"Still nothing", Shira said, to Starfire, via communicator. They had all split up, looking for Robin, but he was nowhere to be found.
"But you cannot give up! Robin must be present, at somewhere or the other!", Starfire wailed back.
"I'm not a GPS, Star! Even Cyborg's GPS can't track him down!"
"But we cannot give up! What if Robin is seriously injured?!"
"He can take care of himself", Shira and Cyborg said, at the same time.
Just then, Shira's communicator started beeping uncontrollably.
"We got a robbery", she said, to the other four. "Meet you there."
Moments later, they reached the storeroom of the thermal blaster someone was attempting to steal.
"FREEZE!", Shira shouted out. The thief did.
" .", she said, menacingly. When the thief did, they all got the shock of their lives. It was Robin. And then he ran.
And again, Shira thought, exasperated by now. The five titans pursued Robin. Their attacks were futile. Robin could easily stop them. Even Shira's, whose attacks were the only full heartedly made ones. Even though the air was cleared between her and Robin, there was still some awkwardness, and Shira was not one who could easily forgive and forget things. After some time, he got away.
Back at the tower, the five of them were puzzled. Why was Robin suddenly like this?
"Maybe he's doing another Red X tirck?", Shira suggested.
"He learned his lesson, the first time around", Cyborg said. "He wouldn't try something like that again, so soon!"
"There are only two logical explanations. One, Robin's been replaced by an evil robot double!", Beast Boy said,showing a comic book cover to Raven, Shira and Cyborg with a robot dressed like Robin attacking the city. "Two, he's become another victim of zombie mind control!", he concluded, showing a comic book page to Raven, Shira and Cyborg showing Robin as a zombie with more zombies in the background.
"As logical as that sounds...if anything was controlling his mind, I would've sensed it", Raven replied.
"But it could not have been Robin, who was perpetrating the crime!", Starfire yelled. Shira felt sorry for her. She didn't know how she'd feel, if it were to happen, but she knew she would feel extremely shocked, if Cyborg went over to the bad side. But then, maybe she, Shira could also go back to the Brotherhood, and they could be together. The thought of it made her ill. It didn't last long, though, because at that moment, their alarm went off again.
"Wayne Enterprises. You think?", she asked Cyborg.
"Likely", Raven replied.
"Don't worry. We will fix this. Just pull yourself together, for now", Shira told Starfire, who nodded.
Sure enough, they saw Robin stealing another weapon, when they got to Wayne Enterprises.
"Drop it, man. We don't wanna fight you", Cyborg called out.
Speak for yourself, Shira said, to herself. Let's do this.
Once again, Robin did not attack them, but made to escape with the weapon. Only when he realized the others would not give up, he fought them. He finished off Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy, without any problems, but Shira was another story. Though he knew about her past, she still wouldn't use her mother's powers, lest the others saw it.
"Oh yeah, I can fight you with plain old water", she said, knocking him aside, with a forceful stream of water. Suddenly, he used the thermal blaster on her, stunning her, for a few seconds.
Before she could attack, however, she noticed Starfire pleading.
This is SO not the time! Show no mercy, Shira silently snarled at her. But then, she noticed he lowered the blaster. Wow, he does have a conscious. And it's clear he feels for her!, Shira thought, surprised. But not before she felt pain. Intense, excruciating pain. Vaguely, she noticed that the others were also in pain. And their red blood cells were luminous. They were glowing red, with pain. She never expected this from Robin. All she could think of, in that moment was about how much she wanted to die, and get rid of all the pain. Moments later, the pain was gone, and Shira actually believed, for a while, that she was dead.
"Shira! You okay?", Cyborg had just lifted her off the ground.
Heaven, she thought, before noticing the others.
"Did we all die?", she asked, her mind fuzzy.
"No, we're good. We don't know how Slade taught Robin how to make us look like human lava lamps, though", Beast Boy said.
"I do not think that was Robin", Starfire said.
"We have to check on this", Cyborg said, letting go of Shira, much to her dismay.
Back at the tower, they ran tests on Beast Boy, and then saw it. Slade had injected nanoscopic probes into their bloodstreams.
"Those things are inside me?", Beast Boy said, freaking out.
"Stop being such a baby! They're inside all of us!"
"So why hasn't Slade killed us, already?"
"Slow, slow, SLOW torture", Shira said, quietly, making Beast Boy cower in fear.
"You mean to say-", Cyborg asked.
"He won't use them on us", Shira said.
"As long as Robin does whatever he says", Raven finished.
"We must go save him! We must leave, now!", Starfire said, frantically.
"Hold on! How do we know where Slade's base is, though?", Beast Boy asked.
"Simple. We go to where Robin fought Cinderblock, and take it from there", Shira said.
Without wasting another second, the five of them left, immediately. But it was mostly thanks to Raven, that they managed to find their way. She could sense Robin's and Slade's presences.
Eventually, they found the two of them, Slade abusing Robin. Just like mother and I, Shira thought, remembering her harrowing childhood, before being enrolled at Hive Academy. Starfire was seething. Shira nodded. Starfire hit Slade with a starbolt.
"Leave... Him... Alone!", she yelled, her eyes glowing green.
"Robin, attack!", Slade commanded.
"Get out of here! Go! You don't know what those beams did to...", Robin warned instead of following orders.
"Dude", Beast Boy said.
"We know:, Raven continued.
"And we don't care", Cyborg finished "We are your friends, Robin. We are not leaving without you", Starfire said.
"I said ATTACK", Slade yelled.
Wow, things never get pretty when that tone of voice is used, Shira thought. Robin didn't.
"AAAAAHHHHHH", Shira screamed out. The pain was more intensifying, this time. She shrieked and writhed, in pain, not aware of what was happening around her. Then, again, the pain vanished. And this time, there would be no time to recuperate. Gathering what remained of her strength, she proceeded to attack Slade. This time, it was the real Slade. All six of them fought him, and managed to break his mask. Unfortunately, they still couldn't figure out his identity.
"Another day, Robin", he said, triggering the self destruct sequence and running into the darkness. "Let's get out of here", Cyborg said, gathering the probe machine. Quickly, they all fled.
"But you cannot give up! Robin must be present, at somewhere or the other!", Starfire wailed back.
"I'm not a GPS, Star! Even Cyborg's GPS can't track him down!"
"But we cannot give up! What if Robin is seriously injured?!"
"He can take care of himself", Shira and Cyborg said, at the same time.
Just then, Shira's communicator started beeping uncontrollably.
"We got a robbery", she said, to the other four. "Meet you there."
Moments later, they reached the storeroom of the thermal blaster someone was attempting to steal.
"FREEZE!", Shira shouted out. The thief did.
" .", she said, menacingly. When the thief did, they all got the shock of their lives. It was Robin. And then he ran.
And again, Shira thought, exasperated by now. The five titans pursued Robin. Their attacks were futile. Robin could easily stop them. Even Shira's, whose attacks were the only full heartedly made ones. Even though the air was cleared between her and Robin, there was still some awkwardness, and Shira was not one who could easily forgive and forget things. After some time, he got away.
Back at the tower, the five of them were puzzled. Why was Robin suddenly like this?
"Maybe he's doing another Red X tirck?", Shira suggested.
"He learned his lesson, the first time around", Cyborg said. "He wouldn't try something like that again, so soon!"
"There are only two logical explanations. One, Robin's been replaced by an evil robot double!", Beast Boy said,showing a comic book cover to Raven, Shira and Cyborg with a robot dressed like Robin attacking the city. "Two, he's become another victim of zombie mind control!", he concluded, showing a comic book page to Raven, Shira and Cyborg showing Robin as a zombie with more zombies in the background.
"As logical as that sounds...if anything was controlling his mind, I would've sensed it", Raven replied.
"But it could not have been Robin, who was perpetrating the crime!", Starfire yelled. Shira felt sorry for her. She didn't know how she'd feel, if it were to happen, but she knew she would feel extremely shocked, if Cyborg went over to the bad side. But then, maybe she, Shira could also go back to the Brotherhood, and they could be together. The thought of it made her ill. It didn't last long, though, because at that moment, their alarm went off again.
"Wayne Enterprises. You think?", she asked Cyborg.
"Likely", Raven replied.
"Don't worry. We will fix this. Just pull yourself together, for now", Shira told Starfire, who nodded.
Sure enough, they saw Robin stealing another weapon, when they got to Wayne Enterprises.
"Drop it, man. We don't wanna fight you", Cyborg called out.
Speak for yourself, Shira said, to herself. Let's do this.
Once again, Robin did not attack them, but made to escape with the weapon. Only when he realized the others would not give up, he fought them. He finished off Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy, without any problems, but Shira was another story. Though he knew about her past, she still wouldn't use her mother's powers, lest the others saw it.
"Oh yeah, I can fight you with plain old water", she said, knocking him aside, with a forceful stream of water. Suddenly, he used the thermal blaster on her, stunning her, for a few seconds.
Before she could attack, however, she noticed Starfire pleading.
This is SO not the time! Show no mercy, Shira silently snarled at her. But then, she noticed he lowered the blaster. Wow, he does have a conscious. And it's clear he feels for her!, Shira thought, surprised. But not before she felt pain. Intense, excruciating pain. Vaguely, she noticed that the others were also in pain. And their red blood cells were luminous. They were glowing red, with pain. She never expected this from Robin. All she could think of, in that moment was about how much she wanted to die, and get rid of all the pain. Moments later, the pain was gone, and Shira actually believed, for a while, that she was dead.
"Shira! You okay?", Cyborg had just lifted her off the ground.
Heaven, she thought, before noticing the others.
"Did we all die?", she asked, her mind fuzzy.
"No, we're good. We don't know how Slade taught Robin how to make us look like human lava lamps, though", Beast Boy said.
"I do not think that was Robin", Starfire said.
"We have to check on this", Cyborg said, letting go of Shira, much to her dismay.
Back at the tower, they ran tests on Beast Boy, and then saw it. Slade had injected nanoscopic probes into their bloodstreams.
"Those things are inside me?", Beast Boy said, freaking out.
"Stop being such a baby! They're inside all of us!"
"So why hasn't Slade killed us, already?"
"Slow, slow, SLOW torture", Shira said, quietly, making Beast Boy cower in fear.
"You mean to say-", Cyborg asked.
"He won't use them on us", Shira said.
"As long as Robin does whatever he says", Raven finished.
"We must go save him! We must leave, now!", Starfire said, frantically.
"Hold on! How do we know where Slade's base is, though?", Beast Boy asked.
"Simple. We go to where Robin fought Cinderblock, and take it from there", Shira said.
Without wasting another second, the five of them left, immediately. But it was mostly thanks to Raven, that they managed to find their way. She could sense Robin's and Slade's presences.
Eventually, they found the two of them, Slade abusing Robin. Just like mother and I, Shira thought, remembering her harrowing childhood, before being enrolled at Hive Academy. Starfire was seething. Shira nodded. Starfire hit Slade with a starbolt.
"Leave... Him... Alone!", she yelled, her eyes glowing green.
"Robin, attack!", Slade commanded.
"Get out of here! Go! You don't know what those beams did to...", Robin warned instead of following orders.
"Dude", Beast Boy said.
"We know:, Raven continued.
"And we don't care", Cyborg finished "We are your friends, Robin. We are not leaving without you", Starfire said.
"I said ATTACK", Slade yelled.
Wow, things never get pretty when that tone of voice is used, Shira thought. Robin didn't.
"AAAAAHHHHHH", Shira screamed out. The pain was more intensifying, this time. She shrieked and writhed, in pain, not aware of what was happening around her. Then, again, the pain vanished. And this time, there would be no time to recuperate. Gathering what remained of her strength, she proceeded to attack Slade. This time, it was the real Slade. All six of them fought him, and managed to break his mask. Unfortunately, they still couldn't figure out his identity.
"Another day, Robin", he said, triggering the self destruct sequence and running into the darkness. "Let's get out of here", Cyborg said, gathering the probe machine. Quickly, they all fled.
Back at the tower, after operating on all of them, they once again used Beast Boy as a test subject, to check that they were now probe free. They were.
"We just kicked Slade's butt", Raven suddenly said. Shouldn;t we...celebrate?", she asked, tentatively.
Shira, Beast Boy and Cyborg stared at her in shock, before grinning.
"Breakfast", Shira said.
"For", Beast Boy added.
"DINNER!", the three of them yelled, dragging her off, to start the festivities.
"Sorry I asked", Raven grumbled, as Shira and Cyborg began to admonish Beast Boy, for making them eat tofu and drink soy milk. Yes, things were getting back to normal.
"Hey, save me some pancakes!", Shira yelled, at Cyborg, joining in the impending food fight. Yes. Normalcy it was.
