CHAPTER FOUR

"The noir hero is a knight in blood caked armor. He's dirty and he does his best to deny the fact that he's a hero the whole time."
-Frank Miller

I awoke strapped to a chair, trapped in a small yet well-lit room.

Five people stood around me. Cyborg looked disappointed and enraged due to my actions. Raven, emotionless and quiet. Beast Boy, silently fuming with disbelieving eyes. Starfire, who was on the verge of tears, gazed at me with eyes that seemed to beg 'How could you?'

My eyes rested on the fifth person.

"You're alive," I whispered. The Dark Knight glared at me.

"Of course I'm alive," he growled, his face now only inches away from mine. He was obviously furious.

"But… I was told that you died in a fire…?"

"What! Who told you that," the Batman demanded.

"Slade," I admitted, dropping his gaze, ashamed to my very core. "Slade told me that you died in a fire."

An unnerving silence settled over everyone, the Titans all staring back and forth between Batman and I.

"My Lord, Dick, what did he do to you?" Batman demanded at last, finally seeming to understand. I didn't reply, afraid that Slade was listening. After a long moment, Batman did the unthinkable… He removed his mask.

"Tell me what he did, Grayson," Bruce Wayne demanded once more. The Titans stared, all of them save Star recognizing the multi-billion air. There was no mistake as to who I really was either.

"I…" My memories came rushing back with the realization that Bruce was really alive and standing there before me. "Slade infected all of the Titans with probes. If I don't do what he says…"

"Then we die," Beast Boy finished, gaping.

"So you were not betraying us of your own free will?" Starfire asked hopefully.

"No, Star," I replied quietly, "I don't even know how long I've been working for him."

"Two years," Raven spoke up at last.

"W-What?" I gasped audibly. No wonder they had eventually lost faith in me.

"Batman, um, Mr. Wayne came to help us stop you. We needed answers," Cyborg replied, "Now all we have to do is remove the probes. I could probably whip up some machines to carry that out…" his voice trailed, now lost in thought.

"Dick," Batman intervened, "You've obviously been through a lot. I want you to come back to Gothem." In response, I simply stared at Bruce, expressionless. There was no way I was leaving my friends after such a short amount of time. No, not when we were all only just reunited…

"He's right," Starfire said quietly. Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Star, I-"

"You need time to rest. It only makes sense for you to be away from Slade, at least for a little while."

"She's right," Bruce added firmly.

"No," I spat at last, my voice regaining it's strength at least for that moment. "At least… Not unless the team comes with me."


A/N Party in Gothem! Decorations are on me, Mosacra (Tobuscus references make my day).

In all seriousness... I'm not serious.