Teen Titans; Epilogue Story -Prologue; Rewind – Chapter 15: A Girl's Wish, and A Boy; Gone in the Blink of an Eye
/
Running out of A' titles! Let's hop to it! Freeze – because this will be pretty frosty fun!
/
As they awoke to the scene of a Halloween horror come to Wayne's cozy manor, a flippant Cy and even Alfred had joined in on reprimanding the offenders harshly. With the Arkham crew busy mulling over their captives' cases of imprisonment, one Titans' face was not in this crowd, and for good reason.
Poison ivy (using the earlier dc universe version,) was swooning over the sorry child, Martyr in his terrified state. He was scrunched up and crying under her arm, as if allowed to leave a mark. Gar growled and shouted out to the clowns, until a real one got his metaphorical goat once more.
A VERY, VERY, mad one.
"Are we done with the introductions, yet?? I wanna see Freeze pull a fast one on ole' Brucie!" Shrill as a coot, he was as no other in Gotham.
Staring up at the clown prince of crime – since dethroned for a time, in his white face paint with a fool's grin, the heroes gasped. Alfred though, knew how to remain perfectly sane in these sorts of situations.
"There shall BE no meeting between the master and yourself, devious criminal! Joker. Don't you understand? That, this is madness –
"It is, isn't it? We came to retrieve the contraband. Finders' keepers!" Teased the jester, "This lil' bad boy got away from daddy merc, so the mini merc has to get off of his nostalgia daze, ASAP. The boss man's orders, too bad for you, old timer." The clown waved away the butler's angry glaring. "That's the rules; I get freed from Arkham, and a favor for a favor is owed - and "he" is pretty ticked off that you came back too clean, little Ma –
" He is ROBIN." Starfire flared at the man with her hands tied. "And…HE IS NOT A CRIMINAL!"
/
"Should I tell the broad, Joker?" Penguin twisted Cy's binds even more as a simple henchman for now.
"Might as well." The clown shrugged with his hands up.
Freeze nodded, adding, "Anyway, they are going to freeze by my ray in just a moment."
Cy shot at the gun - wielding crook, "Batman is goanna whoop your –
"OW!"
"Hey! Language, tough guy." A vine whacked Cy in the side of his face, "You're scaring our little bird…. aw…" Ivy petted Dick's hair as her serum made the kid cling to her as easily as a sleep deprived five-year-old.
"You…. you will not touch a hair on him, evil doer! Do you hear??" Starfire shimmied in her binds, but it was made of a substance harder than any titanium she had known of from her own perspective.
"I cannot break free…" Starfire gasped and then looked up at former Dr. Victor Fries (typo.)
"My own creation." Freeze chuckled while holding up his gun to them. "This will be your first step into being remembered as the team of heroes that stood, and fell in the same hour."
"I won't let you harm our leader…. Yet, you must let my friends go! That mastermind Slade, is using you, too, as well!" Starfire shouted back, allowing Bb to chime in.
"Ye- yeah! Slade is trying to turn us all into his robot zombies. Just look at what he tried to do ta' Robin!"
"We know he's better than this, but the promise still stands." Ivy shrugged and smoothed back the boy's dark locks from Dick's eyes as any mother might.
"And… no bats, no outs. We call the shots." Penguin laughed with an even smirk, twirling his umbrella as a sword.
"So, if you have any last requests, mutant – boy? Or, ginger?" Joker smiled and squinted at the princess.
Star's eyes fell onto her friend Robin's state.
"I have but one wish, Mr. Clown…" she muttered, "I wish not to be captured by an evil man such as yourself!!"
She let her Tameranean power melt the metal surrounding she and her friends. Joker shot her a look, then turned to his posse of misfits for protection.
"Whose idea was it not to separate them??" He shouted at the crew with his scowl evident of his displeasure.
"Oh, well…. Villains ! Attack the "Titanic trouble – makers!!!!" Joker sent his cry out as the crew got ready to strike. The heroes tried to dodge a barrage of Joker – style explosives that took apart the wallpaper from the walls – with acid.
The others; with a shocked Cy ready to squawk more insults, gulped.
"You ain't seen nuthin' yet!!" Joker held a bomb in his hand, as carefully as a bean bag meant to toss at his enemies.
He courteously bowed, showing his hospitality to these west - coast tourists. " Welcome to Gotham!! Hope you've enjoyed your stay cause' you're not going anywhere….any time soon, kiddies!! Haaaaaaahaaaaaaa!!!!!" His face was insane.
This hour WAS nuts, a Bb's jaw fell wide open. Only Cy, KF, and Speedy were familiar with the clown's reputation enough to dodge his laughing gas barrage of big -headed grenades.
Joker had helped to bring the pain, while Slade unofficially had started this war, and now his crew of kooks would be sure to see the allies of the Bat wet themselves in sheer terror.
" Get 'em!" Joker commanded his mini army, and then the battle was on.
(Using the joker from The Batman 2004.)
/
Ivy had another job. Delivering a crying boy wonder to his teacher, who'd be sending his soldiers in a few moments.
"I…. failed them…" Dick was stuck on her plant serum's presence as he mumbled and cried silently in her arms.
"So much…. want….o go back….so…rry….raven….sorry….."
She frowned and didn't wait to take the kid from the living room where the heroes had been brought upon the villains' ambush.
~ We have your subject. ~ She linked up to Slade via a unit Robin still carried as Martyr. He'd disabled it, but it was for emergencies only anyway.
The man's face came up on the screen as Ivy's vice was caught in her throat by his newest attire. California had done the man well…too well, in fact…It had her thinking…
~ Good. I'll have a car waiting out in the drive. Bring him and don't fail me. That child cannot be recovered by the bat.~
The link died out, and Ivy felt that the chat had left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Sounds like an abduction, but something else was…." She shut out the words, just hoping to have her lab back in one piece. She was in it to be free, not to rule cities. Eco – terrorism aside, she wanted Slade to hold to his word. But…why was Batman really in trouble?
/
The Dark Knight snuck into his own laboratory at Wayne Enterprises; Slade had to be up to the same trick to test the man's mettle.
Bruce knew the tricks to every inch of the building. He'd helped to design its security after all.
But then –
A blade; no, a rang. And one with an S etched onto it –
The Slade bots were by the dozen as they fell from the ceiling to keep him pre-
~ No, you lot, don't ! ~ The fire and wind magic that took out the bots was not organic. Magical. Huh.
Bruce stared into the opposite hall's direction to find that he had been followed, by none other than John Constantine.
"Why didn't you stay behind??" Bruce snapped and chucked part of a bot from his caped back with a swish. The thing hit a wall as his gauntlet made that a sheer possibility for the android.
"I had a call come through, and GL said we're running out of time." He was serious. John never really joked that way, unless he'd had one too many to drink.
"We can't be seen, you have to –
~Too late. ~
A sing – song, lilting voice on the intercom got the men's blood pumping.
~Batman. So good of you to come here to seek your demise, but it's too early to have you…. I need more time to prepare. You understand. I take it, that your companions are aware of my plans... ~
"Beastie…. You are the last living soul on this earth to tell us what to do! Where is she?? I know she's going to be sacrificed to that idiot golem you keep prattling' on about!"
Slade paused, feeling as if stalling was beneath him. He grew bored easily, and thus required a challenge. The two men could vouch; a maze, maybe? To peak the Bat's interest before he was further crushed into despair.
His masked lips struck into a grin as Slade came back to the intercom's mic, holding closely towards it, delicately.
~ I'll be sure to give Lord Trigon your regards, Constantine…. You two have met, but I'm going to be the first to really get under the demon's skin as his eventual…. partner –
"Hah! Trigon doesn't do "partners." Sniffed the magi. "You're barking a way back to 'ell with em; if you think –
~ I don't think for too long. Missed opportunities that way. I TAKE. ~
"Like how you stole my partner –
~ Ex – partner. ~ Slade let his voice span on a bit. ~ I know your history and Robin won't forget. ~ Slade smiled at the bat's narrowing gaze at a nearby camera.
~Find me or try to get to the top of this "tower" in the next hour. The guest of honor is not a patient, person. ~
"Demon." Snorted Constantine.
"Riddles won't protect the new you, Slade." Batman threatened. "Robin will be safe and so will the city from what you plan to unleash."
~I can always count on you to be the realist, Wayne. Thank you for your words of reassurance. We'll be in touch… ~
The camera crackled and died, a way to find the mastermind had been severed.
"Let's go on it, then! His trail is hot enough." John walked towards the nearest room; an elevator lay beyond –
"John! WAIT!"
/
A bit of rubble was an understatement. The door had been rigged to go off, but thankful for his timing, Batman had dragged them both off for John to play doctor by way of his own magical prowess.
"That…. he's an animal! A bomb was one thing, but dyna –
"Ex – military experiment, turned assassin for hire –
"Turned narcissistic arsonist, damned Beastie…" Coughing, John turned his head and muttered. "Where to now?"
"Down that hall to the right is a lab sector. I can cut through the vents, and we can skip the hassle of this floor –
"Let's then. You an' me."
"No." Bruce looked at John and didn't even acknowledge that; it was too much like how Robin had been. Far too optimistic.
Even if John thought he was being practical, Batman could sniff out anyone's insecurities.
"Blasted; I'm going, Mate. You can't hope to banish the demons on your own –
"Which is why I need to keep Slade in the dark a little longer. He knows we'll make it, but you could be a target. I already know why he wants me dead."
"No Batman, no Robin. No…. order? Are you serious?" John almost laughed at the connection. "Slade's just selling you off, then stealing some "scepter" from a demonic overlord. Nothing person –
"It is, because I'm the one; not Starfire, who can free Dick from what Trigon may have done to him –
"How do you even know if Slade isn't just bluffing? He seems to lie often, but it's an untraceable reality, that one…"
"The man is trying to lead us into his next pitfall. We can't take the risk of giving him that thrill…" Bruce turned his neck to unkink it before his next showdown with the mercenary gone occult team member.
"He is the kind of criminal mind that tires of playing the same game, so he'll think of ways to challenge us just to keep his attention strong. He's a hunter, and Robin even told his team before he was taken…Slade hates to lose…"
/
The car, or the streets. The heroes were busy busting up the place, so Ivy had to make the call.
She looked around for the vehicle, and saw the Slade Bots at the wheel, with a tinted back seat. It made her skin crawl.
Abductions, entrapment…. abuse…she REALLY was rethinking what would happen to the bat –
The lights on the vehicle used a low beam to tell her to hurry, and as if she were destined to follow it, she went over while the Titans had not a clue where their leader was about to end up.
/
"Did you bring the boy?"
"I did." Ivy pulled the stupefied kid in his temporary daze from her side. "He needs the antidote, here." She pulled out a vial and let it drop through the back seat window into the catcher's palms.
"Very well. We'll take our leave. Your slate is clean; I made sure to keep my end, but if you try to –
"I'm not Joker, you know." She smiled sweetly as jasmine under the moonlight. "Your kid, your scheme. As long as I don't have to go back to Arkham, you can have the butler too for all I –
"Then why isn't he drugged?"
She saw that he was sleeping, now coming to. A sheer panic filled Ivy's eyes as they lit up, ready to bolt with her. The Slade bots in the car and in the woods came out with a laser device. The nanobots, and she ran.
The boy was caught as he flopped into a bot's arms to bee returned to his worried master. The car revved as the chase and the assault on Wayne manor continued, as the night raged and while Robin was going to be hardest to locate once again.
/
The cool feeling of leather and the scent of an unused…
Car…he was in a sedan…. could it –
Dick tried to raise his head, but a hand held it down. He was, in trouble. Wasn't he?
"How long, Dick." Slade's voice stayed in the air, pinning the tired boy to his fated location.
"How long did you remember, everything about your life before this?"
"Un…on'…no…" Richard tried to reply, but his throat was too raw to shout. He couldn't move. Paralysis. It was his master's way of saying their trust had been broken.
"You were nearly complete; that part of your memory can't return once Trigon commits to our agreement. As for your teammate, Raven…she's safe. For now."
"Why….do….th –
"You deserve this as much as Ivy deserved getting hit with the blaster. She lied about your condition. I have no intention of dealing with low – level thieves. She might have given me something useful though…" Slade gripped the back of the boy's throat, keeping him on the floor as the car bounded off for their newest stop.
"The paralysis toxin is non – lethal. Just a double dose of Lidocaine, but if any, I wanted it to be easier on your system for now. The last attempt, your serum knocked out the effects of Pamela's. Didn't you get to speak again to her? That meant it had worn off."
Dick's eyes scrunched at the man's words, like his eye had always been on them…all this time?
"You….to…ol…d…her –
"She's worth no one's pity, not even the former boy wonder's." Slade huffed. "I have much to teach you, my little Martyr…" The words continued to have the boy's head throb. "Yet. The first thing you need to learn, is why sparing your enemies will cost you dearly in the end, dear boy."
"Bat…ma –
"He's not coming." Slade's eye looked at Dick, almost bored. Slade swapped from using his arm to hold Dick down, to crossing his legs over the boy's back like a wooden coffee table. The kid let out a pained, small sound. "You'll remain that way until we've reached our rendezvous point. No talking, or calling out to that witch. The more power she wastes on saving you, the less of a chance she has at fighting off her father."
"Ra… -
"An!!"
"No. I made that clear, Dick. If you disobeyed the oath you swore to me…" Slade let his heel press into the boy's back a small bit more, as the teen ground his teeth from the pressure.
"I'd have the right to break you. Don't press me, child. You've crossed the line one too many, but that will soon come to an end."
Dick let sweat plop onto the mat below him. He held up as the jutting vehicle made thankfully smooth turns, but the jut on potholes was a bit too much to ask to avoid. The humor in a robot dummy driving an expensive car like this was enough to have Dick lower his head to contain not his laughter, but tears as they streaked down his face.
Pain made people act out…if he were to try to fight back…he'd not see tomorrow as his master had promised. Starfire, all of them! He'd cost them too much…
~I'm sorry…I'm…. sorry…please, forgive me…~ No one would get that, it wasn't a ship in a bottle, but a prayer that maybe would have the trapped hero at peace for all but a moment, as he continued to endure his own torment at the hands of a cruel individual like, Deathstroke the Terminator.
