Chapter 7: Ascendancy
After contacting the other Titans, Robin put his communicator back in his utility belt. He quickened his step, feeling the familiar uneasiness which consumed him prior to every battle; it was a mixture of adrenaline, determination, and fear that guided Robin. While he was calm and calculating in action, the impetus behind his heroics was a cloistered sense of fear, which—while omnipresent—remained buried deeply in the back of his mind. It spoke to him…nagged at him. His fear drove him, making him strive to be the best possible leader he could be. While these fears kept him grounded, they also caused him great distress; He worried constantly about the safety of Jump City and his friends. He feared that he would be cast aside or abandoned if he wasn't perfect. Now, the voice in the back of Robin's mind gnawed away at him, chiding him for a decision that he could not abrogate.
As he entered the Common Room, Robin cringed; He knew that in order to do his job properly, he would have to put all that had happened out of his mind. A part of him—a small but significant part of him—felt like it was dying. It was as though the light inside of his soul was being asphyxiated, leaving behind the cold, unforgiving darkness.
Robin moved to the computer posthaste, generating a map of the city. With skill and precision, Robin quickly triangulated the position of the distress signal, which was coming from the Jump City Water Sanitation Facility. Robin stared blankly at the screen for a moment, trying to deduce the logic behind Cinder Block's latest assault on Jump City.
"Why would Cinder Block attack the City's water supply?" Robin asked himself quietly, "It just doesn't make any sense."
Robin stared listlessly at the computer for a moment, hoping that an answer would come to light. He roughly rubbed his temples with his fingers in a vain attempt to regain focus and understand the motive behind the actions of the stone behemoth. Robin's concentration was broken, however, by the hissing sound of the door to the Common Room. Robin turned his head and saw Starfire standing gingerly in the doorway; she was still visibly upset, looking more like a wounded lamb than a super-heroine. Robin stared at Starfire in disbelief for a moment. She looked as though she had been through hell and back: The normally bubbly and blithe demeanor she exuded was now subdued by an evident and all-consuming sorrow. Her eyes were bloodshot and rubbed red from crying, and her hair was matted down to one side and disheveled. Seeing Starfire, the most jubilant of the Titans, in this state really tore at Robin. He stood up and walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder while thinking of something uplifting to say.
"Starfire," Robin said softly, "You don't have to lock yourself away in your room. Losing Beast Boy was the worst thing that has ever happened to this team, but that is how we will get through it…together."
Starfire looked at Robin with tears in her eyes as he spoke.
"I am here for you if you need me, Starfire." Robin said softly and reassuringly, "When you are ready to talk, I am ready to listen."
Starfire did not reply; instead, she leaned over and pulled Robin into a tight embrace, burying her face into his chest. Her tears soaked into his uniform, leaving visible, wet marks. Robin responded by wrapping his arms around the Tamaranian, pulling her close. With Robin's arms around her, Starfire's manic sobbing soon ebbed to a despondent whimper, and she was able to compose herself. She pulled away from Robin for a moment and looked him in the eyes. Her expression was pained, as though she was greatly torn on the inside; he couldn't help but take note of her mercurial state.
"Please, Star," Robin said genuinely, "Talk to me…"
Starfire looked at Robin, still ineffably shaken, and looked down at the floor. She nervously rubbed her hands together and hung her head.
"Robin…" Starfire finally managed to utter, "Why is your world so cruel?"
Her words cut through Robin; Starfire was clearly crestfallen at the loss of Beast Boy, so much so that she was searching for an explanation. How could he explain that sometimes things—horrible things—happen in the world by chance?
"I'm sorry, Star," Robin said gently into Starfire's ear as he pulled her into a hug once more, "What happened cannot be taken away, no matter how much we would like to. That is just the way the world works. We can overcome the sadness though, Star…If we support each other."
Starfire was beginning to choke up again, but managed to hold her sorrow in. She nodded meekly in reply and looked out of the large bay windows in the Common Room, gazing upon Jump City.
"We must proceed with caution," Starfire said sheepishly as she stared out the window, "I do not desire to lose any more friends."
The door to the Common Room hissed open a second time, this time revealing Raven and Cyborg. Raven, who had been putting on a brave front while choking back her unbridled emotions, was continuing the charade. She quickly floated to the middle of the Common Room next to Starfire and Robin and gently set her feet on the floor. Cyborg, on the other hand, did not try to mask his emotions. As he stepped into the Common Room, he wore no expression. He looked directly ahead and walked in carefully calculated—almost deliberate—steps. He stood next to the others quietly for a moment before Robin broke the silence.
"OK Team," Robin said confidently, ignoring the rather morose atmosphere of the room, "Cinder Block is currently downtown. I pinpointed his position, and determined that he is at the Jump City Water Sanitation Facility; currently, I cannot think of a motive. More importantly, though, we need to stop him. We can't afford to let him slip through our fingers again."
Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg looked blankly at Robin as he spoke to them. They seemed uninspired at best and unwilling at worst. His words, which were meant to fire up the team and get them motivated to butt heads with Cinder Block once more seemed to carry no weight with the other Titans. Their minds were simply elsewhere.
"TITANS!!" Robin snapped loudly, getting their attention in the process, "Listen up! What happened to Beast Boy was awful, and I guarantee you that though it hurts like hell right now, that pain is nothing compared to the agony that you would feel if someone else was hurt by Cinder Block because we were unable to act…paralyzed by grief and self-pity. Let's take our pain and put it into him."
Robin's fervent speech invigorated his teammates and shook them from their haze.
"Time will heal our wounds." Robin said, this time in a more reflective, profound tone, "We have a job to do. Let's take all of our pain…and smother him with it."
As Robin finished, the Titans rallied around one another. The words of their leader had struck a chord; though what he had to say wasn't what they wanted to hear, at that moment it was what they needed to hear. With a common goal and a common enemy, the Titans prepared for battle. Robin led the assault on the surface in the R-Cycle. Raven quickly ascended into the sky and began to fly in the direction of the Jump City Water Sanitation Facility. Cyborg, without a mode of transportation after the destruction of the T-Car, got a lift from Starfire, who quickly flew off with him in her grasp.
Robin burned rubber to keep up with Raven and Starfire who were flying overhead. It was now mid-morning and the sun was shining brightly from above, bathing the city in light. A discernable chill still clung to the air and whipped Robin's face and arms as he forged on, pushing the R-cycle to it's limit. Soon, the Jump City Water Sanitation Facility came into view. It was a large structure which stood directly next to a river. A thick, garrison-like outer wall stood in front of the main structure, meant to deter potential trespassers from tampering with the City's water supply. The main structure was a plain brick building, with smoke stacks reaching out toward the sky. A series of large pipes siphoned water off from the river and carried it into the plant, where it would be cleaned and made safe for public use. As the Titans neared the large outer wall of the plant, it became evident that Cinder Block had been there; a gaping hole had been opened up in the outer wall, which was around four or five feet thick.
Robin pulled up to the outer wall and dismounted the R-Cycle, removing his helmet and tossing it aside. Raven descended from the sky gracefully, setting her feet down on the asphalt. Starfire set Cyborg down on the ground before gently landing.
"He was definitely here." Raven said, with tinges of rage permeating her tone.
"Let's go in there…all out…and hit anything that moves with all we've got." Cyborg growled angrily. Cyborg, who had been taking Beast Boy's death particularly hard, had been reticent, preferring to detach from his teammates and mourn his lost friend in his own way. It quickly became clear, however, that Cyborg's grief had turned to anger, and his heart now sought vengeance instead of solace.
"Cyborg," Robin said authoritatively, "we need to be smart about this if we want to be successful. Cinder Block might have bricks for brains, but Slade doesn't. If he is the one pulling the strings behind Cinder Block, you can bet he did his homework."
Cyborg grunted, irritated by Robin's stern reproach. He had lost his best friend and the monster responsible was close at hand. He and Robin hadn't always seen eye-to-eye when it came to leading the Titans, and in the past he kept his mouth shut and did his job. Not this time, though. This time there would be no compromise…There would be no mercy.
Robin took the helm and led the team through the hole in the outer wall and toward the entrance to the large brick structure. They approached the entrance of the facility cautiously. Raven and Starfire took to the air to remain out of sight; Cyborg and Robin on the other hand quickly ran through the yard surrounding the plant, using the cascading shadows from the smokestacks as natural cover. As they approached the building, it was obvious that Cinderblock had been there; the steel doors to the building had been torn from their hinges, crumpled, and cast aside like trash.
"Raven," Robin whispered almost inaudibly, "can you get a visual on the inside of the plant?"
Raven responded with a single nod. She levitated off of the ground, enveloped in dark energy. She crossed her legs Indian-style, outstretched her arms, and closed her eyes before chanting her mantra:
"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…"
The dark aura which surrounded her swirled in the air for a moment before taking the form of a raven, and disappearing into the thick brick walls which comprised the Jump City Water Sanitation Facility. Raven continued to hover a few feet off of the ground as her soul-self took a closer look at the inside of the plant. A few moments later, the dark energy emerged from the building and merged with Raven, who opened her eyes and gently set herself back on the ground.
"I don't like this, Robin." Raven rasped.
"What did you see?" Robin demanded, growing evermore tenacious.
"Cinderblock is inside," Raven replied, with an air of concern present in her tone, "but he's just standing there…waiting…"
"He is waiting for us, yes?" Starfire asked curiously as she floated a few feet off of the ground, waiting for the order to attack.
Robin gritted his teeth. It was a trap, that much was certain. Like moths to the flame they were drawn into another precarious predicament. If they entered the plant, they were fighting on unknown, enclosed territory, where Cinderblock would have the obvious tactical advantage. With the loss of Beast Boy, their chances of winning that battle were slim. If they chose not to fight, Cinderblock would have the City's water supply at his mercy, jeopardizing countless innocent lives.
"Robin," Starfire asked eagerly, "shall we attack?"
Robin remained silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of his decision. His mind quickly wandered off, remembering how his poorly his last decision turned out. He still couldn't shake off the look of terror in Beast Boy's eyes. It pervaded his every thought.
"Robin!" Cyborg growled quietly, "C'mon man, where is your head? What's the decision?"
He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He just knelt on the ground motionless. Robin's mind was blank; the only words he could hear were the last words he had said to Beast Boy.
"Sorry, Beast Boy…I wish there was some other way…"
Those words echoed in his mind incessantly. His surroundings became a blur and his friend's voices, which were entreating him to make a decision, grew faint. He was numb…shell-shocked.
Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven stood, awestruck at the sight of their leader staring off into space at a critical moment in battle.
Cyborg reached over and started to gently shake Robin, hoping to snap him out of his unresponsive state. Suddenly, the wheels began turning in Robin's mind again, and he slumped forward, panting heavily.
"You okay, man?" Cyborg asked quietly, concern apparent in his tone.
The truth was, Robin didn't know. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before. It was like an out of body experience; he tried to move and speak, but couldn't. He quickly caught his breath and wiped some sweat from his brow. He cleared his mind long enough to give an order:
"Titans, GO!"
Raven and Starfire quickly flew into the facility, followed by Cyborg, who ran through the gaping hole where the steel doors used to be. Robin stood perplexed for a moment, not quite understanding what had happened to him. He took a few more deep breaths and followed the other Titans into the plant.
The plant was deceptively large on the inside; from the outside, it looked like any other brick building. The facility housed a labyrinth of large pipes, which carried water through several large filtration machines. Moreover, the facility contained ten large compression tanks which held additional water. The tactical advantage was soundly in Cinderblock's hands; there were a myriad of hiding places, even for one as distinguishable as Cinderblock. Additionally, the space inside of the facility was rather cluttered, which favored Cinderblock's rather primitive fighting style.
Starfire and Raven flew cautiously, not knowing quite what to expect. Cyborg conducted a quick scan of the area, but could not get a lock on Cinderblock. He nervously walked forward, toward the large compression tanks, with his sonic cannon charged and at the ready. Robin lagged behind slightly; he began to realize what a bad idea this was. The facility was deathly quiet; only the droning of the filtration machines was audible. The Titans ventured a little further into the factory; the tension in the room grew stronger with every step they took.
Suddenly, a loud, angry growl emanated from the back of the filtration plant. The sound of metal crunching filled the air, followed thereafter by the sound of water gushing out on to the concrete floor. Cinderblock emerged from his hiding space with one of the large compression tanks in his clutches. With minimal effort, he hurled the large steel container across the floor, directly at Cyborg and Robin. Cyborg, ignoring his gut instinct, ran toward the container and hit it head on, stopping its momentum. The compression tank did no physical harm to the Titans; however it divided the facility in half, lying lengthwise across the floor. Cyborg quickly climbed over the obstacle, joining Starfire and Raven in taking the fight to Cinderblock.
Raven quickly enveloped Cinderblock in dark energy. Her eyes grew white-hot as she focused every ounce of her energy on containing the monster and preventing him from breaking free; this time he would not get away. He struggled mightily to break free from the swirling darkness surrounding him, however the harder he fought, the harder Raven fought back.
"Not this time!" Raven snarled, her eyes beginning to glow red. She was losing control, but she didn't care.
As Cinderblock struggled to break free, Starfire unleashed a volley of starbolts at the imprisoned stone creature. The attacks were greatly successful, landing squarely on Cinderblock, causing him to howl in pain. Cyborg diverted almost all of his energy into his sonic cannon and had it charged and ready to go. One shot would almost drain his power cells dry, but in his mind it was worth it. He took aim at Cinderblock.
"BB…" Cyborg said to himself, "This one's for you."
He fired his shot, hitting Cinderblock. The stone criminal howled in agony as the force from the shot tore through his shoulder, blowing a gaping hole straight through it. Cyborg fell to the floor, his power cells drained from the attack. He collected himself and moved behind one of the other compression tanks, hoping to catch his breath. He cursed himself.
"How could I have missed?" Cyborg muttered under his breath, "I had a clear shot…why…why couldn't I blow him away?"
Cyborg, with his back to the compression tank, slowly slid to the floor. He had no energy left to fight and was on emergency power, which only covered vital systems. He pounded his large fist against the side of the steel compression tank, putting a sizable dent into it.
"Today is your lucky day, Cinderblock." Cyborg said to himself, still kicking himself for missing his shot.
Starfire and Raven continued the assault on Cinderblock. Starfire beat the stone behemoth with her clenched fists as he was held fast by Raven. With each crushing blow, Cinderblock lost more and more strength; despite not being a direct hit, the wound Cyborg had inflicted greatly weakened him. Starfire continued to bear down on Cinderblock until the stone monster fell limp, having no energy left to fight back or escape.
Raven, however, could no longer control herself. She wailed in agony as she completely lost control of herself. All she could think of was Beast Boy; the one she grew to love, and how he was viciously and mercilessly stolen from her. Her eyes grew blood red, and two more appeared beneath them; Rage had taken over. With Cinderblock still in her clutches, Raven smashed him against the ceiling, then against the floor. She continued to batter him ruthlessly.
"You are PATHETIC!" Raven snapped, her voice sounding guttural. She smashed Cinderblock against the ceiling again. "You are a waste of life!" She dropped him to the floor once more, before blowing a hole in the wall of the facility and carrying Cinderblock out over the water.
Raven smiled sinisterly.
"Let's see if shit floats."
Starfire flew out after Raven.
"Friend, do not do this!" Starfire pleaded.
"Stay out of this!" Raven growled angrily
As Raven turned, preparing to drop Cinderblock into the River, she was suddenly struck from behind, and fell to the ground in a heap.
"Forgive me." Starfire said somberly.
Without Raven to hold him, Cinderblock fell into the water. Starfire quickly flew after him and fished him out, tossing him to the side. He laid there motionless, unable to muster the strength to flee. Starfire quickly flew to Raven's side, helping her to her feet.
"W-What happened?" Raven—having regained control--muttered quietly, rubbing the side of her head.
"You would have killed the Cinderblock." Starfire said, concerned for her friend's well-being, "I know your heart is broken for Beast Boy…mine is as well…but killing Cinderblock will not revive our friend."
Raven sat on the concrete, letting the sunlight wash over her. She had lost control. She buried her head in her hands and wept, as Starfire knelt by her side trying to console her.
"He's gone, Starfire…" Raven sobbed, "He's gone…"
Starfire sat down next to her friend, staring at the mid-day sky. The sunlight sparkled on the surface of the water, twinkling gleefully.
"It is my belief that in order to accept any misfortune, we must relinquish the illusion of control." Starfire said softly, "We cannot bring our friend back, but he is never really gone so long as we never stop loving him."
Raven continued to sob, as Starfire sat next to her silently. Though words were not exchanged, an unspoken understanding and camaraderie developed between the two, providing a semblance of comfort.
*Meanwhile*
Robin searched for a way to get around the large steel container which separated the facility into two halves. With the plant being the labyrinth that it was, it made using his grappling hook near impossible. Similarly, he did not want to risk damaging any more of the equipment, as it could have an adverse effect on the City's water supply. He stood perplexed, trying to think of a way around the impasse.
Suddenly a familiar voice snapped Robin to attention.
"Hello, Robin," The gruff voice said emphatically, "It certainly has been a while."
Robin quickly turned around and saw him; a man, dressed in a black and orange bodysuit, clad with armor...Slade. Slade moved closer, goading Robin to fight.
"Slade," Robin snarled angrily, "What are you up to?"
Slade chuckled briefly.
"Calm yourself, Robin." Slade responded evenly, "I am not here to fight you. I am here to thank you."
Slade's words cut through Robin. Robin reached in his belt for his bo-staff, readying it for an attack.
"I'm not interested, Slade." Robin growled, "I'm not going to play this game."
Slade chuckled once again.
"Really, now?" Slade replied coldly, "Well, how about we play another game? This game is called 'Deception,' and I know for a fact that you are an expert."
Robin rushed at Slade, thrashing at him with his bo-staff. Each blow missed Slade, who was able to effectively dodge them. Robin continued his assault, leaping into the air to deliver a spinning back-kick, which Slade once again avoided. Robin—growing evermore frustrated—began to lose his temper and thrash at Slade violently and with little control. Slade countered by landing a punch to Robin's ribs and grabbing ahold of Robin's bo-staff. The two men began jockeying for possession of the staff.
"I'm nothing like you, Slade." Robin shouted, "You are a monster."
"Deny it if you will, Robin," Slade retorted, mocking Robin, "You are more like me than you can imagine."
"LIAR!!" Robin shouted, wrestling the staff away from Slade, who jumped back for a chance to regroup.
"I know, Robin." Slade sneered, chuckling to himself, "I know what you have done. What you continue to do."
With a deafening war cry, Robin attacked Slade, wildly swinging his staff. Slade was able to block the attacks, before landing a crushing blow to Robin's jaw, causing him to fall to the floor and drop his staff. Blood oozed from Robin's lip as he tried to get to his feet. Slade kicked Robin in the head, knocking him on his back once more before pinning him to the ground with his foot.
"Good help is hard to find, Robin." Slade continued, "Cinderblock is a pawn, but he is formidable with proper guidance. I sent him to destroy the Jump City Bridge to get your attention. Clearly I succeeded."
Robin tried to squirm free, but this only prompted Slade to put more weight on the foot that was pinning Robin to the floor. Robin began to have trouble breathing, forcing him to stop struggling.
"I never expected Cinderblock to succeed so completely, nor did I expect Beast Boy to get caught in the crossfire." Slade continued, "I remember watching the battle unfold on the bridge security cameras, completely exhilarated. You walked over to him, looked at him…and abandoned him."
Robin moaned in agony, gasping for air.
"You did more harm in that instant than I ever could have inflicted." Slade said gleefully, "Better still, you left him to die alone…to chase after me. I am overjoyed to have driven you to your current predicament. You cannot win, Robin. If your friends find out, they will cast you aside like any common criminal. The only way to prolong your imminent fate is to perpetuate the lies. Every time you deceive them…every time you bend the truth to cover your tracks…know that you become more like me."
Slade laughed loudly, taking his foot off of Robin's chest. Robin gasped for air and quickly got to his feet.
"You're insane…" Robin groaned
As Slade turned to walk away, Robin lunged at him. Expecting the attack, Slade swung around and dodged the right hook that Robin threw, countering with an uppercut that sent Robin down to the floor once again, writhing in agony.
"Remember, Robin," Slade retorted evenly, "You can't keep your charade up forever. They will find out. The Titans will be no more, and I won't even have to throw a punch. You will be my apprentice still."
Slade turned and walked away. Robin could only spit up blood and watch as the silhouette of his greatest enemy slipped away into the mid-morning light…
A/N: As always, thank you all for reading, and a special thank you to all who have reviewed and shared their thoughts with me. I greatly appreciate the feedback! I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge two really good stories that I have been reading. "Tough Times in Jump City" by TheForceIsStrongWithThisOne and "Beast Boy's Pain" by Kina Grey. Both have been engrossing reads so far!
Thanks again for reading!
