Throughout the entire next day, there wasn't a moment where Gar wasn't wringing his hands over the previous night's events with Robin. Again and again, he berated himself for leaving Robin to the mercy of that stranger, only to circle back to the same conclusion: he'd had little choice but to let that man take Robin. After all, Gar desperately tried to reason with himself, the man had intended to give Robin medical treatment, which Gar could not give to him. By letting him take Robin, Gar attempted to reassure himself, Robin would have at least had a chance of receiving the care his injury required. More of a chance than he'd had with Gar.

Still, Gar spent the entire day anxiously pacing about his apartment, willing for the sun to set so night could come. Cliff tried to calm him, cuddling up against Gar when he laid down on the mattress, prodding him with her cold nose, but it was all Gar could do to absentmindedly stroke her head.

Never before had Gar been so jubilant as when the twilight arrived, practically quivering with the urge to go out and find Robin. Just for the night, he reluctantly decided, it would be acceptable to put off his search for the ring. Robin's health and safety were more important. However, he could not ignore the wave of guilt that washed over him at his conclusion. Nicholas, the only parent Gar ever had known, was ill, and Gar was neglecting his responsibilities toward him.

But Robin was important, too, Gar reasoned. Robin was important because . . . because . . .

Truthfully, Gar wasn't sure why Robin was important to him. Possibly, it was because Robin was the only person beyond Nicholas with whom Gar had had a significant interaction. Though Gar's memories extended only a few months, Nicholas was the only person Gar could recall regularly communicating with him. And while Gar knew that supporting Nicholas was important, and that Nicholas's life was in danger, but living on his own and only emerging at night for work was a lonely way for Gar to pass the time.

But Robin—he was kind and friendly, welcoming Gar, acting grateful for his help in a way that Nicholas didn't. Plus, he was always out at night, just like Gar was—maybe the two of them could meet regularly to spend time together. Or maybe, just maybe, the two of them could even be friends.

With a goodbye hug to Cliff and a quick check to make sure that she had both water and food, Gar leapt out of his window, ready to start his hunt. Soaring over Gotham as a peregrine falcon, he made use of his enhanced hearing and trained his ears carefully to catch Robin's voice. After nearly an hour of canvassing the city, he finally detected Robin, with several other people, standing on the rooftop of an abandoned apartment building. Swooping down to the next roof over, Gar decided to observe for a few minutes to determine if Robin at all needed his help.

Four others stood with Robin, three boys and a girl, all looking about the same age, perhaps seventeen or eighteen. Red was a prominent color in all of their attire, which was skintight suits like Robin's. Two of the boys were redheads, and one of them, as well as the lone girl, wore outfits that were nearly entirely red. The other redhead wore red pants with a yellow shirt, and the remaining boy, dark-haired with violet eyes, was clad in a red shirt but with blue pants. All wore boots of varying colors.

All of them held bags and cups of takeout food and drink, occupied with both eating and talking. Gar's stomach growled at the scent, reminding him of how little he was able to eat during the day, too tense with anxiety to enjoy a meal.

" . . . so Arthur says all of you are welcome at the royal Atlantean place anytime," the dark-haired, violet-eyed boy was saying to his companions.

One of the redhead boys, who carried a bow with a quiver of arrows slung on his back, welcomed the invitation. "I just might move in with you, Garth. I can't even begin to tell you how sick I am of coming home to an empty apartment."

"But Ollie was supposed to be back last week, right?" asked the other redhead boy. "Uncle Barry was thrilled that he'd get to see Hal again. But I don't think he's a big fan of Ollie, no offense."

The entire group laughed, and as their happiness became apparent, Gar could not suppress a sharp stab of envy. The friendship between the group was evident, a camaraderie he could never recall experiencing but longed to be a part of. And here was Robin in the thick of it.

Gar sighed, turning away from the group and taking off into the sky. What use did Robin have for him when he was already surrounded by friends? Furthermore, what would he want with someone like Gar, who couldn't even remember his own past?

He touched down on the roof of the closest targeted store and was just about to slip inside when he caught conversation from a few men lurking around the street below.

"—don't see why we're not helping the boss—"

"It's a distraction, don't you get it? That's why he took the others to the museum." The statement was punctuated by the sound of glass shattering and the blare of an alarm shrilling through the night air.

Vaulting over the side of the building, Gar landed as a jaguar, his thoughts whirling. A distraction— that meant the men and their boss, whoever it was, was trying to fool Robin.

With no hesitation, Gar launched himself through the shattered window, much to the astonishment of the three thieves. The men barely had time to yelp in surprise before Gar shifted into an ogre and bellowed at them, pushing forward until he had the three of them backed into a corner. Though they cowered in fear, Gar growled savagely at them for effect.

"Freeze!" The authoritative shout emitted from the entryway, and Gar's spirits rose at the sound of Robin's voice. With his hearing, he could tell that Robin's four friends were still with them.

"Hi, Robin!" He said cheerfully, shifting back to his default form. "I caught these guys trying to break in— but they're just a diversion. Some of their gang is actually going to rob a museum."

"Got it, Gar. Wally, would you—" Before Robin could finish, there was a whirlwind of movement in front of Gar, and he blinked at the thieves suddenly became tied up faster than he could see. Turning, he looked fully at Robin and his group.

"We should go to the museum," the only girl opined, floating in mid-air.

"We should be cautious." The violet-eyed boy sent a wary glance Gar's way. "It might be a trap."

"Wonder Girl, take Aqualad and have Kid Flash check the nearby museums. Speedy and I will wait here for the police," Robin ordered.

Another burst of wind emitted as one of the redheads abruptly vanished, and the one referred to as "Wonder Girl" grabbed the dark-haired boy and took off with him into the sky.

"I'll bring these three outside." Gar started toward the trio of burglars, but Robin halted him.

"Leave them and come outside with me. Speedy, stand guard." He ducked out of the storefront, and Gar followed. Adopting the role of sentry, the remaining redhead— Speedy, Gar presumed— leaned against the front door jamb, one leg bent up and his arms crossed over his chest.

Robin offered Gar a smile, and gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Thanks for pulling me out of the bay the other night. That's three for three times you've helped me. It's almost like you're my guardian angel."

A thrill zipped through Gar at Robin's praise, and his heart jumped at his touch. Even though Robin had his other friends, Robin still liked him . "No problem," he replied, beaming.

"I wouldn't make too many celestial comparisons, Rob," Speedy cut in from the entrance. He nodded at Gar. "I've seen this one from surveillance tapes around Star City— he was repoing for Brick. Green Arrow and I were tracking him for a while, but he skipped town before we could meet him face-to-face." Disdain dripped from his voice. "And exactly what were you doing here tonight that you just so happened to catch these thieves?"

" 'Repo,' " Gar repeated blankly. "Repossession?" He glanced uncertainly from Speedy to Robin. "Like, drug possession? Repossession . . . would that be being caught by the police for possessing drugs twice in a row? Another time after the first?"

Speedy stared at him, disbelief written on all his features that weren't hidden by his domino mask. " Evidence repossession. You would break into police stations and steal proof that could've been used to convict criminals. Like you don't know that."

Heat rose in Gar's face. What would Robin think of him now?

"Nicholas tells me what work I have to do," he explained shamefacedly. "I don't ask why or what the reason is. I just know that people will give us money if I do what Nicholas says. Like how I'm working for Maroni now."

"Sure, sure." The roll of Speedy's eyes, though not visible due to his mask, was evident in his tone.

"Who's Nicholas?" Robin questioned with concern. "Your father?"

"My guardian," Gar told him. "I don't know that I ever had a father, but Nicholas is the closest thing I've got now. He's sick, so I have to work because he can't. I have to pay for his medicine."

"That's got to be the least original sob story I've ever heard," Speedy bluntly commented.

Robin shot him a warning look before turning back to Gar. "Do you ever meet the people you work for, Gar?" Robin asked kindly.

Gar shook his head. "They meet Nicholas, and sometimes Nicholas brings me to them, but only so he can show me off. 'Showcase my talents' is what he calls it. And then Nicholas calls me on this special phone and tells me what to do, what it is those people want."

Robin frowned. "You don't live with Nicholas?"

"No. Nicholas has to live alone for his health. I live by myself. Well, except for Cliff," Gar amended. To Robin and Speedy's quizzical looks, he elaborated. "My dog. She was a stray, so I took her home."

"What kind of phone is it?" Speedy asked casually.

Gar thought for a moment. He didn't frequently use the phone; Nicholas was the only person to call him, and he didn't appreciate taking Gar's calls in return. Besides him, there was no one for Gar to call. "Net10," he responded finally.

"Prepaid," Speedy muttered, possibly just to himself.

"You said you don't know if you ever had a father," Robin said gently. He placed his hand on Gar's shoulder. "Why don't you, Gar? Where are your parents?"

Too many questions. Nervously, Gar ducked away from Robin's touch, backing up in the opposite direction. He couldn't help but notice as he inhaled Robin's scent: a woodsy smell that pushed ideas of autumn into Gar's mind, of leaves crunching underfoot and cool morning dew on the grass. Yet he couldn't waste time thinking about that. "I've stayed too long already. I have to leave."

"I understand," Robin said calmly. "Thanks again for all your help, Gar. Don't be afraid to come to me for help if you need it."

"You're welcome," Gar replied with a smile of relief before morphing into a hummingbird and flitting away.

Not an hour later, Dick and the others gathered around the immense dining room table at Wayne Manor to enjoy the breakfast spread Alfred had arranged for them.

"These pancakes are delicious." Garth grinned at Alfred. "You're the best, Alfred!"

"And the parfait is simply divine!" Donna said enthusiastically. "Thank you so much for all of lovely food, Alfred. You spoil us!"

"I'm glad you're enjoying the meal," Alfred replied with a gracious smile. "I think it's wonderful that while the five of you have officially disbanded the Teen Titans, you still make time to visit with each other."

However, the remainder of the quintet was more occupied with shop talk than pleasantries.

"What's this Roy is saying about you letting a criminal go free?" Wally asked Dick, one red eyebrow rising quizzically.

"That was Gar. He's not your average criminal. He's already saved me twice, and you saw that he helped us out last night," Dick began, but Roy interrupted.

"If you want my opinion, he's nothing more than a henchman. He was helping the leaders of organized crime in Star City escape justice left and right by stealing the evidence the police were planning to use against them." Roy shook his head in disgust. "If it weren't for your Gar, Brick would be serving life in prison by now."

"I don't think Gar realizes what he's doing is wrong," Dick theorized. "You heard him, Roy. He said he doesn't remember his parents, and he has no one but Nicholas, his guardian, who he thinks he has to support through crime. It certainly doesn't sound like Nicholas has Gar's best interests in mind. And besides, Gar's gone out of his way to help me several times, now—I would have died without him at least one of those times."

"So, what's your ultimate conclusion on him?" Garth inquired.

Dick shrugged. "Gar doesn't appear malicious, just a little bit shifty. Batman mostly agrees with that assessment—he met Gar very briefly when Gar saved me from drowning the night before last. But I tried to trace Gar's origin to little success. Like Roy says, Gar first appeared in Star City a few months ago, working for Brick, but it doesn't seem like he at all existed anytime before that."

"Maybe his powers only surfaced a few months ago," Donna suggested. "A green shapeshifter would draw attention, but just a regular boy wouldn't."

"Maybe." Dick looked around at them all. "I'm going to do some further investigations on Gar, but Batgirl is off with Supergirl, and Batman left yesterday for a case. Are any of you free?"

Donna shook her head. "Diana and I have a UN meeting."

"I have to attend a company picnic for my dad's job," Wally said, misery apparent in his voice.

Garth scowled. "The Trenchers are expanding their territory again, and I have to go force them back."

"I've got band practice with Great Frog," Roy said. "But Ollie and Hal are supposed to be back from their road trip today. The keywords there are 'supposed to.' But if they are, they could help you with the Brick connection."

Robin nodded. "That's a good idea. I'll give them a call. Gar mentioned a 'Nicholas' who arranged his jobs— if Gar was working for Brick, then Nicholas must have known Brick as well."