It's been a while, but I'm back! November's pretty much done, NaNoWriMo's over, and my brain has got a plot bunny overload - bring on the fanfics!

Ch 13

"Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap!" Timothy Drake was currently pacing the length of the room, wishing pounding his head against a wall was socially acceptable. "It couldn't have been some random crazy guy to figure it out? One that nobody would believe?"

"Wait, what's going on, exactly?" Raven asked, confused. "Zucco got away, we get that. But what does he know?"

"Like bird-boy-senior said – everything. Zucco's got his I.D. in the can." He looks down at the cheap metal tube in disgust. "Literally."

Starfire gasps in surprise. "But how would a villain such as Tony Zucco come across Robin's secrets so easily?" The question didn't sit well with anyone.

"Honestly…" Tim started, "I… I don't know…"

"But I thought you knew this dude? Isn't he your city's scum?" Cyborg pointed out.

"Well, yea, but I mean, I don't really know what he's like, I wasn't really around the bat-clan when he was. When he murdered Robin's parents, and was a big fish in lovely, scummy pond that is Gotham? I was only about five or six years old… But… He's a mafia boss. I know that. He ran an extortion racket. He's got connections, but he's not too bright. So how did he figure it out?"

"Well maybe whatever's on that poster has some clues as to-"

"No!" Tim stopped Cyborg, mid reach of the tube. "I mean… That's pretty much confirmation of Robin's secret I.D. if you ever had any suspicions here or there. I think it should be up to him if you find out, rather than circumstances."

"But if Robin is in danger…" Starfire started.

"It's okay. We'll figure something out. But trust me, there are some things you don't need to know."

"Yea, said so easily by the dude who already knows his secret identity," muttered a certain green changeling.

"Look, what I know is only circumstantial," Tim tried to explain.

"Yea. We get it. You're part of the freaking Bat-clan of doom. You know and are everything, whoop-tee-doo." He twirled finger sarcastically. "But we've known Robin longer, so we have just as much right to-"

"Batman didn't tell me."

"-Wait what?"

"That's what I've been trying to explain, Beastboy. I only know because… I don't know, 'cause I was pretty much stalking Robin? Obsessively tracking his civilian I.D.? I recognized Robin as his civilian persona after some time, because of one little slip up. I know because I saw. I was there at the- I was there when his parents were murdered, okay?

"Look, this guys taken everything from him. His parents, his family, Batman… now his I.D. he won't be real thrilled or trusting if you guys start getting nosy. And we've got plenty else to deal with – forget about Joker having escaped? He could be here any day. Or for all we know, he already is. Or maybe he's not going to show. I don't know. But we have to prepare for that. Let robin deal with Zucco. He's a smart guy – he'll ask when he needs help."

"That is what I'm not too sure about," Raven avowed, truthfully. "Robin's smart – we all know that, and rely on it. But you haven't lived with him. As much as you know him, you don't know him. Azar knows he's stubborn, and hates asking for help, especially when things get personal."

Tim shoulders sagged in defeat. "Alright, but that doesn't change the fact that-"

BEEP BEEPP BEEP BEEP

The alarm blared throughout the tower – danger.

"Who is it? Joker here already?" Tim asked, immediately alert. Checking his comm. link, Cyborg corrected him.

"Our kind of crazy. Mad Mod's causing trouble downtown. Teen Titans, go!" As the team rushed out the door, Starfire lingered behind, placing a hand on Cyborg's shoulder. "Perhaps one of us should… stay behind with Robin?" he could see the worry radiating off of her.

"Good idea." He realized about .02 seconds later she meant herself as 'one of us'. Cautiously he suggested, "How about you go ahead with the others, and I'll babysit? It'll get your mind off of things."

"But I insist, I should stay with him in the case that he should awaken and-"

"Star, you know what Mod's capable of. The team needs you more than they need me. You need to get out for a little while. Tell Raven she's in charge."

"But-"

"Star. Go. He'll be fine. I promise. Now go." Reluctantly the Tamaranian flew out the door, looking behind her a few times. With a sigh, she sped up, intent on catching up to the others.

"Raven? Are you there?" She called over the comm. links.

"Starfire? I'm here. What is it?"

"Cyborg is staying behind with Robin. He says to leave you in charge."

"Oh… okay…" she responded, confusion evident in her tone. "I assumed that you were-"

"Cyborg believed it a good idea for me to 'get my mind off of things' by coming on this mission." Raven internally sighed with relief and approval, glad Cyborg had been able to pry Starfire from the boy wonder. She could get a bit… clingy. And when she was clingy, she tended to put her own needs behind those around her.

"Alright, Starfire. Meet us on the corner of 31st and 2nd street." Putting away her comm. link, Raven began to think.

Why on earth was she put in charge? Sure she was better suited than the constantly and easily hypnotized Beastboy or the sulking Tamaranian, but surely… why did Cyborg stay behind? Raven wondered. After all, she could have stayed behind just as easily… or Beastboy or Timothy, or any of the others really…

Over a private line, she called Cyborg. "Raven? What's up?"

"What's up?" she repeated, "Why in the name of Azar did you leave me in charge?" although she wouldn't admit it, a bit of panic (a teeny bit of unsettledness) was starting to set in. Like she knew how to lead.

"Well who else would I leave in charge? Star's head is off in Robin land, Beastboy isn't exactly the smartest when it comes to Mod, and Tim doesn't know Mad Mod."

"But you're second in command. You should be leading," she countered. "Any of us could have stayed, with the exception of Starfire, who really needs to get out of the tower, and you, who should be leading – so why am I here and you there?"

"Don't worry, Rae. You've got this."

"You know that's not what I meant… well, mostly. What aren't you telling me?"

"I'm just… doing some research on the big names from Gotham – if Rob's busy with this Zucco guy, we need to know what we're up against with the Gothamites so we don't need a crash course from Tim every time one shows up." Though she couldn't see, he tensed up on the other end of the line, hoping she'd buy his excuse.

With a bit of grumbling, she settled for his response, and signed off. With immense relief, he looked over at the sleeping boy wonder. "Alright Rob, no more games. Time to see what you're not tellin' us…" His eyes scanned the room, finally landing on the canister holding all the answers he needed…

Starfire reached the meeting point about the same time as everyone else, thanks to her speed. They were a little out of the way, as not to draw immediate attention to themselves – after all, a frontal assault would do no good with Mad Mod's hypnosis.

After a quick bit of recon on Beastboy's part, they found that there were about a dozen and a half hypnotized hostages heralding havoc. In other words, eighteen nut balls making trouble. Those who weren't hypnotized were fleeing the scene.

"Alright, we're going to half to be sneaky about this. Mad Mod doesn't pose much of a threat without his cane. We get that, we can break the mind control over the hostages without engaging them in a fight. Despite their involvement, we must keep in mind they are innocent," Raven started to explain, more for Tim than the others.

"Okay, so we've got to sneak up on 'im, grab the cane and we're good?"

"Almost, dudes. There some bubble thingy around him. Probably won't be too happy to let us in."

"A force field? Raven, could you teleport inside it?" she shook her head at Tim. "From what I sense, it's made out of solid energy. It would take some time to get a portal through – he would probably notice quick enough. If we break his concentration though…"

"His control over the force field will diminish," Starfire ended, "Thus making it possible to get past the force field?"

"Exactly. We need a distraction, but we need to keep the hostages safe – do not engage them in a fight." Nodding, the Titans minus Raven rushed out at Mod, keeping a distance.

"Hey Captain Maple Syrup! Over here!" Beastboy shouted, sticking his tongue out at Mad Mod.

"I am not Canadian, you little snot!" he shouted back, angrily.

"Well duh," Tim said with a roll of his eyes, "You're way too rude to be Canadian – didn't you hear Weird Al's song?"

"You think you're so funny Ro- you're not Robin…?" He smirked. "What are you, supposed to be, ducky? A T.I.T.?" Everyone, (including the hypnotized) paused for a moment at his wording.

Tim opened his mouth to speak a few times, but nothing came out. "Uh… wha- what did you just call me?"

"Have you got no ears, you little nitwit? I called you a T.I.T. – Titan in Trainin'? That's what you are, isn't it? You don't even have your own name yet! You're takin' bird brain's!"

"I'm Robin too!" he started to protest, when Beastboy started rolling around in laughter.

"Dude – did he just-? He called you-? Ha!"

"What's so funny?" Mad Mod asked, angrily. You children 'ave no respect for your elders and betters!"

"You just called him a – and you don't even - ? Dude!" Beastboy incoherently spat out, tears of mirth falling from his eyes.

Starfire was as confused as Mad Mod, while Raven found it hard to keep composed, a smirk tugging at the edges of her lips as she waited stealthily behind Mod. Tim on the other hand…

"I can't believe you just called me a-? What the heck? Seriously, man? You don't just go around saying stuff like that!"

"Oh shut up, Jr. Bird brain!"

"I'm not a Jr. hero!" He continued to protest. "I work with Batman for cryin' out loud!"

"What ever you say, bat brat! Now the lot of you," he said, pointing at his reluctant cronies, "Get 'em!"