When they arrived at the Tower, Robin headed straight for his room. Starfire intercepted him in the corridor.
"Friend Robin, are you—"
"Fine." He pulled away. "Just tired."
"You do not seem fine." Her green eyes searched his face. "Perhaps you should speak with—"
"I said I'm fine Starfire." Robin walked past her. "Really. Just need some sleep."
He disappeared down the hallway before she could argue.
Starfire turned to Hikaru, worry etched across her features. "Uhm, Hikaru, could you try talking to him?"
Hikaru raised a brow. "Why me?"
"I find you are the one that it is easiest to talk to."
"Agreed." Raven said appearing from behind
He looked between them before letting out a sigh. "I'll try,"
Hikaru waited twenty minutes before knocking on Robin's door. No answer. He knocked again.
"Robin. It's Hikaru."
Silence.
"I'm not leaving until we talk, so you might as well open up."
More silence. Then the lock clicked.
Robin's room was surprisingly sparse—minimal furniture, weapons mounted on walls, a computer workstation with multiple monitors. The bed looked untouched. Robin sat at his desk, out of costume but still wearing sunglasses, shoulders hunched.
"Rough day in Gotham?" Hikaru asked hinting at his bad mood since his return.
He didn't respond.
"Control Freak's a gag character," Hikaru continued. "You nearly hospitalized him."
"He took a hostage."
"He's a pathetic fanboy with a fancy remote. You know it, I know it." Hikaru crossed his arms. "What happened in Gotham?"
Robin's jaw tightened. "Nothing."
"Bullshit."
"Drop it."
"No." Hikaru pulled up a chair, straddling it backward. "Because whatever's eating you affected the mission tonight. That's a team problem."
Robin's fist clenched on the desk. For a moment, Hikaru thought he'd tell him to leave. Then Robin's shoulders sagged.
"He doesn't see me as a leader," Robin said quietly. "Batman. He still treats me like a sidekick."
Hikaru waited.
"I went to Gotham to debrief him on the H.I.V.E. situation. Figured he'd want to know we handled it." Robin laughed bitterly. "Instead, I got a twenty-minute lecture on tactical inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, and how I should've neutralized the threat faster."
"Did he mention you won?"
"He mentioned how we should have won." Robin pulled off his sunglasses, rubbing his eyes. "Then he hinted that I'm not fit to lead the Titans doesn't think I can handle the responsibility."
"That's bullshit," Hikaru said flatly.
Robin looked up, surprised.
"You think any of us would follow your orders if you weren't a good leader?" Hikaru leaned forward. "Donna's an Amazon warrior. Cyborg's brilliant and independent as hell. Raven could probably level a city if she wanted. Kid Flash is literally fast enough to be anywhere else. And I'm—" He gestured vaguely at himself. "I'm half-angel. None of us need to be here."
"Then why are you?"
"Because you make it work." Hikaru met his gaze steadily. "You coordinate eight different personalities with completely different power sets into something that actually functions. That's not sidekick shit, Robin. That's leadership."
"You know Batman sound like my mentor."
"Dr. Light?"
"Yeah, she's brilliant, dedicated, powerful... and about as emotionally available as a brick wall."
Robin nodded. "Sounds familiar."
"Yeah… to make matters worse she's not just a mentor she's… she's actually my mother."
Robin blinked. "Your mother?"
"Yeah… I grew up mostly alone while she saved the world. When she found out I was doing vigilante work, her solution was to ship me off to the Teen Titans."
"Sounds like she was worried about you."
"She was worried. Worried I'd get myself killed and she'd feel guilty." Hikaru's smile was brittle. "Don't get me wrong, I know she loves me. In her own way. But showing it? Talking about it? That's rare."
Robin was quiet for a long moment. "You know Batman sent me files on all of you," he finally said. "Background checks, real identities, everything. "
"I didn't read them," Robin continued. "Figured if you all wanted me to know, you'd tell me when you were ready. That's not how Batman would handle it, but..."
"You're not Batman."
He smiled. "No. I'm not."
"I'm Dick, by the way," he said, pulling off his mask completely. His blue eyes looked tired, but clearer than before. "Dick Grayson."
"Hikaru Hoshi." He extended his hand.
They shook, the gesture formal but sincere.
Hikaru stood, stretching. "So maybe we both need to accept that our parents are emotionally constipated workaholics who struggle to express affection."
That startled a laugh out of Dick—short, but genuine.
"Thanks," Dick said. "For the talk. And for not letting me spiral."
"That's what teammates are for, right?" Hikaru headed for the door, then paused. "For what it's worth, I think Batman's wrong. You're exactly where you're supposed to be."
Dick smiled—small, but real. "Get some sleep, Hikaru. I heard you've got a history test to pass."
"Don't remind me." Hikaru groaned as he closed the door behind him. As he walked down the hall he exhaled, only to find Starfire waiting, with Raven leaning against the wall nearby
"You talked to him? Is Robin well?" Starfire asked.
"He will be," Hikaru assured her. "Just needed to vent."
"I knew you could do it!"
"Thanks for the confidence."
Raven's eyes studied him. "And you?"
"Me?" Hikaru realized he meant it. "Yeah. how could I not be with you two as friends."
Starfire beamed a smile, while Raven hesitate before nodding in agreement.
They walked back to the common room together, where the others had gathered for a late-night snack. Cyborg had recovered enough to make sandwiches, though he still looked vaguely traumatized by the candy incident. Beast Boy was reenacting the battle with dramatic flair, using condiments as props.
Dick emerged a few minutes later, mask back in place but posture relaxed. He grabbed a sandwich and settled into the controlled chaos, trading jabs with Kid Flash about the proper way to fight animated VHS tapes.
Hikaru caught Raven's eye across the room. She nodded once in approval, or maybe, acknowledgment.