11. The Contract
"…up, please! Come on, Robin, we need you! Please, wake up!"
A female voice, agitated, near desperation. Starfire? No…it wasn't her. Not Raven, either, but…it was familiar. Who…?
"Robin, wake up!"
Wonder Girl! But then, that meant…
Robin opened his eyes and blinked in confusion. Why did everything look yellow…? With a grunt, he turned over on his side, then propped himself up on one elbow. His body and mind felt so sluggish, almost as if he was…drugged…?!
"Not exactly," said an unfamiliar voice from somewhere nearby.
Finally taking stock of his surroundings, Robin realized he was slumped inside a translucent sphere of yellow energy, slightly larger than he was tall. To his left, Wonder Girl, Starfire and Beast Boy were similarly imprisoned. He was strongly reminded of the force globes Atlas had once used to contain the team, in their first battle years earlier.
But the figure who now stood over him was definitely not Atlas.
"Ah! So good of you to join us, Robin." Brother Blood smiled broadly, hands folded behind him as he surveyed his trophies. The four Titans' glowing prisons were arranged along one wall of a fairly large, mostly empty room. There was an empty cage about the size of an ordinary jail cell, complete with iron bars, situated in the center of the room a few feet behind where Blood stood. A series of large power generators hummed noisily along the wall to the Titans' left, with a collection of thick cables running from them to the four containment globes. The H.I.V.E. Five, plus Cheshire and Adonis, were present as well, lounging near the generators. A number of standard H.I.V.E. troopers and a handful of Cyclone androids were also gathered, standing at attention, on the far side of the room. Psimon stood alone off to the right, a few yards from the iron cage. About a dozen of Brother Blood's ivory-armored ceremonial guards were congregated along the right wall behind him, near a large hexagonal doorway; there was one of these on each wall, save for the wall behind the Titans. Rose stood in front of Blood's entourage, scowling at the floor. While not obviously restrained, she was clearly under guard.
"How do you like your accommodations?" Blood asked as Robin pushed himself grimly to his feet, the sluggishness he'd felt moments earlier having been erased by adrenaline once he'd grasped the danger he and his friends now faced. "I must confess," Blood continued, "I'd entertained the idea of strapping you all to a giant stone skull and suspending you over a pit of boiling blood, but, well…those are rather hard to find, these days."
"I wouldn't expect us to stay very long, if I were you," Robin retorted. "Our friends will set us free, and then we'll all deal with you."
Blood grinned and opened his mouth to respond, but unexpectedly, Rose cut in.
"You idiot. You still don't get it."
Blood's eyebrows went up and he glanced over his shoulder at her before turning back to smirk at Robin. "Our other guest doesn't seem very appreciative of your 'heroics', does she?"
"What do you want with that girl, anyway?" Wonder Girl demanded.
Blood's eyes narrowed as his smile broadened. "Why…she was the bait to lure all of you here, of course."
Robin nearly did a double-take. "What?!"
The H.I.V.E. Five chortled giddily while Psimon stifled a yawn.
Brother Blood continued to grin, clearly exulting in his apparent victory. "Oh, yes. All of this was arranged to secure the capture of your little team. And, I must say, you have all played your assigned roles marvelously, almost to the very letter." He glanced back at Rose again. "Of course, having access to this young lady's particular gifts was enormously helpful in ironing out some of the specific details. But ultimately, she was simply a means to an end. You delivered that which I truly desired to me, and for that, I am so very grateful."
Robin stared at him in disbelief. "You're lying."
Blood erupted into laughter. "Now why, pray tell, would I do that?"
To his horror, Robin found himself struggling for an answer. "Because…it's impossible, you couldn't have…"
This time, it was Psimon who answered. "Disappointing. To think that we went to such elaborate lengths to snare such tiny minds. We may as well have used bits of cheese fastened to wire springs."
His was the unfamiliar voice Robin had heard when he first awoke. It was almost startlingly mild and carried an air of unnatural calm, even a kind of academic disinterest. It was the kind of voice he would have associated with a mild-mannered butler or a substitute teacher, rather than a crazed arch-villain.
Psimon snorted. "Not even someone as ignorant as Billy Numerous would mistake me for any of those things, Mister Grayson. I should think your current circumstance argues rather conclusively that the perception and deductive skills in which you take such great pride are really quite lacking, after all."
Robin could hardly hide his shock. How did Psimon know his-?!
"The answer to that should also be fairly obvious," Psimon replied, once again answering Robin's unspoken thoughts, "but I wouldn't expect that to be the most pressing question to emerge from the folds of your poor, little brain. And since you are only beginning to think of it now, I'll spare us all the torture of your inarticulate verbiage and simply answer: as deep as it amuses me to go." He let that sink in for a moment, before concluding. "However, you needn't be overly concerned. I can assure all of you that your minds are terribly pedestrian and uninteresting. Besides which, I've already extracted from you any information I deem to be of any merit."
Robin fought down a momentary surge of panic. It was clearly imperative that he focus his mind and guard his thoughts, even if Psimon was partially bluffing.
"It does not matter what knowledge or power you claim!" Starfire declared bravely. "Our other friends will free us, and you will be defeated!"
"Your other friends, you say…?" Brother Blood smirked as he cast a meaningful glance toward the corner of the room, near the generators.
The Titans followed his gaze, and Starfire gasped in horror.
Cyborg lay slumped in the corner, propped against the wall. His visible circuitry, which normally emitted a soft blue glow, was completely dark. And there was a gaping hole in his chest, where something important had obviously been ripped out.
"What have you done…?!" Robin murmured before he could stop himself.
"He was stubborn and uncooperative," Blood replied with a shrug. "Cheshire's poisons proved ineffective against him, and he refused to calm down and behave. Ever the unruly pupil…so, I'm afraid I was forced to remove his primary power cell."
"What? Won't he, like, die without that?!" Beast Boy exclaimed, panic mounting in his voice.
"Hm." Blood stroked his chin thoughtfully, as if the idea had not occurred to him until now. "Eventually, I suppose. I honestly don't know how long his flesh-and-blood organs can survive without his cybernetics. But I imagine we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
"But…if Cyborg dies, you'll never learn how he was able to defy you," Robin pointed out, his mind racing, seizing on Blood's colossal ego in a desperate gamble. "And you'll never have the satisfaction of breaking his will. You'll always know he was the one person you could never beat."
The reaction was immediate; Blood whirled on Robin, crimson energy sparking from his eyes. "His blood is as much on your hands as it is mine," he snarled. Psimon coughed, and Blood appeared to check himself. He calmed visibly before continuing.
"You see, Robin…we were only expecting five Titans. But you had to go and bring six." As he gestured to Wonder Girl, something in Robin's brain told him that what Blood had just said was significant, but he felt Psimon's eyes on him and didn't allow himself to follow the thought any further as Blood continued. "Since, as you can see, our containment facilities were only set up to accommodate five of you…this left us with an obvious dilemma." This time, his smile was more grim than self-congratulatory. "I guess it just wasn't Cyborg's lucky day, now, was it?"
"Even my math isn't that bad," Beast Boy interjected. "There's only four, uh…big glowy hamster-ball things."
"The daughter of Trigon deserves more specialized accommodations," said a voice that turned Robin's blood to ice and drove all other thoughts from his mind.
No. Oh, no. It can't be. Oh, please, God, NO, was all he could think as he slowly turned toward the door.
"I knew it!"Beast Boy exploded.
Slade had just entered the room.
Raven, unmoving, was slung over his shoulder. Her wrists and ankles were shackled, and Slade carried her cloak in his free hand as he strode casually toward them, unchallenged. In a state of horrified disbelief, Robin watched him deposit her limp form on the floor inside the iron cage, her face obscured by her hair. He tossed her cloak in next to her before coming over to stand next to Brother Blood.
"I'm terribly sorry, Robin," Slade told him, leaning in close to the Boy Wonder's enclosure. "But you really should have trusted your instincts."
Robin found himself at a complete loss for words. He stared back at Slade in silence, almost unwilling to believe what he was seeing and hearing.
"How could even you commit such a vile, shameless betrayal?!" Starfire cried.
"I knew we couldn't trust him!" Beast Boy was yelling. "I knew it! I told you he was gonna stab us in the back!"
"Yes, yes," Slade answered him. "Pity you were overruled."
"We should kill the half-breed," Psimon said suddenly, eyeing Raven with a distasteful expression. "It's too dangerous to just leave lying around."
Brother Blood fixed Psimon with a glare that could have melted steel. When he spoke, it was in a low voice, slow and deliberate. "It is only because our mutual Lord and Master has seen fit to bestow such blessings upon you, Dr. Jones, that I allow such blasphemy to cross your lips unpunished."
Psimon met his gaze coldly, his black eyes devoid of emotion. "That name is no longer appropriate," he answered, his own tone of voice unchanged, "and as I've stated previously, your continued belief in that Prophecy is foolish in light of recent events. This Gem has been tarnished by defiance and rebellion. I would argue that it is no longer worthy of fulfilling His purpose."
"That is not your decision," Blood pronounced, pointedly turning his back on Psimon. "Having gone to the lengths we have to acquire her, disposing of her simply to placate your fragile sense of security would be far more foolish."
Psimon cast a withering stare at Blood's back for a moment – during which Robin realized that the man literally never blinked, ever, at all – before responding. "Be that as it may, we are at least in agreement that it – she must be properly…managed."
Blood grunted his assent while frowning at the other Titans. "But, thanks to them, our options have been limited. This 'alternative' you suggested had better not result in any lasting physical damage."
Psimon emitted what almost sounded like a chuckle, except that it was utterly without humor. "I believe the risk will be minimal. Gizmo, go and fetch the implements."
With a sinister giggle, Gizmo hustled out of the room.
"Wait," Wonder Girl said suddenly. "Your 'mutual lord and master'…you worship Trigon?!"
Again, Brother Blood laughed. "Were you under the impression I was Catholic? Exactly what sort of 'Brother' did you think I was, dear child?"
Robin's heart plummeted into his shoes as the full scope of the situation hit him. "Then, that means…your real objective, all along, was…"
"…To acquire Raven, yes, and see to it that her grand destiny is fulfilled," Blood finished with a broad grin. "And you have been so very helpful in that regard, diligently following the trail precisely as it was laid out for you."
Slade folded his arms dispassionately as Robin's horrified stare moved from Blood, to him, and back again. Then, everything Slade had told them had all been a lie…how could he not have seen it…how could he have led his friends into such an obvious trap…? His mind reeling, he took a step backwards, but lost his footing on the upward slope of his spherical prison and fell against the back wall. He slid down into a sitting position, still staring up at Slade and Brother Blood in shock, and didn't bother getting back up.
Slade regarded him silently for a few seconds, before addressing Blood. "As entertaining as all this is, I believe we have business to discuss."
"Patience," Blood responded. "We'll get to that in due course. First, I must report on our progress…I shall return shortly." Without further explanation, he headed for the door.
Slade eyed him for the briefest moment as he left the room, then settled into a more relaxed stance.
"Y'see that, Billy?" Billy Numerous giggled to one of his identical duplicates. "Even Slade's gotta get in line fer Brother Blood!"
"And the beating of his life, when I get loose!" Beast Boy snarled with a ferocity that startled nearly everyone present.
"Always so enthusiastic," Slade remarked, studying the green boy as he fumed. "I think I may actually miss that."
Before Beast Boy could respond, Starfire spat something incredibly vicious-sounding at Slade in Tamaranean.
Again, Psimon emitted that bizarre, emotionless chuckle of his. "Such language, Miss Koriand'r. It's a pity none of your friends know what that means. I dare say it would alter their perception of you."
As he spoke, Gizmo came jogging back into the room, carrying what looked like a shoebox...though Robin did not expect it to contain footwear.
Another flat, lifeless chortle issued from Psimon. "How clairvoyant of you, Mister Grayson. You see, we had originally planned to use the stasis capsule, in which you found Miss Worth, to house your 'friend'. But unfortunately for her, it was destroyed in your little scuffle. Your actions have thus forced me to resort to more…draconian measures, at least until Gizmo is able to construct another such pod."
"It wasn't even us who did that!" Wonder Girl protested.
"We both know that's not entirely true, Miss Troy…but it is also immaterial." Turning to address the H.I.V.E. Five, Psimon gestured to Raven's unconscious form. "I will require a…volunteer, to assist me in securing the prisoner."
One of the massive arms of Adonis's powered suit immediately shot up.
"Out of the question," Psimon sneered. "That mechanical prosthesis is far too clumsy, and your natural limbs would be as useless to me as they are to you."
He paused, apparently waiting for someone else to volunteer, but the others just looked at each other with apprehension. "Very well, then, I'll pick," he snapped impatiently. "Mammoth, you'll do."
The glowing circuits on Psimon's brain brightened slightly and Mammoth stepped forward, looking very surprised to be doing so.
"Hey, what the-?! I didn't—"
"Yes, yes. I'll be 'borrowing' your motor functions for the next few minutes," Psimon sighed, clearly annoyed to have to state the obvious as Mammoth lurched toward the cage.
Robin climbed warily to his feet, peripherally aware of his other friends also tensing up as Mammoth crouched over the still-unconscious Raven, who barely qualified as a rag doll next to him. Apparently under Psimon's telepathic control, he grasped her upper arm and pulled her rather roughly into a partial sitting position. As her head slumped forward, Robin noticed that whoever had shackled her had also inexplicably covered her eyes and mouth with strips of electrical tape.
"The purpose of partial sensory deprivation will become clear soon enough," Psimon stated in a bored, lecturing tone, evidently responding to either Robin's or the other Titans' thoughts upon seeing the tape.
Mammoth, meanwhile, was looking increasingly flustered and uncomfortable as his hands roamed involuntarily, his huge fingers boldly tracing the contours of Raven's body under Psimon's control, as if searching for something. "Uh, hey…wait a sec, what are you making me-?"
"Shut up and do as you're told, Baran," Psimon hissed, his eyes narrowing.
At that, Mammoth leaned Raven forward, with one hand – which happened to be large enough to enclose nearly her entire torso – supporting her chest to keep her from slumping back to the floor. Then he began pulling at something at the back of her neck, and the distinctive sound of tearing fabric could be heard.
"What are you doing?!" Wonder Girl shouted, leaping to her feet while Starfire's eyes and hands lit up in the globe next to her.
"Get your filthy hands off of her!" Beast Boy bellowed at the top of his lungs, throwing himself against the front wall of his sphere with a feral look in his eyes.
Psimon spared him a glance. "Sit down, little puppy."
An enraged green Chihuahua suddenly occupied Beast Boy's golden prison.
In the sphere next to him, Starfire let out a furious roar, her eyes and hands flaring with emerald radiation, and unleashed a massive blast of energy – but none of it could escape the force field containing her. The result was a brief, blinding flash of light which lit up her sphere like a nova, but she immediately pitched backward and collapsed in its wake, stunned by her own starbolt blast.
For his part, Robin could only punch and kick the transparent walls of his enclosure in an impotent rage.
Meanwhile, Mammoth had torn open Raven's leotard at the back seam and pulled it down, exposing her pale neck and shoulders…but, to Robin's great relief, he stopped there.
"Gizmo," Psimon prompted, still staring intently at Mammoth and Raven. With an evil snicker, the tiny inventor took something out of his box and handed it to his much larger teammate.
That 'something' turned out to be a simple collar with a length of cable attached to it. After fastening the collar around Raven's slender neck, Mammoth backed out of the cage and secured the gate. Then he flinched, cast a nervous glance at Psimon and quickly hurried back over to where the rest of his team was gathered, apparently back in control of his own body again. Gizmo, meanwhile, took the length of wire and headed over to the power generators.
Slade, who had been watching all of this with his back to the Titans, spoke next. "Does this actually serve a purpose, or are you just having fun?"
"I don't need to tell you, Mister Wilson, that the two are not mutually exclusive," Psimon replied.
"That's a rather irritating habit," Slade remarked after a brief pause.
Psimon ignored him, addressing the Titans instead. "It was deemed impractical for Miss Nguyen to chemically sedate the…prisoner…on an ongoing basis. We wouldn't want to accidentally kill her, after all, now would we? Therefore, we had to devise a more primitive method of keeping her restrained, distracted and occupied, until more permanent arrangements can be made. Gizmo, you may proceed."
"Rise and shine," Gizmo giggled, as he plugged the cable into one of the generators and flipped a switch.
With a startled grunt, Raven immediately jerked awake. Her back arched and for several seconds she shook violently, thrashing against her restraints, her body rigid. Then her muscles relaxed slightly but her head shook frantically from side to side, unable to see through the tape over her eyes, her breathing shallow and rapid.
"Raven, it's all right!" Wonder Girl called out to her, dropping to one knee and pressing her hands against her enclosure's front wall. "We're all here with you, you're not alone-!"
Abruptly, Raven yelped again and went into another desperate spasm.
"You see," Psimon explained, still using precisely the same clinical, detached tone and manner, "from a purely physical standpoint, it…she is, in nearly every respect, merely an average, ordinary human girl. She has inherited none of her father's vast physical might – only her mother's frailties. In fact, she would be no threat at all were it not for one significant distinction: her body acts as a conduit, a link between dimensions."
Having relaxed briefly during Psimon's speech, Raven suddenly cried out again and went into another violent seizure. Psimon continued to speak over it as though everything were normal.
"Specifically, a link to her father's home dimension, where He – and, by extension, she – has absolute dominion over reality itself. Her…powers, as you are familiar with them, involve the deliberate projection of small parts of that domain, where she can control and manipulate anything, into this reality. And she has scarcely tapped into the tiniest fraction of the true power this ability could grant her – because, you see, she is afraid of it. Terrified of her true nature, and by the prospect of claiming that which is her birthright."
An edge of genuine contempt began to seep into his voice, and he stopped long enough for Raven to relax, seize, and calm again before continuing.
"And thus indoctrinated by the pathetic religious zealots of Azarath – before they all committed mass suicide – Raven refuses to use her father's gifts, except under the tightest restraint, the most disciplined focus, and the most intense concentration."
He paused, waiting for her to spasm again before resuming, pointing to the collar they'd placed on her as he did so. "Gizmo's device is elegant in its simplicity. It is designed to deliver a low-voltage electrical shock at random intervals, every few seconds. Not enough to cause any…significant permanent injury, but painful enough to continually break her concentration and deny her the opportunity to use her powers in a focused, deliberate manner. And since she can sense her friends nearby, but not see their precise locations, she will not risk an uncontrolled burst of energy." He tapped on the bars of her makeshift cell. "Especially not knowing that she is enclosed within this shabby iron cage, which could easily fly apart like so much shrapnel if she were to lose control – and with her dearest friends so very close at hand, well within the radius of such a blast."
Robin's stomach churned with anger, frustration and helplessness as he watched Raven suffer through another shock. Starfire, having recovered from her own self-inflicted jolt, simply stared at her friend with a heart-wrenching, stricken expression.
"'Elegant simplicity', huh?" Rose repeated in disgust, as Brother Blood strode back in through the doorway behind her. "Yeah, I'm sure that's got nothing to do with the fact that you get off on it, you sick, sadistic freak."
Psimon showed no outward reaction to her words. "If you are implying that I enjoy seeing her in pain…I certainly don't deny that. It is, however, irrelevant."
"Would that this was not necessary," Blood sighed as he approached the captive Titans, "but once again, your stubborn habits have forced our hand."
Starfire punched the wall of her enclosure in a gesture of helpless fury…but then her eyes widened in sudden realization. "Raven, do not worry!" she called out. "We are protected from harm! You may free yourself-!"
"I'm afraid you are mistaken, my dear," Blood interrupted. "Cheshire, if you please…?"
Cheshire took a step forward and flung a small throwing dagger at Robin that nearly parted his hair, passing through the outer surface of his spherical prison as if it were nonexistent, but it then bounced off the rear wall behind him and clattered to a stop at his feet. Picking it up, he tried using it to pierce the sphere's inner surface, but it was like trying to stab through concrete with a butter knife.
"Those force globes are designed strictly to keep you in," Blood explained, "not to keep external objects or forces out."
Gizmo seized on the opportunity to shoot spitballs at Beast Boy, who was still an indignant Chihuahua.
With a low growl, Wonder Girl reared back, raising both hands above her head, and brought them crashing down against the front wall of her enclosure. The impact sounded like a thunderclap.
"A waste of effort, Miss Troy," Psimon admonished her. "You'll find that—"
Ignoring him, she reared back and struck another blow. Then another. And another. The floor beneath them began to shake from the force.
A display panel on the generator controls suddenly began flashing. "No way…she's actually damaging it!" Gizmo cried in disbelief.
"You said that was impossible," Brother Blood responded, sounding alarmed.
"It should be!" Gizmo exclaimed, running over to the controls as Wonder Girl kept pounding away. Robin tensed, sensing an opportunity.
"Psimon-!" Blood barked.
Psimon leveled his unblinking stare at Wonder Girl. "Stop that," he intoned, his eyes and brain case glowing.
She stopped swinging, but her hands remained at the point of impact and she clenched her teeth, muscles taut. After a moment Robin realized what she was doing.
"She's still pushing on it!" Gizmo yelled. "I don't have enough power, I can't compensate!"
"Psimon…?!" Blood hissed, looking back and forth from one to the other.
Psimon's eyebrow twitched slightly. "She is, fighting, me," he murmured. "Impressive, if ultimately futile…"
"The gain is still increasing!" Gizmo yelped.
"Enough!" Brother Blood thundered, his own eyes glowing brightly as he whirled on Wonder Girl. "Cease this insolence at once!"
She buckled visibly under the weight of the psychic pressure from both men, but continued to struggle. Finally, Blood raised a glowing hand—
-then abruptly turned and blasted Robin off his feet.
"Robin!" Starfire cried, and he heard Wonder Girl gasp also as he fell. After that, he could only lay there for a time, too stunned by the blast to rise. He was vaguely aware of Gizmo's voice, sounding relieved, and Wonder Girl whispering something apologetic-sounding to him.
"You see, your actions carry consequences for all of you," he heard Brother Blood saying as he regained his senses.
"Well, then." Slade crossed his arms as he turned to Blood. "Now that that's all sorted out…there is the matter of our agreement. In delivering the Titans into your custody, I have fulfilled my half of our contract. Now, I expect you to fulfill yours, and give me what was promised in exchange."
"Hmmm. Yes, you have fulfilled your part, to the letter," Blood acknowledged, stroking his chin. "I must admit, your reputation is certainly well-deserved. Lieutenant Colonel Slade Wilson, decorated war hero turned mercenary for hire, the legendary Terminator…hmm, what was it you used to call yourself? Ah yes, 'Deathstroke', was it not?"
Slade eyed him with suspicion before answering. "I fail to see the relevance…"
"Indulge me." Brother Blood smiled amicably. "I'm merely curious as to why someone in your particular…field would adopt such a flamboyant moniker, only to later abandon it in favor of your actual, given name. Why discard the benefits of anonymity, in such an abrupt manner? Especially considering the increased public attention your activities have garnered, since."
Slade continued to eye him in silence for a long moment before answering. "The Deathstroke alias was intended to shield my family from the attention of the enemies one invariably acquires when working in the field in question. It failed, and that family was lost to me as a direct result. After that, concealing my name became pointless."
Blood put on an exaggerated frown. "My, my. What a terribly sad story."
"And true, for whatever it's worth," Psimon commented, looking bored.
"Spare me your mockery," Slade snapped, his voice taking on a dangerous edge as he pointed at Rose. "We have an agreement. I have given you what you wanted, now I expect you to reciprocate. Give me the girl and I will be on my way."
Robin's teeth ground together in self-directed fury. Of course, it all made sense, he should have known that was Slade's real goal, all along…
Blood, meanwhile, favored Slade briefly with an amused smirk before turning to Rose. "And how do you feel about such an arrangement, young lady?"
Slade took a menacing step forward. "That was not part of the—"
"You're all the same," Rose interrupted, glowering at him. "And you're full of crap, too. You talk about wanting to protect your family, but you don't even care that I'm your daughter. You just want me for your 'apprentice'."
The room fell silent, save for Raven's intermittent, muffled cries and flailing.
"Truthfully? I didn't know you were my daughter, until this moment," Slade answered her, "though I did have my suspicions. Your mother never told me about you. But, now that I do know…tell me, my sweet Rose. What better choice could I make?" And he held out an inviting hand to her.
Her gaze flicked down to his hand for a moment but she remained where she was, arms crossed. She looked him in the eye again, deliberately, before answering.
"Get stuffed."
Slowly, Slade turned toward Brother Blood. "This is your doing," he hissed, in as threatening a tone as Robin had ever heard him use.
"I'm afraid not," Blood smirked. "But since the lady objects, it seems only fair to…re-examine our arrangement, does it not?"
"No," Slade stated flatly. "I have honored our contract. I expect you to do the same. She comes with me, as per our agreement. I will accept nothing less."
Though Blood continued to smile, his gaze hardened noticeably. "Now, Slade. I know you're not the sort to compromise…but look around. You are both hopelessly outnumbered, and decisively outmatched. What makes you think you have any choice in the matter?"
"This does," Slade replied as he raised his hand, revealing a small, previously concealed thumb trigger held tightly in his grip. Robin instantly recognized it as exactly the same type of device Slade had once used to threaten the lives of his teammates, when he'd blackmailed Robin into briefly serving as his apprentice years earlier.
"Did you think I wouldn't anticipate such base treachery?" Slade was saying. "That which I've given you, I can also take away. I have planted an explosive charge on Raven. At the press of this button, your precious Gem will shatter."
"I assume you are referring to this?" Psimon asked as he held up a small object. "Did you think such an obvious thing would have escaped my notice?"
Slade immediately pressed the button – and nothing happened.
"Or that we would not also possess the means to neutralize your simplistic technology?" Psimon added, completely unfazed that Slade had just tried to kill him.
Before Slade could react, Brother Blood darted forward with impossible speed and landed a body blow that threw him halfway across the room. He landed on his shoulder but immediately flipped into a combat-ready crouch, as Blood strode toward him at a more natural pace.
"So, you wish to know why I was called the Terminator, then, do you?" Slade hissed, rising to his feet and snapping out his staff. "So be it."
With that he lunged at Blood, closing the distance between them in less than half a second, and launched a dizzying series of staff strikes from nearly every conceivable angle and direction – all of which Blood was somehow able to parry or deflect, still grinning, his mechanical limbs cutting through the air every bit as fast as Slade's staff. The Titans could only watch in amazement as the two villains clashed.
Slade's barrage of whirling swings and strikes was interrupted when Blood caught hold of his staff, then shattered it with a swipe of his cybernetic claws. Without missing a beat Slade switched tactics and grabbed Blood's arm, pulled him into a classic judo shoulder throw and flung him to the ground, but Blood vanished just before he hit the floor, teleporting behind Slade and throwing a painful strike into his lower back. It only staggered him for an instant and he immediately spun around with a high backhand, which Blood caught, and quickly twisted into an arm lock. But as he did so, Slade crossed over with his other hand, delivering a fast jab that caught his opponent square in the throat.
Blood released his grip and stumbled backward, choking and off balance. Slade followed up with a kick to the face that knocked his opponent through the air, but just before his head hit the ground Blood's cybernetic arms snapped back behind him, pushed off from the floor and vaulted him into a ready crouch a few feet away.
The ceremonial guard drew their weapons and took a step forward but Blood raised a hand, silently commanding them to stay where they were, as he rose to his feet.
"Not a bad performance," he said, rubbing his metallic chin. "But ultimately pointless. You must know that you can't defeat me."
"That's funny," Slade replied, "I thought I was winning."
"Then allow me to educate you," Blood grinned, taking up a combat stance and inviting Slade to attack with a flick of his fingers.
Lowering his head, Slade rushed forward and the two men traded blows for several seconds, neither one seeming to gain a clear advantage. The Titans and the H.I.V.E. Five watched apprehensively, while Psimon simply looked bored.
Finally, Blood caught one of Slade's punches and suddenly blasted him with scarlet energy from his free hand, momentarily paralyzing Slade as his muscles seized. Blood took the opportunity to draw back a glowing hand, then delivered a thundering palm strike to Slade's chest which propelled him clear across the room. But before he struck the opposite wall, Blood teleported behind him and landed an elbow smash to the back of his head, Slade's momentum magnifying the strength of the blow to bounce him face-first off the floor with tremendous force.
For several agonizing seconds, Slade struggled to push himself back up…but, finally, collapsed.
At a snap of Blood's fingers, two Cyclone androids leapt in to seize Slade by either arm and drag him forward, while Blood rejoined Psimon next to Raven's cage.
"Now then…where were we?" Blood asked in a pleasant, conversational tone as his androids forced Slade to kneel before him. "Ah, yes. We'd just established the limitations of your bargaining power, had we not?"
Slade coughed, but managed to turn it into a chuckle. "Only if you're stupid enough to believe I have no other contingencies in place."
"Oh, that reminds me." Psimon abruptly stepped over to the Titans' enclosures. "I meant to ask you earlier. Who is the 'singing crab dude'?"
He was staring intently at Beast Boy, who was suddenly human again, but looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights.
"Huh? Wha…who?" he stammered, "I don't know any—"
"There is a spy among us," Psimon announced, his horrible, unblinking gaze still locked on Beast Boy. "One of Slade's agents has infiltrated the ranks of your followers…your private guard, to be precise."
"Impossible!" Brother Blood scoffed.
"There is a name," Psimon continued, ignoring Blood and staying focused on Beast Boy, who was practically wilting under the force of his stare.
Psimon paused for several excruciating seconds before finishing.
"…Sebastian. That is all he knows. He never saw his face."
Robin felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. Their last hope for escape was now officially gone.
And yet…Blood looked anything but happy, as he glared at the back of Psimon's head.
"As you are well aware," he growled, "All of my personal guards take the name of Sebastian, as a gesture of loyalty. This tells us nothing."
"Well, whose problem is that?" With a derogatory snort, Psimon turned on his heel and walked back over toward Blood, the Cyclones and Slade. "Thank you, Mister Logan," he tossed over his shoulder at Beast Boy. "You've been immensely helpful."
Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw Beast Boy sink to his knees. He couldn't bear to look at his face, already knowing the anguish he'd surely see there.
Instead, he kept his attention on Brother Blood, whose eyes and hands were glowing angrily as he stood over Slade.
"You have already lost," he pronounced. "We will find this traitor, and all your plans will fail. If you cooperate, I may yet be persuaded to show mercy on you."
Slade snorted. "You cannot possibly expect me to talk."
Blood's response was a glowing punch that knocked Slade to the floor, and led even Robin to involuntarily wince at the force of the blow. The two androids immediately dragged him back up to his knees.
"Can't you just extract the rest of the information from him?" Blood demanded of Psimon, gesturing angrily at Slade.
"I could," Psimon acknowledged, "but the process could take days, or even weeks. His chemically-augmented brain is intricately compartmentalized, and operates in highly unconventional patterns and frequencies. Furthermore, he has been specifically trained to resist even my range of mental probing. I believe my efforts would be better spent weeding out this traitor myself, and accelerating the pace of our other preparations."
Blood appeared to silently fume for a moment before composing himself enough to respond. "…So be it. In any case, our plans are too far along to be disrupted by any one person." He pointed imperiously down at Slade. "You have lost."
Slade met his gaze for a long moment, the hatred between the two men nearly palpable, before he spoke again. "If that's true…then you have no further need of my daughter. If you won't relinquish her to me, then at least let her return to her mother."
"Impossible," Blood sneered.
"Why—"
"Because they killed her," Rose spat.
Again, the room fell silent.
"I see…" Slade hissed, his voice low and deadly. "That is your second mistake, Blood. I promise you this…you will live to regret crossing me."
"Hmph. Pity I can't say the same for you, Slade," Psimon replied. "Die."
As he spoke, Slade's eye rolled back in his head and his body went limp.
Robin's mouth fell open, unable to believe what he was seeing. Raven yelped and convulsed again; from another shock or from what her senses told her had just happened, he had no way of knowing. Rose looked on in silence, her expression unreadable.
"Was that necessary?" Blood asked, frowning as his androids let Slade's apparently lifeless body fall to the ground.
"Is any of this?" Psimon retorted, scarcely bothering to hide his annoyance.
"I was hoping to convert him…ah, well." Blood sighed, then waved a dismissive hand at the H.I.V.E. Five and his other assembled minions. "The 'show' is over, at least for the time being. The rest of you, return to your posts. You two," he pointed to the two nearest H.I.V.E. troopers, then to Slade's corpse, "dispose of that."
The two troopers grabbed Slade's body by the ankles, and unceremoniously dragged it out of the room. Robin watched them go, feeling like he was in some kind of surreal dream, until Brother Blood stepped into his field of vision.
"I must leave you for the time being, Titans," he announced, "to go and commune with your future God. But, don't worry – I'll be leaving you in the very best of hands. And I shall return soon enough, to begin your…re-education." With a smug grin, he pointedly looked from Raven, to Cyborg, to the doorway Slade had been dragged out through, then back to the Titans again. "I trust you will have many things to contemplate, until our next meeting."
With that, he turned and headed for the opposite doorway, practically radiating self-assurance as he strode past Psimon, Rose and his private entourage.
"He's planning to kill you, too, you know," Rose told him as he passed her.
Blood stopped in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to look at Psimon, one eyebrow arched.
"Well, what do you expect?" Psimon asked, unfazed.
Blood eyed him for several seconds before his arrogant grin slowly returned. "Then, it is to our mutual benefit that I know such a plan cannot possibly succeed. There is only one person on Earth who has the power to kill me, and I have already dealt with him. So it has been written, and so it shall be. Your powers may be great, Psimon, but they cannot harm me. As long as I am under His protection, I am invulnerable. You would do well to remember that."
While the two villains faced off, Rose had quietly edged closer to the Titans' enclosures. "Psst. Robin," she hissed.
Robin looked up at her in numb, shell-shocked silence.
"Remember," she whispered urgently, "connect red to blue, and black to white. It'll work."
Robin blinked in utter confusion. "What're you talking about…?"
"That will be quite enough of that!" Brother Blood suddenly exclaimed, stepping over to seize Rose by the arm and physically haul her toward the door. "Come along, my dear…I have more questions for you, as well."
"Remember!" Rose called to Robin again just before disappearing from view behind Blood's armored guards, as they followed them out of the room.
Psimon glanced about the room briefly, as if taking a visual inventory of everything present – the four enclosed Titans, Raven in the cage, Cyborg in the corner, and the handful of H.I.V.E. troopers and Cyclones that remained stationed on guard duty – before he, too, departed.
The Titans were left to languish in silence, with Raven's periodic groans and convulsions serving as a constant reminder of her ongoing torment. Robin continued to stare numbly at the spot where Slade's life had ended, feeling the weight of their situation – of his total and complete failure – settle over him more and more heavily, until he began to feel it would eventually suffocate him.
It was several minutes before anyone spoke. When Beast Boy finally broke the silence, his voice was so quiet and miserable that it was hardly recognizable as his own.
"Guys, I…I'm sorry. I, I didn't, I didn't mean to…he just…I…ah, geez, I'm so…I'm sorry…!"
"It's okay, Beast Boy," Wonder Girl told him. "It isn't your fault. Just hang on, okay? We're gonna find a way to get out of this. It's gonna be okay, really. You'll see. Right, Robin…?"
After a few seconds, Robin realized they were staring at him. He looked up and met their eyes, and he tried to find the words to answer…but he couldn't. They simply weren't there. He saw Starfire's stricken expression – directed at him, this time – and had to look away in shame.
"Aww, man…" Beast Boy's voice broke. "Raven…Cyborg…I'm so sorry…"
As he and his 'host' fell into step with Brother Blood's procession, Jericho unconsciously bit his borrowed lip, his mind racing.
