Sorry for taking so long. Writer's block...heh heh.

* * * *

Fear?

The emotion was so new to him; he wasn't quite sure how to react. He was afraid of this strange, metal creature. Why? What made him feel this way? As he leapt easily from rooftop to rooftop, his long legs bending backwards and springing out again after each landing, he couldn't help but peer behind him at the ghastly pursuer.

There were two huge, green eyes that wouldn't look at anything but him. Attached to the eyes, there was what looked like a green, feminine body. Trailing after her was what looked like green water, floating as if alive and speeding after her like the tail of a comet. It was some sort of bright green demon, intent on destroying him. He could smell blood, only this time...it was his own.

While in mid-air, Robin felt something cold wrap around his ankle. Before he could even react, he was suddenly plummeting back down...

CRASH! The cement cracked under the force of his landing. Robin growled and pushed himself back up, unhurt. He heard a thud behind him, but couldn't turn around before the same cold object wrapped itself around his torso, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Rarhh!" he cried, attempting to speak. He didn't even understand himself. Instinctively, he bent his legs and somersaulted over the crater he'd made in the rooftop and turned in mid-air, landing to face his opponent.

She was a horrifying sight. Her green skin was rippling as if alive; flowing over her, never stationary. Halos of the liquid green metal floated menacingly around her – the exact material that had bound his arms. Robin struggled against it.

"It is no use, creature. I am Friction. I am unstoppable." The voice that came from the demon was wheezy and rattling. Though he could not understand what she said, Robin sensed her intent. He could feel fiery emotions emanating from her that he could not name.

"At last I have you, creature. You will pay for what you did to me." There it was again. That horrible sound. Robin flinched, disgusted. His mind was soaring through newborn emotions, trying to figure out what to do with them. He felt revulsion and fear – though he couldn't name them – and they confused him. How was he to react? What was he supposed to do?

* * * *

Though the Titans were hot on their heels, they couldn't match the speed of their reformed leader and Friction. Cyborg and Beast Boy flopped over backwards, panting heavily. The girls flew down to them and simultaneously said, "We have to keep moving!"

The boys groaned. Beast Boy scowled at Raven and said, "I can't keep running, I'm pooped! At least you don't have to carry this trash heap!"

"Say what?!" Cyborg grabbed Beast Boy by the neck.

"Stop this!" Starfire cried. "Robin is in danger and we must help him!"

"I think he can hold his own, Star." Beast Boy's tone was cynical. "I mean, did you see those claws? He doesn't need us."

This caused the Tamaranean to explode in anger. Her eyes glowed bright green and Beast Boy had to jump aside and behind Cyborg to avoid a pair of starbolts.

"How dare you say such things!? Have you forgotten what Robin has done for you, for all of us? He is in trouble and he needs his friends, now!"

A black wall suddenly materialized between Starfire and the boys. Raven pulled back her hood and scowled at Starfire.

"Fighting will also get us nowhere. Remember, we need to control our emotions." The black wall disappeared and Cyborg and Beast Boy stood back up. Raven continued, "Obviously, Robin somehow escaped and transformed. He is the priority, not this 'Friction.' Starfire is right; he needs us."

"But what could we possibly do?" It was Cyborg's turn to be cynical.

"I am willing to bet that the relay which caused us to forget Robin is also what caused him to transform. It revokes memories, so perhaps if we somehow restored them..."

Starfire cut Raven off. "If we reverse the relay and help Robin to remember us, maybe he will transform back!"

"But how?" cried Beast Boy. "We don't even know who was sending the relay thingy!"

"Assuming Raven is right, I think we do." Cyborg checked the relay information again, which he had downloaded into his arm. "The only person smart enough to create the relay would be our old friend Professor Stryfe...and the only person crazy enough to pull this off would be..."

"...Slade." Raven's voice was layered with disgust.

"But even if they are behind this, how could we locate them?" Starfire mused.

"Can we track them through the relay?" asked Beast Boy, peeking at the tiny screen on Cyborg's arm. The cybernetic teen sighed.

"Even if I knew how, we can't. Turns out the relay's been switched off. Raven's right – its purpose was to get us away from Robin so he could transform."

"Then how...wait, do you guys hear that?" Beast Boy suddenly transformed into a meercat, clambered onto Cyborg's head and stood upright, ears peaked. The Titans fell silent and listened. There was a heavy whirring sound approaching.

"Sounds like a helicopter," said Cyborg, shrugging.

"Wait, that's not all." Raven looked up and pulled her hood back up. "Someone is screaming. You can barely hear it over the rotors."

"There!" Starfire cried, pointing. The Titans stared into the sky, watching the stealth-black helicopter soar over them in an arc to the left. It was flying below the city's skyline – illegal – but because of the proximity, the Titans saw who was causing the screaming.

Stryfe! There was no doubting it was him. His crazy grey hair and white lab coat flapping in the wind, his ear-splitting shrieks – the Titans recognised him instantly. He was strapped to one of the helicopter's skids, leaving his legs to flail in mid-air. The helicopter was heading in the same direction that Robin and Friction had.

"I've got a pretty good idea who the pilot is," Cyborg growled. "Raven, Beast Boy, try to beat the chopper to Robin. Come on Star, we're going up!"

As if in response to Cyborg's outburst, dozens of Slade bots began to rain from the helicopter. All around the Titans the androids landed, all in a crouched, ready position. Slade obviously did not want them to interfere. The Titans backed up to each other, facing outwards from a tiny circle.

"I am so sick of interruptions!" Cyborg was irate. He readied his sonic cannon.

Beast Boy gulped. "Any bright ideas?"