Season 1, Episode 9

Idée Fixe

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Man, it doesn't bug me. If he wants to spend all his time cooped up in a dark room, with nothin' but computer screens and case files in front of him, what do I care? The dude's got issues, if you ask me. Who wants to obsess over criminals 'nstead of watching 'Revenge of the Mecha-Dinosaur Pirates'? Robin's crazy.

Yeah, he's... he's crazy.

Look, I'm fine. What, I need some masked ninja lookin' over my shoulder all the time? Please. It's actually been pretty cool- he hasn't made me do chores or whatever for weeks. I'm more than fine. I'm golden, dude.

I mean, yeah, I haven't talked to him in a while, but...

It doesn't matter. No problem. I'm not gonna whine an' cry about how he's spending more time lookin' through newspaper clippings than hanging out with his friends. Not gonna... That's somethin' a little kid would do.

I said I'm fine.

...

I wish that we could help him.

When Robin begins the research, he truly lets nothing distract him. Not even us. This is- this is desirable in a leader, correct? A hero must be of the single-mind when working. I believe that Robin is doing the right thing, trying to find Slade.

But it is difficult. The rest of the Titans offer our aid, but either he is too focused to let us help, or he does not trust us with this mission.

No, that is the 'going too far'. Of course he trusts us. I am sure this investigation requires the detective skills that only Robin has.

It is difficult to avoid feelings of... how is it said? The uselessness?

...Useless. Yes. I know Robin would not wish that I feel this way, but I have not had the time to talk to him. Besides, he is probably feeling the stress as well, so perhaps I should not complain.

But I am beginning to suspect that we need each other, and not just in the crime-fighting.

...

Maybe a robot's not the best option to talk about feelings 'n whatever, but I worry for the guy.

Er- not feelings. Forget that. Just can't be healthy, y'know? Rob's practically underground, he's in that room so much. Dunno if he's even eating every day. Heck, whenever I do see him, he's twitchin' like Beast Boy on energy drinks. 'Fraid to touch him, 'cause it seems like he'll fall over.

...Fine. It's not just his health.

Robin's- look, he's more'n a leader, alright? He keeps us goin', even when we think we can't. And this whole Slade thing... I'm startin' to think he might not get anywhere.

Man, I've never seen Rob fail. If he does, I don't know what's gonna happen.

But he's gettin' mad already. Frustrated. If somethin' don't change soon, the whole team's in trouble.

Yeah. I'm worried.

...

Something's wrong.

I know it might seem hypocritical- me saying Robin's spending too much time alone- but that's just it. For me, it's normal to go meditate. Peaceful, even. If I'm using it to avoid the rest of the team, though, Robin's usually the one to call me out on it.

This isn't normal. He's not relaxing, or trying to better himself, or learning more about his abilities or anything like that. He's spending all his time focusing on the worst Jump City has to offer.

Is it really so implausible to suspect this could hurt him? Or worse, influence him.

I know it's easy to focus on the negative. More than once, I've looked at the endless problems in this city and thought, "Why bother?" But I'm lucky enough to have friends that help me see the good, as well. Starfire's optimism, Cyborg's determination, and even Beast Boy's energy- while sometimes annoying- are inspiring.

And Robin... he has a strong sense of duty. A code. Honor.

I don't want him to lose that.

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Masque of the Red Death

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Cyborg grinned. Without looking, he knew the other Titans had lined up behind him. "You workin' for Slade, tough guy?"

The thief took a running stance, crouching low and spreading his arms. A low, digitally altered voice emanated from within the mask. "Red X works alone."

Everything happened at once. The mysterious figure threw a hand forward, launching some kind of red bolt that screamed towards them. The rest of the team scattered in different directions, beginning a flanking attack, while Cyborg stood his ground, coolly aiming a blast from the sonic cannon.

The X-shaped projectile collided with the sound blast. Not magic-based, Cyborg noted.

He'd been ready for the explosion, but the smoke was clouding the entire rooftop. As the echoes faded, he switched to his mechanical eye, scanning the area for any sign of Red X.

There.

Without waiting for the dust to clear, Cyborg fired several lasers in a tight radius. Beast Boy was lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to approach from the back, while the girls hovered in the air. There was no way Red X could-

A steel-gray glove sprang appeared. Startled, Cyborg took aim again as the thief sprang away from the smoke, effortlessly dodging every attack. He seemed to fly through every move, using acrobatic twists and flips to avoid the laser blasts- almost as if...

Cyborg scowled. There was a fluid motion, even a grace in Red X's movements, but he was hesitating, too. He wasn't taking the obvious route, even if it would help him stay ahead of the sonic attacks.

As if he was avoiding a certain fighting style.

The idea was short-lived. A barrage of X's exploded forward, and Cyborg scrambled to get away in time- another explosion from behind sent him reeling.

Wincing, he stood up as Beast Boy raced ahead. He leaped high, then morphed into a lion on the descent towards Red X.

...Cyborg blinked.

Something had happened. It looked like Red X launched another bolt of energy forward, but it had shifted somehow, becoming some kind of viscous, adhesive goop. In the span of a few seconds, the attack had collided with Beast Boy in the air, sent him plummeting, and now kept him pinned to the rooftop. Cyborg growled, leveling the cannon again as his friend struggled through different animal forms in the red substance. Nothing helped- he was completely trapped.

After Red X eluded a few more sonic attacks, Cyborg switched tactics. If ranged fighting wasn't getting anywhere... he dashed forward, watching Raven and Starfire descend out of the corner of his eye. He smiled- with aerial help, and a formation that had Red X surrounded, the Titans would-

The masked villain moved his arm. Quicker than Cyborg could track, two X's flew into the night sky- one bound Starfire's arms to her sides, and the other covered Raven's mouth completely.

It was all he could do to keep running. How on earth did Red X know exactly how to defeat them? The one attack had quickly and efficiently cut off Starfire's flight, as well as her starbolt attack, while the second had neutralized Raven's magic- through it all, Red X hadn't needed to throw a single punch.

He knew them. Somehow, he knew exactly how the team would fight...

No. He was overreacting- after all, the Titans didn't exactly keep their battles away from the public eye. Anyone with a quick eye could pay attention, learning their strengths and powers.

Cyborg balled his hands into fists. Well, Red X would have to be more than quick if he wanted to win this one.

Reaching his target, he swung the first punch wildly, full of anger. The thief dodged to the side, then rushed back in, flipping over him and landing with an agile turn.

Something clicked onto his back.

Ignoring the brief sensation of pain, Cyborg threw his elbow back, hoping to catch Red X by surprise. But the vigilante had slipped under his arm, dashing around him again to appear behind him. Nimble fingers slipped past the circuit board on his back, and-

...His back was open?

Cyborg blinked, suddenly feeling very lethargic. Something was... bad. Not good. "Hey," he slurred. "Who told you how ta... shut me down...?"

Drained of power, he fell forward, landing at an angle that let him see the thief as he ran. He could see the others, as well- Beast Boy straining at the paste that held him down, Raven glaring at Red X in fury, Starfire struggling to escape her bonds.

Red X jumped off the edge of the building-

Gone.

Cyborg narrowed his eyes. He hadn't fallen- he'd turned invisible, somehow. But it seemed more like a cloaking device than anything, as he'd caught traces of light-manipulating activity with his optical sensors. But he knew he was avoiding the implications of what had happened.

No one- no one- knew how to shut him down, except the Titans. Any villain with information like that proved himself exponentially more dangerous than the two-bit criminals they usually encountered. How could Red X possibly know so much?

As Beast Boy slowly pulled himself out of the dissolving substance, and Raven and Starfire helped each other to their feet, Cyborg tried not to think about the fight, but the thoughts kept pushing in. He'd been... helpless. Reduced to nothing, simply watching as Red X walked away without a scratch. The thief had dominated every aspect of the battle, incapacitating every Titan with a single attack, then leaving them frozen in place like they were beneath him.

At that moment, Cyborg hated him.

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Solvent

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"-an' what about that gel-stuff, dude? That's still in my hair! What, ya never thought to use that against the REAL enemies?"

Hand on the doorway, Cyborg sighed. "B, that's enough."

"What? No way!" Beast Boy spun, still pointing an accusing finger at Robin's huddled form against the wall. "This guy- he was- no way," he sputtered. "After the stunt he pulled?"

Cyborg approached the other Titans, shaking his head. "I know, alright? But-"

"And another thing!" Beast Boy ignored him, turning back to Robin and glaring. "The least you coulda done is explain what was goin' on! Wait..." He stomped closer, jabbing a finger in Robin's chest. "Is THAT why you kept hiding out in your room? 'Cause you were building this stupid suit like some kinda Slade wannabe? Dude, that's-"

"B." Cyborg grabbed his shoulder. "I said enough."

Fuming, Beast Boy slapped his hand away. "You know what? Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll listen to ya, Cyborg. 'Cause that's what I'm supposed to do, right? Whatever the leader says. An' the leader always know best. He'd never do ANYTHING that might-"

He faltered at the look in Cyborg's eyes. "...Whatever," he mumbled, wiping his hand across his eyes as he left the room.

The evidence room was quiet. Robin leaned his head back, grazing against a newspaper article pinned to the wall.

"He'll be okay," Cyborg finally said. "Eventually."

"What about the others?"

He shrugged. "Didn't talk to Starfire yet. Raven... she was gonna come in here earlier. Decided not to."

Robin turned to face him. "Why?"

"She said she didn't want to accidentally kill you."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Right."

Arms folded, Cyborg gazed down at the Slade mask on the desk. "Rob, this... this ain't like you, man."

"I know."

"You sure?" He glanced up, searching his leader's face. "I mean, didja really think about it?"

Robin rubbed his forehead. "I already apologized. To everyone. I know it's not enough, but it's all I have."

"Not the fight." Cyborg raised his eyebrows. "I'm talkin' about the stealin'. I mean... couldn'a been easy to break the law."

He paused before answering. "It wasn't."

"That's the problem, man." Cyborg turned back to the open door. "You're the most standup guy I know. And now... I gotta look B in the face and explain why this all happened."

Startled, Robin was at a loss for words. "...What?" he managed.

"He asked me-" Cyborg coughed, looking off to the side. "He asked why we bothered upholdin' the law at all, when..."

The moment stretched into an uncomfortable silence. Robin bowed his head.

"Like I said, he'll be okay," Cyborg muttered. "I gotta- sorry." Turning, he headed for the exit.

For a second, Robin closed his eyes. The events of the last few days washed over him, and he let guilt fill his thoughts.

Where did it go wrong?

Soft footsteps made him blink. "Hey, Star."

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So, in this episode of Angst Titans, we find Robin angsting over increased activity from the villain Slangst. This causes him to spend more time angsting in his computer room, while the others angst about how he's never around. A thief named Red Angst shows up and causes the Titans no end of angst, working in an angstnership with Slangst for some valuable computer angstchips. The masked vigil-angst-e is revealed as Robin, and the other Titans fall into a deep angstpression.

I kid because I care, guys. Also, it doesn't really matter because this show is so ridiculously good.

The way I see it, this episode is split into three parts: Robin's pursuit of Slade turning into a real obsession, Red X entering the picture, and the aftermath of Robin's reveal. That's why I decided to try all three: I really couldn't decide just one or two.

Major props to TheFoolOnMelancholyHill for a ton of help with the story ideas.

The relation between Robin and Slade is absolutely amazing, but since I feel like I don't really know that much about Slade yet, I didn't write much about him yet. But good Lord, listen to this guy's dialogue! He had quite a few chilling speeches about trust and patience in this episode, and the crazy part is you really believe him. He's like an evil Yoda.

You guys, this episode is friggin' intense. The Red X skirmishes are fun, but I loved Robin's fight with Slade. It's the end of the episode, the music is dynamic, the animation is stunning, and half the fight takes place in silhouettes in front of a giant red neon sign.

And of course, it ended with Slade being just a robot. And then exploding. "We'll meet some other time.. face to face. Oh, and speaking of time." Ka-boom.

The moment when Starfire discovered the hologram- revealing that Robin lied- was powerful, but the very end is absolutely shocking. Robin's alone in the evidence room, having just been chewed out by the other members of the team. Starfire shows up, and he bitterly asks if she's gonna yell at him too. I expected her to do the opposite, telling him that everyone makes mistakes and that they'll stand with him.

Instead, she says this: "Whoever Slade is... you and he are similar. He did not trust you. And you did not trust us."

She walks away. Roll credits.

Show, you can't do this to me. That's more emotional than half the 'serious' programs on TV today. I'm practically crying here.

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Funny stuff: if any of this makes you take the episode less seriously, skip it all, because 'Masks' is definitely serious.

-Beast Boy saves Raven in a fight, then gloats: "You owe me big-time, you owe me big-time!" *Cue the Sladebot attacking from behind, that Raven immediately saves him from.

-I am so glad that Beast Boy loves monster movies and cheesy ninja sequels.

-Red X shuts down the whole team, and Cyborg- from the floor- yells, "Yeah, you better run!"

-Okay, they waited a whole DAY to take the x-gag off of Raven. This seems odd.

-Cyborg: "I've adjusted my ocular implant to scan at multiple sub-harmonics in the EM spectrum." Beast Boy gives him a look, then: "Kaaay... do you come with subtitles?"

-During a fight, Red X saves Beast Boy from an oncoming train. Beast Boy: "Dude! Did you just save me?" Suddenly STOMACH-KICK.

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What's next? Well, as always, I'll see what the next episode brings. At some point, I'd like to try an original action scene- this one was fun, but it was shot-for-shot what happened in the actual fight.

But yeah, I've only been watching this for nine episodes, and it's already far-and-away one of my favorite shows.