Disclaimer: What? I own Teen Titans? Nah...


Chapter 7

The effect was instantaneous.

Robin's heart seemed to stop as he watched his four friends keel to the ground in agony, the probes destroying them inside out. Aqualad, Speedy, and Bumblebee stared in astonishment at their fallen companions. Their team of eight had dwindled down to three in a matter of minutes. In Slade's view, this was less than a fair fight. The remaining three instinctively drew together.

"What did you do?" Speedy demanded, his arrow now pointed towards Slade. "What did you do you son of a bitch?"

Robin couldn't answer him. Bumblebee moved slightly as though she meant to help the Titans down, but then decided not to. His friends lay on the ground curled into fetal positions, pain racking through their bodies as the probes did their job.

"Attack, Robin," Slade said calmly. "Attack with everything you've got."

Robin could not move from pure shock.

"Don't do it, Robin," Aqualad said. "Come on…this isn't you…"

He felt Slade grip his arm, squeezing it so hard that he thought his blood circulation had stopped.

"They only have minutes. Fight them now and I will let them live."

Robin turned his head upwards to gaze at Slade in terror. He was torn between two options: that of wrestling that controller away from Slade and a stronger desire for the Titans to live by obeying Slade.

"Do it now."

Holding back tears, Robin forced himself to run past their twitching bodies towards the three remaining Titans. Take out the strongest first. He took out an object similar to his bird-a-rang—only with Slade's insignia—and threw it at Speedy's head. The redhead ducked and sneered.

"You miss—" Speedy cursed as it swung back and cut off the shafts of his arrows.

"Wasn't aiming for you."

Robin leapt into the air and knocked Speedy to the ground. Speedy hastily blocked Robin's onslaught of kicks with his bow. A slight pause allowed Speedy to strike Robin's face with his bow. Staggering backwards , Robin went on the defensive as Speedy's fists pounded away. The archer's impromptu aggression allowed Robin to easily disarm him. With a spinning roundhouse kick Robin knocked the bow out of Speedy's hands. He took the bow and broke it across a knee.

"My bow!" Speedy exclaimed

Speedy took out one of his broken arrows. Although he couldn't shoot it he could still do serious damage. He used the arrow like some sort of short sword. As he thrust the arrow towards Robin's face Robin managed to grab hold of the arrow. With a loud grunt he kneed Speedy in the stomach and flung the arrow back at the young archer. Speedy rolled to the side to avoid the sizzling tip but stayed on the ground, groaning in pain.

Robin turned around just in time to deal with Bumblebee, who buzzed around him angrily. He had never seen or heard of her before. If Slade knew her as a student within the HIVE Academy, was she then a double agent?

"Come on, bird boy!"

He barely managed to dodge her stingers as she began to shoot. Unlike Aqualad and Speedy he didn't know quite how to disarm her. As he took out his bo-staff she nearly disappeared, shrinking to the size of an actual bumblebee. Well, now his bo-staff wouldn't be any good.

"Be quicker where it counts," Slade called out.

Robin put the bo-staff away. He could hear Bumblebee buzzing around him, although he could not help but flinch every time she stung him. He may not be able to run as fast as KidFlash or fly like Bumblebee, but he was smart.

He began to move, his hand reaching out to grab her fleeting figure. As he predicted, she dodged his hand by banking sharply to her right. His other hand lashed out and caught her by the wings. He flung her away towards Speedy, who was trying to stand again. She instinctively grew big and fell right on top of Speedy, knocking the hero out again.

That left just one.

Steel discs appeared between the fingers of Robin's gloved fist. He flung them towards Aqualad, who was racing towards him on a wave of water. He could do nothing to block Aqualad's cry of pain as electricity crackled through the water, effectively electrocuting the Atlantian.

Robin breathed heavily as he stood amid the unconscious bodies. He knew that there would be no praise from Slade.

Not today.

The Titans did not move. Without thinking he ran towards Starfire, oblivious to the consequences that would follow. Right now he didn't care what Slade would do to him. If he had killed them…then all of this would have been done for nothing. If they were dead then Slade would pay. He placed a finger on her throat. Fresh tears began to form in his eyes as he searched frantically for a heartbeat.

Please don't be dead…he thought, Please don't be dead, Starfire.

There!

He felt it slow and steady. If she was alive, surely the others must be as well—

"R…Robin?"

Her eyes fluttered open. Robin found her hand and squeezed it tightly, his heart fluttering when she squeezed it back. That had been too close. Much too close. His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of her face, which was pale and sweaty from the aftermath of the probes. Even though she smelled strongly of sweat and ocean salt he could still smell her jasmine perfume. Her breathing was harsh and ragged, but she still had the strength to smile.

"Starfire."

It felt good to say her name and to see her smile back. He was sick of hearing the Titans say his name with spite and resentment, as if he didn't care about them anymore. There was nothing more he wanted to do now than to let out all of his repressed feelings he had hidden for so long. The tears he had been holding back for a year finally fell down his cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Someone grabbed him by the collar of his uniform. Slade dragged him away from Starfire, his grip so tight that Robin began to choke. Still too weak to stand, Starfire could only watch as Slade swung him around and slammed him into the wall. Stars popped in front of his eyes as his head bounced off of the concrete wall.

"Was that really wise, boy?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "Do you want me to kill them off?"

Slade's single eye studied Robin's face. Robin could still feel the wet tears falling down his face. In all the months he spent with Slade Robin made sure he never cried in front of the man. Now he felt as if he might just break down.

"No…Master."

"Then get in the van. Now."

Starfire pushed herself to her feet, although Slade did nothing to stop her. She stood there with her hands clasped together, her green eyes wide with confusion and terror as Slade forced him into the van. Jericho sat at the far end of the seat with his hands tied behind his back.

The car ride back was full of silence as Slade sat resolutely in his seat. The silence was more aggravating and frightening than anything Slade could say, for the silence was merely a prelude of worse things to come.


Author's note: Hey guys! I'm afraid the updates may come a little slower. But I'm working on my original novel (sigh...only 71, 332 words). This chapter's okay, but I'm looking forward to writing the next one. As always, reviews are appreciated.

Again, I stole some fight scene stuff from Identity Crisis. You guys should read it. You'll never look at Dr. Light the same way again.

Also, I'm very lonely on LiveJournal. If any of you peeps want to talk to me between updates, annoy me by asking when I'm gonna update, or whatever just add me as a friend. I only have one friend. :( It's under the same name: aessedai343.