Chapter 37 'Team'
"I have called you all here for a specific reason," Robin stated as he paced in front of the remaining titans. "Slade has been nothing but a menace to Jump City and chasing us out of our home and into the games is only the beginning. HIVE members have taken over the titan's east tower, threats are being sent out all over the world for Slade's ultimate takeover. We need to move and we need to move fast."
All eyes were on the boy wonder as he spoke to his teammates. It was amazing how easily everyone had accepted Robin back into the leader position after most of them had received death threats from him earlier in the week.
"Raven and I have put together a plan and pinpointed positions for all of you during the battle. We're going to need all of you if we're going to win this thing," Robin said as he stared down the titans.
"Well…almost all of you," Raven corrected in her monotone as she glanced at Timmy, Teether, and Melvin. Robin may be off of his rocker when it came to Slade but there was no way she was allowing her kids to get hurt in the process.
"Right," Robin agreed. "Kole has nominated herself to keep a close eye on the kids while the rest of us track Slade down. As for the rest of you, listen up! Jericho is going to get us inside, Jinx has already made a map of his hideout and pinpointed it on the map. We know where all of the entrances and exits are so as long as all goes according to plan there should be no surprises."
"And if there are?" Pantha spoke up.
"If there are we're going to take them head on and deal with them as heroes should," Robin declared. "Once we get inside Harold is going to eliminate as many slade bots as possible. From there we will break up in teams. We've thought these up according to your power's strengths and weaknesses."
Starfire willed the boy wonder to look up at her expecting him to give her a reassuring smile, for some reason she was getting the oddest feeling about Robin's decision, yet it hadn't even been decided yet! Surely they would be placed on the same team like they always were, right?
"Red Star, Hotspot, Wildebeast and Pantha, you're one team. We need you to be the brawn of the operation, find the location of the production of slade bots and take it down. We need to stop Slade's army as quickly and efficiently as possible."
The four honorary titans nodded up at their leader, understanding their duty.
"Argent, Jericho, Jinx, and Harold, we're going to need your brains and experience for this. Jericho and Jinx know their way around headquarters, so your job is to find the main security system and disarm it. We don't need any crazy setbacks keeping us from our main goal. Just make sure to watch each other's backs in case any surprises do appear."
"Can do boss!" Argent yelled from the tiny crowd.
Robin nodded. "Lastly, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Bumblebee, I'll be expecting you to take down the villains. There is no doubt an army that Slade has assembled from the remaining villains and more that are being housed in his headquarters. We need to make sure they are taken down before they have the ability to get to us first."
Cyborg looked down at the Tameranian and then to his green skinned friend who both looked slightly on edge. He was about to ask them if they were okay when he realized…Robin hadn't placed he and Raven anywhere on the list, which meant…
"Raven and I are going to find Slade and see that he doesn't get off easily for what he's done."
All was calm…the mechanical man knew that wasn't going to last for long judging by the expressions on his two friend's faces.
"Does everyone understand their-."
"Whoa, whoa, hold up just one second!" Beast Boy yelled from the crowd. "What gives Robin? I thought you and Star were a team here, if anyone should go with you-."
"I can't have Starfire with me," Robin stated calmly.
"But Robin-," Starfire began.
"I need someone who can defend me efficiently in battle. Raven can form a force field around both of us easily, and she can also phase us out if we need to retreat. This is based on our ability to win Beast Boy. It has nothing to do with splitting anyone up!" The boy wonder snapped.
Each one of the titans on the ground floor besides the green teen and the alien princess moved their heads back and forth between the masked boy and the shapeshifter, wondering what was going to happen next.
"But Robin I had thought you and I had always been an excellent team in the past and-."
"Starfire…" Robin began as his masked drooped realizing how much he was hurting her feelings by doing this. "You already got hurt once trying to protect me in the games. I can't have that happen again," Robin stated. "We figured it would be best if-."
"So wait a minute here dude!" Beast Boy piped in. "You won't let your girlfriend face Slade in battle because you're afraid she's going to get hurt, but putting mine in danger is just fine?" He asked balling his fists at his side.
There was a collection of murmurs around the changeling, most of them confused as to if they'd heard him correctly.
Cyborg on the other hand let out a whooping laugh as he slapped his green friend on the shoulder. "Good job on that secret buddy!"
Raven slapped her palm to her forehead. Leave it to Beast Boy to blow their secret out of anger. She was just thankful her hood had been up or else the dark blush on her face would have been displayed to the whole room.
The shapeshifter looked around the room in shock, had he really just done that? Looking over to the empath the expression on her face clearly stated he had.
"Beast Boy, you need to think rationally here. If we want to win this thing I think these teams are best!" Robin exclaimed.
"How do I know you're actually back to being…you?" Beast Boy asked somewhat calmer now. "What if this whole time you've been playing us to make us think that you're a good guy when really you're still brain washed by Slade?"
"Oh come on!" Robin exclaimed clearly frustrated. "Look, Raven is my friend, I wouldn't allow something bad to happen-."
"But if something did happen, then-."
"Dammit Beast Boy I-."
"ENOUGH!"
The loud monotone voice rung through the room causing every titan's head to swerve in the dark girl's direction.
"You need to drop this, now. If you would let Robin speak he would tell you that I volunteered to go with him because Slade had it out for both of us in the games. I didn't think it would be a good idea for you and I to be teamed up constantly worried about the other's well being. The same thing goes for Robin and Starfire. This way we can concentrate on the task at hand first and foremost, understood?" Raven snapped feeling her blood pressure practically boiling.
"You…you agreed to go with him?" Beast Boy asked as his expression changed from angry to hurt.
Raven unfolded her arms from her chest letting them drop to her side. "I didn't agree to it Beast Boy, I came up with the idea," she admitted.
"Wha…" The changeling squeaked.
"I'm not going to do this here," Raven stated looking around at the audience that was clearly enjoying the show.
She could feel the confusion, hurt, and disappointment radiating off of him, the half demon knew it wasn't fair to him to have kept him in the dark as she had done but this had been the exact thing she'd been trying to avoid.
"Come on," Raven snapped walking up to him and grabbing hold of the spandex fabric on his shoulder, practically dragging him out the door.
A chorus of "ohhh's" and "He's gonna get it's" rung out behind them. That was until a large black aura surrounded the only doorway to the training room.
"OH come on!" Cyborg yelled. "Not only did she lock us in here but she sound proofed us! I can't hear anything," He said turning to look at the others with an antenna sticking out from his mechanical side of his head where his ear would be placed. "Not cool Rae!" He yelled.
Robin let out a long sigh as he ran a gloved hand over his face, it was going to take a lot of effort for this plan to work. He just hoped more than ever that his plan didn't turn out to backfire in the end.
Guys, I am so, so very sorry you didn't get your early update. We got a huge snowstorm last night and I ended up getting stuck at my boyfriend's house for the night. There was no internet access there and I obviously didn't have access to my documents on my computer so your update wasn't early as I had said it would be…but here is your Christmas present! A little late but hopefully still good!
Enjoy guys! We all know how BB and Star are feeling right now…and hopefully your Christmas was much better than theirs!
Xoxo-Megz