Cy in Charge - 1
Just another day of videogames at the Tower. Death Monster vs. Zombie Kings 4, and Cy is winning, of course. It’s been a quiet day. Aside from BB trying to convince the game to do what he wants.
“Excuse me? Have either of you seen Robin?” It’s Starfire, trying to not intrude. Sounding a bit concerned.
“Haven’t seen him all day, Star,” Cy says distractedly. His death monster is soclose to winning. To annihilating Beast Boy’s zombie King Henry VIII.
“Oh. Thank you.” And with that Star is gone.
“What do you think he’s been up to, Cy?”
“Search me, BB. Fourth time in the last two weeks, though.
“You think he’s on a secret mission?”
“I think he knows better than to go off on a secret mission without saying something.” How many months did it take till the rest of the team forgot the Red X fiasco? “Maybe he has a lead on Slade, or Red X?”
“Maybe he just needs some quiet time…nahhhhhh.”
They throw themselves into the game just enough to not hear the sound of a jet landing the roof without triggering any alarms. They do notice when the door opens, though. And look away to see Robin stick his head in. “Meeting. Five minutes.”
“Dude, he seems intense. Even for Robin.”
At the appointed minute - the game paused with Beast Boy valiantly struggling to stay alive - the team gathers quietly.
“I’ll make this short, since I have to go. I’m back with Batman-“ There is a chorus of “what?” and “how?” that Robin ignores. “-and I need to be in Gotham for a while. I promise, I am not leaving the team, but right now I have things to do. Cy, you’re in charge till I get back. Red Star will be filling in for me.
“I’ll check in if I can.” And then he rushes out of the room. Leaving dead silence. And then four teens talking at each other at the top of their lungs.
“QUIET!” Cy doesn’t like to yell - his enhanced lungs can be a bit loud - but he has to start leading, right? “Listen up, you all. Like it or not, Robbie left me in charge. Whether I like it or not, too, since he didn’t ask me about it. He has stuff to do with Batman, fine, we let him and we carry on.” On cue, the three others begin venting their displeasure. Though Starfire seems less concerned with the team than with having a boyfriend who didn’t say a word to her about this.
“You gonna make me yell again,” Cy asks without quite yelling. “He’ll be back. And we’ve managed without him before.”
“We have?”
“Yes, BB, we have.” Though Cy can’t remember when. Maybe that time Robin was in the Far East to study martial arts. And everyone was busy trying on spare Robin costumes
Better not mention that one.
“We’ll be OK. Everyone got that?”
The level of noise indicates otherwise, at least for a little while.
____________________________________________________________________
“Raven, can I come in?” Cy hopes she hears him through the door.
The door opens and Raven comes out. It seems that she still won’t let anyone in. “Something you need to talk about?”
“You know there is. This whole thing, with me being leader and Robbie going bye-bye and everyone upset.”
“I’m not upset. I’m just…uncertain.”
“About me or about the team?”
“You will do fine. Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but everyone wants Robin in charge.” At least he can be glad no one else wants the job (yet).
“Change is hard, Cyborg. And it’s as much how he told us that is bothering everyone. I think that might mean he’s still in charge, in fact.”
“Then what are you uncertain about?”
“Robin being back with Batman. Robin not communicating with Starfire. Getting a new teammate without any warning.”
“So everything else.”
“Yes.” There is a hint of a small smile on Raven’s usually grim face. “You might need to talk with Starfire about some of this.”
“Oh, no! I am not playing boyfriend-girlfriend advice guy. Let them work it out without me.”
“I think the leader sometimes has to do things like that.”
“When was the last time Robin did things like that?”
That gives Raven pause. “Maybe he should. Or would if he needed to.”
“Maybe if he were being a good leader, he would still be here.”
“That’s what has me so uncertain. I don’t know why he’s back with Batman, but given how little Robin ever talks about his other career, I keep wondering what came up that has them working together again.”
“I am not thinking about that, Rae. I just wanna hold us together and be ready for Red Star and be ready for whatever comes our way.”
“You sound like a leader already.” Cy tries not to scowl at that. “But if you are going to be the leader, you will have to face how we all feel about Robin.”
“Yeah, I know. Maybe later in the day. After I figure out what Robin did to get us ready. And after we welcome Red Star.”
“At least Robin found someone we could work well with.”
“Who’s not from around here. And who will need time to settle in. And who has worked with us once.”
“He’ll fit in. Or did you forget what it was like when we started?”
Cy goes all thoughtful. “Nope. Just thought that those days were over. We let all the new recruits form their own teams and we stay us.”
“I don’t think that was Robin’s plan.”
“Well, it would have been mine. And I’m charge now.” Cy smiles wryly and lets Raven go back to her room.
“Excuse me? Have either of you seen Robin?” It’s Starfire, trying to not intrude. Sounding a bit concerned.
“Haven’t seen him all day, Star,” Cy says distractedly. His death monster is soclose to winning. To annihilating Beast Boy’s zombie King Henry VIII.
“Oh. Thank you.” And with that Star is gone.
“What do you think he’s been up to, Cy?”
“Search me, BB. Fourth time in the last two weeks, though.
“You think he’s on a secret mission?”
“I think he knows better than to go off on a secret mission without saying something.” How many months did it take till the rest of the team forgot the Red X fiasco? “Maybe he has a lead on Slade, or Red X?”
“Maybe he just needs some quiet time…nahhhhhh.”
They throw themselves into the game just enough to not hear the sound of a jet landing the roof without triggering any alarms. They do notice when the door opens, though. And look away to see Robin stick his head in. “Meeting. Five minutes.”
“Dude, he seems intense. Even for Robin.”
At the appointed minute - the game paused with Beast Boy valiantly struggling to stay alive - the team gathers quietly.
“I’ll make this short, since I have to go. I’m back with Batman-“ There is a chorus of “what?” and “how?” that Robin ignores. “-and I need to be in Gotham for a while. I promise, I am not leaving the team, but right now I have things to do. Cy, you’re in charge till I get back. Red Star will be filling in for me.
“I’ll check in if I can.” And then he rushes out of the room. Leaving dead silence. And then four teens talking at each other at the top of their lungs.
“QUIET!” Cy doesn’t like to yell - his enhanced lungs can be a bit loud - but he has to start leading, right? “Listen up, you all. Like it or not, Robbie left me in charge. Whether I like it or not, too, since he didn’t ask me about it. He has stuff to do with Batman, fine, we let him and we carry on.” On cue, the three others begin venting their displeasure. Though Starfire seems less concerned with the team than with having a boyfriend who didn’t say a word to her about this.
“You gonna make me yell again,” Cy asks without quite yelling. “He’ll be back. And we’ve managed without him before.”
“We have?”
“Yes, BB, we have.” Though Cy can’t remember when. Maybe that time Robin was in the Far East to study martial arts. And everyone was busy trying on spare Robin costumes
Better not mention that one.
“We’ll be OK. Everyone got that?”
The level of noise indicates otherwise, at least for a little while.
____________________________________________________________________
“Raven, can I come in?” Cy hopes she hears him through the door.
The door opens and Raven comes out. It seems that she still won’t let anyone in. “Something you need to talk about?”
“You know there is. This whole thing, with me being leader and Robbie going bye-bye and everyone upset.”
“I’m not upset. I’m just…uncertain.”
“About me or about the team?”
“You will do fine. Everyone knows that.”
“Yeah, but everyone wants Robin in charge.” At least he can be glad no one else wants the job (yet).
“Change is hard, Cyborg. And it’s as much how he told us that is bothering everyone. I think that might mean he’s still in charge, in fact.”
“Then what are you uncertain about?”
“Robin being back with Batman. Robin not communicating with Starfire. Getting a new teammate without any warning.”
“So everything else.”
“Yes.” There is a hint of a small smile on Raven’s usually grim face. “You might need to talk with Starfire about some of this.”
“Oh, no! I am not playing boyfriend-girlfriend advice guy. Let them work it out without me.”
“I think the leader sometimes has to do things like that.”
“When was the last time Robin did things like that?”
That gives Raven pause. “Maybe he should. Or would if he needed to.”
“Maybe if he were being a good leader, he would still be here.”
“That’s what has me so uncertain. I don’t know why he’s back with Batman, but given how little Robin ever talks about his other career, I keep wondering what came up that has them working together again.”
“I am not thinking about that, Rae. I just wanna hold us together and be ready for Red Star and be ready for whatever comes our way.”
“You sound like a leader already.” Cy tries not to scowl at that. “But if you are going to be the leader, you will have to face how we all feel about Robin.”
“Yeah, I know. Maybe later in the day. After I figure out what Robin did to get us ready. And after we welcome Red Star.”
“At least Robin found someone we could work well with.”
“Who’s not from around here. And who will need time to settle in. And who has worked with us once.”
“He’ll fit in. Or did you forget what it was like when we started?”
Cy goes all thoughtful. “Nope. Just thought that those days were over. We let all the new recruits form their own teams and we stay us.”
“I don’t think that was Robin’s plan.”
“Well, it would have been mine. And I’m charge now.” Cy smiles wryly and lets Raven go back to her room.