Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Five Months Later…
"I think he went this way."
"You need your damn eyes checked! He went this way! Jesus!"
Two men, concealing guns in their jackets, ran past a dark alley littered with trash and grime. At the dead end, a trash can shuddered. A shadow made its way towards the opening. A clawed hand gripped the side of the building. Then an ear, on top of a black-head of hair, twitched a few times as it searched for any more sounds that it didn't like. A chuckle resounded around the alley soon after.
"Morons. You can't catch this wolf."
Pushing away from the wall, Robin ran down the sidewalk, his fluffy, red wolf tail bouncing with each step. He had been heading for the bay when the two men found him and chased him. They had been pretty slow, which is how he was able to get away. Not to mention he was faster and more agile since being turned into a wolf. Jumping across rooftops was way easier now. Hell, he could even climb walls like Spiderman just by jumping from one wall of a building to the next.
Robin soon reached the bay. By now, the Titans would be out eating pizza, which gave him enough time to take a shower, gather a few new supplies, and then get back to the streets before they returned. Instead of taking the secret passage, he quickly swam across. Once he reached the other side, he shook his body like a canine before standing up and walking to the tower. He reached the elevator and got in. It rose up in just a few seconds, reaching the main floor. Robin stepped inside and headed for the double doors. Reaching his room, he walked right in and went to get clean clothes from his dresser. He showered quickly, got dressed, and was in the process of loading a backpack when a female voice made him jump and then freeze.
"Robin, what are you doing here?"
Robin slowly turned around and saw Raven in his doorway. His ears fell back and his tail drooped. "I-I know I'm not welcome here after what I
accidentally did to Beast Boy, but I ran out of some important stuff and decided to come by while everyone was gone. I was going to leave right away." Raven stared silently at him. "I was chased today by men with guns by the way. I needed at least an hour to get my strength back. So the only place I could think of was here. The second I grab some food, I'm going back out there. Really, I promise."
Raven nodded. "I understand. I wasn't feeling well today, so I didn't go with the others for dinner."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Robin said. "I hope you feel better."
"Don't worry, I will." There was a pause. "I'll take you back to the city. The Titans will be back any minute."
Robin smiled. "Thanks Rae." After he packed up again with some snacks, juice and water, and clean clothes, Raven teleported him to an alley. "Well, take care of yourselves."
"You as well," Raven said. "If those men go after you again, you should escape the city."
Robin nodded, smiling slightly. "I might do that."
Raven nodded. "You should actually find someone similar to you that won't get hurt easily. Maybe make some new friends in new places. Besides, a city isn't the place for someone like you."
Robin blinked, not showing his true emotions. "Yeah, maybe…"
Raven smiled softly at him. "Good-bye, Robin. Take care."
Raven teleported away. Robin stared at the spot where she once stood with a smile for a little while longer before it fell. Sighing and ears falling, he headed out of the alley and down the street. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, ignoring any and all stares sent his way. His backpack rested heavily against his back. He scratched behind one of his ears briefly, trying to decide where to get some grub. As he was about to stop at a fish market, he heard a man yell, "There he is! Get him!"
Whipping his head around, Robin saw the two men from before. Holding his backpack straps tightly with his hands, he began to run down the street. They chased after him, finally whipping out their guns. They started to fire tranquilizer bullets right at him. They were like paint balls so there wouldn't be bloodshed, but Robin wasn't going to find that out. He was going to avoid getting hit
period.
"I have to get out-of-town now," he said miserably.
Robin made his way for the end of town where the large, reinforced wooden drawbridge was down, laying across a ravine with water. It was a small river, but it rushed so fast that crossing the water itself wasn't wise. A quarter of a mile from it sat the mechanism that drew up the bridge in case a disaster struck in the city itself. This prevented outsiders from entering until the disaster passed and it made citizens unable to leave if they weren't evacuated first.
Stuffing his arm into a pocket on the side of his backpack, Robin yanked out a bird-a-rang and chucked it at the mechanical device. The pointed end struck the large red button perfectly, destroying it. The bridge began to slowly rise from the middle. Pulling the straps tight around his shoulders and arms, Robin became flexible at the knees as he began to run on all fours, picking up speed. Bullets whizzed right by him. The men were yelling, but Robin paid no heed. All he cared about was getting out and leaving them in.
"We have him now! That money will soon be ours!"
That got Robin's attention. They wanted him for money? That could mean one of two things: scientists heard about him and wanted to run tests on him
or he was wanted as a pet for someone who heard of his drastic change.
'So I'm some kind of reward for the ones who capture me.' That didn't matter though; Robin was almost free. The bridge was fully drawn up now, leaving a wide gap at the top. The water rushed underneath, crashing harshly against the bank. Once he was a few feet from it, he used all the strength in his bare feet to push off and jump towards the top. The two men slid to a stop, their eyes wide in amazement. Robin dug his feet against the side of the bridge while his hands gripped the top. His claws left fairly good-sized holes as they dug deep into the wood. Without hesitating even a second, he pulled his body up, stayed at the top like a frog for a second, and then jumped straight across to the other side and out of sight. The two men ran to the side and looked around it to see Robin dangling there.
Remembering what they were supposed to be doing, one of the men started firing. By the time the second could shoot, Robin pulled himself up and over, falling towards the other side quickly. He landed in a crouch, but didn't waste any time to run towards the trees and into the darkness. The two men cursed and were yelling at each other, both insulting the other for letting a boy get away. Once that was done, the taller of the two whipped out a black walkie-talkie while the other ranted at himself. He pushed the button on the side and spoke into it.
"Sir, the brat got away."
He released the button and a new voice, one calm and deep, said,
"Well isn't that an inconvenience." There was a pause.
"Where is he now?" "He escaped into the forest," the man said. His partner was examining the river. "We were unsuccessful in rendering him disabled, sir."
"Tell him we can't get across from here!"
"I heard." There was a jeep packed with traveling equipment next to a tall, black-haired man, talking on a walkie-talkie. He had on safari-like gear, with pockets in the black jacket, the pants in camouflage. The bottoms were tucked into his black boots. Rifles were strapped over his shoulders along with hunting knives on his sides and a strap filled with real bullets over his chest. He had dark brown eyes and stubble around his mouth, indicating that it was recently shaved quickly. A cigarette was lit in between his fingers, smoke rising from it.
"A few miles from the bridge is where the river is calm. I'm on the opposite side already. Hurry over here or your heads will be the next thing mounted on my wall at home."
"Yes sir. We're on our way." The man put the walkie-talkie in a compartment on his belt before putting the butt end of his cig into his mouth. Taking a final drag, he flicked it from his fingers and then stomped it with his toes. He got in the jeep, slammed the door shut, and waited.
To Be Continued…
