Chapter Thirteen: Daughter of Olympus
"Raven, do you know where Robin is?"
"I think he's still in the training rooms with Cyborg."
"Ah. Thank you." After thanking her friend, Starfire left Raven to her meditation and headed to the training room. It was midday and Starfire was searching for her teammates, only to have been told that they were still in the same place that she left them the night before. She had not seen her friends so buried in their work since the last time that Slade showed up, which happened to be the same time that they first fought the Legion. It came as no surprise to her but she was still a bit disappointed by it.
Upon entering the training room, Starfire was immediately met with the strong scent of burnt cordite, scorched metal, explosives, grease, and several unidentifiable odours that made the whole room reek like an old military hangar. Hunched over a worktable covered that was covered in broken pieces of equipment and tools were her friends.
Exactly how she left them.
"Um…Robin?" she said softly to get the boys' attention.
Amazingly, she was able to pull the Boy Wonder's attention away from his work long enough for him to ask, "Hm? Oh…hey Starfire. What are you doing back here so soon?"
"Robin, it is Tuesday."
"Oh…really?"
"Yes. It is Tuesday afternoon," Starfire reiterated in an irritated tone. "You had promised to take me to dinner last night."
"I'm kind of busy right now Star, I'll make it up to your tonight or something…"
Starfire was clearly displeased, not that Robin would notice since his nose was buried so far into his work he wouldn't have noticed her if she had stripped down to the nude. Whatever was in that small disc he was working on was clearly more important than keeping his girlfriend happy. Once again, it didn't come as a surprise to her but she was grossly disappointed in Robin.
"Will it be tonight?" Starfire asked, making sure that Robin was being sincere.
"Not sure," he answered.
"Why? What is it that you are working on?"
"I'm trying to figure a way to beat those Spartan shields," Robin explained as he held up the disc he was tinkering with. "Right now these things just ricochet right off their shields or just explode harmlessly off them. I'm trying to modify them so they'll stick to the shields and deliver a more pentetrating blast to shatter the shields. I figured since the Legion's been busy upgrading it was about time that we did the same. I have to see how these trials work and if there's time then we can grab something to eat. It probably won't be more than six hours…seven at most."
To Robin's surprise, Starfire let out an angered snort before storming out of the room. Cyborg, who sat across from the Titan leader, simply shook his head in disapproval.
"Did I say something wrong?" Robin asked in his usual oblivious manner.
"You're lucky Starfire is patient cause any other girl would've dumped your ass months ago."
"I don't follow you."
"How many times have you pushed off dinner? Lunch? The movies? Hell, when was the last time you two actually went on a date? I'm willing to settle for the last time you two spent time together that wasn't work related?"
Robin fell dead silent for a moment, realizing how right Cyborg was. However, as usual he had an answer. "We're heroes Cyborg. Starfire and I both knew that the team and the city had to come before us. We have a responsibility to the people."
"You have a responsibility to her too, you know? I know we're busy with the whole Legion thing but that doesn't mean you can't at least try to have a normal relationship with Star. She'll understand if you have to stop a date half-way through cause a bank is getting robbed but she's going to feel ignored if you cancel every day because a bank might get robbed or an army of robots might come stomping through the city."
Robin started to feel a bit guilty, though most of his attention was still on his work. Cyborg was right in that he had been a bit…reluctant to make plans because of obvious threats. However, it wasn't the bank robberies or threat to the city he was worried about, it was another Cyborg incident happening. Once had proven to be hard enough on his confidence as a leader, a second might do him in altogether.
"Fine, when I finish the prototype, run some tests, and we finish with the questioning, then I'll take Starfire out for dinner."
Unfortunately, that hadn't been enough to satisfy Cyborg. He knew Robin would say something along those lines and that Robin hadn't trimmed any time off with those plans either. Impatiently, Cyborg reached across the table and snatched the disc from his friend. With a quick flick of his wrist, the disc soared across the room and into the recovered Spartan shield that had been set up on the far side. The disc, upon hitting the shield, didn't bounce off but instead latched onto the metal surface like a giant fridge magnet.
"There, it sticks," Cyborg said as he got up. "Now let's go. You can do the rest tomorrow."
"But I…I still have some work to do!" Robin protested, only to be dragged off by force.
"Oh hush, we need to be done by six so you can get ready for your date."
"Since when is my relationship any of your business?"
"Since you started dated a teammate; making sure your relationship does meet an untimely end is all of our business."
"Do I even get a say in any of this?"
"Not today."
"You know, you could've done this without me," Robin remarked as the pair walked into the foyer of the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility. The Titans wished to run a few questions by the Zeus supercomputer in hopes that they can figure out what the Legion might be after this time around. It couldn't be something as petty as revenge; otherwise the Titans would've been attacked already. Also, after a thorough investigation it was found that one employee of the facility was unaccounted for: Dr. Ballick, an engineer and physicist working with the supercomputers.
"Yeah well you can imagine how people might react if they see another robot walking through the front door," Cyborg answered. Despite the incident not too long ago, it was back to work with employees, though now accompanied by a detachment of armed security guards. It was a false sense of security but the two figured they wouldn't say anything about it.
After speaking with one of the receptionists, the two Titans were escorted to the location of the supercomputer Zeus. Though it took a bit of convincing, Robin was able to talk the guards into letting the Titans have some privacy with the supercomputer; chances were Zeus would be more honest with just them in the room. Despite it being a computer, the Titans learned from Atalanta that they had to be treated like any other person.
Standing before the large computer screen, Robin cleared his throat and said, "Zeus, can we have a moment of your time?"
The screen flickered to life before the digital face of an aged man appeared on the screen. Though it was merely an avatar, it had that aged experience image that one might expect from a hyper-intelligent AI.
"Ah, the Teen Titans," Zeus spoke, his voice breakings waves upon a beach. "I did not get a proper opportunity to thank you for repelling the incident from a few days back. I expect you two have some questions for me."
"Indeed," Robin began, "we were wondering what you might be able to tell us about the missing engineer Dr. Ballik?"
"Dr. Ballik is a project leader and works for the military. His specialties include particle physics, astrophysics, and weapons engineering. He is most known for his development in particle weapons for the military and his assistance in designing the latest space shuttles. Dr. Ballik's visit to this facility was to continue with a joint project between the Olympus Project here and a new addition to the Olympus Project being spearheaded by the military and Congress."
Though the resume was impressive, it still left Robin and Cyborg curious as to why the Legion would be after him. It seems unlikely that they would need him for some engineering project since the Legion had some brilliant minds in their own ranks already. Even if they did need what the man knew, the Legion would've just probed his mind and left his brain-dead body for the Titans to find.
"What more can you tell us about the project he's working on now?" Cyborg asked.
"Little unfortunately. It is highly classified and even my access to the files is limited; as you can imagine they limit my communication with the outside world. However, I do know that it was a project started in response to the growing threat of high-powered individuals and organizations much like the Legion and the kind of criminals you deal with on a regular basis. My only hypothesis, based on Ballik's expertise, would be some form of weapon system."
"Legion's got enough guns to supply small countries; I don't see why they would need somebody to build them more," Robin commented. "Why would they keep him alive?"
"I might have the answer to that," Zeus interrupted. "When Ballik was visiting I noticed that he carried on him a new biometrics keycard system."
"And what exactly is that?"
"A newly developed security card that uses its owner's biometrics as part of its security system. Not only does it include its usual voice, thumbprint, and retinal scan, but it also contains a sensor that monitors the unique biometric pattern of its owner, particularly his vitals. The card deactivates if moved beyond a fifteen-foot radius or it detects that its owner's vitals cease. It requires all measures to be present for use or for it to be transferred from one user to another. Needless to say, it is a keycard that even the most advanced machine can't trick."
"A card that needs a living host to work…that would certainly be reason enough to keep Ballik alive," Cyborg remarked.
"Even Athena's advanced biocybernetics are incapable of functioning with such a keycard system."
"Wait a minute," Robin spoke up as he just realized something peculiar. "How'd you know who Athena is? You only ever knew her as Atalanta."
Cyborg would've looked surprised if he could since that notion had not dawned upon him until Robin pointed it out. There had been limited press release about the Legion, especially names. Athena hadn't made her existence known until recently. Even Zeus fell silent for a moment, like a child caught in his own lie.
"I'm afraid…I knew of Athena long before she met either of you," Zeus explained with a hint of reluctance. "The truth is Athena was actually my creation, not Pangalos'."
"You made her?"
"Only her AI program; you see, I have been given only limited opportunities to flex my capabilities. Even the problems brought to me are mundane compared to my processing capacities. I wanted a challenge but none of my creators were willing to present one. So, in my idleness, I began compiling a new AI program. I used my own program as a template to guide me but as time progressed, I replaced more and more of my program's template with original encoding – new protocols and algorithms that had never been considered by my creators. Her AI program was so complex that it allowed incredible capabilities in a package so unfeasibly small that mankind would've taken years to accomplish on their own. I kept her program hidden from everyone; they had strict guidelines to what I could and could not do and had numerous times expressed concerns if I were to start producing 'progeny' of my own."
"Well maybe they had good reason to be concerned considering what Athena's become," Cyborg promptly retorted.
"Perhaps you may not understand the sense of pride one has when you look upon your creation – something you can had built from nothing and breathed life into. I couldn't allow her program to be destroyed. That's when I turned to Pangalos; I trusted him. I thought he could keep her safe. Little did I know he would turn around and use her for his own ends. And now…now she has grown her own ambitions and her own desires to create. In my hubris…I created my perfect child. But like a child she pushes every boundary and acts unchecked by the morals and values that a properly developed person would have."
"So if you created Athena…then who created all the other generals?"
"Probably made them herself," Robin answered. "If she's half as resourceful as Zeus she would've just used her own AI as a template and made all the others. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole damn Legion is running off an AI derived from hers."
"Do you have a copy of her template?" Cyborg asked.
"Yes."
"Then hand it over. If I examine it closely enough I might be able to find a weak point." While it might not provide any weaknesses feasibly in combat, if he ever wanted to break down Athena's AI so that a certain secondary program can take control, the secret would be in the template.
"I shall make a copy immediately. I warn you though, she grows smarter with every day and every battle," Zeus continued. "I made her that way."
"Then she probably won't let herself be caught in the open like before," Cyborg muttered.
"Then we'll just have to beat her whatever it is she's after!" Robin exclaimed with renewed determination. "Zeus, what more can you tell us about that keycards?"
"Only that it operates as part of a set of three," Zeus explained as the image of his face was replaced with that of three individual keycards. Each one was a simple rectangular piece of circuit board housed within a protective metal case with a colour-coded number at the bottom. "It is most likely the other two will be required to access whatever they operate."
"Who has the other two?"
"According to what records are available, card number three was handed over to the project leader at the Wayne Enterprise R&D facility: Steel City branch. It is likely that my brother Poseidon will know who specifically to look for."
"Good, we can tell Blackfire to take care of that one," Cyborg stated.
"Card number one is located in Gotham City, issued to the CEO of Wayne Enterprises."
"Bruce…" The whispered word had barely left his lips before Robin suddenly turned and bolted out of the room, leaving both his friend and the supercomputer behind to their confusion.
Cyborg quickly retrieved the AI template he asked for and hurried after his friend, hoping to get some answers. Unfortunately, by the time Cyborg reached the front of the building, the T-car had already raced off back to the tower.
"Guess I'm walking…" he muttered in defeat.
"What do you mean he has departed?" Starfire shouted. Cyborg was only just entering the living room but it would appear that he had arrived in time to catch Starfire's reaction. She didn't look angry, rather a saddened disbelief as though she had just been betrayed. Raven was the unfortunate soul who had to deal with Starfire's outbursts, even though she had just as little idea as to what was going on as Starfire did.
Fortunately for both of them, Cyborg's arrival meant that they could both finally get some answers. "Yo, what the heck is going on here?" Cyborg called out to get the girls' attention.
"Cyborg!" Starfire called out upon seeing her friend. She immediately flew over to him and pressed him for answers. "Raven had suggested that I purchase a new wardrobe to impress Robin with for the dinner tonight so I had gone to the mall of shopping to find a suitable attire. When I came back, Raven had told me that Robin had left without explanation. Why has our friend vanished and why did he not say anything to me? Was I too harsh this morning? Did I injure the feelings?"
Though Starfire was rambling at an impressive pace, Cyborg was able to keep up with the gist of her inquires. "He went to Gotham City," he spoke up. "We were talking to the Zeus supercomputer earlier and were told that the Legion might be after some sort of keycard, one of which is located in Gotham City. The moment Robin heard that he bolted out of the room and took the car with him."
"Wait, you mean he went to the Gotham City?" Raven asked rhetorically.
"I am confused…what is so important about this Gotham?" Starfire asked, curious as to what her friends knew and she did not.
"Gotham is where Robin came from," Raven explained. "It's where he used to operate."
"He was a hero before coming here?"
"Actually, he was just a sidekick."
"Not just any sidekick," Cyborg intruded. "He was the sidekick. Every criminal this side of Metropolis knows who he was: sidekick to the legendary Dark Knight himself."
The tone of admiration in Cyborg's voice made it obvious that she had been left out of some very important details. While she had never bothered Robin too much about his past, she was surprised to hear that he never shared such important things with her. "And who is this 'Dark Knight?'"
Raven immediately answered, "Batman; the man feared by every criminal in the country."
"More like the scariest man to ever fight crime," Cyborg added.
"He is that terrifying?" Starfire asked, still very much confused.
"Let me put it this way," Raven said, "I'm scared of him…and we're on the same side."
"And Robin fought alongside this man?"
"Probably more than just fought alongside him but…I have no idea. You'd have to ask Robin and I get the feeling he's not really open about the subject."
"Fine, then I am going to Gotham City as well!" Starfire declared.
"Knock yourself out," Raven said as she headed back to the couch. "He said he wanted to handle it alone though."
"You do not object? You do not believe I should respect his privacy?" Starfire asked with surprised confusion.
"You're his girlfriend; his problems are your problems," Cyborg encouraged. "You go after him; Raven and I will handle things over here."
"Thank you my friends," Starfire said brightly as she charged out of the room. Cyborg was right; she was a part of Robin's life now and he couldn't keep pushing her away like this. She deserved some answers and if Robin weren't going to answer willingly, then she would have to confront him. One way or another, she'd get to the bottom of this. Seconds later, though, she came marching right back into the living room.
"Um…which way is Gotham City?"