Yeah so I've decided to revise this and rethink this completely since looking back on the original story… well it was kind of bad. Hope you enjoy the revised edition! It still retains its basic premise and a bit of its plot. This is my first non-crossover fanfiction and I hope you enjoy it.
Three Months Ago
"Kathy Baits here with JC Broadcasting! We've confirmed the mass breakout of criminals previously held in cryostorage at Blackgate penitentiary. These criminals, previously apprehended by the hands of a massive group of young heroes, should be considered dangerous and well-armed. The Teen Titans' response to the matter has yet to be reported."
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A robbery downtown. Warehouse district of Jump City.
The Titans charged at a Hive Five now augmented by Control Freak and Johny Rancid. A raging battle occurred, but in the end the Titans were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
"Titans! Retreat!"Robin called.
"Stupid snot-munching Titans!" Gizmo sneered. "We own this town now!"
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"It has just been confirmed that many of Jump City's former criminals have been working in groups. Five robberies have been reported in the last week or so. The Titans were only able to stop one of these, and no criminals were apprehended."
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Robin slammed his fist down on the Titan's kitchen counter. Starfire frowned sorrowfully at this. The rest of the Titans gathered round him.
"How could this happen?" He growled towards nobody in particular. "They've never been this good in the past…"
"They're working together now, man." Cyborg said cooly. "The Brotherhood gave em a taste of how effective that is.
A beat.
"You alright?" Cyborg added. "You aren't letting this stuff get to your head again, are you?"
"I'm fine." Robin growled.
Beast Boy smiled: "Heh. I think we all just need to chill out. How bout a movie? Fight Club?"
"Again?" Raven groaned.
Starfire formed a cheery smile. "I would very much enjoy that movie with all my friends!" Her eyes grew wide a second: "The Pitt of Brad is a fine actor." She beamed before glancing towards Robin.
He was already walking towards the door.
"I'm going out."
The door shut. He was gone.
Cyborg shook his head. "He's letting it get to him. It always gets to him."
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Giant red X's meant a bo-staff on the top of the Wayne Enterprises building. Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral clashed with sparks flying. On Red X's belt was a new object, a vial of Neutrinium he had recently liberated from a safe room within.
The two meant a deadlock. "Who are you working for this time?"Robin asked with gritted teeth.
"Try and guess. Who's the one person I care most about?" Red X sneered. He hopped back and launched a fury of throwing x's Robin's way. The Boy Wonder gasped and dodged with a series of backflips.
"That's not what I meant!" Robin yelled before charging at the thief again. He lashed out with a series of bo-staff hits which Red X struggled to parry."You *huff* didn't steal Zirconium. I *huff* know that."
"Doesn't mean I *huff* didn't want something else."Red X admitted. He stepped back after one final parry. The two began circling each other. "Tell you what, I'll tell you something cool if you promise not to chase me down for a week or so."
"How cool are we talking?" Robin asked.
"I can't tell you that. However, you can either accept my offer and get some information or turn it down and try to interrogate me, and that's only if you beat me."
"How do you know I won't just take you down after you tell me?"
Red X chuckled at that, "Please, it's YOU for crying out loud."
"Fine" Robin grunted. They stopped circling each other.
"I'll contact you in forty minutes." Red X said. "I just need to get my pay first."
"Why can't you just tell me now?" Robin asked.
"Beggars can't be choosers, Robin. Trust me, I'll tell you what you want to know."
Robin nodded before procuring a spare communicator from his utility belt. He tossed it to Red X who quickly examined it.
"I swear, X, if you-"
"Keep your tights on, bird-boy. This is my last gig with the guy before I split town. I've gotten all the pay I need." Red X said. "Besides, I don't even like him."
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A star trek sound came from Robin's utility belt. He flipped it open to reveal Red X.
"As promised, boy wonder." He announced."Guy I'm working for is called Warp. Heard of him?"
"We've meant."
""He said he's working on some new project. I don't really know what it is; I don't ask my clients questions." Red X explained.
"Where is he at, X? This could be something dangerous."
"Uh-uh. I told you I'd tell something cool; that's it. He'd know I was the one who snitched him out if you busted him now."
"What if I told you I'll hold off an attack for a month?" Robin offered.
"Heh. You're a good kid but you wouldn't be that honest." X exclaimed. "Not when there could be people's lives on the line. I'll be seein ya."
The transmission cut. Robin snarled.
"I should have beaten the answers out of him."
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Two Months Ago
The morning twilight in Jump City.
Cars scurried from home to work the same way they would have done any other day in the expansive downtown jungle of skyscrapers. Thedes tower dwarfed these all, a monument to a rich man's ego.
It was a perfect target.
Five explosions rocked the tower's 31st floor and shattered glass was sent sailing into the streets below. Traffic slowed to a halt as many took to their feet to see the sight.
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"Think of it as a reunion gift, Titans." Slade spoke to the Titans through their viewscreen. "Hopefully it will bring back a lot of warm memories."
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"Kathy Baits here. After a long period of silence, the terrorist known as Slade, AKA Deathstroke the Terminator undertook a destructive attack against Jump City. At 5AM this morning a series of high explosives were detonated at the Thedes Tower. The death toll has been counted at six. Police have been coordinating with the Titans throughout the day to track down and apprehend the mad man."
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"What's your opinion on this whole ordeal, Frank?"
"Obviously the Titans are over their heads. They couldn't bring down the first crime wave and now Slade's back. This city's quickly going to Hell in a handbasket. Either the Titans step up their game or I say we begin a call to bring in more heroes. Maybe some of the Justice League? Hell, I'd even take a national guard battalion."
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Robin tossed and turned in bed late at night.
His mind crept into the past. He was in the Titans' cold basement years ago.
"I am the thing that keeps you up at night…" Slade spoke menacingly as he gripped the hero's collar. "The evil that haunts every dark corner of your mind. I will never rest...and neither will you."
He snapped upwards in bed.
"We can't do this alone."
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"I'm sorry Robin but there's just no way we can make it over to help." Bumblebee said to Robin via the main room's viewscreen. "Brother Blood's been more active lately and he'-"
Klaxons blared in the Titans Easts' common room.
"Another robbery downtown. Maybourne Inc." Speedy called.
"Damnit." The heroine groaned. "That's the second time this week. I promise we'll come once this mess is taken care of."
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Kid Flash stood in the viewscreen, Jinx stood behind him and waved at Robin.
"Sorry, bird-boy but Weather Wizard's been giving us hell lately."Kid Flash said.
"If we walk away now there's no telling what he'd do."
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The Titans gathered around the main room's viewscreen.
"I'm afraid Mast-"
"Alfred, call him Batman."
"Oh yes, I forgot you wished to keep that secret from your new friends. I'm afraid Batman is out at the moment. Both Two-Face and Bane seem to have created an alliance of sorts, no doubt for some nefarious purpose."
Robin sighed. "Can you just tell him to call me whenever he's available?"
"Certainly master-"
"Alfred!"
"I was going to say Robin."
Robin chuckled for the first time in months, "Sorry, Alfred."
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"How goes the hunt for help?" Cyborg asked Robin in the common room.
"It's been going nowhere." Robin grumbled. "Nobody is available. They all have their own issues to take care of. Some of the villains that escaped from Blackgate weren't ours, after all. I think we're on our own."
"Whelp, guess that's how we started." Cyborg said with a small smile.
"I'm not sure that's going to be good enough."
A beat.
Something had changed in Robin's voice. Its usual confidence was gone. Cyborg's smile left his face.
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A knock on his door at 10PM.
Robin answered it, Starfire was there; he half expected it. A wide cheerful, playful smile was on her face, one he wasn't in the mood for.
"Dearest friend! Why have you been in your room all night? We were just getting ready for a round of joyous capture of the flag in Halo. Will you join us?"
Robin sighed: "I'm… not really in the mood, Star."
"You haven't really been in the mood for anything these last few weeks." Starfire noted. "Is anything bothering you?"
Robin wanted with all his will to voice his thoughts, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It'd be selfish… it would jeopardize the team's integrity.
"I just need some more alone time." Robin said. He forced a smile: "Maybe tomorrow?"
Starfire frowned slightly before saying "Very well," and walking away.
In truth, he didn't want to do anything but think. He was obsessing over a new question in his mind; was their fight even worth it?
What was the point of it? Even if they managed to send all of the villains who were parading free around their city back to prison, they'd just break out again. They'd be pissed, they'd target the Titans for revenge, and innocents would likely suffer in the process; just like those six killed earlier in the week by Slade.
The same circle over and over and over… never to be broken by the likes of them. He hadn't felt this for a long time… Not since…
"Annie.." He whispered.
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The summer quickly grew old and autumn took the year's reigns. The crime wave continued. Through some luck a few of the Titans' rogue gallery and some more minor criminals were brought into justice. However, sensing the Titans' weakness more quickly rose from the underworld to take their places. Help was a far flung chance, as Brother Blood continued a campaign of terror in Steel City, the Justice League were busy battling Darkseid, and Batman and the rest of their allies had their own problems.
Around the turn of winter they finally had their first break. Red X came through with the whereabouts of Warp's lair. He mentioned an experiment in teleportation. Robin intended to find out what exactly the time traveler was up to.
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"Titans, GO!" Robin shouted before extending his bow-staff with a flick of his wrist and charging towards the temporal criminal. The rest of the Titans let out their own battle cries before following suit. With speed beyond that of any human, Robin sprinted across the concrete floor of a large, abandoned warehouse that was now a make-shift laboratory. The bearded and now very pissed-off criminal, who stood near a series of consoles and large super-computers on the opposite side of the room, let out a growl before pressing a button on his right-armed yellow gauntlet. A small laser-canon quickly extended from it.
"Your presence here is NOT tolerated!" He shouted before firing a series of rapid-fire laser blasts at the charging Titan leader.
Robin had expected this and quickly moved his staff to different angles in an effort to block the deadly beams of light. However, he instinctively knew he wouldn't be able to block for long and thus quickly changed his direction to the side and rolled, hoping to draw his fire. Unfortunately, the experienced villain was not fooled by this. He dodged a Sonic Canon blast from Cyborg with a roll of his own and changed his target to the two airborne Titans, Starfire and Raven. The blast in the meantime sailed into one of the super-computers he was standing nearby, causing it to crackle and spark.
"Damnit! You must stop that at once!"
Raven quickly extended a dark magic shield around herself and Starfire. While it kept them safe from harm, it prevented Raven from using any sort of offensive magic. Starfire could not fire starbolts behind it.. However, they still were able to fly towards Warp. In the meantime, the villain had procured a round, chrome ball of some sorts that was previously attached to his hip by some unknown mechanism. He threw it high, chuckling, at Beast Boy and Cyborg, who had made the mistake of making their charge too close together.
Sparks continued to fly from the super-computer.
"Grenade! Look out!" Cyborg shouted as it came hurtling towards them. He attempted to fire at it with his Sonic canon but unfortunately his aim was slightly off. Beast Boy gasped, transformed into a cheetah and sprinted to the right. Cyborg attempted to leap out of the way, but was caught in the outermost of the abnormally large blast the small grenade was able to create. Luckily, most of the heat was absorbed by his robotic lower half, but it still managed to toss him into the air a few feet. He was twirled 90 degrees before he slammed down on his side.
Warp changed targets with his right-armed wrist-mounted laser again, this time aiming for the downed robotic Titan. However, before him in his sights a bo-staff struck his arm from his right-side, sending his blasts into the dusty floor.
He had forgotten all about Robin.
Almost an instant afterward, The Boy Wonder retracted his staff and then sent it down low in a diagonal swing to knock the time-traveler off his feet.
The time traveler hopped over the blow and stopped firing his arm cannon for a second. He turned to face Robin and side stepped towards the super-computers to dodge a few accurately thrown star bolts from a closing-in shieldless Starfire while pressing a button on his left gauntlet. A laser-gun popped up in this arm while the other retracted from his right. A triangular, foot-wide, flat, glowing red blade eagerly leapt out from a small slit on near the top of his wrist. Starfire charged in from his side with her arms extended, ready to send him crashing into the supercomputer that was now nearly on fire nearby.
The supervillian countered this threat by aiming his now left-arm mounted laser-cannon at Starfire, forcing her to avert her flight upwards to dodge the shots. Meanwhile, Robin leapt into the air to bring his staff down vertically on Warp's head. The super-criminal hissed and moved his right arm's blade to meet the blow. The two metal weapons meant with a terrific CLANG, but to Robin's surprise they did not stay in a deadlock for long; the weapon was heated to a great degree and burned right through his staff. Warp smiled smugly, ready to go on the offensive. He quickly extended his blade forwards to pierce the boy wonder's chest.
Robin, shocked but still in action, dodged the blow by bending over backwards. The hot blade missed his chest by a mere inch. Warp growled at the setback and immediately turned the blade on its side and brought it downwards. Robin gasped, expecting to feel it sink into him at any moment, but was saved when Warp's arm became incased in black energy. He was thrown nearly thirty feet into the air.
Robin sighed and wiped a bit of sweat away from his forehead, expecting the time traveler to impact the ground any moment. However, like usual, Warp was filled with surprises. As he grazed the wooden ceiling he activated a pair of hover boots and quickly descended to the ground, all the way on the other side of the room where the Titans had entered. While doing so, however, he didn't seem to be using his laser-cannon. Robin was quick to pick up on this.
"Titans, overwhelm him!" He ordered. "He can only use so many gadgets at once!"
"Stop this foolishness, Titans!" Warp shouted. "I am conducting a critical experiment and I intend to see it through. Get out of my laboratory!"
"It's not even yours, Dexter!" Beast Boy shouted, who was now closest to the villain. He chuckled slightly at his own bad joke before transforming into a velociraptor and speeding towards the time-traveler.
Nobody except Warp noticed as a message began to blink on a large monitor on the far side of the room that read, "Warning: Power levels have been sustained above expected maximum longer than expected. Automatic shutdown engaged."
"NO!" He shouted. He fired a series of shots at Beast Boy who quickly transformed into a bird to avoid them. "Override protocol 36 and begin process 86-T."
"Acknowledged, Doctor LaSalle." A cold, robotic voice responded.
The rest of the Titans paused in their charge towards the supervillian hearing this.
"What did you just do, Warp?" Robin barked furiously.
Warp chuckled, now a bit calmer. "Allow me to explain. After that brief bit of fun with the Brotherhood of Doom, I found myself frozen by you and your little friends. Afterwards, I found myself in Blackgate. Escaping from there was… no easy matter. It was also no easy matter recovering my suit from your blasted government. It was no use to them anyway, they could not grasp the complexities of the technology with their limited understanding. I was overjoyed to be reunited with it, but unfortunately after our first encounter my time-travelling capabilities have been incapacitated."
"We're very sorry about that." Raven said sarcastically.
Warp sneered: "You should be, do you have any idea how much that supercomputer your friend just wrecked must have cost Star Labs?"
"So that's where you got all this from." Robin growled.
"Them, Wayne Enterprises, Gemini…" Warp counted on his fingers, "The list goes on and on."
"You still haven't answered my question, Warp." Robin said.
"I was getting to that." Warp held out a finger. "Though the technology of this period is primitive, I opted to recreate my time machine. Now, I have a working prototype. In approximately thirty seconds a portal will open up in this room. Unless you wish to be trapped forever in a time that is not yours it would be advisable to leave."
"How about you stick around with us for a while, instead?" Robin growled before charging towards the villain. Warp hissed and fired his laser cannon thrice. Robin deflected two shots but a third missed and sailed at a the same damaged super-computer on the other side of the room. Almost immediately, klaxons began blaring and in an eerily cold tone a robotic voice chimed in with,
"Warning. Control of temporal vortex unattainable. Resonance cascade failure imminent within a four mile vicinity. Emergency shutdown procedures offline."
"Damnit!" Warp cried.
"Nice shooting." Raven groaned.
A staff slammed into Warp's back while he was distracted, sending the super-villain to his knees. "What's going on Warp?" Robin growled. "What does it mean by cascade failure?" The rest of the Titans took up positions around him.
"Dude, I think that happened in this game I played." Beast Boy exclaimed.
Warp began sweating as he pulled himself to his feet, "Navigating through time and space takes a great deal of precision… otherwise…" He shut his mouth.
"Otherwise, WHAT, Warp?" Robin barked, gripping the villain's shoulders and forcing him to meet his masked eyes. "Spit it out, already!"
He gulped before breathlessly saying, "You can wind up anywhere… at any time."
Robin growled, pushing warm back in a moment of pure contempt. He turned towards Cyborg: "Do you think you can shut down whatever is happening?"
"Way ahead of you." Cyborg said, rushing over to the console nearest to the large monitor. On the screen were a series of intricate calculations and a small 3D image of what looked like a wormhole.
Cyborg sweatdropped.
Perhaps not.
"Oh crap… this stuff is way beyond me, Robin. I'm not sure exactly what I'm doing here and I don't think there's going to be a big red off button."
"There is no way to shut it off." Warp said sorrowfully.
Cyborg studied the readings for a moment more before turning to Robin and shouting, "Yeah, he's right about that I think."
"That does it then." Robin said, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. He turned to his team mates: "We are leaving."
After saying such, a large, glowing white vortex of energy extending nearly ceiling to floor formed in the middle of the room. The Titans stared at it in awe for a second before dust, and then chairs, and then everything not bolted to the ground- including the Titans -began being pulled towards it. Raven and Starfire fought with all their might to fly away from it. Beast Boy transformed into a cheetah in an attempt to run. Cyborg gripped the console he was near him with both hands. Robin fired a grapple hook and managed to catch the side of the entranceway to the room. Warp activated his hoverboots and made his way towards the door. An overpowering gushing sound could be heard as air was sucked into the portal.
"Starfire, give Cyborg a hand!" Robin ordered, thinking that the metal man was the most vulnerable and far from help. Starfire complied, doing her best to fly along the walls and circle the vortex. She grabbed Cyborg and began to fly upwards towards in the hopes of punching through the wooden ceiling. All the while, the winds intensified, eventually blocking out any attempts at communication with the sound of a close-proximity tornado. Robin estimated they were quickly overtaking 120mph.
Starfire struggled against the gravity and winds with Cyborg in tow. However, it was too much. She began losing speed and then, with horror, realized she was being sucked towards the vortex.
"EEEEK!"
"STARFIRE!" Robin screamed bloody murder. He fired a second grappling hook across the room over top the vortex, hoping to create a lifeline that Starfire could grab onto. Unfortunately, the grapple never made far. The strength of the vortex's pull was too much; the hook entered it and disappeared. Starfire and Cyborg were the next to enter it. Nothing seemed to happen to their forms when they seemed to merge with the tornado; they simply disappeared out of existence with a small flash of light.
Beast Boy was the next to lose speed. He began to be pulled towards the twister despite all his efforts. Raven saw this and attempted to hold him steady with black energy but she could simply not concentrate on flying and holding back Beast Boy back at the same time. Beast Boy was swallowed by the tornado.
The last thing Robin saw before his grapple cord broke was Raven and Warp struggling against the current towards the door. He fell face first into the vortex.
A brilliant flash of light.