"Okay okay. How about five bucks I can get Starfire to call plants Oogleborfs."
"Ha! You're on Beasty" Cyborg smirked. "I bet five bucks you can't get Raven to kiss you."
"Oh you are so on! You know she can't resist the Beast man." Beast Boy said acting smooth. "Now, how about this. I bet you five more bucks that Robin wont go more than one hour without mentioning his obsession."
"Now you're just acting crazy."
"Too easy?"
"No. I just know you don't have 15 dollars." Cyborg retorted with a grin.
"After these bets, I will have 15 bucks!"
"Fine. Game on dude."
Beast Boy stood and stretched. "Hey Star! I got something to show you!"
"Azarath... Metrion... Zynthos..." Raven breathed out slowly trying to regain her peace of mind.
"Hey Rae!"
"Azarath..."
"Yo Raven!"
"Metrion..."
"RAVEN!"
Her eyes snapped open the fury of a thousand suns burning in her eyes. The green hero couldn't help but shrink back a little.
"WHAT?!"
"If you want me to stop it's gonna cost ya!" Beast Boy winked. "One kiss from the lovely lady should do it!"
Raven gave the most unamused look she could muster. "Me. Kiss you. In your dreams." She disappeared.
"Aw man! This sucks! Now I owe Cyborg ten bucks!" Beast Boy whined into the air hoping Raven would give some pity. But no.
He sighed in defeat and walked back to the living room where Starfire was still infuriated.
"Never before have I witnessed such hate for our green friends!" She exclaimed clutching a potted plant closely. The green boy found out "oogleborf" is some sort of swear in Tamaran and he had accidentally offended Starfire.
Cyborg came put and handed Beast Boy five dollars. "Well, you won one of them. Now where's my ten?"
"Is Robin still obsessing over Slade's disappearance?" Starfire sat on the couch giving Cyborg a worried look.
"Yeah... He's almost worked himself to death."
"This has to stop." Raven appeared sitting next to Starfire. "He hasn't eaten in a few days and he barely sleeps. We either need to find Slade or-"
"I found him!" Robin ran out holding a piece pf paper tightly. "I found Slade. We need to go now."
"Robin... This isn't another chase of the goose is it?" Starfire asked. Robin gave a look that made her shrink a little.
"You doubt me?! I have been working on this for days now and I have found him! Im only asking for your help!"The boy wonder looked around the room to the concerned faces.
"Dude, you've been sitting in the room for days. Maybe this obsession-"
"It is not an obsession." Robin growled. "And I refuse to just sit there and eat pizza all day while a madman is still out there! Titans! Go!"
Not one of them moved a muscle. They just sat there watching their leader get even more frustrated.
"Fine! If you wont go, I'll so it myself." He turned towards the elevator only to be stopped by a black and white wall.
"I can't allow that. You need to rest." Raven spoke, her hand out holding the wall in place.
'Robin. I understand your fear and trepedation but you are weak. If you do find him tonight, you cannot win. Your body is too weak to endure a fight. Rest tonight and we will go first thing in the morning.' Raven spoke into his mind. He couldn't deny he was tired and he did feel a little worn down.
Robin sighed in irritation."Six a.m. Sharp."
"No. We will leave at nine. No earlier." Raven stated holding the wall in place.
"Please Robin. It is for your own good. Your body requires nourishment." Starfire pleaded with the leader. He turned suddenly storming off. They could hear him growling some pretty rude things under his breath.
Robin. Wake up. Your training begins right now.
The boy wonder sat up in a cold sweat. Is this how Batman felt towards the Joker? He looked to his clock. 5:27. Still another three hours and 33 minutes before the mission.
"Robin. Why are you wasting your day away in your bed." Robins head jerked to his left where Slade stood. "You'll never beat me if you don't train."
"You're right." He got out of the bed and walked through Slade. He knew it was an illusion placed by his mind but he didn't care. It only reminded him why he needed to stop Slade.
When Raven woke, she heard grunting and growling. The darker teen disappeared through a portal appearing in front of Robin who was busy trying to lift weights he clearly could not.
"Robin. Enough before you hurt yourself."
"I have to train! I'm not strong enough! I have to get stronger!" The weights disappeared and Robin sat up from the bench press.
"No. Part of defeating a criminal isn't through strength. It's through help and knowledge. You're pushing yourself to the point of nearly killing yourself. All you're doing is showing him he's winning."
"You don't understand. You never will." He spat bitterly.
"Understand what?" She snapped back. "I understand what it's like to be worried of what others actions might bring amung yourself. I understand what it's like to live in fear to face tomorrow. I know what it's like to lose control over one little thing and to destroy yourself over it every day. Your battle is with Slade and mine is with my father."
"But Slade is different!"
"How?!" Raven waited but Robin couldn't come up with an answer. "That's what I thought. You aren't the only one to feel this way. We've all felt it. Cyborg with Brother Blood, Starfire with her sister, me with Trigon and you with Slade."
"You forgot Beast Boy."
"No his only enemy is the washing machine. Anyway my point is that we all understand and we all got over it some how in our own way. But your way isn't working." Robin nodded a little trying to not irritate her. He could see where she was coming from and he did see why she was worried but he didn't care about himself like she cared about him.
No parents, no family, no one who would care if he passed anyway. Bruce? No. He was far too busy with the Justice League to even care about him. Maybe Alfred but that was it. And Alfred didn't have long anyway. No one cared.
"Come upstairs and eat. It would do is some good to cool down and refresh our heads."
"You're right. Thank you Raven." He stepped past her and headed to the kitchen. Raven followed happy to get him out of that training room. She followed him upstairs knowing he was thrilled about the situation.
Starfire was more than happy to see him. "Oh Robin! How wonderful to see you out of your room! Are you here to partake of the eggs and of the bacon?"
"Sure. Thanks Star." He smiled a little kinda happy to be around everyone again.
"Dude. You said you had the $15." Cyborg yelled. "I gave you the five now you give me the ten!"
"Bro I'll get it." Beast Boy looked to Raven with a puppy smile. "Hey Rae Rae. Can I borrow $5?"
Raven rolled her eyes and walked away choosing not to respond. Breakfast was just as usual. Cyborg and Beast Boy acting like immature children. Starfire trying to make conversation, only succeeding in talking to herself, Raven silently eating cheerios and Robin looking into the distance.
The second the clock hit nine, Robin was up. "Titans. Let's go."
"What?! Can't I finish my poptarts first?!" Beast Boy complained.
"No. Now."
Robin went to the abandoned warehouse just outside of Jump city. He threw the door open and stormed in eager to stop this. This was the last battle. He knew it.
"Ah Robin. I was worried you did not receive my email. How have you been?"
"Slade." Robin growled. The titans tensed knowing what this meant. Robin was about to go crazy and he would endanger everyone. It would be to easy to hurt him.
Slade turned on a light just where he was standing. No robot, no weapons, nothing. Just him and...
"Friends! That device!" Starfire pointed halting Robin's advance. "It is the one used to move one through time!"
"So he's a time traveler?" Cyborg asked. "What next?"
"That's right Titans. I may not be able to have Robin. But it wont stop me from trying." Robin ran forward with a cry of anger. Before he could even land a hit on the man he was gone.
Robin crashed to the ground in shock. They... just lost him... again...
Raven put her hand on Robin's back. "We will get him."
"How?! He could be anywhere! Now through time and space! I wanted to leave last night! Why couldn't you let me?! Now he's gone!"
Raven stepped back, frustrated. "It would have done you no good to-"
The ground started shaking. The warehouse rumbled and rattled as it began to break apart.
"What's going on?!" Beast Boy asked.
"I don't know..." Robin stood and looked around.
"Robin! Your arm!" Starfire gasped in horror as it was literally vanishing. "Zubar alu ma karpe!"
"What?" Cyborg gave the Tamaranian a weird look.
"She's reverting back to her native language... Slade changed the past!" Raven went to grab Robin only to watch in horror as he disappeared. She tightened her fists knowing of the consequences.
If the titans had never formed, Starfire would be possibly terrorizing the planet, enemies would be loose and Jump city would be in danger. Trigon would never have been defeated, the prophecy would've been fulfilled, Raven would be the monster Robin helped her not be. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen.
"NO!" Just as the world started to crumble away, a wall of magic enveloped the Titans and the world went dark.