Chapter 1
"Merry Christmas Son"
Spinning………more spinning. Robin's entire world was spinning. He sat with his eyes closed not at all knowing where he was or what he was doing. He didn't feel dizzy or sick, he simply felt confused and a little scared. His personal space began to slow down and came to a small stop. He opened his eyes but saw nothing. He looked around and shouted out in the darkness.
"WHATS HAPPENING?! WHERE AM I?!" He squinted his eyes as his world began to come into focus. He rubbed them gingerly and saw a he was in a warm house. From the brightly lit tree in the corner he deduced it was Christmas time. The house was cheerfully decorated with the smell of apple cider in the air. He looked around at himself and saw he was wearing not his crime fighting uniform but a red sweater. Open mouthed he slowly stood up from what he now realized was a leather recliner; but not just any kind, it was a type which had always wanted. He put a hand on the armrest and wondered if it belonged to him. He shook his head and took to investigating his new surroundings. He walked up to the mantel over the fireplace (which had a nice cozy fire dancing away) and took a look at the assortment of pictures. They had him sitting with a few other people, he thought he recognized them but knew it was foolish to think such things; his family were dead. His eyes widened when he saw a picture of him and Starfire in the middle of the mantel. Could she be here with him?
"Son?" He turned swiftly and saw three people standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen. It was the people from the picture. He gaped at them in disbelief.
"Mom? Dad?" He squinted his eyes somewhat. "Jason?" His brother smiled and walked up to him.
"The one and only Dick!" He gave him a hearty slap on the back and Robin stumbled forward a little. He straightened up and looked closely at each of them.
"But what are all you doing here?" His mother and father gave him wide smiles.
"Visiting you of course! By the way Richard you're a terrible host; you've been sleeping in that chair ever since we arrived. And we're not the only ones you've kept waiting." Robin glanced around the room even more confused now than a moment ago.
"Who? Who are talking about?"
"Who indeed," said a cheerful bright voice behind Robin. He knew that voice a mile away; even before it was uttered he could tell it was she. He turned around slowly and saw an angel standing before him. "Starfire……" She giggled and closed the distance between them and laid a warm kiss on his lips. Wide-eyed Robin simply froze. She broke off and held his shoulders.
"Well, will you not say something?" He was completely lost by her touch. He finally woke himself up to stutter a question.
"W-what's going on?" Again they all simply laughed. His mother came up and hugged him tightly.
"Oh Richard, we're so proud of you!" His father walked up and handed him a glass of hot chocolate, a kind Starfire was known to have made very well.
"Your mother, brother, and myself want to wish you both the best of happiness." He handed Robin the glass who took it open mouthed.
"Why? What've I done?" Starfire wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Oh Robin, is it not wonderful! We will be wed tomorrow on the day of Christmas!" Robin almost dropped his glass. He glanced down at her hand and saw a beautiful engagement ring. He couldn't believe this was happening, he was actually going to marry Starfire. She let go of him seeing his family coming in. They each hugged him tightly and expressed their happiness.
"Nice job Dick!"
"I'm so proud of you Son!"
"Stand still and let me get a few pictures of you and your fiancé," piped in his mother.
"Aw Mary don't smother the boy," defended his father. Both Robin and Starfire laughed and posed for the picture. After the photo shoot was said and done Mary hugged her son once again. Robin embraced her tightly not really wanting to let go. He broke off and looked as though he had seen a ghost.
"Why Richard, what's the matter?" He smiled and shook his head.
"I-I just haven't seen you or any of you in so long. I was beginning to think I would never get the chance to do so again." She smiled warmly and fixed his hair.
"Don't worry Son, we're not going anywhere. Now it's time to set the table, Star will you please give me a hand?"
"Of course I will. Robin will you not join me?"
"I'll be along in a minuet," he replied. She nodded happily and glided alongside Mary into the kitchen. Robin's father and Jason extended their congratulations once more and let the room as well. Robin bowed his head and a single tear fell to the floor. He was supposed to be a crime fighter. Starfire was supposed to be the love of is life and not know it. And his family was supposed to be………., they weren't supposed to be here. He thought about he had wished for an even like this. Everyone would be around for the holidays, he and Starfire would be made one on the Holiest day of the year, and………everything would be just fine. He didn't know how any of this was possible but he did know one thing. There was no way he was going to leave it!
He took a sip of his hot chocolate and let warm his mouth. He then frowned at something. He took another sip, only this one was meant as a taste test. He swished it around and again frowned. He held the glass up and examined it closely. Starfire's hot chocolate tasted a great deal different from this. Shrugging his shoulders he set the glass down on the coffee table. "Weird," he said to himself. He walked over to the window and contently peered out at the snow. He began to wonder why he had ever left such a place, why he abandoned his family all for the sake of nonstop crime fighting. Didn't ever occur to him that he should have a life of his own; a way to spend the day with Starfire without fear of her getting hurt, captured, being ransomed, or anything else they've been through. He decided he would think back to when he was last here, he thought long and hard but found he couldn't come up with one memory. He opened is eyes and thought for a moment.
'This isn't my house. I never had a house like this," he whispered. He came to is conclusion and closed his eyes in dread.
"Robin?" He turned quickly and saw Starfire standing in the doorway. She held out her hand inviting him to follow her. "Dinner is prepared, will now come with me?" Robin looked down at the floor and shook his head.
"No, this wrong. Everything here is wrong, Starfire where am I!" He looked at her imploringly. She simply gave him a look of confusion.
"Why, you are home Robin. Please come with me into the place of dinning your mother and father await."
"STOP!" He pointed at her and began backing away. "I don't know who you are or what this place is but its wrong!" Se flew up to him and sat him down on the recliner. She rested herself on his lap and massaged his shoulders.
"You are stressed Robin, relax, you need not think about anything so long as we are here for you." She leaned in closer to give him another kiss and Robin found himself getting less resistant. He allowed her to come closer and closer until he noticed something.
"Starfire, your eyes." She paused.
"Yes, do you like them?" Starfire batted her eyes but Robin was not goggling.
"Starfire, they're brown, they're human." She stopped suddenly and looked slightly worried. He pushed her off of him and walked to the middle of the room. He looked around and began to shout at nothing. "ALRIGHT! I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT THIS PLACE IS BUT I'VE HAD ENOUGH! LET ME OUT! I WANT OUT!!!" He banged his fist against the wall and his world shattered along with it. He felt himself falling down a long ways. He hit the floor and then suddenly woke up. He sat up and saw he was strapped down to a rather small bed. Looking at him from the foot of the bed was Brother Blood. "You," breathed Robin. He ran up to struggle against his bindings with all his might.
"Oh no you don't Robin, your not out of it yet," so saying Blood's eyes turned crimson and Robin stop struggling. His eyes closed tight as he was forced to re-enter his dream world. He tried to stay focused and remain in the real world; he then heard Starfire's voice calling out to him. He looked up and saw her coming towards him with her arms out.
"Robin, please do not do this. We an be happy together for all time Robin." He turned away from her and tired to run away.
"Get away from me! Leave me alone!" As he ran he kept his head ducked down until he bumped into something. He looked up and saw Starfire standing there. Her eyes turned crimson and she reached down and gripped his forehead.
"You will relax! And you will accept your place!" Robin gritted his teeth as the fake Starfire assaulted his mind. He then threw her off of him and flashed back into the real world. With the slash of a bird-a-rang he ripped through his bindings and tackled Brother Blood. He pinned him against the wall and held his razor sharp weapon to Blood's neck. He pulled him forward and then shoved back against the wall.
"MONSTER! Do you have any idea what you just did to me?!" He was breathing heavily and wanting more than anything to just slice through Blood's neck. Brother Blood winced slightly and began smiling placidly.
"You make it sound like I stole something from you. From what I could tell, you really enjoying yourself"- He stopped when Robin pressed the edge against his skin.
"They're dead, they're DEAD! You had no right to just take my life and dangle it in front of me! Now where are my friends? What've you done to them?" Blood paused for a moment then glanced off to the side. Robin turned his head and saw them. All the others lay on beds similar to his; only they were not restrained like he was. All of them had on looks of pure happiness. Even Raven was looking as though her dream had come true. And then he laid eyes on her; Starfire. She lay very peacefully and sighed dreamily every now and then. He pulled Blood forward and threw up against another wall.
"Wake them, NOW!"
"Sorry, but they have just been so engrossed in their dreams that I can't just pull them away from it. They have to want to leave, but good luck in getting them to do that. You would be the same way, had I not made a few mistakes in matching everything. Besides you need my help to get them out, and I don't plan on spoiling it for them." Robin released him and backed away.
"You know that's a good point." He turned and removed a small disk. He spun around and threw it at Blood. Before Blood had anytime to react he was wound up tight and pinned up on the wall. He struggled to get out but found it a futile effort. Robin then walked back over and attacked a small device to a box next to him. He flicked it on and a one hour countdown lit up but did not start.
"There's enough explosive there to take out two of these buildings."
"WHAT?!"
"Yup, now here's what's going to happen; your going to help me get inside their heads and talk them into leaving on their own will. And we will have only on hour to do it, starting now!" He pressed the red button and the countdown started. Blood's eyes widened with shock.
"You wouldn't it would destroy us all!"
"Actually I no your dream is all a lie, I can leave whenever I want and get them out of here if anything goes wrong. So its really just your life that hangs in the balance. So what's it going to be, we've already wasted three minuets." Blood glanced at the clock and sighed.
"You really are insane."
"A crazy leader who will stop at nothing to help his friends, so you wanna get on with it or just sit around and wait for the fireworks." Blood considered it quickly. He could try and take control of Robin again, but that would mean he would be unable to stop the device. Anyway he looked at it, he had no choice. But that didn't mean he couldn't make Robin's mission an absolute bitch to get through. He slowly nodded his head and Robin walked up to Cyborg's bed.
"We'll start with him and then work downwards," said Robin. He down each of the beds and at each of his catatonic friends. He really hoped he would be able to do this; he never wanted to leave his world. Getting his friends to break free might not be so easy. Blood's eyes became red once more and Robin felt himself being sucked into another world.
Next part is coming soon. Thanks for reading, Reviews please.