Just As We'd Thought

"What do you mean?" Starfire asked quietly as Raven hung her head. "Raven, surely you are not serious about-"

Raven ignored Starfire and approached Beastboy. She swallowed hard, and blinked back tears. She handed him the baby and said, "I hate to do it, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe." She took a step back and covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head slightly. "Take care of him for me, okay?"

"Raven," Beastboy sighed. "You don't have to do this. There are other ways."

Bo sucked his thumb, looking between Beastboy and Raven solemnly. Raven fingered some sweaty strands of hair on his head, and leaned forward to kiss his forhead. "Remember," she told Beastboy. "He's just as much your kid as he is mine."

--

"I can't believe she did that!" Cyborg commented as the Titans sat in the living room of their tower. "Raven! Of all people!"

"It's totally believable," Beastboy replied, coming out of Raven's room where he had put the baby to sleep. "When you love somebody, you're willing to do anything to save them. Remember the Trigon incident?" He turned to Robin. "Or how about when you were Slade's apprentice?"

"We have to save her," Robin sighed. "There has to be some way."

"Maybe it would have been best if Bo had never come into our lives, "Starfire remarked quietly, looking towards the window.

"No," Robin shook his head. "We're not even going there. Bo's here. What's done is done. We can't go back in time, only forward." He sat on the arm of the couch and massaged his forehead with his fingertips. "And what we need to focus on is getting Raven back home."

--

"Are you apprehensive?" Slade asked as he watched Raven's backside, her arms crossed. "About being my apprentice?" When the girl didn't answer, the masked man moved closer, nearly at her side. "I must say, Raven, I wasn't expecting you to become so attached to my little creation. I was hoping for Robin, but you are worthy fighter." He touched her shoulder, and became slightly annoyed when she didn't even flinch. He huffed. "Please look at me when I'm speaking to you."

Raven looked at him, but still said nothing. Her arms remained crossed, her eyes cold and unfeeling. It was obvious to Slade that she felt no fear towards him. He gripped her shoulder firmly and lowered his voice. "You can swell up all you want, Young lady, but you are here now and you chose that path."

"I wonder if they remembered to give Bo his allergy medicine before he went to bed," Raven finally said, turning away again. "He's had a pretty nasty cold the past few days."

"Stop playing games," Slade growled.

"Raising a child is not a game!" Raven snapped, glaring at him. "Are you so immature that you can't see that? Didn't you have children?"

Slade froze, and so did Raven. They both knew they'd touched a nerve. It was something everyone knew, but nobody ever spoke of. Raven saw the anger in his eyes, and she shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry."

The man struck her across the face, making her stumble slightly. "You're damn right you're sorry!" He growled.

Before Raven could even touch the mark on her face, Slade stormed over to her and grabbed a fistful of her violet hair. "If you want the child to live, then I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut about things you don't know about." He then released her hair and shoved her abruptly. She fell forward, bracing herself with her hands.

"Now," Slade held out his hand. "Give me your communicator."

Raven hesitated. Slade snapped his fingers, indicating he had done something to Bo. Raven felt around the inside pocket of her cloak and retrieved the device. She used her powers to slide it across the floor. It was stopped by the villain's boot. He knelt down and picked it up, tucking it away in his own pocket. "Atta girl, Raven, but when I want something from you, I prefer you bring it to me." He eyed her. "Are we clear?"

Raven looked away.

"Do I have to hurt somebody before you obey me? Slade started to snap his fingers.

"Yes, we're clear!" Raven exclaimed.

"Yes, what, Raven?" Slade kept his fingers in position.

"Yes, sir," Raven said quietly, but bitterly. She was still down on the floor, and Slade put his hand down. "Get up," he ordered.

Raven stood up, shielding her face with the hood of her cloak. She'd always assumed she was the least afraid of Slade, but now, here alone with him, it was different. Even when he sought her out on behalf of her father, she still hadn't been scared of him, just Trigon.

"Come here," he said, a little less harshly.

Raven timidly did so and Slade pulled down her hood. He said, "You know, Raven, there's something that draws me to Robin-makes me addicted almost."

"We've noticed," Raven replied dryly, trying not to flinch as Slade touched her hair. He did not pull like before, but lightly brushed two fingers through it.

"But there's something about you as well," he remarked. "Maybe it's the darkness in you." He removed his fingers and stared into her dark, blue eyes. "Maybe I see a lot of myself in you."

Raven made a face like he'd caught her in the arm with a needle. Slade's eyes glittered behind his mask.

"I am nothing like you," she whispered, sounding like she was trying to convince herself rather than Slade.

Speaking of Slade, his hand was now back on Raven, or his hands rather, and Raven quickly pulled away as she realized he was feeling the curves of her waist.

"Do you want the child to live?" He asked, grabbing her wrist.

"You can't be serious!" Raven ripped her arm away. She flew a good three feet back and glowered at him.

"Oh, I'm very serious," Slade purred. "And who knows? You may actually enjoy this side of me."

"I don't enjoy anything about you," Raven pulled her cloak tightly around her. "And you're insane if you think I'd do anything with you."

"If you insist on being stubborn," Slade began to snap his fingers . "That's alright with me, but think of the baby. Is it alright with him?" He snapped his fingers harder, faster. "What matters more, Raven?"

Ther girl's eyes brimmed with tears, but she would not let them fall. Not now. She knew, however, that Slade wasn't bluffing. She could easily sense Bo's pain. But could she really do something like this for any reason? For anyone? She felt so naked all of a sudden, so violated, so alone.

"Stop it," she said quietly.

"What was that?" Slade continued to snap.

"Stop." Raven felt nauseous. Her emotions were beginning to churn. "Stop it now." The snapping continued and finally Raven cried out, "I'll do it!"

The man's finger stopped in mid snap. "Good girl, Raven."

--

"Dah bo bee bah boo!" Bo giggled and chewed on the cords that were attached to him. Cyborg had decided to run all of the tests he could think of, trying to figure out how Slade controlled him.

"Please, Bumgorf," Starfire removed the wire from his mouth. "You might incorrect the tests if you eat the wiring."

"Anything yet?" Robin asked Cyborg, absent-mindedly placing the baby's busy hands in his lap and holding them there with one of his hands. Bo chewed on his glove, but Robin didn't seem to notice.

"Nothing," Cyborg sighed. "The only thing I could possibly come up with is magic, or a spell." He looked at Bo. "But even that doesn't seem logical. Slade doesn't have powers like that."

"Perhaps he has learned them from someone like he did with the Trigon?" Starfire suggested.

"No," Beastboy walked over to the baby and began removing the suctions. "Slade's a cut and dry science guy. There's something we're just over-looking. I know there is."

"But what could it be?" Starfire picked up the baby and showered him with kisses. "There are no chips, no nano-probes, no anything."

"Wait a minute," Cyborg rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong place." He took Bo from her. "I remember when Bo started teething, he bit me. It felt like a jolt when he bit my arm every time." He stuck one of his mechanical fingers in Bo's mouth and as if on cue, the toddler bit down. Cyborg grinned. "Like it did just now!" He excitedly motioned for the others. "Clear the kitchen table! Hurry!"

The baby screamed as Robin layed him on the table. Starfire held his arms, Robin held his ankles. Cyborg pried open his mouth with two fingers, and Beastboy shined a flashlight over him.

"Please, Bo," Starfire soothed. "Friend Cyborg means you no harm. He merely wants to see your teeth."

"What's it look like?" Robin asked.

"So far," Cyborg said. "Everything looks normal. He peered closely into the baby's mouth. "Aha! Here we go!" He turned to Beastboy. "I need something tiny, like a sewing needle or safety pin."

"Dude!" Beastboy's eyes widened. "What are you gonna do to him?"

"There's something small and metal," Cyborg explained. "It's in his top jaw tooth. It looks like it's the size of a grain of salt or something, but it's there. I might be able to scrape it out."

"So there is a control chip," Robin nodded. He leaned down and kissed the baby's head. "Settle down, Bo. It's going to be okay."

Beastboy walked over to Robin and said, "You go get the needle, I'll stay here with him." He leaned over and said quietly to the baby, "You' re bien, pequeño hermano."

--

About fifteen minutes later, Robin held up a tiny silver speck on his finger tip. The chip. Cyborg stuck it in his computer, and numerous numbers and symbols appeared on the large scanner screens.

"Just as I thought. The chip had control right up to his brain," the Titan said. "but it's gone now." He smiled at Bo. "You're good to go, Dude."

"Now we have to go get Raven," Beastboy told them. "We have to go now."

"But who will look after Bo?" Starfire asked.

"We'll take him with us," Beastboy replied.

To Be Continued…