Chapter three: Vengeance is a funny word.
[Disclaimer: I neither created nor own Teen Titans. Damn. I also don't own
the quote in this by Stan Lee. Damn again.]
He just couldn't wait for the three days he had promised. Robin would meet
Slade now. He would pay for killing Starfire.
"Where's Robin?" asked a glum Cyborg. Beast Boy opened his eyes and stared over Raven's head at Cyborg. "How should I know? I've been asleep the last six hours." "Yeah, good luck with that. I'll go look for him again." It took a moment for what Cy had said to sink in. "Hey!" he yelled at the empty space where Cyborg had been a moment ago. "That's not funny." "What's not funny?" asked Raven sleepily. "Cyborg said—nothing." "Cyborg said what?" "Nothing, it's not important." "Whatever. "Raven?" "What." "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I...sort of...well, Ravenilikeyou." "Huh?" "I...like you. A lot. (Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me...)" "It's okay. I love you, too." A tear ran down her face, and Beast Boy wiped it away. "What's wrong?" "I was just thinking that if Starfire was here, she'd cook up some "Cake of Happiness" or something." Another tear ran down her face, and something exploded in the kitchen. (I am so tempted to say 'meanwhile, back at the ranch...' but I won't.) Robin ran through the shadows of Jump City, following Slade's satellite signal like a bloodhound. Though he had been running well over an hour, he wasn't even breathing hard. He had energy fueled by anger, and would stop at nothing to avenge his Starfire. When he reached the warehouse Slade currently occupied, Robin slowed to a stop in the back under a streetlight, and prepared to climb in through a broken window. "No need to go through all that trouble, Robin. We can fight out here, if you would prefer," came a cold voice from behind. Robin ducked as a silver boot slammed into the wall in front of him. Thinking fast, he grabbed Slade's foot and flipped him over onto his back and delivered him a swift kick to the face in passing from one end of him to the other. But like always, Slade just bounced back up. "Well, I wasn't quite expecting that kind of power," said Slade. "With great anger comes infinite power," quoted Robin. "And yet, with great power comes great responsibility," quoted Slade right back. "What exactly do you mean by that, you murdering—" "Now, now, Robin...let's not resort to name calling. I mean that if you kill me, you'll be on trial for murder yourself." Robin seemed to mull this over for but a second as Slade attacked again. As Slade's fist flew in to connect with the side of his head, Robin grabbed the armored arm and used Slade's own weight against him by throwing the villain head over heels into the side of a dumpster. "Even if I don't kill you, I'll hit you harder than Linux Lewis on steroids," threatened Robin. Slade stood up slowly. He didn't get far before Robin landed a spectacular flying kick to his stomach; Slade fairly flew across the space under the streetlight and out into the shadows. Pictures of Starfire's smiling face flashed through Robin's mind as he continued to pommel Slade, neither keeping track of nor caring how many times he was hit.
Cyborg, who had figured out what must have happened, followed the homing signal from Robin's communicator to the warehouse. When he entered the circle of light created by the now flickering streetlight, he nearly gagged. Both villain and Boy Wonder were lying motionless in the center of a vast pool of blood. Just from looking at his broken body, Cyborg could tell that there was no possible way Slade could still be alive. But Robin...was he alive or dead? He lay twisted and unconscious, covered in blood that was both his own and Slade's. Cyborg splashed through the blood over to Robin and began to pick him up. Robin groaned as Cyborg stood to his full height again and dashed back towards Titans Tower. Robin felt limp to Cyborg, and heat was rapidly fading from his wrecked body.
Even though it was almost midnight, Beast Boy and Raven were sitting in the main room with nothing to do. When Cyborg staggered in, however, things changed drastically. "Why'd you bring him back here? The only way I can help is to get him to the hospital faster than you," said Raven, as she levitated Robin and herself out of the tower to the hospital. On the way, Raven noticed that Robin was more badly injured than Cyborg had guessed. He was bleeding in more places than were countable, it looked like he had broken his left arm, and he had bruises all over his face. He was still unconscious, and it hurt Raven to see her friend in such pain. She flew faster.
When Robin awoke, it was to see Cyborg looking at him apprehensively. "Guys, he's awake!" Cyborg said. Raven and Beast Boy entered the room, relieved looks on their faces. "How long was I out for?" asked Robin. "Close to two days. You broke both arms and one leg, three ribs are cracked, and you sustained a minor concussion. But that's not the good news. The police department let you off on the technicality that Slade would've got the death penalty anyways. You mangled him good." Robin turned to look out the window at the cloudy sky. Somehow, he felt that he hadn't done right. He felt like maybe...he shouldn't have killed Slade... After they visited Robin, Raven and Beast Boy left the hospital and found themselves back in the park. Standing on the edge of the cliff, Raven stared out at the cloudy horizon. "What's up?" asked Beast Boy. "I was just thinking about you. And me, and...us in general." "What about us?" "Nothing in particular, just...I feel sort of guilty about being together so soon after Robin lost Starfire. He really loved her." "But I really love you, so—" "I just wonder what he thinks of it." "Should it matter?" "Pardon?" "Since when do you care about what other people think of you?" "You're right." Raven stepped closer to Beast Boy and threw her arms about his neck. He hesitated for but a moment before hugging her also, snow beginning to fall around them. [A/N: Sappy, I know, but the next chapter kicks a fair amount of ass. Then again, it might turn mushy like this one...All Hail the Crappy Writing of the Apocalypse!!!]
"Where's Robin?" asked a glum Cyborg. Beast Boy opened his eyes and stared over Raven's head at Cyborg. "How should I know? I've been asleep the last six hours." "Yeah, good luck with that. I'll go look for him again." It took a moment for what Cy had said to sink in. "Hey!" he yelled at the empty space where Cyborg had been a moment ago. "That's not funny." "What's not funny?" asked Raven sleepily. "Cyborg said—nothing." "Cyborg said what?" "Nothing, it's not important." "Whatever. "Raven?" "What." "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...I...sort of...well, Ravenilikeyou." "Huh?" "I...like you. A lot. (Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me...)" "It's okay. I love you, too." A tear ran down her face, and Beast Boy wiped it away. "What's wrong?" "I was just thinking that if Starfire was here, she'd cook up some "Cake of Happiness" or something." Another tear ran down her face, and something exploded in the kitchen. (I am so tempted to say 'meanwhile, back at the ranch...' but I won't.) Robin ran through the shadows of Jump City, following Slade's satellite signal like a bloodhound. Though he had been running well over an hour, he wasn't even breathing hard. He had energy fueled by anger, and would stop at nothing to avenge his Starfire. When he reached the warehouse Slade currently occupied, Robin slowed to a stop in the back under a streetlight, and prepared to climb in through a broken window. "No need to go through all that trouble, Robin. We can fight out here, if you would prefer," came a cold voice from behind. Robin ducked as a silver boot slammed into the wall in front of him. Thinking fast, he grabbed Slade's foot and flipped him over onto his back and delivered him a swift kick to the face in passing from one end of him to the other. But like always, Slade just bounced back up. "Well, I wasn't quite expecting that kind of power," said Slade. "With great anger comes infinite power," quoted Robin. "And yet, with great power comes great responsibility," quoted Slade right back. "What exactly do you mean by that, you murdering—" "Now, now, Robin...let's not resort to name calling. I mean that if you kill me, you'll be on trial for murder yourself." Robin seemed to mull this over for but a second as Slade attacked again. As Slade's fist flew in to connect with the side of his head, Robin grabbed the armored arm and used Slade's own weight against him by throwing the villain head over heels into the side of a dumpster. "Even if I don't kill you, I'll hit you harder than Linux Lewis on steroids," threatened Robin. Slade stood up slowly. He didn't get far before Robin landed a spectacular flying kick to his stomach; Slade fairly flew across the space under the streetlight and out into the shadows. Pictures of Starfire's smiling face flashed through Robin's mind as he continued to pommel Slade, neither keeping track of nor caring how many times he was hit.
Cyborg, who had figured out what must have happened, followed the homing signal from Robin's communicator to the warehouse. When he entered the circle of light created by the now flickering streetlight, he nearly gagged. Both villain and Boy Wonder were lying motionless in the center of a vast pool of blood. Just from looking at his broken body, Cyborg could tell that there was no possible way Slade could still be alive. But Robin...was he alive or dead? He lay twisted and unconscious, covered in blood that was both his own and Slade's. Cyborg splashed through the blood over to Robin and began to pick him up. Robin groaned as Cyborg stood to his full height again and dashed back towards Titans Tower. Robin felt limp to Cyborg, and heat was rapidly fading from his wrecked body.
Even though it was almost midnight, Beast Boy and Raven were sitting in the main room with nothing to do. When Cyborg staggered in, however, things changed drastically. "Why'd you bring him back here? The only way I can help is to get him to the hospital faster than you," said Raven, as she levitated Robin and herself out of the tower to the hospital. On the way, Raven noticed that Robin was more badly injured than Cyborg had guessed. He was bleeding in more places than were countable, it looked like he had broken his left arm, and he had bruises all over his face. He was still unconscious, and it hurt Raven to see her friend in such pain. She flew faster.
When Robin awoke, it was to see Cyborg looking at him apprehensively. "Guys, he's awake!" Cyborg said. Raven and Beast Boy entered the room, relieved looks on their faces. "How long was I out for?" asked Robin. "Close to two days. You broke both arms and one leg, three ribs are cracked, and you sustained a minor concussion. But that's not the good news. The police department let you off on the technicality that Slade would've got the death penalty anyways. You mangled him good." Robin turned to look out the window at the cloudy sky. Somehow, he felt that he hadn't done right. He felt like maybe...he shouldn't have killed Slade... After they visited Robin, Raven and Beast Boy left the hospital and found themselves back in the park. Standing on the edge of the cliff, Raven stared out at the cloudy horizon. "What's up?" asked Beast Boy. "I was just thinking about you. And me, and...us in general." "What about us?" "Nothing in particular, just...I feel sort of guilty about being together so soon after Robin lost Starfire. He really loved her." "But I really love you, so—" "I just wonder what he thinks of it." "Should it matter?" "Pardon?" "Since when do you care about what other people think of you?" "You're right." Raven stepped closer to Beast Boy and threw her arms about his neck. He hesitated for but a moment before hugging her also, snow beginning to fall around them. [A/N: Sappy, I know, but the next chapter kicks a fair amount of ass. Then again, it might turn mushy like this one...All Hail the Crappy Writing of the Apocalypse!!!]