Identity?

Chapter Eight

    I walked into the mission room to find Robin and Aqualad playing a holographic game of air hockey projected by the computer. Robin's arm snapped forward, and the puck zipped past Aqualad's hand and went straight into his goal. A loud buzz sounded and Robin gave that cocky smile of his.
    "Best of eleven?" Robin said, and Aqualad smirked.
    "Another time, Boy Wonder."
    "I'll play you, Birdy." I chimed in with a sly smile, and Robin laughed.
    "Alright, but I don't think it's a fair game."
    I scoffed. "Please. I used to kick my best friend's butt at this. Frankly, I'm underwhelmed."
    "No one's ever just whelmed, are they?" Robin inquired, and there was something cocky to his tone.
    "What is it with you and this whelmed thing?" Wally asked, walking in, munching on a plate of cookies.
    "Enough talk," I said, leaning forward and grabbing the transparent hockey paddle. "Game on, Birdy." Robin smiled, and flung his arm forward, shooting the puck in the direction of my goal. With a flick of my wrist, I quickly blocked it, and it shot straight into Robin's goal, a holographic blue number one appearing over my half of the table.
    "Beginner's luck," Robin said.
    "I ain't no beginner, Rob." I teased, and the puck appeared in front of me. I thrust it in guys direction, and he blocked it  it went fast and shot past my paddle, into my goal, a number one materializing above Robin's section. The game continued like that, each of us taking a shot after the other. The digital clock was ticking, fourteen seconds left. Robin and I were tied with eleven points each. Next goal would win the game.
   "Nervous, Mar-Mar?" Robin teased.
   "No, but you should be." I snapped my arm forward and sent the puck flying toward him. Robin quickly dodged it, sending it straight back. As I was about to make my shot, I started to feel my leg tremble, the muscles staining under the weight, aching and burning. I'd been standing for too long—pushing it too far, and I hadn't had any physical therapy yet.
    My leg buckled and I felt myself sinking toward the floor. I panicked, and started to grab for the air hockey table. Despite once being seemingly solid, my hand passed right through it and I was falling, my leg being the only thing bergen me and the floor. If—when— I landed wrong, it'd surely twist beneath my weight and the weak bones would snap without a doubt.
    Suddenly I saw a blur of red and black, and then there are a pair of arms holding me. I looked up and saw Robin's face.
    He'd caught me.
    A loud buzz filled the air, and my attention shifted to the floating air hockey table. The number above Robin's half of the table was flashing, a bright blue number twelve. The puck has went into my goal when I'd fallen.
    "I win." Robin said, flashing that crooked, boyish smile of his to me.