The team split off into their sectors looking for crime. It was New Years eve and Wally and Dick thought it would be fun to get their families together and go out for patrol. Roy Harper came along to, thinking it would be good for him to get some teamwork back under his belt.

All seemed quiet until Red Robin come over the com

"Looks like we got a robbery to kick off the new year. Corner of 5th and 6th street. Looks like its a jewelry store. I think Impulse and I can handle it no prob. But be ready to give back up just in case."

"Copy that." Batman replied.

They descended the roof top they had been watching from and as stealthy as possible, snuck up on the criminals. The robbers didn't look like anything special. Just you average everyday- everyday for Gotham that is- black ski-masked criminals.

Red Robin attacked first, with Impulse near by he went for a, surprise speedster attack. Everything was under control until Tim's foot collided with one of the goons arms, and it turned out to be solid metal.

Tim staggered backward. The goon ripped of his mask to show his half black, half orange metal face staring back at him.

"Red Robin to Batman, we have a major problem over here." Tim ducked to miss a metal arm that swung his way. "Back up, now!" He yelled before he was hit in the face and his com link shattered to pieces. "Impulse!" Tim searched around frantically before his vision began to fade.

His best friend was on the floor unconscious.

Slade's Robots were more advanced now. Tim wasn't ready for them. Not ready to face the thing that haunted his older brother for so long.

They were converging Impulse, one picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder.

"NO!" Tim yelled. He needed a way to take down all of the robots at once, with out hurting Bart. He remembered the EMP device he had stored deep in his utility belt. If he could just reach it before the robots left with Impulse.

His head throbbed from the hit he'd taken as he dug around for the thing he thought he'd never have to use. Luckily he found it just as the robots reached the door.

He turned a few dials as quickly as he could to the correct setting, and pressed the button.

Then as if they had never been there at all the robots vanished, and Impulse fell to the floor.

Tim crawled over to his friend, giving a quick check to make sure he was only unconscious and not otherwise injured. He ignored the pain in his head as he took the com from Barts ear.

He said weekly. "Where are you?"

"Almost there. Are you guys okay?"

"For the most part. Impulse has been knocked out, and I got a good hit in the head. But immediate danger has passed."

"Good. Stay where you are, we are about two minutes away. Batman out."

Tim looked down at his friend, he didn't know if it was his head making him hallucinate, or if Bart's face really was as beaten as as it looked. Maybe he had been kicked by one of the robots...or punched. Either way it looked like his jaw and nose were broken. And at least half of it was covered in blood.

"Oh, Bart I'm so sorry... This is my fault... "

Right at that moment Batman, Robin, and The Red Hood arrived.

"Roy's bringing the Batmobile, hopefully he can manage to drive it..." Jason said.

Batman knelled down next to his brother and his friend. "How did this happen."

Tim looked straight into Dicks eyes. Not wanting to tell him that the man who held him captive for so long was back. He knew it was going to be a shock for his brother, but he had no choice. With a shaky voice, he let it out. "Dick... It was Slade's robots... Slade is back."

Dick was dazed the whole way back. Luckily they had other people in the car legal to drive. Jason rode the bike while Roy drove the Batmobile. Wally ran closely behind.

Dick kept muttering to himself about Slade. Tim cradled his best friends head while he mused about his defeat.

"He shouldn't be back.." Dick whispered. Roy glanced at him with concern. Damian was confused. He'd never seen his brother act like this, act scared. And a speedster getting knocked out so quickly was unheard of.

"Who is Slade?" Damian asked loud and clear, to receive only harsh glares for a answer. Dick was staring out the window not hearing anything but the memories every phrase Slade ever said to him. "Okay don't answer me then." Damian said crossing his arms over his chest. No one said anything for the rest of the trip.

When they got back to the cave Dick went straight to the computer. Not saying a word to anyone.

Roy and Jason helped get Bart and Tim out of the car and into the med station where Alfred went straight to work getting them bandaged up. Wally got back to the cave mere seconds after the rest of the team and didn't leave Barts side for a second.

Damian wished someone would tell him what the heck was going on. He had never heard of this Slade guy before. And the fact that it had his brothers this worried made him uneasy.

Damian caught Jason staring at the displayed robin costume. "Todd, whos Slade?" He kept his voice level but it didn't hide how interested he really was.

"Not my place to tell you kid. If Dickie-Bird wants you to know then it's up to him." Jason walked away leaving Damian to sulk.

The cave was silent. No one moved, they all acted like they had just seen a ghost, and in a way they had.

The stark quietness was interrupted when Dick sent his fist flying for the computer screen. "I CAN"T FIND HIM ANYWHERE! HOW THE HECK CAN HE BE BACK!" His cowl was down and his eyes burned with rage.

Damian paled at the sight of his brother.

Tim limped out of the infirmary, and walked bravely up to his leader despite his rage.

"I planted a tracker on one of his robots." He clicked the flash drive from his glove and handed it to Dick

"I don't want to get you guys getting involved." Dick said taking the flash drive.

"We're not giving you a choice." Roy said. "You need us, you know that. He'll destroy you if you try to take him alone."

"He tried to destroy me once. But I'm still here."

"That doesn't change the fact that we're here for you." Wally said leaving the infirmary.

"All of as are." Jason said.

"Agreed." Damian added.

"Thanks guys, but that doesn't change how dangerous this is. I'm not willing to lose any of you."

"And we're not willing to lose you Dick." Wally said putting his hand on Dicks shoulder.

Dick put the flash drive into the computer, not responding to his friend.

"What about Bart?" he asked. "Is he okay"

"Alfred said he was in pretty bad shape. But he'd recover. He just woke up a few minutes ago." Wally answered.

"Lets go see him then."

Bart was laying awake in the bed. Looking bruised, but otherwise okay. There was a bandage over his broken nose and jaw. But Alfred had managed to set it so he was able to still talk.

"I was beginning to wonder if you guys forgot about me."

"Never." Tim said

"It looks like Slade was behind the attack. Do you remember anything about what happened?" Dick asked.

Barts face paled.

"Slade...Oh no... this is not supposed to happen...not now... its to early!"

"Bart what are you talking about?" Dicks voice was worried.

Bart jumped out of bed and instantly fell to the floor. "I need to go.." He mumbled as he pulled himself up, then sped out of the room before anyone could stop him.

~~~Bart's POV~~~

When I got to Jaime's house the lights were on and everything looked fine. I burst through the door without knocking, scaring Jaime's family. They had met me before, but looking the way I did I wasn't surprised when the didn't recognize me at first. I tore through the house trying to find my friend. After his family got over their shock they started yelling at me. I ignored them.

"Hey, do you guys know where Jaime is?" I say stopping in front of the angry group of people.

"Bart? Is that you?"

I nodded quickly trying to convey the urgency of the situation.

"He was at the park," his mom says, "but he was supposed to be home.."

I took off before she could finish her sentence. Bad, bad, BAD! Not tonight, please not tonight. This wasn't supposed to happen yet. I should have spent the New Year with him, not Wally. I thought to myself! Why was I so stupid?

I ran at my top speed, which was no where near as fast as normal because of my injures, to the park where Jaime spent a lot off his free time. I got the just in time to see Blue Beetle fighting what looked like a dozen Slade robots.

"Blue!" I shouted at the top of my lunges. I racked my brain for away to help him. I couldn't fight in my condition. I hoped the others had the sense to follow me. We desperately needed them. Then it occurred to me. In my history books, Jaime was kidnapped and corrupted by Slade, turning him into the wort weapon of the age. He was all alone for years with the villain.

I couldn't fight. But maybe I could be taken also. Stay by Jaime's side and keep him sane. And hopefully the others would find us.

I jumped right into the action.

I knew what was going to happen.

We were not going to be able to fight the robots off.

We were going to be taken.

"Impulse what are you doing here! Get out while you still can!" Jaime shouted at me.

"You think you could make me miss this" I joked.

"Now is not the time hermano!"

"I'm not leaving you Blue." I said.

Fighting to the best of our ability we were able to take down one of the robots. But as Jaime landed the finishing blow, one of the other robots was able it hit him hard on the head from behind. He fell to the ground unconscious. All the robots were focused on me then. I put my hands in the air, knowing there was nothing I could do.

I didn't know if they would accept my surrender. They might just kill me instead. To my surprise they took my hands and tied them with some strange kind of rope that I had never seen before. They led me, and carried Jaime, to their ship near by. The last thing I remember is seeing Wally, Dick, Jason, Roy, Tim, and Damian running toward the ship.