. I tapped into your mind to relieve you from Slade. You were killing yourself because of him. I'm sorry.
Robin stops the bike on the side of the road. Rain beats down heavily, soaking both of us in our uniforms. My hands unwrap from his body quickly. He steps off the bike. I swing one leg over to look at Robin standing over me. I cannot see his reaction because of his helmet, but my fingers are crossed for him not to be mad.
"Why did you save me?" he asks. His words are a surprise, but not out of context.
"I need you to stay alive," I admit. He leans in a little. "I need you to stay alive because without you, I would not be who I am. I would be weak and homeless. You gave me a home, Robin, and I couldn't watch you die because of me. Slade was killing you from the inside out. I connected my mind with yours to stop his pain."
"You used magic on me?" his tone seems a little harsh.
"I'm sorry."
"Slade is my enemy, why did he attack you?" Robin asks a little more forcefully. Maybe he doesn't remember what just happened. Maybe he doesn't remember Slade talking to me.
"I don't know," I admit. I truly don't know. His message: At sundown on the eve of the day marked, the world will end and you will be the cause of your friends' death and the death to the world, destroyer. Was the message linked with my father? Did my father send him as his slave? As his friend? I don't know anything.
"Better question, why won't you let me destroy him?"
"Robin, you are injured and need rest," I explain sincerely. "I tried to save you, I tried to make you alive again. I tried to destroy Slade from your mind."
He nods with suspicion. "Are you in my head now?"
"Sometimes. Anytime you mention Slade, I am."
"If you are in my head, can I go into yours?"
"Yes," I answer.
"How?"
"With extreme magical skills you have yet to learn," I say, trying to keep him far off my trail. I do not need him in my head. I do not need him to know who I am.
Time will come.
Time will come to when he knows who I am.
And after that time, he will hate me.
Robin will hate me.
YOU ARE READING
Freedom
Fanfiction"Do we have a deal?" A deal to be free. A deal to not be my father. To be myself. "Deal." Robin and Raven Fanfiction.