This story is entirely based on an episode from “Batman: the Animated Series” called “Perchance to Dream” where Bruce Wayne’s life takes an alternative view. So I can’t take all the credit here. Teen Titans belongs to D.C Comics and Warner Brothers, we all know.

I hope this story doesn’t confuse people too much. After watching “Perchance to Dream” I wanted to do with Robin what was done to Batman. But if anyone saw this episode, don’t give it away.

A-A-A

Shifts of yellow and white light darted where the train was crossing the tracks. The clacking sound of metal scraping metal continued for a few minutes until it was all over. Behind the warehouse, five teenagers crouched on the ground in fighting positions.

Robin raised a gloved hand and glanced down at his communicator. “Twenty three more seconds to go,” he said softly. He closed the lid of the compact and slipped it back into his pocket.

“Remember the strategy, Titans. Raven, you-“

“-Use my powers to remove the hinges of the doors,” she said calmly. Robin nodded and turned to Beast Boy. “While Raven’s getting through the front. . .”

“Right. Star and I fly onto the roof and de-activate the security,” he added.

“And I’ll work on cutting off the main power circuit,” Cyborg finished up, holding a glowing red tool in his metallic hand.

“Great. I’ll be coming in around the back and working my way to the central control station where we should all meet in exactly eight minutes.” Robin took a deep breath to assure that the plan would go smoothly.

The next train whistled along the tracks with a shuttering sound of the wind.

“Titans, go!”

In their perfect movements like choreographed dancers, the Adolescent Avengers dove into action. Well trained and experienced, they each went to his or her own task to fulfill to the best of their obligations.

Raven’s blue boots touched the floor just before she thrust her hands out to the door. Her amethyst eyes glowed white. “Azareth, Metreon, Zinthos,” she commanded. The hinges on the giant gates turned from silvery gray to stark black. Flicking up her hands, the nuts and bolts clattered to the ground. She glanced up just to see a bird with emerald colored wings and a tall girl in purple float up to the roof.

Cyborg popped open a disk top and began to pry through the various wires that created a labyrinth of metal and copper.

“Good work, team. I’m going in,” Robin announced.

“Careful, Rob,” Cyborg warned over his shoulder. “There’s no telling what Slade’s up to this time.”

Robin’s optimistic attitude was dampened by the mention of the top villainous rival of the team . . . and Robin’s personal enemy. His eyebrows turned downward immediately. Teeth clenched up in his mouth.

“I’ll be waiting for him,” he muttered. The Teen Wonder stepped up to the door and his bo staff swung out quickly. The door fell down with a loud clanking noise. Robin ran into the dark warehouse, the shadows swallowing up the colors of his uniform.

“I’m waiting for you as well,” a soft seductive voice murmured from the shadows. A single black eye gleamed with delight at the black and white pictures of Robin that darted from each hidden camera.

A sharp clicking noise interrupted the silence. Hunched over shapes, black and swift, had appeared like silent ninjas on the move. Robin looked up to see two dozen droids standing on the catwalk. They leapt down like a swarm of insects onto the leader of the team. His frown tightened into a smirk at the arrival. The staff lashed out, knocking the head off of one droid. Robin jumped into the air, landing on the shoulders of another. The staff went in one direction while his feet went into the other. More droids were knocked right and left. They hit the walls just before crumpling to the ground in haphazard piles of metal.

A blinding flash of light burst overhead, causing Robin to blink and the rest of the droids to withdraw. A strange popping sound combined with the abruptness of lights snapped in front of Robin’s eyes harshly, not unlike that of having your photograph taken.

“What the,” Robin sputtered, waving a hand in front of his eyes to clear his vision. Blinking behind the mask, he strained to see past the odd glittering pink and white lights that danced in front of him. An illusion?

Robin’s attention was distracted by an odd shuttering sound. He looked up, and gasped.

The last thing Robin saw was a round circular device dropping down onto him at an alarming rate.

Then a painful sound.

Then black.

Then nothing.

AAA

“Owww,” he groaned, turning over in bed. Robin felt as if someone had put an anvil on his head and dumbbells under each eyelid. He kept his eyes shut and pulled the covers over his head.

I must’ve blacked out. I hope the Titans are all right

“Rise and shine, sleepy head!” a woman’s voice chirped from somewhere. The curtains parted with a swoosh allowing the room to bathe in beautiful bright sunshine.

Robin squinted to shield his eyes from the brilliance and he rubbed them . . . then realized he wasn’t wearing his mask.

And this was not Titans Tower.

The young man bolted up in bed and starred in awe at his surroundings.

He was in a bedroom with a desk, chair, and other typical items that were ordinary for any teenager. The walls were plastered with pictures of athletes and science gear. Books were stacked up on the desk while sports equipment lay around the room. A computer was on the desk along with some eyeglasses and a microscope.

Standing in front of him was a tall slender woman with black hair and two smiling blue eyes. Robin’s blood was draining out of his head and he suddenly felt weak and shaking inside. The last time he had seen her face, he was only eight years old.

Mom.

“Mom?” he croaked out weakly.

“Of course, Dick. What did you expect, the tooth fairy?” she asked. She laughed lightly and tugged at the covers. “Now up and at ‘em, or you’ll get nothing for breakfast.” The touch of her hand was an electic shock, causing him to shrink back from her.

“NO!” he shouted, jumping out of the bed like a frog and backing into a corner. “You’re not real, you can’t be!”

Mary Grayson raised a black eyebrow in surprise. “And why, may I ask, can’t I?”

Robin felt his stomach sink into his feet. This was impossible, it just wasn’t happening. Slade must have pulled some kind of crazy illusion over his eyes.

“You’re dead, you’re supposed to be dead. You’re just a ghost playing a trick on me,” he argued in defense.

The woman’s amused look became one of deep concern. “Dick, are you feeling all right? You look very pale,” she said with deep concern. She reached out with one hand but he only crouched on the ground, baring his teeth.

“Don’t touch me!” he snarled. The lashing action caused his mother to withdraw her hand and recoil in fear. Her lips parted and began to quiver slightly.

“Dick?” the woman questioned her son’s hostile attitude.

“Yeah, that’s it. I’m Dick and you’re dead. Dad’s dead too, remember?” he yelled out. “You died in the circus act years ago! You can’t be real, that’s impossible.”

“John! John!” she cried out. Robin looked at the door to his room and heard footsteps approaching. The handle turned and in stepped. . .

Dad?

A tall handsome man with brown hair. He looked at Robin with an equally curious look on his face. The man’s attention went from his son to his wife’s own face.

“What is it, Mary?” he asked.

“Its Dick, he must be running a fever. He keeps saying that we’re dead.”

“What?” John Grayson took his turn to frown and look at his son.

“That act. . .Tony Zucco. . the wires. .” Robin began to stammer nervously. “Didn’t you fall?”

“Well no, that’s not what happened. Remember Dick?” his father asked softly. “Yes, the wires were cut but your mother and I were able to swing to safety.” His father furrowed his eyebrows. “Don’t you remember? You were eight years old.”

Robin breathed deeply, trying to collect his confused thoughts together. His parents looked real. His clothes-jeans, red t-shirt, green jacket, and leather belt-all felt real. The chirping of birds outside of the window sounded real. So did the floor boards under his feet and the smell of coffee from downstairs. He nervously bit his lip and dug nails into his palm, trying to break the daze with some kind of pain.

But the display that his eyes were showing him did not vanish one bit. On the contrary, the colors, smells, and sounds were becoming more real and more warm to him with every passing second. This didn’t look so bad now. . did it?

His mother walked up and felt his forehead. Robin felt a strange cool calm sensation spread throughout his body when her smooth hand touched his skin, causing him to lower his hands and his heart rate to calm down. It felt so good that he didn’t want to break the contact. “I, I think I’m all right,” he heard himself say.

Mary Grayson bent forward and kissed him on the head. “That’s good. I don’t think you’d like to miss out on pancakes today, would you?”

The oddest thing was how natural he was starting to feel. Robin tried to job his memory. Wasn’t he supposed to be somewhere else? With some other people? Or maybe, that was just part of a dream itself. This was the reality of what things really happened.

“I, I guess not,” he managed to smile. His mother returned the smile and rubbed her hands together. “Good. Then lets go downstairs and have breakfast.”

A-A-A

It was all in his head. He knew where everything was and what he was supposed to do. This wasn’t really like having amnesia at all. He went into the kitchen and ate hot pancakes, heard his father talk about new plans for the gyms he was opening up on the other side of town, and his mother talk about Gotham’s latest fundraiser with the Wayne Charity Organization. He helped his mother wash the dishes and dry them, knowing that the blue ones went over the counter and to take out the garbage before he left for school.

Richard Grayson. Was that his name? Yes, that’s what it was. He had a sign on his door that said it in green letters. It was on his backpack as well. He wheeled his bicycle out of the garage, admiring the bright red chrome gleaming along the handlebars.

I thought my parents were dead.

I had another name, right? Something else that began with an R.

He knew the way to school, it was all in his head. A right turn at the grocery store, straight on Metropolis Avenue until the large brick house. It was a beautiful day in Jump City. The sun shined brightly, neighbors were watering flowers and waving to Richard, nodding to him and saying “Good morning” as he whizzed by. This is what normal people do, right? Kids get up and go to school. And his friends were waiting there.

My friends. Weren’t they supposed to be very extraordinary? Someone with metal instead of skin, someone with green . . . hair. . . skin. .

Orange skin. . no, that’s not right. .

Violet. Violet eyes that were deep and dark as an ocean. A girl who wore a lot of black.

The bizarre colors were merely wisps of white memories floating in the back of his mind. He couldn’t remember much else. . perhaps a special building. Yes! There was a giant tower in the shape of a T, its silver plates glittering brightly in the sunshine just as much as the waters lapping in the bay around it-

That’s kind of stupid. Why would there be a tower sitting on a rock?

Why a T? Why that letter?

T . . .T. .

“Dick! Hey, Dick!”

He slammed his sneakers into the gravel, causing the bike to skid to a halt. Throngs of students were on the grounds of the Jump Public School in front of him. Some kids were trading notes, others were mimicking teachers, and out of the corner of his eye, a few preppy girls were showing off the latest makeup and stylish jewelry.

A tall African American boy was waving to him from the main doors. Blinking to clear the cobwebs from his mind, Richard set aside the bike and walked up to him.

This guy looked tough enough to crush rocks in his bare hands. The blue shirt stretched cross his chest could barely contain the pumped firm muscles that this guy had from his biceps and six pack chest. A wide grin spread across his face and clear blue eyes greeted Richard.

“Um, hi . . uh. .” Richard’s head was still trying to recollect itself.

The bald kid’s blue eyes grew wide. “Uh, Vic? Vic Stone, remember? Your best friend in high school.”

Richard cracked a grin and nodded. “Oh yeah!” he laughed, slapping high fives with Victor. They tapped fists against each other. Immediately, the friendly gesture clicked in his head. It made sense, it was what he was supposed to do.

“So tell me, did you hear about the new transfer students coming in?” Vic asked him.

“Er, no,” Richard said. Vic kept talking to Richard while they walked inside of the school. “Well, I heard they’re sisters and one of ‘em is in our chemistry class. Heard they’re kind of exotic, not out of the ordinary. You know Gar, he’ll be hounding the camera and taking picture as if they’re-“

“-Aliens,” Richard blurted out. Aliens? Yes, that sounded like something that Gar would do. Gar . . wait a minute. .

Who’s Gar?

“Dude!” he heard a voice pipe up. A small teenager had been running to catch up with the two boys. He slowed down with wheezing breath just in front of them, a hand on Richard’s shoulder for support. Once catching his breath, the teen lifted his head to Richard. Dark green eyes twinkled like a mischief elf out of his face. Richard immediately noticed his hair: it was green. A strange dark forest pine green with the hair roots that were still brown, assuming that it had been the natural color of his head at one point.

“Dick, I’m so glad I caught up with you,” Gar babbled. His eyes narrowed keenly and a look of sheer delight and wickedness spread across his face. “Guess what, buddy,” he said, said as he slipped an arm around Dick and pulled him closer. “I’ve got a secret surprise for us.”

“Let me guess. The school is serving Chicken Surprise today,” Vic suggested.

“Nooooo,” Gar drawled out. “Its even better than that. The most awesome fantastic brilliant dazzling science fiction movie is coming out next month. . Super Ninja Fury!” he nearly hollered into Dick’s ear. “Go Ninja you’re the kickers, who’s the ninja, its your birthday,” he began to chant as he performed what looked like a crossover between a flamingo mating dance and a disco number.

“Riiiiight,” Dick said, smoothing his shirt out. “And if its next month, why are you dancing for joy now?”

Gar Logan stopped his dancing long enough to stare at the two boys. “Helluh-oh! That’s in four weeks from now. That’s not enough time!” he shouted, flapping his arms up and down. “We’ve got to get costumes made for the show, and come up with a cool parody for the other fans, and of course, I’ll need an article for the school paper why we should close school for the week when the movie comes out. . .”

The three boys continued down the hallway while Vic and Richard listened to Gar rattle on excitingly. At one point, Dick tapped Victor on the shoulder.

“Uh, Vic? Can you do me a favor?” he asked lightly.

“Sure, anything,” he nodded.

Richard’s hands grew sweaty and he clenched his books hard. “Just, humor me, ok? Tell me about my life, and what you know about me.”

Victor looked like he was speaking in a foreign language. “Say what?”

“Just give me a run down about my life. As my friend, ok?” Richard asked him.

“Well, all right, man. If you say so.” Victor started to talk while they opened their lockers and started to get out books and papers.

“You’re Richard Grayson, you’re fifteen years old, and you go to Jump City Public School. Your mom and dad and you were trapeze artists when you were younger. You guys toured a lot and were really popular. Man, those were some cool photos you had in your room,” Victor said, looking up with an impressed look on his face. Richard’s puzzled glance brought him back to memory.

“Oh yeah, so anyway, this bad Zucco guy threatened the circus and toyed with the wires on the trapeze. Your mom and dad would have fallen if your dad hadn’t grabbed the emergency bar and hung on. And you saw the whole thing, so the police came in and tracked down Zucco, able to stop him and his gang. Your family got some reward money for that, and your dad decided to quit the circus and settle down.”

Richard drummed his fingers lightly on the notebook.

“So, now your dad runs some gyms in the city and your mom is a gymnastics teacher. You’re on the baseball team, I’m on the football team, and Gar is on the ‘Star War Fan Club’ and photographer for the school paper. That’s us, the Three Musketeers.”

“Do people like me?” Richard asked. Victor closed his locker shut and laughed.

“Man, unless you knock their teeth out-which you’ve never done-you’re the apple of everyone’s eye. Even Professor Numbo likes you, and he’s not an easy person himself.”

Richard turned these thoughts over in his head. They all seemed real and good enough to be-

“OOOMPH!”

He crashed into someone so hard that he fell down, books and pens scattering all over the place. Richard groaned and rubbed his aching head.

“Hey, watch it, snort breath!” he heard a nasal sharp voice snap irritably.

A small kid in green was clutching a laptop and grinning sharp white teeth like a shark at him. He was flanked by two other kids. The large hairy one, Richard assumed, had caused him to fall. The other was a thin girl in a black gothic looking dress and bright pink tinted hair.

“You watch where you’re going,” Vic snapped at him. The kid looked up at Vic and continued his malevolent smiling. The burly haired one cracked his knuckles in Richard’s face.

“Oooh, watcha gonna do about it, Jock Face?” he sneered in his face.

“Leave him alone, Gizmo,” the girl said in a cool voice. “Its not worth mashing anyone before third period.”

He shrugged and they all slunk off, past Richard and down the hallway.

“Sheesh, what a bunch of bullies,” Gar grumbled. “They’ve got a lot of nerve calling themselves ‘The Triad’ and messing with other kids.”

“Maybe you can slip them some Chicken Surprise into their pants,” Richard suggested. Vic cracked a grin but Gar was laughing so hard that he was clutching his sides from the amusement.

“Nice one!”

BRRRRRRRRRIIIIIINGG!

The boys raced into the lab, skidded to a halt, and jumped into their seats just in time. Richard opened up his notes to the right pages and looked up. Professor Numbo had just walked in. An elderly gentleman with gray hair around his ears and a rather long nose, you’d assume he wasn’t anything radical or bizarre.

“Good day, class,” he announced in a funny nasal tone. It sounded like he was speaking through his nose instead of his throat. Or that he had a bad cold. The students giggled slightly.

“Good day, Mumbo Jumbo,” Gar whispered to Richard.

“Mr. Logan! Do I have to separate you two?” the teacher demanded.

“N-no, Professor Numbo,” Richard tried to say with a strained voice, attempting not to crack up again.

“Good.” Professor Numbo strode up to front of the room and whirled the rotating chalk board around madly. With a flick of the wrist, several crystal clear beakers landed on the counter in a perfectly straight line. “Now today in chemistry class, we’ll be making some magic!”

Everyone groaned.

“Now now class,” Professor Numbo warned with a shake of his finger. “Osmosis can be a very fascinating experience, once you’ve seen how science works its wonderful wacky ways. But before we get started, I’d like to introduce out new students.”

The door opened and two people walked in.

Richard’s blue eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. He could feel his heart beating much faster again, but with anticipation instead of alarm. His entire body was growing warm and starting to tingle. A soft scent carried by perfume had drifted into the room along with glowing colors from the two strangers. The entire class had stopped moaning long enough to stare at the newcomers.

“Class, I’d like you to meet Kayla and Kory Anders. They’ve just moved in to the city,” Professor Numbo announced.

Kayla was taller and the more confident looking of the two. She tossed violet-black hair back off of her shoulders and smile with two dark violet eyes, gleaming like cats eyes at the class. She looked rather alluring, but very attractive in a tight black skirt and silvery top.

“Hello, Jump City!” she announced to the class, spreading her long tapering fingers apart as she spoke to the class in a loud rich voice. “I bring you, the Anders Girls. You couldn’t have picked a better place for us to come in.” Her beauty and charisma alone seemed to have ensnared everyone and they couldn’t stop staring at her. Several boys were eyeing her as Kayla nearly floated across the room, her high heeled boots clicking on the tiles.

She walked past Richard and he got a whiff of her perfume, trying not to look like he was being overpowered by the heady scent. The girl winked a violet eye at him and her fingertips had lightly brushed over his hand when she walked passed him and took a seat.

“Ah yes, well, we’re very glad to have you here, Kayla,” Professor Numbo said, clearing his voice. He turned to the second girl. “Have you anything to say, Kory?”

Now everyone was glancing at the second girl, who’s own presence was quite different that her sister. She gave off a modest air in contrast to the first girl, yet something about her was giving off a vibrant feeling of trembling fascination.

The girl’s skin has a beautiful tanned orange glow that rivaled that of any sunbather, and accommodated with smooth soft red hair that drifted down her back, she looked extremely exotic, like a wildflower from the mountains or a tropical plant. A purple skirt and matching sweater set seemed very conservative attire next to her sister, but they suited her colors well.

Her eyes were the most brilliant thing of all. They were large and jewel light, bright and clear as two perfect emeralds glistening against a morning sunrise. Unlike her sister’s eyes, there was a sweet innocence in the eyes and when Richard looked at them, he saw not naivety, but sincerity. The girl had a feathery blush rising in her cheeks and she shyly hugged her books to her chest.

“I, I am honored to be here,” she said in a soft kind voice. “And I hope we will be friends.”

A few kids snickered at her remark, as if she was just coming into kindergarten. But she walked past them with her head held up, trembling slightly to maintain confidence in herself. She looked at Richard and their eyes met.

Summer green eyes looked into spring baby blue eyes. For a moment, Richard had forgotten about his surroundings. He felt Kory’s stare going into his very soul, almost intoxicating. . . they were the only two ones in the room and she was peering at him like a prince in a fairy tale. .

“Is this seat taken?” she asked him. Richard realized he was still gawking at her. Time for a reality check. He cleared his throat quickly and scooted over.

“Yes, just for you,” he said. She slid into the seat and gave him an affectionate smile.

To be continued. . .