"Your suit has been overhauled," Slade said, pulling an identical copy of Robin's suit off the wall and tossing it to him. "I am aware that your cape protects you from flame and explosions, and this ability has been expanded to your entire suit to allow protection from bombs, flame, lasers, and electricity. It is both lighter and more durable than your previous outfit. Your mask"— here Robin looked at his new mask and noticed that the corners were spiked —"allows both night-vision and sight through any element."
Robin took his new utility belt then, inspecting the gadgets and seeing that they had both Slade's design and the man's imprint on them. He frowned, unsure if he wanted to place Slade's technology on his body after all his time as the man's apprentice.
"The powers of all your gadgets have been increased greatly," Slade said. "As has your bow staff become lighter and equipped with several abilities."
Robin, still frowning, took out one of Slade's replacement batarangs. He tossed it aside, then faced Slade. "I'll . . . just use my own suit, thanks."
Slade's eye narrowed. "Are you certain?"
Robin was just about to answer when something abruptly pressed into his hand. He gripped the object, then brought it up to his face, stunned to see that Slade's batarang had returned to his
hand despite the fact that he hadn't meant it to.
"Automatic sensors return all gadgets to you whether or not they miss," Slade said.
"So my bombs return to me, too?" Robin asked.
Slade glanced in his direction, and Robin blushed when he realized how stupid his question had sounded. Robin inspected the other gadgets Slade had given him, noticing that they were all lighter and smaller than the ones he usually used. They were all here: smoke bombs, normal bombs, electrical disks, ice disks, and several gadgets that Robin hadn't seen before. He held the gadgets up to Slade.
"Flame bombs are capable of producing a fire for exactly five seconds," he said. "Flash bombs give off intense light and temporarily blind your opponent. Night bombs fill an entire room with a chemical agent that reacts to and destroys light particles, plunging a foe into darkness."
"What are these?" Robin asked, holding up a small red capsule that was in his utility belt.
Slade looked at the object, then tossed something to Robin and the other four Titans. "Place those in the ear which lacks a communicator."
"What are they?" Beast Boy asked.
Slade said nothing, and the Titans followed his orders. Slade nodded to Robin, and Robin,
taking a guess, made a move to eat the capsule. Slade was there in an instant and snatched the pill away from Robin, tossing it into the center of the room. As soon as the pill hit the floor, it cracked open and let out a high-pitched shriek that caused Robin to gasp, and he was suddenly very thankful for the apparent ear protection that Slade had given them all. After several moments, the screaming ceased, and Slade walked over and picked up the gadget.
"Sonic screamers," he said, "which are capable of rupturing eardrums. They are not food."
Robin, after blushing briefly, thought it over. Slade's gadgets were amazing, and the fact that they all had Slade's own imprint on them didn't really matter much. Within a few days, all this would be returned to Slade anyway. Biting his lip, Robin took off one of his gloves and replaced it with the one Slade had given him, surprised at the feel of the cloth on his skin. It tingled slightly and pricked him near his elbow but did indeed feel lighter, more durable, and able to breathe better than its previous counterpart. He couldn't deny that he liked it.
Robin thought he saw Slade smile, but he ignored it and took Slade's uniform in his hands, nodding.
"It is done," Slade said. "We will report for training at five hundred hours tomorrow."
"Wait, 'we'?" Cyborg asked.
"Yes," Slade said. "I will assist you on the battlefield. Until then, accustom yourselves to your new powers."
Slade left, and the Titans were now standing alone, still amazed by their newfound strengths. Beast Boy immediately began changing into five dozen animals a second, while Raven practiced using her incantations without the use of her voice. Starfire, after marking a spot on the wall using her fingernail, stood in various spots in the room, practicing her ability to hit the mark without having to aim. Cyborg began using his new light cannon, seeing how many hits he could get in within a single second. Robin, looking again at the outfit in his hands, went to the bathroom to change. After changing into his new suit, he pulled off his own mask and placed Slade's own on his face, looking at himself in the mirror. It was still hard for him to believe that he was going through with this. But it was also hard to believe the other things he'd gone through with over the last few weeks.
Sighing, Robin exited the bathroom a few minutes later, still surprised at the lightness of the
uniform he now wore. It made him feel faster and stronger. A better fighter. Thanks to Slade,
they all were. But why was Slade helping them? It just didn't make sense, but Robin didn't feel like bringing it up later that night. If anything, the Titans should've been thanking Slade for all his help and . . . what was he doing?
Robin shook himself and reclined in his chair as the Titans talked, each gushing in excitement
over the powers they'd attained through Slade's technology.
". . . five times stronger than before," Cyborg was saying. "Five times. I can lift five times more than before and run three times faster. It's amazing."
"The amazing it is," Starfire agreed. "Now my attacks never miss."
"I'm finally starting to get this warping thing down," Beast Boy said.
"At first, it was strange not using my incantation," Raven said, "but now I'm used to it."
Robin nodded, and all the Titans simultaneously glanced at the clock, waiting in anticipation to see how tomorrow's training regimen would go. For tomorrow they would demonstrate their new powers, and tomorrow, Slade would join them.