Chapter 10 - "I wouldn't expect anything less"

Beast Boy and Raven where lying on the grass next to each other and looking up at the night sky. These past months have been for the both of them something special. Beast Boy was still the fun loving guy everybody knew but he became more serious because of Raven, and Raven was no longer the secluded and creepy girl she was before, being more open to new experiences now.

"Quite a show ey?" said Raven putting her arm over BB's chest.

"Yeah, I never saw anything like this before, it's beautiful" he replied

"More beautiful then me?" asked Raven knowing what Beast Boy will answer.

The changeling smiled as he looked at her. "You know, that those meteors are beautiful only when they're falling and burning, but you Rachel, you're beautiful even when you're dark".

"Too bad the sky is getting cloudy" said Raven" Now the night will be more beautiful then me"

"No it won't" said BB pulling Raven closer to him "Couse tonight, where going to party 'till the sun rises".

Before she started dating BB, Raven was not so keen about parties or any type of festivities, but since Beast Boy was always going out with her where ever she wanted, she decided that she should try and have fun tonight. After all, she had to be fair with her boyfriend; he was always a gentleman and never complained about the places she took him so it would have been unfair if she didn't go with him where he wanted.

"Eh, what harm can it do anyway? He always goes with me to my ol' depressing hangouts so who can blame him for wanting to have a little more fun, especially with me" said Raven to herself.

Cyborg was looking through the telescope at the moon that was crossed from time to time by the clouds. While he was waiting for the clouds to move he heard someone running towards him. He turned around and saw Robin and Starfire.

"Yo guys! What's the big rush? Thought we left to the party without you or what?" asked Cyborg who was in a good disposition.

The two stopped and panted for air. "Something's going on in the city" Robin started "Rage called me on the and said that someone is trying to brake in to the weapon shop at the corner of 3'rd and St. Patrick's".

Cyborg knew that place quite well in fact. It was the place he usually acquired weapons and weapon technology from and he knew what kind of armament those guys had in the back of the store.

"What's up?" asked BB who got up with Raven to see what his team mates where talking about.

"We have to move out and fast" said Robin "Titans, in the T-Car, now!"

Cyborg started the T-Car and put the pedal to the metal. He drove fast enough to get down the hill and to the city limits in only 10 minutes. Everybody was silent and preparing for the worst. If the thieves got hold of those weapons and used them, not only would Rage's life be in danger but also innocent citizens mite get injured. Outside they noticed small drops of water and the black sky that was now full of rain clouds. Robin remembered about what Rage told him and realized that it was going to rain heavily.

When they got to the scene of the crime it was already raining cats and dogs. They peered through the rain droplets and saw about twenty five to thirty guys fighting Rage. Even though he fought as hard as he could and did keep the criminals away from the weapons, twenty minutes have passed since he attacked them and the odds were clearly against him. He was getting beaten up hard but he didn't give up. The titans stepped out in the rain and hurried to help their friend but when they saw who he was fighting they stopped to a halt. The ones that were fighting Rage were Slade's robots.

"He's back" said Robin out loud in amazement even though he wanted to say it only to himself.

Flashback

Robin: This doesn't change anything, If I ever see you again ...

Slade: I wouldn't expect anything less

End of flashback

Now, those words possessed his mind and he became aware of the situation.

"TITANS GO!" shouted Robin calling the attack.

The titans jumped right where Rage was standing and started to fight off every one of Slade's robots. Rage was lying on the ground and looked like he could barely move but somehow gathered his strength and tried to stand up. But to no avail, he just fell down head first to the ground in a puddle of filthy water. The titans fought hard and minimized their opponents' numbers, smashing and destroying the lot of them.

Robin was the one that was fighting the hardest. He knew what this meant and wanted to get down to business as fast as possible. Slade was now active again and still presented a threat to the world, but what was bothering him was not that Slade tried to steal weapons, but the fact that Slade came back and that this meant he didn't stop him.

Slade was the one he never defeated, the one that would just not disappear and the one that made him a failure.

While he was fighting Robin was also scanning the zone and tried to keep his opponents as far away from the shop as possible. He saw all of his team mates fighting and Rage lying down helplessly in the rain. He searched through the rain for another one of Slade's robots when he noticed a shadow in an alleyway near the store. He stopped and stared at it for a couple of seconds. He didn't know if what he was seeing was real as he had a not so pleasant history with hallucinations before. He thought he saw a man in a metal suit with a certain mask that had only one eye. Lightning struck the sky above him and lighted the dark alley plus the unknown silhouette.

For a second Robins heart stopped beating properly ... it was Slade.

He reacted as fast as he could and ran towards him. Slade saw Robin and ran in the dark alley trying to get away but Robin would not let him go this time. Robin followed and chased him to a dead end. Slade now faced Robin and seemed almost happy to see him. This particular fact scared him.

"Robin, it seems that we are yet again face to face" Slade stated in a relaxed tone "You didn't miss me did you? Or did you really think that I was never going to come back?"

Robin was mad as hell but decided to loosen up and stood straight. "Cut the small talk Slade, you know I never gave up searching for you".

"I know, and the fact that you haven't found me or let alone notice my existence is so pleasing for me" he said as he walked towards Robin "It seems to me that you failed again. Good work Robin".

"Slade, we both know that that's not really you" said Robin retracting his battle bo-staff.

"Of course, this could just be your imagination acting up again just like in the past, but if this is the case, then where did my robot commandos come from?"

"I'm not saying you're dead, I'm saying you're not real. You're just using another robot version of yourself".

"Are you 100 sure about that?"asked Slade who's face was now only inches away from Robins.

Robin pointed to Slade's mask trying to make him understand. "Before, when we fought your eye was on the left side and your right side was all covered up. Now your eye is on the right side. You don't fool me, I'm not even going to fight".

"Good boy Robin, it seems you have not yet lost your keen sense of observation".

Robin didn't pay any attention to his enemies taunts. "So what are you up to now Slade? What are you planning this time?".

"Robin, do you honestly think that I want you to know every aspect of my return or any of my future plans?" said Slade who was speaking through an intercom placed in the head of his robot replica "This theft was nothing more than a way to attract your attention to what will follow. I'd suggest you keep your eyes pealed in the future". Slade's replica now held in his hand a device that looked familiar to Robin, it was a detonator. "This is where I take my leave. I'll see you all in the near future".

Robin noticed Slade pushing the button on the detonator and jumped back to avoid the shrapnel. His nemesis body was now nothing but a piece of ruble. He looked at it and wanted nothing more than to be the one that actually does that to Slade's real body.

Robin returned to his friends and noticed that they destroyed the rest of Slade's robots. The rain was still pouring down and didn't seem to stop any time soon. His mind was now focusing on what Slade told him and didn't even notice BB trying to talk to him.

"Dude, where did you go? We had to fight these guys all by our selves" said BB, a little angry at his friend.

Robin was startled by Beast Boy's question and immediately came back to his senses. His team was now starring at him noticing that he just snapped back to reality. Robin looked around and remembered about Rage. He turned to look for him and saw him still down on the ground.

"Forget about that, Rage is down!" said Robin distracting his friends who were suspicious about what he was thinking.

They went next to Rage and noticed that he was moaning from pain while trying to move. Robin and Beast Boy picked him up and carried him on their shoulders. He was badly bruised, his face was full of blood mixed with filth and water and his mask was half ripped off.

"Rage, are you alright?" asked Starfire worried and placing her hand on his wounded face.

"Ugh" Rage moaned "Those bastards! They knocked two of my teeth out" he replied spiting blood down on the sidewalk next to his teeth.

They carried him to the T-Car and placed him on the back seat. His condition was not really good but he didn't seem to have any great injuries except for the two teeth he was now missing.

"He's going to be just fine, he just got a bad kicking that's all" said Cyborg trying to calm everyone down even though nobody said a word.

"So where did you go anyway?"asked Raven "One second you're fighting and the next you're gone. What's wrong with you?" .

Robin squinted his eyes and looked at her a little bit angry. "I saw Slade; he said he'll see us soon".

The others were shocked, but not by the fact that Slade was back, but by the way Robin said Slade will be back ... something was just not right.

"Come on, we have to get to the tower" said Robin while entering the T-Car and avoiding his friends questions.