The Anti-Villain | Robin Love Story

Revved Up

The sun bares down and reflects off all the desert sand. The thin paved road under my feet feels hot, even through my shoes. The Titans and I stand on the street as an old red car speeds towards us. Once the driver spots us they slam on the breaks and stop a few feet away.

"What's buzzin' cousins?" a heavyset man with black facial hair asks in confusion.

"You're going to hand over what you stole. Now!" Robin demands as he steps ahead of us.

"Chill out, cool cat. The Ding Dong Daddy ain't cruising for a bruising. The prize is yours. All you gotta do is race me for it!"

"What does he mean, 'prize?'" Beast Boy asks our leader. The heavy man pulls out a metal briefcase from his passenger seat in answer.

"One hundred percent titanium alloy. Bullet proof, fire proof, blast proof, encrypted lock."

"Sounds valuable," I state as I cross my arms. "Where'd you get it?"

"That's the real kicker." Ding Dong Daddy spins the case around to show a red 'R' on the other side. Robin's insignia. My eyes widen and I cast a quick look to the Boy Wonder, who stays stoic.

"Robin, when you said we had to stop a crook, I think you left out a minor detail," Cyborg says. "You were the one robbed!"

"It doesn't matter," the leader says before scowling at Ding Dong Daddy. "Last chance. We can do this the easy way or the hard way."

"How about my way?" Ding Dong Daddy asks. "You want it back, you need to beat me in a race." He revs the engine of his old car as a challenging gesture, which makes me roll my eyes. "That's if you have the wheels for it!"

"You challenge the T-car with that thing?" Cyborg laughs and I immediately get a bad feeling. "Oh, you are on."

"Cyborg!" I snap. The metal male give me an apologetic-and slightly nervous-smile. Ding Dong Daddy grabs something from his car and tosses it into the air. A rolled up piece of paper unfurls and lands on Beast Boy's face. I look closer at the paper and see a path drawn in red with an x at one end.

"Then I'll see you at the finish line. Be there or be square!" The man's wheels spin, kicking up dust, and then he drives around us. Once the cloud clears Robin and I quickly hop onto the R-cycle, him at the wheel. Beast Boy pulls the map off his face and jumps into the T-car with Cyborg.

Robin and I pull on our helmets and all four of us take off with Raven and Starfire flying above us. The wind feels harsh on my hands from how fast we're going.

"Dude, this map makes no sense," Beast Boy whines through the coms.

"That's because you're holding it upside down," Cyborg states.

"Right. I knew that."

"Did you?" I ask with a teasing smirk.

"Forget the map, just follow that case," Robin commands as he pulls the R-cycle up beside the car. "I don't know how Ding Dong Daddy stole it, but we have to get it back."

"What's so important about a briefcase?" Beast Boy shouts out the open window of the T-car as we pull up. Even with the close proximity we can just barely make him out over the wind.

"It's personal." Robin pulls ahead of the T-car.

"I gotta say, even I'm curious," I state as I squeeze the Boy Wonder around the waist. "I've never seen that case before. You must've hid it pretty well."

"Unless you go snooping through my room you wouldn't have found it." Starfire and Raven fly ahead of us and start to get ahead of Ding Dong Daddy. Robin glances at me over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "Hypno, do you go through my stuff?" I feel my face heat up.