I am so looking forward to writing this season - seasons four and one are definitely my favourites. If anyone has any ideas, the plot isn't finalised so I'll take things into consideration.
I lean on the frame of Robin's bedroom door, watching silently as he packs his things. He begins by opening his wardrobe and pulling out a red backpack, before setting it on his bed softly.
His words echo through my mind, and I attempt to grasp one and make sense of it. "If you want to be the best, you will have to seek the True Master?" I repeat, dumbfounded.
"That's what Katarou said," Robin responds, pulling the devices out of his utility belt and laying them all on the bed next to his backpack.
"Have you considered that Katarou might be lying?" I question.
"Why would he be lying?"
"This True Master is in another country, at least," I point out, biting my lip as I pause. "With you out of the picture, just think of what he could get his hands on."
Robin hesitates as he places his birdarang in the red bag, only to continue with the action. "I'm going alone," he states nonchalantly, not even looking up as he speaks. "If Katarou attempts anything, you'll be here to stop him."
I ignore his comment and press on with my interrogation. "How long will you be gone for?" I query.
"I don't know."
The Boy Wonder's answer paralyses me momentarily. I blink several times, as if the action will allow me to comprehend what the masked Titan said. "You don't know?"
"I won't come back until I find the True Master. I can't."
I focus on changing my shocked expression to a more stern one. "Correction: you can, you just don't want to." Robin looks up at me and I walk over to him. "Look, Katarou beat you. Doesn't mean you get to just disappear."
Robin straps on his utility belt. "I should have beat him--after I find the True Master, I will." The leader's eyes narrow slightly in determination as he socks his fist into his palm.
"You fought Katarou by yourself, holding your own against someone at least twice your age," I remind him. "That's an impressive feat." I huff as I remember the Boy Wonder sneaking off in the middle of the night. "Next time, promise me you won't go alone."
"Next time, I'll beat him. It doesn't matter," Robin replies.
"It does," I counter. "You didn't tell any of us where you were going, what you were doing, not until it was too late." My words hang in the silence of the room, so I continue. "Promise me that next time, you'll at least find me first. We're a team for a reason."
Robin freezes before standing up, cradling a box in his hands. "Fine," he concedes. "But I'm still going to find the True Master."
In that moment, I realise that this is something that the Boy Wonder needs to do to get his confidence back, hopefully along with some added expertise. I look over my shoulder and fly Robin's communicator into my hands, before grabbing his hands and placing it in them, squeezing his hands tightly. "Try to come back as soon as you can."
Robin looks from our joined hands to me before grinning wildly. "Sure thing," he says, squeezing my hands back.
The sound of a throat being cleared from behind us jolts me around. "Did we come at a bad time?" Cyborg asks, and I intertwine my hands behind my back, a heavy blush creeping onto my cheeks. Cyborg removes his fist from in front of his mouth, standing at the back of the pack of four. His eyes catch the Boy Wonder's and they converse with their eyes alone, though I can't pick the emotions that either of them are reflecting.
"No," Robin replies in a tone that is slightly icy, for whatever reason. "What's up?"
"Robin, you are leaving us?" Starfire asks, eyeing the bag on his bed.
Robin turns back to the bed and places the box on it, pulling out more of his utilities. "I have to."
"Dude, you got your butt kicked," Beast Boy says, punching his hand with his fist to visualise his recollection of the previous night. "It happens."
"Happens to some of us more than others," Raven states, sending a pitiful glance Beast Boy's way.
The shapeshifter shrinks in his place before shaking his head, looking back at Robin. "Anyway, it doesn't mean you have to quit."
"Yes," Starfire agrees, walking up to Robin as he hauls the bag over his shoulder. "We will soon locate this Katarou... and then it will be you who is kicking the butt."
"I'm not quitting the team," Robin says bluntly. "But my fight with Katarou showed me how much I still have to learn about martial arts."
"No problem," Cyborg shoots. "I can help you train. I got a new computer-simulated fight sequence in the gym."
"I've already trained with the best, and apparently it wasn't enough," Robin walks past the four Titans to where I have moved myself to, once again leant on the door frame. He turns around to address the others. "There's only one person who can help me."
"You wish to learn from this True Master of whom the villain spoke?" Starfire confirms solemnly.
"I'm not coming back until I find him," Robin tells the alien princess reluctantly.
"WHAT?!?" Cyborg shouts, and I smirk at his reaction. "Aw, come on, man! How do you know this True Master is even a good guy? How are you gonna find him? Do you even know where you're going?"
Robin pauses after the mechanic teen's monologue, presumably to make sure that he's done before curtly replying, "I'm not sure."
"Sounds like a plan," Raven says sarcastically, and this time, I can't stop the amused sound from leaving my lips.
"Not a very good one."
Robin nudges me before turning back to Cyborg. "According to legend, the True Master lives in the mountains on the other side of the world, and can be found only by the most serious of students."
My eyes double in size at the mention of the other side of the world, but the other Titans don't seem particularly fazed by this fact. "I'm in!" Beast Boy calls. "When do we leave? What should I pack? Will I need shots? This is gonna be so cool!"
After Robin has recovered from the second line of questioning in under thirty seconds, his features pull into a frown. "I have to go alone." He turns around and makes for the door, but, in an attempt to try my luck one last time with new facts, I press my hand to the Boy Wonder's chest and stop him in his path.
"No, you don't," I say. "I'm coming with."
"No," Robin retorts, clearly angered with both my and the team's persistence. "If I'm going to find the True Master, I have to do it by myself."
"But what if something happens?" I argue. "What if—?"
"I can take care of myself," the masked leader insists.
"That's fine. I get that. But maybe I just want to make sure of it."
"I think I have the right to be more concerned about you than you about me," the black-haired teen spits, taking me aback. I raise a single eyebrow at him, and his expression falters slightly as he realises what he just said.
"What? Just because we don't have our all-powerful leader to guide us?" I snap. I eye Robin from head to toe, before scoffing. "We'll be fine." I turn around and stalk off, my hair hitting Robin on the cheek as I leave.
"That's not what I meant, Ember," Robin calls out. "Ember!" I hear his resigned sigh before another set of footsteps take off in the opposite direction, towards the main doors.
~~~
I sit on my bed, staring down at the communicator in my grimy hands. Part of me is tempted to turn the device on and scour the globe for Robin's location, but a voice of reason tells me that I need to trust Robin and let him go on this adventure, truly alone. Despite this, I can't shake the feeling that I wish he hadn't gone.
To block out future temptations, I stuff the communicator under my pillow and stand up, breathing a few times to level my head before opening the door and walking out. I look to my left and right, before walking towards not the kitchen and main room, but the room of the missing Boy Wonder.
I stare at the blank, grey door that separates me from Robin's room for what feels like an eternity before turning around, with my back pressing against it, and sinking to the floor, my knees pulled in to meet my chest. I do nothing but stare blankly at the floor, stuck in my own thoughts.
The first thing on the agenda that crosses my mind is my conflicting feelings for Robin. Whilst I can't help but admitting to myself that I do care for him a lot, the extent to which it is reciprocated is unclear to me. I've known Robin for longer than any of the other Titans, but occasionally he feels like a stranger to me, especially when Slade is involved.
Of course, Slade's not around anymore, so that doesn't really matter.
Then there's the issue of Robin with the other Titans, particularly Starfire. It's apparent that the alien princess cares for Robin a lot, but she cares for us all in that way—it's part of her alien culture and nature. My fingernails dig painfully into the flesh on my knees as I recall Robin's reaction to Starfire leaving us on Tamaran, and the ache that did and still does wound my heart when I think of it.
Despite this, I can't help but feel that the incident was just a display of Robin's protectiveness over his team. When Cyborg left us to lead the Titans East mere months ago, the Boy Wonder held the same reaction. If anything good came out of Brother Blood's attack and division of our team, as selfish as it sounds, it was that discovery.
But even if he doesn't care for Starfire in that special way, or Raven, for that matter, that doesn't mean he feels that way for me. We've been friends for the longest time, and all the times we've fought and clashed, even if we had the other's best interest in mind... I push the thought aside. We've always come back to each other, stronger than before. Why would that change?
I release my tight grip on my calfs as they begin to hurt, a purple and yellow flower blossoming on either leg. I adjust my seating position so that I am cross-legged, my face resting on my hands and my elbows resting on my inner thighs.
I can already tell that I'll miss the leader a lot—I already am. He's only been gone for a day, and I'm already resting against his door, staring into space and thinking about him like a pathetic mess. I can only imagine how awkward it would be if he came back right now to see me here.
When he comes back... I hope it's soon. I don't think myself nor the team could bear to be without him for long. We fall apart when anyone's gone, and to have our leader missing would be a disaster, I'm sure. But the faith he had instilled in me—in us—that we could defeat anyone to come our way should keep us going for a little while.
I hear someone rounding the corner and halt my train of thought as I stand up quickly and disappear down the other end of the hallway. I take a peek and see Beast Boy, imitating a ninja as he looks left and right. I duck back so that he doesn't see me, and when I look back, Robin's door is open and Beast Boy is gone.
I round the corner slowly before dashing to the still-open door to find the shapeshifter rummaging through Robin's wardrobe, pulling out one of the uniforms that has been shrunk due to the Boy Wonder's misuse of the washing machines. "Beast Boy!" I call out in a hushed whisper.
The boy jumps out of his skin, turning around and holding the uniform behind his back, as if I hadn't already seen it. "Uh... hey, Ember," he stutters, trying to seem innocent. "Wh—what are you doing here?"
"I heard Robin's door open and thought he was back," I lie. "What are you doing here?"
Beast Boy chuckles. "Right..." he drifts off, looking around for any chance to escape the situation. Eventually, he sighs and says, "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be Robin?"
My eyes widen to the size of planets in what could be nothing other than concern as I raise an eyebrow. "Not really."
"Well," Beast Boy drools. "I, uh..."
"You, uh?" I egg on.
"I kinda wanted to see what it would be like to be Robin so I wanted to dress up like him?" the shapeshifter rushes out, removing the uniform from his back and holding it out in front of him. "It's a bit big, though..."
"Beast Boy," I say calmly, bringing his attention back to me. The shapeshifter looks up expectantly, and I chastise, "You shouldn't be here."
"Sorry, Em," he mumbles, and I chuckle at his submission.
"I mean, I wasn't going to tell you not to," I point out. "Just don't pin it on me when you get in trouble."
Beast Boy's saddened look quickly turns into a wicked smile. "Sweet! Aw, Ember, this is going to be sick!" I hum in an absent agreement, and Beast Boy pulls on my hair like a little child. "You should totally join me!"
I chuckle once more, pulling my hair free from the green teen's grip. "No, thanks," I say lightheartedly. "Though I'm sure Cyborg would love to play dress up with you."
Beast Boy's grin somehow gets bigger, before frowning. "Now leave so that I can get changed," he orders, shooing me with his hands.
"Sure thing," I say, waving my hands around Beast Boy's body. "It's not like I want to see any more of that."
"Hey!" Beast Boy yelps, not needing to shove me out of the room as I slam the door behind me, unwilling to think about the shapeshifter getting changed in someone else's bedroom.
"Leave your undies on!!" I holler in a slightly teasing tone as I hammer at the door, fully intending for any Titans in the vicinity to hear.
"GO AWAY!!" Beast Boy retorts, equally as loud as me. I laugh before walking off, leaving the teen in moderate peace.
~~~
I groan as I reach for the drawer with all the cutlery in it, just out of my reach. I stalk over and grab a spoon out of the drawer before slamming it shut angrily. Robin's been gone for more than a week, and he hasn't even contacted to let us know that he's okay.
"I would ask if you're okay, but..." Raven gestures to my state, and I can only assume that my eyes have turned red.
"Believe me, I'm more sane than anyone else in this place." I wave my hands around us, before pointing down. "Have you wondered where Star and the boys spend their days?"
"Not particularly," Raven mumbles, before, "Where are they?"
I grin, finally having something to do with myself rather than mope around the tower. "Well, I'm glad you asked!" I put my empty mug and spoon on the bench, strutting over to Raven. "I do have to warn you, though. It's horrifying."
Raven looks at me, not having to adjust her line of sight to do so. "I'm a half-demon. I think I can handle it."
I chuckle at Raven's innocence in regard to the situation. "Famous last words."
~~~
"You're right," Raven states, eyes bugged in fear as she stares blankly in front of her. "This is the worst thing that I've ever seen."
Standing in front of us are Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg, all in Robin's uniform. Robin's shirt fits Starfire like a crop top, whereas Cyborg has strapped two utility belts to one another. Beast Boy's getup is slightly loose, uniform blowing in the wind Cyborg creates.
"Bad guys beware. There's a new Robin in town."
"Okay, man, my turn!" Cyborg exclaims, jumping on the R-Cycle that the trio have somehow acquired.
"I'm going to be honest, I didn't know Beast Boy had roped the others in, but what did I tell you?" I ask, too scarred to smirk.
Raven's features pull into a light frown. "I will never doubt you again, Ember. This is just disturbing."
Starfire swings over to us using one of Robin's many grappling hooks, landing on the floor gracefully. "Disturbing, yet magnificent!!" she exclaims. "Join us! I never knew wearing a cape was so much fun! It is wonderful to be Robin!" To prove her point, she dances around us holding the cape and leans in towards me, causing me to bend back slightly.
"Yeah! He has all the best stuff!" Cyborg agrees, shuffling over on the R-Cycle.
"Uh... right," Raven says.
Beast Boy appears from the front, leaning in to the two of us. "Come on," he nags. "Haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to be Robin? You know you want to try it."
Starfire and Cyborg join him hopefully, and Raven stares them down before eventually shrugging. "I guess it couldn't hurt to try."
"Really?!" the four of us all ask simultaneously; the three 'Robins' out of excitement, myself out of surprise and shock.
Raven just maintains her stare. "Don't make me regret it." She snatches the uniform out of Beast Boy's now extended hands and walks away before anyone can say anything.
Now alone with three Boy Wonders, I sigh. "No."
"Aw, c'mon, Ember," Cyborg pouts. "Everyone else is doing it."
"Wouldn't want to be a party pooper," Beast Boy agrees, smirking victoriously.
I scowl. "Might want to be careful, there, tiger boy," I say, earning a laugh from Cyborg. Before he can interject, however, I continue. "I'm pretty sure you want this more than I do, so I'm gonna need something in return." Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire glance at one another before huddling together and speaking in hushed whispers. As they do, I mutter, "Don't know why Raven didn't capitalise on this."
Eventually, they turn around. "Alright," Beast Boy announces. "The Council of Robins has come to a decision."
I say nothing in response, only eyeing each Titan individually. Beast Boy remains stone-faced, Cyborg looks down at his feet, and Starfire just smiles at me.
"We are willing to accept the deal!" Starfire exclaims happily, clapping her hands. Cyborg grins and hands me the uniform, which I glance at warily.
"I didn't think you guys would actually agree..." I mumble, looking from the uniform to the team. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Cyborg grins. "Positive."
"... Is it too late to change my mind?"
~~~
I stare down at the uniform on my bed, resenting the moment where I have to put it on. I already regret striking the deal with the teens. Alas, a deal is a deal, and so I take the coat hanger off the shirt and grab the leggings.
Once I have the shirt, leggings, shoes, and utility belt on, I stare at myself in the mirror. I grab the gloves and pull them on as I maintain eye contact with my reflection, before fixing the mask over my eyes and adjusting to the slightly limited vision that it provides.
I pull my eyes away from my reflection as I open the door and step through. As I near the main room, I hear voices, and I press my ear to the door.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you... PIZZA!!" Cyborg's voice booms through the tower and I open the door as he sets the pizza down on the table.
"Ta-da!" I exclaim, holding my hands up so the others can see. "Fits... like a glove. It's a tiny bit big."
"We got another Robin in the house!" Beast Boy shouts, mimicking a game-show host, and I walk over before jumping over the couch in between the shapeshifter and Cyborg.
"We do," I say. "Though I do have to admit, I'm not feeling it yet."
"Oh, but it is simply glorious!" Starfire says cheerfully.
Raven nods as she leans in for a slice of pizza. "It is pretty nice," she agrees, placing her feet on the table as she leans back and chews on the commodity in her hand.
I raise my eyebrows. "Really?" I stop and look out the window, pondering it, before turning back to the group. "I guess the gadgets are cool." As I say this, I hold out my hand and pull one from Beast Boy's utility belt, the birdarang landing in my hand with ease. Beast Boy only grins back at me.
"Boo-yah!" Cyborg shouts, pumping his fist in the air.
"I'm just worried that Robin's going to come back and see us all like this," I tell him, grabbing a slice of pizza myself. "Eh. He's been gone a week, he'll probably be gone for longer."
"Exactly!" Starfire exclaims, clapping her hands together. "Oh, this is the most exciting!"
Beast Boy nods absently, before gasping. "Dudes! We should totally get a photo!"
Starfire and Cyborg jump out of their seats and instantly dash to the window, and Raven and I sigh before reluctantly joining them, a small smile gracing both our faces. Beast Boy gets out his old camera, turning it on before holding the lens out to face the group of us.
"I can--"
"Don't even think about it," Cyborg remarks. I grin and jump on the teen's back, piggybacking him, as there's no more room to go where the camera will catch me. I let my legs float in the air, where the camera won't see them, so that Cyborg's not under as much pressure and I don't have to rely on him to not hit the ground.
Beast Boy wraps an arm around Raven and pulls her closer to him, the small smile on Raven's face growing larger by the minute. Starfire hovers to where my face is, and I wrap my free hand around her and shoot the camera a cheesy grin.
"Alright, everyone say 'Robin' on three," Cyborg says. "One, two, three!"
"ROBIN!" we all shout, laughing as the camera blinds us before printing off five different copies of the photo. I jump off of Cyborg's back and adjust the mask once more before walking back to the pizza, sitting down next to Raven this time and taking another slice.
"Like the smart boy that I am, I clicked the thingy five times, in case you were wondering," Beast Boy announces as he distributes the photos. "That's why I have so many."
"The thingy?" Raven questions, about to mock the shapeshifter.
"It's the vocabulary of the intelligent, apparently," I inform her, earning a joking slap from across the table and a yelp from Beast Boy.
"Yo, BB!" Cyborg calls out. "S'there any more pizza?"
"I don't know!" Beast Boy replies from the kitchen, scouring the fridge. "Oh, hey, what do you know?" Next thing I know, Beast Boy's walking back to us with two more boxes of pizza in his hands.
"When did you guys organise this?" I ask, waving my hand around as Beast Boy places the boxes on the table.
"Well, Robin, we always have pizza in case of emergencies," Cyborg states, before turning to Beast Boy. "Don't we, Robin?"
"Dude, always," Beast Boy brags. "Robin always comes prepared."
At this, I chuckle, and Raven rolls her eyes. "They ordered it twenty minutes ago."
"What did I say? Always prepared, Robin."
Starfire laughs as she cuts the pizza with her birdarang. "Do you desire another slice of the cheese, Robin?" she says to Beast Boy, putting on her best Robin voice.
"Thanks, Robin," Beast Boy replies, holding out his plate. Starfire puts the slice of pizza that she cut on the plate and Beast Boy uses his staff to slide the box over to Cyborg. "Got room for another one, Robin?"
"Don't mind if I do, Robin," Cyborg says, grabbing what's left of the pizza--amounting to six slices--and shoving it all in his mouth.
"You know, Robins, I have to admit, the mask makes me feel... cool," Raven says. I look up as she talks.
"Agreed," I say in between bites, but everyone has gone quiet. Raven nudges me, and I turn around as my eyes land on the real Boy Wonder, standing behind the half demon. His eyes lock onto mine as red invades my cheeks, before swarming onto my entire face. The pizza in my mouth suddenly becomes tasteless as I swallow it, gulping guiltily.
Robin looks around at the other Titans quickly, before his eyes settle on the last box of pizza, currently closed. "Huh, pizza. Sweet." He jumps over the couch, and Raven and I scoot back until the five of us are miraculously all on the other side of the couch.
Robin leans forward, and we flinch, but he only takes a slice of pizza before retreating. "You know, Robins... the mask makes me feel cool too," he tells us, biting into his pizza once more. I eye him slowly before finishing off my own pizza, as the others do the same. We talk amongst ourselves, the awkwardness of wearing the uniform slowly fading but never disappearing entirely.
This chapter is full of fluff, so I apologise for that. There's a few episodes like that this season, but the ones surrounding Raven's arc will be action-packed!