Hey everyone. Here's a fic that wrote half delirous last night. I attempted to write a fic about Robin and his mask without it being overly chique. Hope I succeeded, :o)
Oh yeah, I don't own it, if I did, it might be an episode. :o)
Beastboy was bored.
That was an understatement. He was royally, extremely, out of his mind bored. Nothing had happened for the past two days in the crime world, Cyborg couldn't play video games with him cause he was too busy pampering his "baby", Robin was chatting nonstop with Starfire and Raven was busy being Raven. And to top it off, they were out of tofu.
There was nothing left to do. So Beastboy decided to ponder the meaning of life.
8.2 seconds of pondering later.
Beastboy was bored.
Trying to get the attention he so desperately needed, he sighed, a long drawn out annoyingly loud sigh. No one, not even Raven, who would have normally told him to shut up, noticed.
Narrowing his eyes in irritation Beastboy looked over to Raven. She was indoors reading a book with her hood on.
Why does she wear that thing anyway? Beastboy mused to himself. It was almost as though she's creating some sort of...barrier between her and everyone else...But that, of course, was just crazy talk.
How sad... he had resorted to analyzing his fellow teammates.
He then turned his attention to Robin, who was still talking to Starfire. Then with a widening of his eyes he noticed it.
Robin wore a mask! He looked around the room expecting everyone else to suddenly realize it too and start questioning about it, like he wanted to at that moment. But no such thing happened. Beastboy looked back to Robin disappointed. He had always taken the mask as 'part' of Robin. The mask made Robin who he was. But now that he thought about it...why did he wear that thing?
Even Raven, the antisocial girl with a "barrier" took off her hood sometimes. But Robin...he was never seen without the stupid black strip covering his eyes...
Why would anyone want to walk around with a mask when it wasn't Halloween? Sure, Beastboy understood the whole, "protect your secret non superhero identity thing" but taking a shower with it? Come on. He was sure the bat never did that... and look at Superman, if he could get away unnoticed by just putting a pair of glasses on... I mean...
"BEASTBOY!!" With a start Beastboy came to his senses, finding himself staring at Robin.
"Uhh...what?"
"Star and I are going on a grocery run. Did you need anything?" Beastboy could see the Boy Wonders mouth moving but all he could do was stare at the mask... Was it itchy? How is it stuck to his face anyway? He gasped. What if it was painted on?! He tried to look on the sides of it looking for string.
"Beastboy!" Robin yelled again, Beastboy shook his head.
"What?" Robin sighed, Beastboy thought he rolled his eyes, but he couldn't tell...He had to know!!
"Let us just get friend Beastboy his daily helping of Tofu," Starfire suggested. Robin turned and nodded.
Nope, no strings. But it didn't look painted on either...What if he was born like that?! Beastboy thought, eyes widening in horror.
What a bummer of a birth- mark...then again...I'm green. But that was cause of that disease.
He gasped again. What if the mask, wasn't really a mask, it was a mark of his scarred childhood. He knew his mother wasn't joking when she told him not to look directly at the sun!
The changeling barely noticed Robin and Starfire leave. The sound of the shutting door brought him back to his senses. He needed to run this past somebody.
"Raven!" He scrambled off the couch and headed toward Raven's favorite spot where she sat reading her book.
"What?" She questioned sighing. She knew the silence was too good to last.
"Did you notice that Robin like, always wears that mask?" He questioned. Raven raised a brow.
"Really?" She stated, sarcasm just dripping from her monotone voice.
"But, don't you ever wonder why he wears it? What color his eyes are?" He questioned, enlarging his own eyes as to prove his point.
"It is not my business. He respects my privacies. I respect his. Sadly not everyone understands this." She looked pointedly at Beastboy. He didn't seem to notice her encrypted message. Raven sighed.
"But—"
"I am trying to concentrate. Just drop it." And with that Raven turned back to her novel.
But he couldn't drop it... once Beastboy's curiosity was piqued, there was no stopping him. Especially, when he had nothing better to do...
A few hours later..."Glorious! Who knew mustard came in so many wonderous flavors!"
"You let her get eight bottles of mustard?"
"Well, she..." Robin shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. Raven just stared at the bottles of mustard.
The Titan's didn't even notice the camouflaged changeling in the hall. Beastboy was dressed in cami's complete with the face paint and helmet with leaves and branches haphazardly taped on with massive amounts of duct tape.
"Operation Mr. Mask is now in effect," Beastboy spoke into his own walkie-talkie stealthily, even though no one was on the other end... or so he thought.
"Wait...I can't find Becky! Wasn't she supposed to meet us at Thunder Mountain?" A frazzled staticy voice came from the other end.
Beastboy looked down one end of the hall, then down the other, and finally to the walkie-talkie, where he raised a brow. Looking innocently up toward the ceiling he changed the station.
"Ahem...so..." He then took up the serious spy like mannerisms again, "Operation Mr. Mask is now in effect,"
He crept secretly and silently into the living room, tiptoeing his way across. Cyborg, Raven and Starfire, whom were all on the couch watching a movie, stared at him strangely.
"Why is friend Beastboy—"
The other two shrugged, returning to their movie. Beastboy continued his "sly creeping" toward the kitchen where Robin was putting away the groceries.
Robin whistled lightly as he began storing the various mustards, his whistling fading away as he got the feeling of somebody watching him. He quickly turned only to see the counter. Shrugging he returned to his stacking.
And then he heard it.
Na na...
He quickly looked up, spotting a green shark fin disappearing behind the counter.
Na na...
"Is that the Jaws theme?" He questioned no one in paticular, brows raised. The green fin passed again.
Na na, na na, na na na na!
"Aw you done it now man! The shark is pissed!" Robin made a face as he heard Cyborg's voice from the next room.
"Roaaarrrr!!" Robin's face remained emotionless as a giant, green shark head appeared from the counter...roaring.
"Frightening Beastboy..." Robin deadpanned. The shark turned back into Beastboy.
"How'd you know it was me?" Robin arched a brow. "Anyway," Beastboy continued hastily, "Lemme see under your mask!" He blurted. So much for his covert mission.
Robin took a deep breath.
"No,"
"But—"
"No,"
"I just—"
"No,"
Beastboy sighed in defeat. Robin one, Beastboy, zero. He had expected him to say no. It was all part of the big, complex plan he had formulated. He would just have to keep catching him off guard and annoy the crud out of him. Then and only then a Jedi would he—oops, then and only then, would Robin take it off, just from pure annoyance. His plan was foolproof!
Beastboy didn't see it, but all his other friends seemed to be irritated by him at some point or another.
He just smiled at Robin. An evil, "You have just helped me reach my goal without knowing it smile" and walked away. Leaving the Boy Wonder utterly perplexed.
The Next Day..."Come on Rob, just one peek?"
"No,"
"Dude, you don't have to open them, I just wanna see!"
"No," Beastboy put his hand on his chin, as he fought to keep up with Robin's fast paced power walk.
"Aw man... You must have a major raccoon tan..."
"No," Robin responded, his voice irritated.
"You're right...I mean... how could you be any whiter..." Robin growled in his throat at Beastboy's seemingly innocent analysis.
"Now like, is it really a mask or do you color it on with a sharpie?"
"Will you leave me alone?"
"No," Beastboy responded taking a leaf out of Robin's book. Robin finally stopped. Sighing dejectedly.
"Will you leave me alone if I show you?" He questioned. Beastboy lit up with glee.
No way! That was too easy!
"Yeah!" Beastboy responded eagerly.
"Fine, but you better—"Robin suddenly stopped, masked eyes wide. "Beastboy look out!!"
"Yeah right!" Beastboy laughed, "Like I'm gonna fall for—"He was interrupted as something knocked him in the head, causing him to fall flat on his face.
Dazed, Beastboy got up, rubbing his head. Robin was nowhere in sight. Eyes narrowing, he picked up the object. A sleek, red bird-a-rang.
"Oh, he's good..."
Three Hours of Failed Attempts Later...Beastboy had resorted to begging.
"Please!! Robin, I must know!!" He grabbed on his cape, allowing himself to be dragged around the hallways.
"No!"
"But dude!" Robin stopped, catching Beastboy off guard. The green changeling quickly got on his hands and knees. "You're like, the only Titan that wears one!"
"Yeah,"
"So what's the deal?"
"I just like wearing it!" Robin snapped.
"Are you using it to hide your frigid, icy soul?" Robin stared at him strangely.
"This is getting to be quite embarrassing..." Beastboy then snapped his fingers.
"Ha! No one, except Star, and probably Raven...and Cyborg now that I think about it... Well, no one other than them can resist the face!" Without warning Beastboy turned into the most sickly sweet little green kitty with huge watery eyes Robin had ever seen. Pouting sadly at him, Robin conceded, if he had been an eight year old girl, it would be heart wrenching.
"Nice try."
"What! It doesn't work on you either?!" Beastboy exclaimed, changing back to himself.
Then his mind made the strangest series of connections. The face didn't work on Robin. His annoyingness, and begging didn't work on Robin. The face didn't work on Star when she was really mad. Robin and Star are best friends.
That's it!!
"If not me, at least show Starfire!" This took Robin for a complete loop.
"No," He said, with the slightest hint of less conviction, which surprisingly, didn't go unnoticed by Beastboy.
"I'll tell her if you don't!"
"Beastboy, you're the only Titan who cares," Robin said dryly crossing his arms.
"Nuh uh, Starfire's just as curious as me! Once I tell her, she'll never let it go,"
"She would, she respects my privacy,"
"Could you really tell her no if she asked?"
"No. I mean! Yes! Beastboy, will you let it go!"
"Imagine," Beastboy started, now on a roll, "could you really stand to see her sad, dejected—"
"You know what that means?" Robin commented, as Beastboy continued as though he was not interrupted.
"face, knowing that deep in her heart she's hurt cause you couldn't trust her with the info on your eye color," He took the shape of Starfire, with pointy ears, and did her trademark 'dejected' pose, holding her elbow, with the unsure look on her face.
"No, that's just you," Beastboy turned back to himself.
"Is it? Is it really?"
"Beastboy!"
"Dude, fine, but if you don't tell her," Beastboy's eyes narrowed, "I will,"
"You don't know anything!" Robin exclaimed exasperated.
"Oh, don't I?"
"No, you don't,"
"Well, Mr. Mask, I'll just tell her then won't I? If you're not worried about your fellow Titans' feelings,"
"You are taking this way out of proportion,"
"Oh, am I?" Robin growled, "We'll see, cause if you don't show her, I'll get her to get you to show her,"
"Why are you doing this anyway?! It's not as though I'm showing you," Beastboy face faulted. Then a sinister gleam shone in his eye.
"Oh, aren't you?"
"Will you stop doing that!!"
"Too late to stop now,"
"I see..."
They stood in complete silence.
"So...you gonna show me?" Robin threw a punch, but Beastboy was too fast. "Oh Starfire," He called, dragging out her name.
"You wouldn't dare," Robin narrowed his masked eyes.
"Oh, I dare," Beastboy waggled his eyebrows and twirled his invisible moustache. "STAR!!" With that he turned into a cheetah and took off running, Robin right on his tail.
A Fair Amount of Unnecessary Chasing Later...Robin sat exhausted, brooding darkly on the couch.
Stupid Beastboy... Truth be told, what Beastboy had said affected Robin deeper than he let show. If Starfire did prod and question him on his mask, he didn't know if he could stand her dejected face.
'You are similar...you did not trust us...as he did not trust you...'
Star's words rang clear as a bell in his head. He was not like Slade. He had friends. But he didn't trust them... not with some things, as Beastboy so eloquently put it, "his eye color." But it was more than that, they could associate him to his alias and then to Batman's.
But then again... he wasn't entirely sure Starfire knew who Batman was...and even if she did, why would she go through so much detective work to find out? It wasn't as though he would run around fighting without his mask. He would just show Star real quick.
Wait...why was he so obsessed with wondering if Starfire trusted him enough or not? Beastboy...that idiot...now, Robin couldn't stand even looking Starfire in eye if he didn't confess his...eye color...
What if he told her? Oh no...
"This is just perfect..."
"What is perfect?" Robin jumped a mile high.
"Starfire?" Robin questioned in a high- pitched voice.
"Hello Robin," She greeted beaming. "There is something that I have been meaning to ask you—"Just then he could see Beastboy sneak in, a triumphant look on his features.
That idiot! He told! And now, he's gonna try and sneak a peek cause he knows that I can't say no to Star...oh he's good... and fairly smarter than Raven gives him credit for...
Robin grabbed Star by the arm and ran from the room.
"Roooobbbbbiiiinnn!!!"
Running into the first door he could, he pulled Star in and hastily slammed the door. Looking around shiftily, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately the first room had been Beastboy's. It was unbelievably messy and a fly was buzzing above BB's hamper in front of the closet.
Eww...
"Robin? What is the reason in dragging me hastily to Beastboy's room?"
"Well, Star I—" Robin started, but he found himself completely enthralled by the fly. Perhaps it was his subconscious way of avoiding the inevitable.
"Yes Robin?"
But Robin's attention was still on the fly.
"Robin?" Star questioned again, however, Robin seemed content on being distracted. Glaring, Star saw the source. She looked at Robin's unfocused, masked eyes, and back to the fly. She waved her hand in front of his face. No response.
Growling, Star conjured a starbolt and hurled it at the fly, blasting it into the closet, the closet door slamming shut. The explosion seemed to snap Robin out of it.
"Yes Robin?" A bit more forcefully, but with the same innocent smile.
Now with nothing to distract him, he was forced to look at Star.
"Um... while you are standing there blankly, I had wished to ask you something earlier and—"
Robin cut her off.
"About that Star, I—"He now had her undivided attention, "I well, I just wanna let you know that I do trust you and...Uh..." Starfire nodded, looking at him expectantly.
"That is all?" She questioned, sounding disappointed.
"Well...partly...no...I just—"Figuring he couldn't word his feelings and reasons, he got right down to it. He slowly began to peel off his mask.
Star's eyes widened and she held back a gasp as the mask seemed to come off in slow motion.
"OW!" Only to get stuck like duct tape when Robin was halfway done.
"Robin are you alright?" Star stuck her hands out, unsure as to if she should peel it off or let him be.
"Fine..." Robin gritted, now tugging at his mask with two hands, only to have it stick stubbornly to his skin. "Ow ow..."
"Allow me to assist friend Robin," Starfire reached and began tugging as well.
"Ah! Argh! Ow!"
"I am sorry! I did not mean—Hold still!" Robin tried to shield her from the mask.
"No, it's fine, I have it Starfire." He said as he slowly and gingerly began to pull it off, wincing every two seconds as he did so.
Starfire made a face.
"Friend Robin!" She exclaimed, grabbing the end of the mask. He grabbed for it but she slapped his hand away. "It is like a band aid, right off!" She then pulled it off in one fluid motion.
"AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!!!"
Five Minutes of Awkwardness Later..."I am sorry, about earlier..." Starfire commented, grabbing her elbow sheepishly, cheeks tinted red.
"No, it's okay Star." Robin smiled back, his mask slightly askew, a stain of raw red where the adhesive had stubbornly stuck. "It had to happen."
"It did?"
"Well...yeah, I mean. I couldn't say no after Beastboy told you to ask me—"
"Ask you what?" She interrupted confused. Robin gulped.
"You mean— wait, what were you going to ask me?"
"I merely wished to know where you stowed the mustard..." Robin face faulted, eyes wide.
"Oh..." he said in a small voice.
"Owie....my head..." A dazed Beastboy groaned, walking out of his now, even messier closet. "Star's got a mean—"he stopped short, staring at his now Rob and Star-less room. "Oh no!" He grabbed his face, flung the door open and skidded into the hallway.
Silence...
"You have beautiful eyes..." Starfire commented bashfully, making quick eye contact before staring at the floor. Robin blushed pink as they continued down the hall.
Beastboy's eyes widened, mouth opening and closing like a fish. He had missed it... All the semi-careful planned out planning... getting blasted by Star as a fly... He had missed it...
He fell helplessly to his knees crying out to the heavens.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!"