Trust... [A Robin Love Story]

Chapter 14: The Past...

Author's P.O.V

Today was... quiet.

Krystal had spent the whole morning reading one of the books that Raven had lent her in her room while listening to music from the small radio that Cyborg had lent her the other day. She looked out her window and saw the town, it looked like it was floating on the sea. She remembered when she was much younger when her mother would talk her down to the coast and they would let the waves wash over their feet while Slade was watching over them from behind.

"Mommy, if I'm a bag girl, will the sea swallow me up?" Asked young little Krystal.

"Where did you get that idea, sweet heart?" Her mother asked with a face of concern.

"Daddy said so..." She mumbled as she fiddled with her fingers. Her mother showed a sad smile as she crouched down to her level and looked at her in the eyes.

"Your actions do not always define who you are. Sometimes, you will be forced to do something you don't want to do, but that will be your choice. Just remember to be ready for whatever consequence that comes with the choice you make, may that be good or bad." She said while brushing away the stray hair that fell on her face.

"I love you mommy!" Little Krystal exclaimed as she jumped into her mother's arms into a big bear hug. Krystal's heart cringed in pain as the memories started flooding back. Despite all the wonderful memories she shared with her mother, she still had come to develop a strange phobia of the ocean. A few months after that day, Krystal had begun to notice the father that she had come to know and love had begun to change. He had begun to isolate himself from reality and his experiments would sometimes backfire and the most severe injury he got was half of his face getting scolded from trying to develop his own version of a corrosive to melt locks. From that point on, he had started wearing a mask and that was also around the time where Slade had begun beating Krystal at his own whim. A little after this, he had begun training her and getting her into shape. Her mother would spend most nights treating the cuts, bruises and broken bones that she had and have actually tried reporting it to the police for child abuse but the one who ended up in jail was her. Krystal cried in her room at night and would sneak out when she gets the chance so that she could see her mother in prison.

"Dad, aren't you going to go see mom?" Krystal asked with her knees trembled as she stood behind Slade as he worked on his computer.

"You are late for your training." He said simply before shutting off his computer and standing up.

"But mom-"

"Your training." Slade said as he put a heavy hand on her shoulder. Krystal's trembling knees finally shut up because she was paralyzed in fear. He squeezed her shoulder and color fled from her face.

A tear fell from her eye which she quickly wiped away as she closed the book that she was reading and threw the pillow that was now making her back uncomfortable. The orange rays of sun shone through her window and made her room dimly bright. Her tears continued to fall and her chest was getting heavy. He tilted her head up and took a glance around her room. The design was simplistic and was designed with the new memories she's made with the Teen Titans in the short period she's lived here. Lights hung over her the headboard, with pink streamers that hung from the walls, courtesy of Starfire. An old gaming console, from Beast Boy, fancy candelabra from Raven, a PC from Cyborg and a bookshelf full of books from Robin. She stood in the middle of the room with her thoughts clouded. Her breathing was labored as she clutched at her head then ripped out the streamers. A scream of agony left her mouth as she ripped out everything from it's place. Tears continued to run down her face as she tore off the pictures that hung on the wall, threw out the clothes that she had in her closet and pushed over the bookshelf, disheveling all the books from their place. Her room was just as messy as her mind was as she looked around the turmoil that she caused in her room and the last rays of sunrise left her room dark, at least the darkness, the messiness of her room won't add to the clutter of her mental state. She slumped up against the wall and took a seat on the floor as she almost rips out her hair in frustration. She brought her knees up to her chin and continued to sob as she let her pupils adjust to the lack of light in her room. The wind from the open window blew a picture to her ankle. She held it in her hand and took a peek through her messy hair to see that it was a picture of her and the team on their first pizza party. Cyborg was cramming his face full of pizza while Beast Boy was in the background, yelling at him to try tofu pizzas. Robin was holding Raven into the picture While Starfire was holding up the camera and got the picture just as the right moment with Krystal in mid laugh. Her memories of that night started flooding back and caused her mind to go blank.

"Krystal, food's on the table if you want to eat." Raven said through the door.

"Yeah, I'm coming." Krystal said casually as she could as she crumpled the picture in her hand.