Chapter 8: Caution: Don't Anger The Robins
Raven and Kid Flash were practically breathing down his neck as Alpha sat crouched on top of a distant shipping container. Connor, Kaldur and Cyborg took to the ground, keeping out of sight, while Raven, Kid Flash, and Robin sat atop, scouting for anyone that they might not have accounted for.
"Do any of you hear that buzzing?" Connor voiced through the link, irritation heavy in his tone.
"It is most likely the heavy amount of machinery around us." Kaldur, the ever persistent voice of reason, responded, most likely referring to the two large cranes flanking the shipping container they were located by. Connor grunted, accepting that answer and the mind link went silent once again.
Robin kept up a stoic exterior, trying to show that this whole situation was just another one of many missions.
But with his best friend and an empath witch right by his side, he might as well have been an open book. Both of them could see straight through his facade as if it were made of glass.
The ebony was having an internal battle. On one hand, he couldn't wait to face the masked man with back up, and not just the Titans. If they could somehow manage to beat Slade, then a huge weight would be removed from his shoulders.
There was also the underlying rage that he could feel boiling to the surface. It would feel great to be able to unleash his wrath upon the mad man, and he was half tempted to when he showed his face. But he knew that it could jeopardize the entire mission. His emotions have destroyed missions before, so why would it be any different now?
Then there was the alternative, where he would be captured again, and be forced to endure yet another version of hell on earth. Robin didn't know if he could take another day as an apprentice, let alone how long it would take for the Titans to get him back. If he were to be captured, Slade would make sure he never escaped from his cage like last time.
This plan that they came up with would never work. Maybe it would start okay, but it would all turn to disaster eventually. Even if it was supposedly full proof. That's just how Slade worked.
Robin may not have minded if he were simply fighting with the Titans, but there were other players involved now. He hasn't fought with his old team for almost two years, and there were new members as well.
He may have browsed through everyone's files before he came to Happy Harbor, but he had no idea who changed their fighting style and who had new maneuvers.
All of these thoughts made Robin a mess, but he was trying desprately to pull it together before Slade came out of hiding. Or before the two other teens beside him decided to act on their suspicions. Either way, if he didn't find a way to compose himself, things would most definetly end badly.
Kid Flash shifted anxiously beside him, but Robin couldn't figure out if it was from his restlessness of a speedster, or wanted to help the burden with what ever was bothering him. Robin always liked that about Kid, he may not be the most brightest bulb when it comes to battle and strategies, but with emotions he was an expert.
Alpha team was about half a mile from the water, and where the boat would actually appear. Beta lurked all around the perimeter, making sure the site wasn't compromised. So where up above was Gamma, waiting in the Bioship for some things in the plan to go wrong.
Robin was getting restless now. It shouldn't have taken this long for the shipment to arrive. Something was definitely wrong.
Just as he was about to alert the everyone, two bright yellow lights appeared on the waters horizon. He felt everyone through the mind link tense, and soon after Aqualads voice drifted into his head.
"We have visual on the shipment. Still no sign of Slade, but there is no doubt he will appear shortly to receive his weapons."
The mind link fell silent once again, and no one shifted from their position as the ship moved closer to the docks. Both men and robots alike converged closer, more towards the waters edge.
Finally, the shipping container reached the docks and lowered its anchor. A bridge lowered to the ground from the boat, and four other men emerged and made their way towards the others. They spoke for a moment, before the robots turned guard and the men boarded the ship.
Now Robin really knew something was wrong.
Slade should have appeared by now. He would want to make sure the weapons he bought were real, and not some brute trying to pull one over on him. And he would never trust random men to make sure the weapons were authentic. It wasn't like Slade.
Or at least Robin didn't think so. If he were an evil mastermind, he wouldn't trust anyone but himself.
He couldn't voice these thoughts fast enough. Directly below them, inside the shipping container they were standing on, a large explosion sounded. It ripped the roof off, and Kid Flash immidiately zipped away. Cyborg covered himself and Superboy covered Aqualad with his body to protect him from debris. Raven simply teleported away to a safe distance.
Robin jumped away, and was flying through the air as the fire continued to smoulder behind him. That is, until he felt a wire rope wrap around his right leg, and tugging him off balance. He tumbled, sideways, to the ground, and not having any time to prepare himself, landed akwardly on his right leg. His head bounced off the concrete as well, bringing brights spots dancing across his vision.
He let out a grunt of pain, and felt the heat from the explosion in his back as he struggled to get off of the ground. His mind was reeling from the hit, and a splitting headache was forming very quickly.
"Alpha, what are your locations?" Kaldur?
"Friends! Are you alright?!" Starfire, that was definetely Starfire.
"Woah, what was that?!" Beast Boy, I think...
"Is everyone okay?" Was that Artemis? Or maybe M'gann...
All of these voices flowed through his head, his mind trying to discern voices from each other. All he could process at that moment was that there was an explosion, he jumped and someone tried to take him out.
"Hey, where'd Robin go?" Kid asked, a hint of worry seeping into his tone, which was justifiable. Robin's mind started to clear, and he came back to his senses, reaching for his belt.
Robin couldn't see anyone from where he was now sitting on the ground, trying to use a bird-a-rang to cut through the ropes, but he could sense all of them through the mind link getting closer to the site of the explosion.
"I'm-ah!" Robin started to respond, but was cut off as whoever was at the other end of the rope pulled harshly on his injured leg. This time, they didn't stop, and Robin slid against the ground. Scrapes were forming on his exposed skin, and his head bashed painfully into the ground after the first tug, disorienting him once again.
"Robin, what's wrong?" Raven asked frantically. Or as frantically as she was allowing herself to show.
Robin started to struggle. He reached to his ankle, where the rope was wrapped around, and began to frantically saw at it with his bird-a-rang. His leg was screaming in pain, and Robin begrudgingly thought that he might have pulled his hamstrings and ankle in his rough landing. Most probably a concussion, too, if the throbbing in his head was anything to go by.
"Someone's got my leg. Landed on it wrong, and they're pulling me away by rope wrapped around my ankle." Robin verbally growled as he frustratedly added, "I can't cut it!"
The tugging suddenly stopped, but Robin continued to attack the wired rope, growing even more frustrated as not even a scratch showed.
He was so concentrating on the meager task he forgot one fatal thing.
Batman always taught him to pay attention to his surroundings. It was drilled into his head from a very young age, and even when he ran away, this training had stayed with him. Robin knew that if you didn't know where you were in a situation such as this, you were that much closer to being killed.
But as he was being dragged across the ground, all he was focused on was trying to get the rope off of his leg, burning in pain. Robin couldn't remember what he passed, or even how far.
A rookie mistake. A possibly lethal one, Robin thought to himself as he tried to quell the rising panic in his chest.
The rope around his leg was not cutting, his friends were asking him where he was, worry clear in all of them (even Superboy), and he foolishly let himself be separated by an enemy. Then, he didn't take care to locate where he was, vision swimming with a possible concussion and panic ever growing.
The tightness in his chest increased, and Robin could feel his heart raging in his ears. His breath quickened, and he began to cut even more frantically.
Robin didn't notice the shadows gathering in a circle around him until it was too late. He heard gears turn, and his breath hitched as he saw who, or more accurately what, had surrounded him.
Slade-bots. Why wouldn't they be Slade-bots?
They stood there, circling him, and Robin noticed with disdain that the one directly in front of him held a coil to the wired rope tied around his leg. His panic increased as he stared at them, waiting for them to pounce.
But, to his own suprise, they simply stood there, staring intently at him. It made shivers run down the birds spine. Their gazes were cold, lifeless. Yet, as they stood like statues around Robin, they also projected an aura of protectiveness. Robin rose an eyebrow in confusion, making his heart slow down a bit, and his panic seeped from his body, being replaced by curiousity.
This momentary distraction let his mind clear for a moment, and a voice came barreling into his thoughts.
"Rob?! ROBIN!? Where are you?! Answer us!" Kid Flash screeched, making Robin unconsciously wince.
"I'm okay, for now. I don't know where I am..." the bird said in dissatisfaction, criticizing himself for his potentionally fatal mistake.
"Can you describe your location?" Aqualad said, and Robin could tell he was trying to hide his panic, too. Never-the-less, Robin tried to look past the robots that were...guarding him? Caging him? He wasn't entirely sure.
Sadly, there wasn't anything to see that distinguished this spot from the whole docking bay. There were stacks of shipping containers, in multiple colors in multiple sizes, just like everywhere else, but not much else.
"I can't. It looks like everything else I've seen here. But some Slade-bots have me surrounded, and one of them is defientetly the one who dragged me here. Wherever 'here' is..." Robin felt the fear that came specifically from the Titans, and he knew some of the others must have noticed it, too.
"Dude, get out of there! What if Slade is close by, too!?" Beast Boy screeched, and he could practically see his old teams confused and worried faces.
Obviously they knew being injured near any villain spelled danger. But why were the Titans so frantic about it? As long as they kept calm and found out where Robin was, there would be no problem.
The loud sound of the changling's voice made Robin wince and grab his ears, his concussed mind not being able to handle the volume. He groaned and considered lying down on his side to try and eleviate the pain, but thought again as he glanced at the circle of robots.
"Geez, BB, keep it down..." he mumbled.
More robots emerged from seemingly nowhere, and one of the shipping container doors swung open with a loud screech, making the boys head throb even more.
"I agree, he is a loud one, isn't he?" Robin's eyes snapped open, more alert than ever, and the panic once again returned. He whipped his head towards the voice in an instant. The ebony's heart seemed to stop, and he unknowingly held his breath as he stared at his nightmares incarnate.
Even through the double colored mask, Robin could practically see the smug smirk of Slade's, and the way his lone eye curled upward in mirth. And as soon as he saw that mask, the panic and fear that he felt diminished, replaced by something that was possibly even more self-destructive.
Red. Hot. Rage.
Robin snarled at the man, and blinded by his anger, tried to stand up, leaning heavily on his injured leg. The adrenalin coursing through his veins kept him standing for a couple seconds. As soon as he attempted to lunge for the mercenary, however, his leg collapsed as the adrenalin alone could not dim all of the burning pain.
The ebony grunted in pain and fury as he collapsed once again, and he growled as he heard Slade's lowly chuckle.
"Nice attempt. But I would be suprised if you manage to use your leg at all the rest of the night." the man paused, gauging the birds reaction (which was a glare that could freeze Hell itself), and continued. "Now, I believe we have some things to discuss, don't you agree?"
"I don't want to speak with you about anything!" Robin snarled, baring his teeth like an angered animal. Slade tilted his head curiously, and simply studied Robin with an amused glint to his eye.
"Well, I don't believe you have a choice in that matter."
Pain erupted in his leg as it was harshly pulled on by the Slade-bot, being dragged toward the mad man. Slade stepped back inside the orange container (which Robin could now see was illuminated by a soft, white glow), and the robot followed him in, Robin thrashing around behind the machine, trying desperately to break free.
It was futile. The rope was still secured tightly around his ankle, and if a bird-a-rang couldn't cut it, then thrashing certainly wouldn't help in the slightest.
Robin heard his friends screaming at him through the mind link, but he couldn't distinguish any of the nonsense. His anger (and panic) had taken over, and that's all he had to focus on.
But as the Slade-bot dropped the coil of rope and exited the container, closing the door behind him, all went silent.
His eyes widening, he tried to reach out to M'gann once again, but was met with more silence. It was with growing dread that he realized this container must have been made specifically for this.
He looked at Slade and saw the man slowly approaching him. The anger ebbing away, fear slowly taking its place, he tried to scramble away from the advancing man. Robin was stopped with a cry of pain as Slade stepped on the coil of rope, making it taunt. He continued forward, and the ebony's breath and heart beat spiked considerably.
He knew that he had to get control of himself. This was exactly how he got into thus the first time, wasn't it? Robin let his emotions take over, disregarding all of his training. But try as he might, the man lurking closer to him seemed to radiate power, and he couldn't help but cower away from it.
It was cowardly, he knew, and definitely not something he was proud of. How is it that just two years ago he went against an entire League of supervillians who had imprisoned the entire Justice League, and this man before him cast even more fear into his heart than the entirety of The Light on that day?
No matter what he tried, the fear was ever present. But, that didn't mean he had to completely give in to that fear.
Once he was standing just behind Robin's feet, he crouched down and stared at the frightened boy in front of him. His eye narrowed, he reached out to the birds head.
Robin, despite dragging some resolve from the depths of his soul to try and crush the fear, flinched as the gloved hand caressed the top of his head, like a master petting it's dog. After a few seconds the hand travelled down to his right cheek, where it rested. Robin stared wide- eyed, holding his breath as he waited for some violent action.
But it never came. Slade stayed stock still, eye narrowed and slightly curious, as Robin almost held his breath in anticipation.
Robin was at a complete loss at what to do. He was alone with Slade, his friends had no idea where he was, and there would be no way to efficiently fight back with an injured leg in such an enclosed space.
Panic constricted his chest painfully once again, and his breath hitched as he heard the man's voice.
"We have a lot to talk about, Apprentice."
Yep! A cliffie! This chapter didn't change much, but I still changed it a small amount as Robin seemed a bit too much like a scared little kid. Can't have that now, can we?
Thanks for reading! See Ya in the next chapter!
~Atatami