The Teen Titans didn't know how long they sat in the strange vehicles common room. All of them were lost in their deep thoughts on what Old Man Beast Boy had just said to them. Robin was the one most impacted by Old Man Beast Boy's lecture. He knew that Old Man Beast Boy had a point, that the rules no longer applied to this future no matter what, and this led to his mind sending him multiple messages at once so rapidly that he lost the ability to speak.
They had to find a way back, but how? He racked his mind to think of something, but his mind yielded no results. He then directed his mind to think of something else, which made him think of their current situation. He wanted to help his teammates be safe and survive this apocalyptic future. Yet it was against his nature to sit back and watch other people do things for him. However, the person who is supposedly 'helping them' does horrific things to other people even if they deserved to or not, which made him feel deeply uncomfortable. Then there was the factor of how this future would impact his friends, namely Beast Boy and Cyborg. He had no idea what was going through Beast Boy's mind, and something told him that sooner or later they will have an encounter with an older Cyborg or even an older Raven, but he wasn't 100% sure on that fact.
Robin didn't know how long he was left alone with his thoughts, but his train of thoughts was interrupted by Phoenix entering the room looking as if he had received mildly sad news. "I set this vehicle to auto – pilot, and we will arrive in Salt Lake City in 4 hours." He said robotically, as he lowered the baby Vic the IV, who was half sleeping half singing, into a crib that appeared out of thin air.
Robin and the rest of the Titans looked up at Phoenix and nodded as if they needed to know. None of them sure on what to say or what to do. Phoenix looked around at each Titan, as if expecting them to offer something to say. When nothing came Phoenix clapped his hands and made a small smile "So. Tea or Coffee? The pantry has some, and I think it would be nice to have something to drink before we arrive." He said with a forced smile on his face.
"What do you mean?" Robin said looking up at Phoenix "I thought your father said that we weren't going to fight."
"I know." Phoenix said too bluntly as if he wanted to get the subject out of the way "I know what Dad said to you, and I mostly agree with what he said, however he isn't forcing you not to fight, and I won't either. It is your choice. Tea or Coffee."
"Tea please." Raven said rubbing her face "I need some to soothe my nerves, and that stew breakfast didn't help."
"Yes Mo- I mean Raven…" Phoenix said slapping his mouth when the word 'Mom' was halfway out of his mouth. Raven looked as if she had toothache as she waved a hand at Phoenix which read 'forget it'.
Robin asked for Coffee and the rest of the Titans agreed, and Phoenix vanished into the tiny kitchen to emerge out again a few seconds later with a silver platter with 6 chipped mugs, two cups of tea and four cups of coffee along with a sugar bowl and a large bottle of milk.
Robin took a cup of the steaming hot coffee and raised it to his mouth, only to spit it out in disgust. The liquid tasted like hot tar mixed with raw sewage and mud.
"Sorry if it isn't up to standards for you." Phoenix said as the rest of the Titans except for Starfire spat out their drinks. "But tea and coffee are a bit of a luxury in this part of the world."
"Yeah right!" Cyborg said, who was now washing his mouth with his water bottle as if he was gargling mouth wash "I feel like you just tried to poison me!"
"The tea tastes like grounded up leaf juice." Raven said looking at the cup as if it had mildly offended her.
"Friend Raven, isn't that what tea is?" Starfire asked who was busily adding a mountain of sugar and a flood of milk to her coffee.
"Whatever" Raven groaned as she telekinetically thrusted the teacup back into the platter "I don't really want that thank you very much."
"Whatever you say." Phoenix said who grabbed Raven cup and finished the tea for her. There was another long pause as Phoenix took a seat on the chair and gazed at each of the Titans, as if trying to send a secret message to them with facial expressions alone.
"So…Phoenix." Robin said as if trying to break the silence "What…Do…Do you have any idea how to get us back into the past?"
Phoenix paused for a moment lost in deep thought. He produced an axe out of thin air and began to toss it around in the air as if juggling it. The blade flashing in the air like a beacon, slicing though the air like scissors on paper.
"No" Phoenix said suddenly looking down at Robin "Booster Gold vanished a long time ago, many of Lex Luthor's time machines were destroyed in a fire a couple of decades ago, Warp is dead, good luck getting the materials needed to rebuild a time machine and the speed force and all that is out of the question. So, no I have no ideas."
"Well there must be something!" Robin exclaimed
"If you have any other ideas, I would like to hear it." Phoenix said
Robin paused, trying to think. But when nothing came, he let out a loud sigh in frustration. Starfire threw Robin a rib crushing hug which made Robin turn bright pink.
"Phoenix…" Cyborg said softly, sounding like a child about to tell his parents that he broke something "I…I have a question…"
"What is your question?" Phoenix said cocking his head and raising his eyebrows.
"Well…" Cyborg said as if unsure on what to say "…Do…Do you know…what…what I…I am like in…in this future? And uh…why…why I became…became…not a good guy?"
Phoenix closed his eyes and sighed as if he had just got out of bed or needed to get into it. "Cyborg. I wish I can tell you, but I do not know the complete answer. All I know is this." Phoenix paused as if recalling a traumatic memory "You constantly upgraded to the point where the motherbox radiation infected your mind. I think I should also mention that you worked under harsh conditions, as a slave under Cheetah's iron fist…which probably affected your mind that you became a supervillain and took Cheetah down." He paused again examine all the Titans facial expressions grimly.
Cyborg paused. Unable to comprehend what he had heard. He knew what this meant. Starfire had told him in great detail about what he is like when he wasn't able to 'upgrade' himself and it made him shudder to think of it. However, on the other hand, what Phoenix is describing terrified him, not only by the words he used, but the tone he said it in said it all. He looked down at his hands, as if expecting them to give him an answer. None came. Then his mind noticed a small flaw with what Phoenix had said. Something that didn't quite add up. Cheetah ruled over with an iron fist…but if that's so…
"Wait a moment…" Cyborg mumbled under his breath. He looked up at Phoenix about to speak, but Robin beat him to it.
"But if Cheetah really ruled over with an iron fist." Robin said as if reading Cyborg's mind "Why hadn't she done the same to older Beast Boy?"
Phoenix raised his eyebrows as if Robin had asked a good question. He made an unreadable expression as he said in an unusual tone "Well…All I know is that Cheetah has a giant soft spot for Dad…I don't know how or why, all I do know is that she treated him better than all the other remain superheroes who were alive who were in her territory."
Beast Boy made a face as if he was about to throw up "What do you mean 'Cheetah has a soft spot for me?'" Beast Boy squawked "I only met her once and she tried to rip my throat out! Why on Superman's red outer underpants would Cheetah have a soft spot for me!?"
Phoenix shrugged "Your guess is as good as mine" he said as he continued to juggle with his axe.
"All Future Cyborg and Cheetah stuff aside for a moment please." Robin said who walked up to Phoenix as if he was on a minefield "What is your plan when we arrive at Salt Lake City?"
"Easy" Phoenix said tossing the axe at Robin, who instinctively caught it in his hand "All we do is to stealthily go up to the podium as flies where Ashly and her guest is making their speech, we transform into any animal, kill them, kill any of their goons that get in our way, then we run like hell and use the tank cannon when fleeing. Easy"
Robin blinked rapidly. He looked down at the axe and scowled at it. So many things can go wrong in this. There could be armed men who could shoot at them when their backs are turned, what if someone notices the vehicle approaching the city, what if the tank cannon doesn't work and what if they get captured? So many things can go wrong.
Phoenix nodded as if he just read Robin's mind "I know." He said "But it's the only plan that we've got that works so far. And sometimes we may need to get ourselves captured to get answers, but fortunately this won't be one of these times. Don't worry about us or about yourself. I promise you, that we will be in and out and within sunrise, if we are unlucky I promice to you that all of us will make it out alive, you almost always do. And I promise to you then, then we will be making a plan on getting you back to the past and stopping this future. I don't know how, but we will."
Phoenix is half right on what he said. They will be out of Salt Lake City within sunrise, and everyone in the vehicle, even the baby Vic the IV will make it out alive. But one of the Titans will come out broken and traumatized forever haunted for the rest of their lives. Robin didn't know it, but years on into the future he will be forever haunted by what happened in Salt Lake City.