A/N: wow I've never updated this quickly/often on anything. I've never gotten this far on anything. Ah well it's a good thing right?
Now I know I said Raven would be back this chapter and I promise that I fully intended to follow through on that, but unfortunately the chapter just got tooi long and I had to cut it where I did. Many apologies.
Once more there's battle in a church (what is it with me and the churches? Probable sub-consciously playing on the whole angel/demon thing. Lol)
This chapter is dedicated to 'Wynn' an author exclusively in the supernatural fandom as far as I know, but none the less who's story 'Tinny A's all in a row' was such a major inspiration for this chapter that it had to be mentioned.
A big, big thank you to all the reviewers!! It's defiantly what keeping me writing. You guys here in the Teen Titan fandom are far more encouraging than the meanies in Harry Potter land. I'm seriously considering making it a permanent shift.
So far though no one has commented on what I should do with Cyborg, so unless I get reviews to the contrary I will probably keep him alone
I should probably note there's some real violence in this chapter and some serious titan harming (Fatal?) Also there is some swearing. So it's rated strongly for that.
And Now…
Chapter 2- Refract
When Slade reappeared, the Titan's weren't ready for him.
Robin wasn't ready for him.
He'd always thought they would be. He'd trained them endlessly for just that eventuality. Trained them for it no matter how many times Beast boy had said he was nuts, and Cyborg had called him obsessed, and Star had looked at him with that fear in her naïve alien eyes and said that he was sick and that it needed to end. He'd ignored them all because he knew, knew on some gut level, that Slade would be back.
And when that happened they were going to be ready for him. That's what he'd thought all right.
Only they weren't.
The pain was awful and Robin wasn't ready. Hadn't been ready.
--
It was deep night when the tower alarm went off, and even as groggy as he was n the half-slumber of Raven wondering, Robin was up in moments. One hand reaching for his bow staff, the other for his marks, he took to the corridor.
Star and Cyborg who slept closest to the landing, were already in the main room when he arrived, Cyborg's hands flying frantically across the keyboard of the Main-frame. Starfire appeared tired and slightly rumpled and beast boy who emerged a few seconds latter looked even worse. He mumbled something incomprehensible and yawned loudly.
Robin turned to Cyborg "have we got a location yet?" Cyborg flicked a slight glance over his shoulder "Yep- Perp's heading along the main-street, through the square, looks like he's heading for the Cathedral."
Robin frowned as he swept over the computer print-offs "The read-out says the signal was given because there was a blow out in those factories on the west end of town. How the hell did he manage to get central city in a matter of minuets?"
Cyborg cracked his knuckles. "Don't know, I'm just lining up the TT dish though, so we should have a video feed any sec now."
Beast Boy slouched over. "Good, sooner this is over the better, I need my beauty sleep-my complexion doesn't always stay this lovely shade pickle you know."
Cyborg shook his head not taking his eyes off the screen. "Boy, you just-" but what exactly beast boy did they never found out, because just then the live feed kicked in and Cy's hands froze on the keyboard and he swore violently .
"No way!" Beast Boy exclaimed "It's not- It can't be him! He's dead! Terra-she took him down! Way Down!"
But the profile was unmistakable- the sinister, streamlined black and crome body- the smirking face- half ebony, half the foul, orange-red of old blood.
The two sides of Slade- For of course that was who it was- malevolence and slaughter.
Starfire came up behind Robin, one hand brushing his arm "But how can this be Slade?" she whispered worriedly "Slade, Beast Boy is right, Slade was defeated by friend Terra" she squeezed her fingers gently on his sleeve for an answer "Robin?"
But Robin had heard none of this. The sudden impact of the images had knocked the breath out of his body and the world had closed in on him. In his brain the only thing he could hear was an awful pounding and whether this was the beat of his rapid heart or the sound of some deep carnal drum he could not distinguish.
He shook his head, trying to clear it of the consuming noise and get a grasp of the situation, suddenly aware of how much time they were wasting. And if this was Slade- he could barely even stand to think it- but if this was Slade then every second was precious and necessary.
"It doesn't matter" he ground out at last "Whether or not this is the rea- the original Slade, the mere sight of someone who resembles him so much will panic the public. We have to stop him before that happens. Whoever he is."
He taped off the computer, shutting off the feed "Let's go"
And if this is Slade he thought ruthlessly, silently, as he headed to the garage and the R-cycle. If this is Slade back for more, then this time we'll be ready for him.
But they weren't
They weren't
--
He was bleeding and the world was growing fogy, his mind shutting down. And Robin wasn't ready. Never had been
--
By the time they had arrived Slade had already been inside the Cathedral, arrogantly slouched against the alter. His eyes were narrowed and sharp and he was softly, mockingly calling in a low voice "Here Birdy,birdy, birdy. Here birdy,birdy,birdy."
Robin had stepped out of the darkness, his bow-staff at the ready "I'm already here Slade." out of the corner of his eyes he watched the others assemble into their positions.
Slade's eyes fell on him and he chuckled quietly. "Ah Robin and the Teen Titans. It's been far too long, I'd almost forgotten you worked Jump City." He stood straighter and stretched lazily "yes indeed" he added "this will make everything so much more poignant"
Robin's grip tighten on the staff and he shifted his stance "How are you back Slade." He growled.
For it could not be denied ay longer. Only the true Slade could make the hair on the back of his neck prickle like that and raise the volume of the beating drums in his head. "Why are you here?"
Slade laughed again and this time the mocking was so obvious it made Robin grind his teeth 'All in good time, little one, don't worry your pretty head about it."
That was too much for Robin "Titan's go!" He yelled advancing under urging of the drums. They were ready for this he reasoned. He'd trained them endlessly for just this possibility. They had moves specifically designed for the masked madman, and Slade was about to find out that they were no longer children. Slade was about to find out how very grown up they were.
They were ready for this. Robin was ready for this.
But something was terrible wrong. Wrong with Slade, with the way he was fighting and what he was fighting with. Moves and powers he had never had before. Powers! Where the hell had Slade gained supernatural powers? It was all wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong! Robin had not anticipated this. And they were losing! Despite all their work, despite all the endless preparation, they were desperately losing and Slade had hardly even broken a sweet yet.
And Robin realised they weren't ready for Slade, not this new improved version. They weren't even close to ready.
But by then of course it was far too late.
--
Cyborg went down first, a well placed fireball (FIREBALL FOR GOD SAKE!) took out his hard drive, cutting half his wiring. He lay in a mangled heap, his human side semi awake but helpless! Motionless.
Beast Boy went next, his large gorilla form lost somewhere under the pile of marble ripped straight from the cathedral floor. One green arm was visible, fingers splayed over the crumbled rock and unresponsive.
When Starfire was knocked from the air for the last time by the might of six fireballs. landing still smouldering and unconscious amongst the now broken organ pipes, Robin was both distracted and overwhelmed .
Slade took him from behind as he started involuntarily towards his fallen friends, and threw him into the high stone wall. He bashed him over and over against the rock work, while his staff and bird-a-rang lay not four meters away, already broken and completely useless.
He was getting dizzy and his vision was blacking out and getting foggy, and Robin realised that this time he was actually going to die.
There would be no last minuet spectacular moves, or ways out. There was no one left to save him.
And Robin wasn't ready.
Wasn't ready for the darkness that began to eat away at his vision. Wasn't ready for the pain, for the sheer violence of it.
He wasn't ready when Slade threw him to the ground roughly, one hand wrenching his head back. wasn't ready for the mocking words "So ends the great Robin. She'll be so very disappointed; she'd rather built you up her head."
For the first time in his life Robin let out a small grunt, an admission of pain and fear. Because he was helpless, so utterly fucking helpless! and Robin had never really been helpless before, had never experienced this absolute, crushing kind of defeat.
And He couldn't- he couldn't- he couldn't- he……
No when Slade reappeared, Robin wasn't ready for him. He thought he was but he wasn't and now when the end came he found he wasn't ready for that either.
He wasn't and never would be.
And he was bleeding and the world was all white and foggy and his brain was shutting down. He was dying and now everything slowed and simplified, refracted the universe into a single image.
There was girl in his head and she wasn't smiling, but then she never had. Fourteen with budding breasts and hips, posed forever on the edge of….
He knew nothing about her. Almost nothing. But she was all that was left, all that mattered.
And he was sorry, so fucking sorry for what he had said that day, for making her leave….
And he was angry, so angry at her for leaving! For leavening him with half an obsession in his life and that even after everything, everything he had done in his life, everything he'd done these last two years to escape her, that she was the last thing left. That typically Raven was his last comprehension and the last fucking name on his bloody lips and that it wasn't fair.
And he lov…
Well Christ, why did any of that matter?
And the world went black.
-fin-
Umm.. please don't kill me for the awful cliffy! Votes for if Robin should die or not? Sorry bad taste. Umm, yeah not much to say about that. Review and I'll put you out of your misery quicker.
Blow out explosion (some good old New Zealand-where I live- slang that I wasn't sure people would understand.)
TT dish- basically I was trying to figure out the ways that the titans get a video feed of villains, so for the purpose of this story they have a satellite (Teen Titan's Satellite or the TT dish) to pick up images of villains at work. Hardly going to be relevant.
I know that this is not the way Starfire is traditionally shown to speak, but I figure after a couple more years and being older she might have a better grasp of English and human culture/society this will be further shown in coming chapters and Raven will comment on it at some point. Just a head's up for now.
That's all I think. REVIEW!
Till next time.