The Anti-Villain | Robin Love Story

Trust

The sun warms the large rocks beneath my feet. A river runs through the canyon below as Robin, Starfire and I stand on a ledge.

"Wildebeest!" the Boy Wonder calls. His voice echoes across the empty landscape.

"Are you sure we are in the right location?" Starfire asks.

"This is where his last transmission originated." Robin walks over to the edge of the cliff. "Something's not right." I step up beside him and look down into the ravine. Something in the rocks glitter as the sun reflects off it. I knock my elbow into Robin's, catching his attention, and point down at the sparkling item.

"What's that?" I ask. The Boy Wonder pulls out a rope and attaches it to the cliff before tossing the loose end into the canyon. The two of us slip down the rope and Starfire lands beside us. A little pile of broken machinery lays on the rocks just in front of us. Robin kneels down and picks up one of the yellow-painted pieces.

"His communicator?" the Tameranean asks.

"And no sign of Wildebeest. Starfire, I want you to get the Titans and continue searching here."

"What are you two going to do?"

"Hypno and I are going to find whoever did this." The Boy Wonder turns to face me and nods. I echo the motion before following him to our connected T-ship pods.

~~~

"So, what do you think happened to Wildebeest?" I ask as land quickly passes outside my windshield. "I mean, I highly doubt he chucked the communicator over the edge for fun."

"I don't know. That's what we're trying to figure out."

"What about your detective skills? Aren't those giving you any hints?" I look over at Robin windshield and see a little smile on his lips.

"My 'detective skills' are telling me not to make assumptions without more evidence."

"No, that's what the little voice in the back of your head-which sounds suspiciously like Bruce-is saying." A staticky chuckle graces my ears through the earpiece.

"What are your detective skills saying, Hypno?"

I squint my eyes in a concentrated look and hum thoughtfully. "My detective skills are saying Wildebeest got kidnapped."

"By who?"

"Uh... okay, you got me there." Another staticky chuckle comes through the comms and brings a smile to my face.

"You'll get the hang of it... in a few years." Robin suddenly gets drowned out by static before a new voice joins in.

"Robin! What is your location? I need your help!" Hot Spot's voice suddenly shouts through my headset.

"Hot Spot, are you okay? Where are you?" The hero doesn't answer. The Boy Wonder quickly presses some buttons and the computer starts to track down Hot Spot's signal.

"Hot Spot?" I call. No response.

"Searching. Hot Spot, located," the T-ship computer announces.

"Wildebeest, now Hot Spot. The Titans are under attack," Robin says. He looks over at me through his windshield and we exchange a concerned look.

~~~

We fly towards Morocco as fast the the T-ship will take us.

"How much longer?" I ask.

"It's not far. We just need to know exactly where Hot Spot is," Robin answers. The computer lets out a beep and Hot Spot suddenly disappears off the map.