Just Another Day For A Superhero

"Bwahahahaha! No one shall defeat the awesome wrath of technology!" an overweight, middle-aged redhead mocked. Once again, Control Freak had broken loose and was wreaking havoc at the local Jump City Mall. The heavyset man was floundering around, universal remote in hand, animating several electrical objects in order to restrain a group of five superhero teens.

"Dude, since when have we had a single day off?" a green hero clad in a purple and black jumpsuit whined. He then shape shifted into a T-rex and used his tail to swipe at an army of TV's about to bombard a very large dark skinned robotic teen.

"Heroes don't get a day off, Beastboy," a dark haired boy replied gruffly. This boy in turn whipped out his pole-staff and began striking various screens and flying CD cases.

"However," the demi-robot countered, punching a hole through a TV Beastboy had missed. "we do have slow days."

"Ha! You losers can't stop me and my super amazing army! The more you defeat, the more I'll make!" Control Freak cackled.

"Uh, you do realize that there's only a limited supply of junk in this mall? Eventually your army's gonna be gone," a pale skinned girl remarked.

"Wait, what?" Control Freak stopped dead in his tracks, his remote dropping to the ground.

"So, you're saying you seriously didn't think that through?" Beastboy inquired.

"Um, no?"

Whap!

Control Freak's eyes suddenly crossed, and he fell to his knees. Behind him was a floating redheaded girl holding a metal scrap from one of the smashed zombie electronics.

"What?" she asked. "Control Freak set his guard down."

"Um, good work star," the dark haired boy known as Robin congratulated, his face expressing both confusion and surprise. All of them weren't expecting Control Freak's defeat to be quite so simple.

"I think that was probably the single most craziest battle we've ever had in our career," the half robotic man called Cyborg commented.

"Yeah, man. My dreams aren't as wacky as this fight's been, and I've had some bizarre dreams after that Zombie Palooza on the Horror Network," Beastboy joked.

"We should probably get him back to his cell," Robin suggested, grabbing the unconscious man's left arm while the redheaded girl grabbed his right. "C'mon Starfire. Let's drop him off at the Mall Security Center so they can hold him until the Police arrive."

"Y'know, ya gotta wonder, do those guys ever upgrade those cells so villains can't get out? Or are they just letting them out?" Beastboy pointed out.

"I hate to admit it but Beastboy's got a point," Raven remarked. By now they had begun walking toward the front of the mall where there was a door leading to the temporary holding cells. At this point, each and every Titan could find their way into the darn place blindfolded.

"Maybe we can talk to 'em about it," Cyborg proposed.

"Anyway, now that our afternoon is free, we should totally go hang at the arcade or something," Beastboy exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Or something," Raven deadpanned.

"Well, do we not have a 'slow day,' as Cyborg put it?" Starfire pondered. Her speech was gradually getting better, though it was still far from perfect.

"There's no way to tell, Star," Robin replied gruffly.

"What's Wonder Boy got up his butt?" Beastboy whispered to Cyborg.

Cy shushed him quickly, then answered. "Rob was just hoping relax today but the Freak kinda ruined it."

Beastboy nodded in understanding. Robin had been having quite a short fuse lately. There was a numerous amount of breakouts from the Super Villain Penitentiary, all of them weak and anonymous. Most of them the Titans had never heard about!

Once they arrived at the cells, Robin and Starfire tossed Control Freak into one. The Titians then turned to the Mall Cop on duty, said, "Afternoon, Maurice," and completely left the mall.

"Well, that was a disaster," Raven stated.

"You said it," Cyborg agreed. All of them were exhausted and were desperate to get out of there before they were expected to clean up. Most of the time they got away but the other times, they didn't like to think about those. A superhero only has a bad day when their beaten - or have to clean up the atrocious mess they made.

As soon as they were safely in the T-Car, Cyborg began to floor it as they exited the parking lot and down the barren road until they were out of sight. Afterward they slowed down to the speed limit. Once again, they told Starfire that it was another "shush" moment.

It wasn't long before they reached the secret entrance tunnel that went under the bay and led to Titan's Island. The tunnel ended directly in the garage, so when they filed out of the car they were greeted to the bittersweet scent of various metals, dust, and diesel oil. Cyborg had been trying to convert the T-Car to regular or even premium gas but it seemed impossible to do so without losing the essential features needed for a superhero's car. After the vehicle was flipped and destroyed when Terra terrorized the city, Cyborg had put in extra seatbelts, airbags, thicker walls, bulletproof glass - the works. However, some of the safety features he'd put in couldn't work without diesel. Therefore, such an act of converting the T-Car was nigh impossible.

"Yo, I'm gonna be out here workin' on my baby if y'all need me," Cyborg announced as the other Titans reached the garage door. Robin nodded and entered the passage way to the commons along with the others.

Almost immediately, Starfire flew ahead to go do things on her own like usual after an unusual and/or difficult battle. Beastboy began his ritual of attempting to make Raven laugh though to no avail. Robin glanced back at the two only to snicker at the look on Beastboy's face when Raven scoffed at yet another lame joke. She then began to glare daggers at the boy wonder's back as this only encouraged the little bugger.

"You know what? I'm just going to my room," Raven finally declared.

"What? Oh, c'mon! That was a good one!" Beastboy whimpered.

"Where'd you find it? On the back of a cereal box?" she replied sarcastically.

Beastboy glanced around guiltily. "Maybe." She rolled her eyes and began floating ahead like Starfire. Naturally, Beastboy chased after her, spewing other one-liners, while Robin chuckled at his antics. It reminded him that they were all still human - for the most part - and that there was still a time and place for them to just be teens. He began to smile and strode joyously into the commons where he jumped over the couch and flicked on the TV. Perhaps there was time to relax today after all.

A dark room swathed in an immense, evil shadow was surrounded by synchronized televisions replaying a short clip for the hundredth time, the light unable to penetrate the darkness, yet able to be seen clearly to all in the room. A dark haired boy wearing a red shirt with an R over his heart adorned a classic hero's mask and green gloves snarled on the screens in various sizes.

Who is Slade?

Who is Slade?

It echoed sweetly in a certain villain's ears. He'd often played this exact tape to his minions. It gave him power, a sickening joy that permeated menacingly about him. It was intoxicating. Standing on a metal platform, his body outlined by a TV just behind him. The left side of his mask gleamed gold in the LED light. His grey eye twinkled with visions of the future.

A lone figure crouched in submission below, bowing as though he were king. Blond hair with a tinge of brown and yellow-orange hues cascaded about her shoulders, most of it resting halfway down her back. The metal of her outfit was the only give away to her presence. Her garb completely resembled her superiors save for the lack of a black and gold mask.

"You know your task," the man stated his question. He knew her answer. He'd embedded it into her ever since she could walk. He knew he'd chosen right when he'd stolen her fourteen years ago. It was an effort, keeping her from discovering the corrupted views of the world outside his fortress. However, now that he was ready to release her, he couldn't let her brave the world without any clue as to how it was. He couldn't let the poor girl get killed because she didn't know what a car was, or be stabbed to death by a mugger - despite the training he'd so carefully executed over the years.

So, he'd done the one thing that was less time consuming as schooling her on the world - he'd gotten her a basketful of videogames like Grand Theft Auto. It even worked better than he anticipated. When he'd set up a simulation of the real world, she'd mimicked what she'd learned from the games. He then bought games like Assassins Creed, which she also copied. His precious daughter was a force to be reckoned with.

Slade was brought back from his thoughts when his daughter replied, "Yes sir."

"Relay your mission to me once more, please," he commanded.

"Eradicate the Titans. They are evil, like the Templars in Assassins Creed. Doing so will bring peace to the world. Once they are dead, capture the mayor. He is their ring leader. Then take over the city and bring it to peace. Use any force necessary."

"Wonderful, my little Mouse," Slade congratulated. "Leave. It is time you went into the disaster of the world and rebirth it."

"Yes, Father."

"Beastboy, give it up already!" Raven exclaimed. It had been the entire afternoon. He just sat outside her door, spewing out jokes left and right.

"Oh, c'mon! I made you laugh once before! Why don't any of my jokes work now?" Beastboy interrogated.

"Because," she began. "Your best shtick is slap-stick."

Suddenly, she got an idea that she just couldn't pass up. Beastboy noticed fearfully the little quirk of her eyebrow that insinuated she was about to do something shamefully humiliating to him.

"Like this."

The next thing he knew, Beastboy was soaring through the air - she'd phased him through the roof- and by the time he re-oriented himself, he ended up submerged in the bay. It took a minute to surface, but when he did he looked back up at the tower sadly. Did he push her too far again?

Raven looked out her window at the little dot in the water below. It was getting dark and the small figure treading water looked even more meager and helpless. She could feelhis rejection pain thanks to her powers. For the first time, she thought, maybe that was a bit harsh.

Oh well. She'd apologize later, after all it'd take a while before he'd be back. She decided to head down to the commons where everyone else was. She needed to socialize a bit before going to bed. Raven wasn't about to turn in feeling like she'd really hurt one of her friends.

She glanced back down at the green imp just floating on his back, like he'd given up. She sighed, irritated. The little worm unknowingly made her feel guilty, and no amount of company could make her feel better this time. So grudgingly she reached out with her powers and set him down on the island shore.

Beastboy lay there, not bothering to go back to the tower. He'd set himself up good. And ticked off his friend. She didn't want to see him. He knew she'd never cared for him. Knew he got on her nerves a lot. He just wanted to make her laugh, talk to him, notice him.

Suddenly, he found himself floating above the water. He glimpsed at a smooth shadow that surrounded him and instantly knew. Raven was helping him out! It wasn't much, and he knew it was a long-shot from making her laugh, but it was something. That small gesture she'd made that day insinuated that she recognized him as her friend.