A Nightmare All His Own
Author: Flying Star
Disclaimer: Teen Titans, mine? Nope, I don't own it.
I'm back with a new story. Actually this is a sequel to my other story " Trust". It takes place at the end of the Apprentice episode, but incorporates what happened to Starfire in my previous story. It has Robin detailing what happened to him in the nightmare. Forgive me for cutting Robin's flashback battle vs Slade, I wanted to speed this along, and so I shortened it. And I did change some lines and actions. Thanks to RobinRox, Greywind, Braveheart and anyone else for reviewing and/or wanting the sequel.
Reading "Trust" is a must before reading this, or else it'll be rather confusing.
Rated PG-13 to be safe, for language and violence in the nightmare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- Chapter 1: He sees through jaded eyes
( Inside the Titans Tower)
The mood was sober as three of the five titans entered the tower, their heads hanging as Beastboy, Cyborg, and Raven turned to face their leader.
He silently entered, arms supporting the Tamaranian's limp body as gently as one would hold a newborn baby. Robin's gaze met the others as he slowly made his way to Starfire's room, her motionless body swaying lightly in his grip.
His eyes scrunched up in pain as he shrugged off Cyborg's whispered plea that it wasn't his fault. * Of course it was.* he though as he placed Starfire's ailing body on her bed and moved aside.
Cyborg silently placed the nanotech device onto a nearby table and began the task of removing the foreign objects from her body. Electrodes were placed on her person as he continued to read the information available to him though his sensors. Finally after much waiting, he leaned back, sighing gently as he removed the cords from her body and began a full-scan.
" Is she going to be okay?" Robin's voice was heavy with guilt as he spoke for the first time since the incident.
Cyborg shut off his sensors as he turned to face Robin. " The probes have been eliminated, but in her condition they did more damage than I thought. And though the damage isn't life-threatening, it's.... caused her to relapse. I'm sorry Robin, I don't know if she'll wake up from this."
" Of course she will." Beastboy argued, then felt a hand on his shoulder as Raven looked at him.
" Starfire's in there, I can feel her, but she's so far away. She may not be able to return this time." the telepath's cold voice cut through the room, bringing the reality of their situation crashing down upon them.
" I refuse to believe it." Beastboy said quietly
" Robin, what do you think?" Cyborg asked gently
" What I think..." Robin glanced at each one of them before his eyes returned to Starfire, " is that you three should leave. I want to be here with her, in case she wakes up."
Beastboy moved to argue, but Raven blocked him. " He's right, let's leave him be."
" And besides, I've got to get those probes out of the rest of us, and Robin later." Cyborg looked at Robin's slumped form as he picked up the nanotech device. " Don't beat yourself up, man. It's not your fault for what happened."
The three left the room, shutting the door behind them as Robin continued to gaze at Starfire's comatose form. " Of course it is. " he whispered through clenched teeth. " My fault for pursuing Slade in the first place, for allowing Star to come even though I knew she was still weak."
He resisted the urge to slam his fist down on her nightstand. And it would be his fault if she died.
All because he underestimated Slade once again.
( Flashback: Slade's lair, right before Robin and Slade fight)
Robin's eyes narrowed as he tore the S insignia from his outfit and threw it at Slade's feet, just resisting the urge to clap his hands together and wipe imaginary filth from them. " I'm through being your apprentice." he growled as he continued to glare at Slade.
Slade remained quiet, and instead rushed him, his inner fury at this display of disrespect showing as he fought Robin, their battle taking them throughout his mysterious gear-ridden lair. A fierce tug of war insued as each side fought, neither backing down, both almost evenly matched.
It wasn't until Slade calmly told Robin to again renounce his friends and call him master that all hell broke loose. A green flash lit the room, knocking Slade back and revealing Robin's battle-ready friends.
But instead of being glad, Robin's worry increased tenfold as he warned them to stay away, that they didn't know what Slade had done to them. But they proved him wrong, revealing that they knew and didn't care, so long as they were together.
And then Slade had pressed that damn button, activating the probes that once again tore at his teamates insides. Robin cried out when he saw Starfire's already weakened body collapse to the ground and become still. He made a decision and with Slade calling his name, grasped the device that had implanted the probes into his teamates bodies, thus injecting himself as well.
Then, staggering under the immense pain, he glared up at Slade, and told his request. Stop the probes or lose your apprentice. He could see the disappointment in Slade's eye as Slade grabbed the wrist device used to activate the probes and tore it off, tossing it to the ground where it sparked and died.
Without another word, Slade lashed out, his eye widening in surprise as Robin actually caught his foot and knocked him back. Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven followed him up, attacking Slade with a furiousity that surprised the usually calm man.
Robin ran to Starfire's side, checking for a pulse as he desperately called her name, then ducked as Slade tried to seperate his head from his body. Without thinking, Robin lashed out, striking Slade's mask, one half falling off as Slade covered the exposed skin in surprise. Stumbling to a control panel he hastily inputed a command before fleeing, his echoing call of " Another time, Robin, another time" ringing off the walls.
And then the sky was falling as everything began to crash down. Robin quickly told the others to leave while he grabbed the unconscious Starfire and ran for his life.
( End Flashback)
And now Robin was here, wondering if the one most precious to him would ever wake up. It wasn't fair, he had just got her back, only to see her slip away again.
He continued to stare at her still form. " Hey Star," he began, his voice almost breaking. " I'm not sure if you can hear me, but...I'm really sorry. You were right, I did obsess over Slade, and again you almost died because I was too stupid and thick-headed to admit it." he shifted back in the chair, knowing that his stay could last a long time. " So why am I still talking to you even though I'm not even certain that you can hear me? Well, " he smiled humorlessly, "I heard that sometimes when people fall into a coma, the sound of a loved one's voice can bring them back."
Sighing gently he lightly grasped her hand. " I remember you asked me only a couple days ago why I had the Red X outfit on me, and I brushed you off. I'm really sorry for that, I just...didn't want to remember what happened." he watched her chest rise and fall for a moment, his heart aching with each movement. " It seems so ridiculous now, but maybe it'll ease my mind if I tell you, and maybe you'll be able to return to me."
Robin rubbed his eyes, wiping away some of the moisture that had ran unchecked from them. Then taking a drink of water he began his tale.
*************************************************************************
( Within Robin's mind. During the events of "Trust")
A sharp pain, and then...darkness! It held onto him, robbing him of sight, mind, and self.
Robin's tightly closed eyes finally opened as his mind shook off the traquilizer's effects. At first he felt a touch of fear as nothing around him resembled anything familiar. But Bruce had trained him well as he pushed aside the fear and assessed what he remembered. " Slade. " Robin growled distastefully. The events of earlier coming back to him. " He had sent his robots for me, and I was was careless, fighting them without even realizing it had been a setup."
He rubbed the side of his neck, and was surprised to feel...nothing. After how hard he had struggled to keep the one robot from injecting him, he figured to have some blood, a hole, or at least some swelling at the site of the injection. Upon further inspection, he was surprised to feel fabric against his fingers. It encompassed his entire head, and as he looked down he stared in disbelief, his mind not believing his eyes.
His gloved hands....each had a red x on the palm. " No." he whispered. Quickly he looked at his chest and cried out in surprise, a red x adorned his outfit, and he was sure that the fabric encasing his head would be outlined with a white skull and red x."
Robin stumbled to his feet, his mind reeling from this unexpected shock. " How...when..why... when did this happen?!"
"Zrt...z...Red X, have you secured the component."
Robin jumped back, examining his surrounding for the source of the voice, but found no one.
" Red X, report!"
It took him a moment, but Robin realized that the voice was coming from a communicator strapped to his wrist. It had a familiar symbol on it, looked almost like...
" Why do you hesitate to answer. Have you run into the Titan?" the voice was growing impatient.
" Slade?" Robin had mumbled the word, but not quietly enough.
" Ah, finally you answer. My surveilance has picked up her presence about a block from your position. It would do you no good to engage her in battle now. Report back to me." Slade's deep voice rumbled as he cut the connection.
Robin stared in disbelief for a moment, before something hit the ground by his feet, drawing his attention. " Star?" his eyes grew wide as she flew at him, her glowing green eyes ablaze with anger.
" BE SILENT!" Starfire screamed as she threw another starbolt. " You were my friend, I trusted you, I believed you!" she strafed him, the tears she would normally shed long since gone. " But you betrayed us!"
Robin jumped again, barely missing the green energy as it sailed past him, incinerating a row of cars behind him. *What the hell is going on?* he thought as he starting running from the gold-skinned alien. * First I'm knocked out by Slade's robot, then find myself in the streets of what looks to be Jump City.* he veered to the left, sprinting down an alley as Starfire continued to fly after him, her cries of rage echoing around them. * And now somehow I'm wearing my Red X outfit, and being chased and accused by the one I love.* * Love?* he almost stopped running. * Where had that thought come from? Sure I like her, alot.* he admitted to himself. * But do I really love her?*
Clearing a fence he continued out into the open streets, skidding to a halt at what he saw. " Oh my god." the words escaped his lips as he looked at the twisted ruins that once was Jump City. Numerous cars and buildings were on fire, streets signs vandalized, a lone woman ran into a building, a man touting a gun in hot pursuit. " What happened here?" he whispered
" Red X!"
Fear gripped Robin as he turned around to face a hovering Starfire. " I don't understand...I"
" SILENCE!" she snarled, her green eyes narrowing, " I have tried to understand, to know the reason why. But I have grown tired of wondering."
An icy shiver went up Robin's spine as Starfire spoke again, her tone a dangerous whisper, " I now only want revenge for the death of my friends!" the last word became a scream as she released a pair of starbolts.
Acting on reflex Robin pushed the hidden sensors in his gloves, cloaking his appearance from the enraged Tamaranian.
" Show yourself, X!" Starfire continued to pepper the ground with starbolts as Robin quickly fled the scene. His mind trying to put together this impossible situation.
* Either Star's gone nuts or..* Robin stopped running as Starfire's cries of rage and anguish faded into the distance. * Or I'm going crazy.* he finished, leaning against a building...and promptly falling through. " What the..."
" Ah X, you got away."
A hand grasped Robin's arm, pulling him to his feet, and he found himself looking up into the eye of Slade.
" But you're late. And you know how I hate tardiness." the hand squeezed tightly, and suddenly Robin was on the ground, rolling to escape the electric current flowing through his suit.
Slade released him, watching him silently as he slowly rose to his feet. He extended a hand. " The component, if you please."
Robin rubbed his arm before answering. " And why would I want to give a certified pychopath anything?"
Slade's hand returned to his side. " You're acting strange, X. Did the girl knock you senseless?" he turned his back to Robin, walking over to a wall. A wall which suddenly lit up with multiple images.
Robin stared in surprise as an image of Starfire appeared on the screen. She was flying around the immediate area, her eyes still glowing with hate. After a few more passes, she landed, sitting on a bench and burying her face in her hands. Robin's gaze traveled back to Slade, who merely nodded.
" Poor little Titan, no friends, no one to care about." Slade's voice was smug. " She's all alone."
" You're wrong, Slade!" Robin was furious.
" Really, X? And how is it..."
" Quit calling me that!" Robin interupted, " I'm Robin, not X! And Starfire does have friends, Beastboy, Raven, Cyborg, and I. The Teen Titans are her friends!"
" All in the past, my boy." Slade pushed a few buttons on the now visible controls, each press bringing up a different scene. " There is no Robin, nor are there Teen Titans."
Robin gasped as the first screen came into focus. There was no sound, but the images were enough for him to grasp what happened.
( Scene on screen 1: Cyborg)
: Cyborg leveled his cannon, his eyes widening as Red X disappeared, only to reappear behind him. He tried to turn around, but was too late as Red X pried open his back panel, allowing X access to his internal mechanisms. In a surprise move X lobbed an armed grenade into the hole before leaping off. Cyborg frantically tried to reach it, but was unsuccessful as the charge went off, tearing his insides apart. The scene had only taken 5 seconds. :
( End scene)
Robin turned away, only to confront the next screen, which unfortunately had sound.
( Scene on screen 2: Beastboy)
: Beastboy roared in anguish as Cyborg's mutilated body fell to the ground. Changing into an gorilla, he charged Robin, his fists tearing up the ground as he tried to crush the one responsible for Cyborg's death. All rationality gone, he drove his fist at Red X, only to howl in pain as a bomb-laced birdarang lodged in his hand, detonating on impact, ripping the flesh from his hand in a spray of gore. Reverting back to his original form, Beastboy grabbed his shredded hand and glared up at Red X, tears of pain and anger collecting in his eyes as he mouthed one word " Why?" X remained silent as he grabbed Beastboy by the throat. A cry of "don't" was heard in the distance, and then a crack as Beastboy slumped to the ground, his neck broken. :
( End scene)
Robin felt sick as he turned to the next screen.
( Scene on screen 3: Raven)
: Raven's eyes went from normal to blood-red as she watched Red X toss Beastboy's lifeless body to the ground, all semblence of control gone. Chanting harshly she brought an entire row of cars crashing down in the spot where Red X...would of been had he not vanished, reappearing behind her. In the time it took for her to realize her mistake, he had brought his right hand forward, slicing her throat so swiftly that she didn't have time to gasp, before sliding to the ground. :
( End Scene)
Robin averted his eyes, three deaths, in less than the span of five minutes. All carefully executed to be as done as efficently and quickly as possible. Whoever was in that suit was as callous and cruel as Slade himself. But...Robin was not that person, or so he thought. The last screen came up and Robin felt his world fall apart.
( Scene on screen 4: Starfire)
: Starfire glared at Red X, tears flowing freely as she threw a pair of starbolts. " Why do you do this!?" she screamed, dodging the flying red Xs that flew from the palm of his hands. " You killed our friends without merit, for no reason at all!" A blade bit into the flesh of her arm, causing her to falter for a moment, her eyes wide with pain and betrayal.
A second blade ripped into the flesh of her right thigh, the pain becoming too much as she fell to the ground, tears of pain pooling around her eyes. A black-clad foot appeared by her face, and she gasped as Red X grabbed her hair, yanking her up to face him. " Why," she choked, " I just...want to know..why?" her eyes wandered up to his eyes as he stared at her for a moment, and then in one swift motion, yanked the mask off his face.
And there, smiling cruelly at her, the now revealed Robin said, " Because I can." Then, just as he reached for her face, the image winked out.
( End Scene)
Robin stared in silent horror, before feeling a hand on his shoulder.
" Yes, you did enjoy your mission." Slade's grip tightened. "But you did leave one loose thread. You let the alien live. I expect you to rectify that mistake soon."
" And why should I Slade?" Robin said through clenched teeth. " I admit, the resemblance is uncanny, but I know that's not me, it's has to be some kind of bot." he turned to face Slade, who seemed rather amused by his rantings. " I would never betray my friends."
Slade chuckled. "Ah, you may deny it, but you did." he brought up the scene with Starfire throwing her starbolts at Red X. Then he panned it around until only X was in the scene. " As you can see, " he gestured to X's left shoulder where a dark stain was spreading. " My robots cannot bleed, but humans do."
Robin was suddenly self-conscious of the nagging ache in his left shoulder. He rubbed it, feeling the healing wound that ran under his fingertips as Slade turned the screen off.
Slade then swept his arms out. " The Teen Titans are dead, I control the city, the world's leaders fear and respect me. And I owe it all to you..." Slade brought his face inches from Robin's, his eye narrowing...." partner."
*************************************************************************
That's the end of part 1. Yeah this story turned into a two parter. Please read and review, I'd like to know what you thought. Part 2 will hopefully be done soon, no promises though.
.
Author: Flying Star
Disclaimer: Teen Titans, mine? Nope, I don't own it.
I'm back with a new story. Actually this is a sequel to my other story " Trust". It takes place at the end of the Apprentice episode, but incorporates what happened to Starfire in my previous story. It has Robin detailing what happened to him in the nightmare. Forgive me for cutting Robin's flashback battle vs Slade, I wanted to speed this along, and so I shortened it. And I did change some lines and actions. Thanks to RobinRox, Greywind, Braveheart and anyone else for reviewing and/or wanting the sequel.
Reading "Trust" is a must before reading this, or else it'll be rather confusing.
Rated PG-13 to be safe, for language and violence in the nightmare.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------- Chapter 1: He sees through jaded eyes
( Inside the Titans Tower)
The mood was sober as three of the five titans entered the tower, their heads hanging as Beastboy, Cyborg, and Raven turned to face their leader.
He silently entered, arms supporting the Tamaranian's limp body as gently as one would hold a newborn baby. Robin's gaze met the others as he slowly made his way to Starfire's room, her motionless body swaying lightly in his grip.
His eyes scrunched up in pain as he shrugged off Cyborg's whispered plea that it wasn't his fault. * Of course it was.* he though as he placed Starfire's ailing body on her bed and moved aside.
Cyborg silently placed the nanotech device onto a nearby table and began the task of removing the foreign objects from her body. Electrodes were placed on her person as he continued to read the information available to him though his sensors. Finally after much waiting, he leaned back, sighing gently as he removed the cords from her body and began a full-scan.
" Is she going to be okay?" Robin's voice was heavy with guilt as he spoke for the first time since the incident.
Cyborg shut off his sensors as he turned to face Robin. " The probes have been eliminated, but in her condition they did more damage than I thought. And though the damage isn't life-threatening, it's.... caused her to relapse. I'm sorry Robin, I don't know if she'll wake up from this."
" Of course she will." Beastboy argued, then felt a hand on his shoulder as Raven looked at him.
" Starfire's in there, I can feel her, but she's so far away. She may not be able to return this time." the telepath's cold voice cut through the room, bringing the reality of their situation crashing down upon them.
" I refuse to believe it." Beastboy said quietly
" Robin, what do you think?" Cyborg asked gently
" What I think..." Robin glanced at each one of them before his eyes returned to Starfire, " is that you three should leave. I want to be here with her, in case she wakes up."
Beastboy moved to argue, but Raven blocked him. " He's right, let's leave him be."
" And besides, I've got to get those probes out of the rest of us, and Robin later." Cyborg looked at Robin's slumped form as he picked up the nanotech device. " Don't beat yourself up, man. It's not your fault for what happened."
The three left the room, shutting the door behind them as Robin continued to gaze at Starfire's comatose form. " Of course it is. " he whispered through clenched teeth. " My fault for pursuing Slade in the first place, for allowing Star to come even though I knew she was still weak."
He resisted the urge to slam his fist down on her nightstand. And it would be his fault if she died.
All because he underestimated Slade once again.
( Flashback: Slade's lair, right before Robin and Slade fight)
Robin's eyes narrowed as he tore the S insignia from his outfit and threw it at Slade's feet, just resisting the urge to clap his hands together and wipe imaginary filth from them. " I'm through being your apprentice." he growled as he continued to glare at Slade.
Slade remained quiet, and instead rushed him, his inner fury at this display of disrespect showing as he fought Robin, their battle taking them throughout his mysterious gear-ridden lair. A fierce tug of war insued as each side fought, neither backing down, both almost evenly matched.
It wasn't until Slade calmly told Robin to again renounce his friends and call him master that all hell broke loose. A green flash lit the room, knocking Slade back and revealing Robin's battle-ready friends.
But instead of being glad, Robin's worry increased tenfold as he warned them to stay away, that they didn't know what Slade had done to them. But they proved him wrong, revealing that they knew and didn't care, so long as they were together.
And then Slade had pressed that damn button, activating the probes that once again tore at his teamates insides. Robin cried out when he saw Starfire's already weakened body collapse to the ground and become still. He made a decision and with Slade calling his name, grasped the device that had implanted the probes into his teamates bodies, thus injecting himself as well.
Then, staggering under the immense pain, he glared up at Slade, and told his request. Stop the probes or lose your apprentice. He could see the disappointment in Slade's eye as Slade grabbed the wrist device used to activate the probes and tore it off, tossing it to the ground where it sparked and died.
Without another word, Slade lashed out, his eye widening in surprise as Robin actually caught his foot and knocked him back. Cyborg, Beastboy, and Raven followed him up, attacking Slade with a furiousity that surprised the usually calm man.
Robin ran to Starfire's side, checking for a pulse as he desperately called her name, then ducked as Slade tried to seperate his head from his body. Without thinking, Robin lashed out, striking Slade's mask, one half falling off as Slade covered the exposed skin in surprise. Stumbling to a control panel he hastily inputed a command before fleeing, his echoing call of " Another time, Robin, another time" ringing off the walls.
And then the sky was falling as everything began to crash down. Robin quickly told the others to leave while he grabbed the unconscious Starfire and ran for his life.
( End Flashback)
And now Robin was here, wondering if the one most precious to him would ever wake up. It wasn't fair, he had just got her back, only to see her slip away again.
He continued to stare at her still form. " Hey Star," he began, his voice almost breaking. " I'm not sure if you can hear me, but...I'm really sorry. You were right, I did obsess over Slade, and again you almost died because I was too stupid and thick-headed to admit it." he shifted back in the chair, knowing that his stay could last a long time. " So why am I still talking to you even though I'm not even certain that you can hear me? Well, " he smiled humorlessly, "I heard that sometimes when people fall into a coma, the sound of a loved one's voice can bring them back."
Sighing gently he lightly grasped her hand. " I remember you asked me only a couple days ago why I had the Red X outfit on me, and I brushed you off. I'm really sorry for that, I just...didn't want to remember what happened." he watched her chest rise and fall for a moment, his heart aching with each movement. " It seems so ridiculous now, but maybe it'll ease my mind if I tell you, and maybe you'll be able to return to me."
Robin rubbed his eyes, wiping away some of the moisture that had ran unchecked from them. Then taking a drink of water he began his tale.
*************************************************************************
( Within Robin's mind. During the events of "Trust")
A sharp pain, and then...darkness! It held onto him, robbing him of sight, mind, and self.
Robin's tightly closed eyes finally opened as his mind shook off the traquilizer's effects. At first he felt a touch of fear as nothing around him resembled anything familiar. But Bruce had trained him well as he pushed aside the fear and assessed what he remembered. " Slade. " Robin growled distastefully. The events of earlier coming back to him. " He had sent his robots for me, and I was was careless, fighting them without even realizing it had been a setup."
He rubbed the side of his neck, and was surprised to feel...nothing. After how hard he had struggled to keep the one robot from injecting him, he figured to have some blood, a hole, or at least some swelling at the site of the injection. Upon further inspection, he was surprised to feel fabric against his fingers. It encompassed his entire head, and as he looked down he stared in disbelief, his mind not believing his eyes.
His gloved hands....each had a red x on the palm. " No." he whispered. Quickly he looked at his chest and cried out in surprise, a red x adorned his outfit, and he was sure that the fabric encasing his head would be outlined with a white skull and red x."
Robin stumbled to his feet, his mind reeling from this unexpected shock. " How...when..why... when did this happen?!"
"Zrt...z...Red X, have you secured the component."
Robin jumped back, examining his surrounding for the source of the voice, but found no one.
" Red X, report!"
It took him a moment, but Robin realized that the voice was coming from a communicator strapped to his wrist. It had a familiar symbol on it, looked almost like...
" Why do you hesitate to answer. Have you run into the Titan?" the voice was growing impatient.
" Slade?" Robin had mumbled the word, but not quietly enough.
" Ah, finally you answer. My surveilance has picked up her presence about a block from your position. It would do you no good to engage her in battle now. Report back to me." Slade's deep voice rumbled as he cut the connection.
Robin stared in disbelief for a moment, before something hit the ground by his feet, drawing his attention. " Star?" his eyes grew wide as she flew at him, her glowing green eyes ablaze with anger.
" BE SILENT!" Starfire screamed as she threw another starbolt. " You were my friend, I trusted you, I believed you!" she strafed him, the tears she would normally shed long since gone. " But you betrayed us!"
Robin jumped again, barely missing the green energy as it sailed past him, incinerating a row of cars behind him. *What the hell is going on?* he thought as he starting running from the gold-skinned alien. * First I'm knocked out by Slade's robot, then find myself in the streets of what looks to be Jump City.* he veered to the left, sprinting down an alley as Starfire continued to fly after him, her cries of rage echoing around them. * And now somehow I'm wearing my Red X outfit, and being chased and accused by the one I love.* * Love?* he almost stopped running. * Where had that thought come from? Sure I like her, alot.* he admitted to himself. * But do I really love her?*
Clearing a fence he continued out into the open streets, skidding to a halt at what he saw. " Oh my god." the words escaped his lips as he looked at the twisted ruins that once was Jump City. Numerous cars and buildings were on fire, streets signs vandalized, a lone woman ran into a building, a man touting a gun in hot pursuit. " What happened here?" he whispered
" Red X!"
Fear gripped Robin as he turned around to face a hovering Starfire. " I don't understand...I"
" SILENCE!" she snarled, her green eyes narrowing, " I have tried to understand, to know the reason why. But I have grown tired of wondering."
An icy shiver went up Robin's spine as Starfire spoke again, her tone a dangerous whisper, " I now only want revenge for the death of my friends!" the last word became a scream as she released a pair of starbolts.
Acting on reflex Robin pushed the hidden sensors in his gloves, cloaking his appearance from the enraged Tamaranian.
" Show yourself, X!" Starfire continued to pepper the ground with starbolts as Robin quickly fled the scene. His mind trying to put together this impossible situation.
* Either Star's gone nuts or..* Robin stopped running as Starfire's cries of rage and anguish faded into the distance. * Or I'm going crazy.* he finished, leaning against a building...and promptly falling through. " What the..."
" Ah X, you got away."
A hand grasped Robin's arm, pulling him to his feet, and he found himself looking up into the eye of Slade.
" But you're late. And you know how I hate tardiness." the hand squeezed tightly, and suddenly Robin was on the ground, rolling to escape the electric current flowing through his suit.
Slade released him, watching him silently as he slowly rose to his feet. He extended a hand. " The component, if you please."
Robin rubbed his arm before answering. " And why would I want to give a certified pychopath anything?"
Slade's hand returned to his side. " You're acting strange, X. Did the girl knock you senseless?" he turned his back to Robin, walking over to a wall. A wall which suddenly lit up with multiple images.
Robin stared in surprise as an image of Starfire appeared on the screen. She was flying around the immediate area, her eyes still glowing with hate. After a few more passes, she landed, sitting on a bench and burying her face in her hands. Robin's gaze traveled back to Slade, who merely nodded.
" Poor little Titan, no friends, no one to care about." Slade's voice was smug. " She's all alone."
" You're wrong, Slade!" Robin was furious.
" Really, X? And how is it..."
" Quit calling me that!" Robin interupted, " I'm Robin, not X! And Starfire does have friends, Beastboy, Raven, Cyborg, and I. The Teen Titans are her friends!"
" All in the past, my boy." Slade pushed a few buttons on the now visible controls, each press bringing up a different scene. " There is no Robin, nor are there Teen Titans."
Robin gasped as the first screen came into focus. There was no sound, but the images were enough for him to grasp what happened.
( Scene on screen 1: Cyborg)
: Cyborg leveled his cannon, his eyes widening as Red X disappeared, only to reappear behind him. He tried to turn around, but was too late as Red X pried open his back panel, allowing X access to his internal mechanisms. In a surprise move X lobbed an armed grenade into the hole before leaping off. Cyborg frantically tried to reach it, but was unsuccessful as the charge went off, tearing his insides apart. The scene had only taken 5 seconds. :
( End scene)
Robin turned away, only to confront the next screen, which unfortunately had sound.
( Scene on screen 2: Beastboy)
: Beastboy roared in anguish as Cyborg's mutilated body fell to the ground. Changing into an gorilla, he charged Robin, his fists tearing up the ground as he tried to crush the one responsible for Cyborg's death. All rationality gone, he drove his fist at Red X, only to howl in pain as a bomb-laced birdarang lodged in his hand, detonating on impact, ripping the flesh from his hand in a spray of gore. Reverting back to his original form, Beastboy grabbed his shredded hand and glared up at Red X, tears of pain and anger collecting in his eyes as he mouthed one word " Why?" X remained silent as he grabbed Beastboy by the throat. A cry of "don't" was heard in the distance, and then a crack as Beastboy slumped to the ground, his neck broken. :
( End scene)
Robin felt sick as he turned to the next screen.
( Scene on screen 3: Raven)
: Raven's eyes went from normal to blood-red as she watched Red X toss Beastboy's lifeless body to the ground, all semblence of control gone. Chanting harshly she brought an entire row of cars crashing down in the spot where Red X...would of been had he not vanished, reappearing behind her. In the time it took for her to realize her mistake, he had brought his right hand forward, slicing her throat so swiftly that she didn't have time to gasp, before sliding to the ground. :
( End Scene)
Robin averted his eyes, three deaths, in less than the span of five minutes. All carefully executed to be as done as efficently and quickly as possible. Whoever was in that suit was as callous and cruel as Slade himself. But...Robin was not that person, or so he thought. The last screen came up and Robin felt his world fall apart.
( Scene on screen 4: Starfire)
: Starfire glared at Red X, tears flowing freely as she threw a pair of starbolts. " Why do you do this!?" she screamed, dodging the flying red Xs that flew from the palm of his hands. " You killed our friends without merit, for no reason at all!" A blade bit into the flesh of her arm, causing her to falter for a moment, her eyes wide with pain and betrayal.
A second blade ripped into the flesh of her right thigh, the pain becoming too much as she fell to the ground, tears of pain pooling around her eyes. A black-clad foot appeared by her face, and she gasped as Red X grabbed her hair, yanking her up to face him. " Why," she choked, " I just...want to know..why?" her eyes wandered up to his eyes as he stared at her for a moment, and then in one swift motion, yanked the mask off his face.
And there, smiling cruelly at her, the now revealed Robin said, " Because I can." Then, just as he reached for her face, the image winked out.
( End Scene)
Robin stared in silent horror, before feeling a hand on his shoulder.
" Yes, you did enjoy your mission." Slade's grip tightened. "But you did leave one loose thread. You let the alien live. I expect you to rectify that mistake soon."
" And why should I Slade?" Robin said through clenched teeth. " I admit, the resemblance is uncanny, but I know that's not me, it's has to be some kind of bot." he turned to face Slade, who seemed rather amused by his rantings. " I would never betray my friends."
Slade chuckled. "Ah, you may deny it, but you did." he brought up the scene with Starfire throwing her starbolts at Red X. Then he panned it around until only X was in the scene. " As you can see, " he gestured to X's left shoulder where a dark stain was spreading. " My robots cannot bleed, but humans do."
Robin was suddenly self-conscious of the nagging ache in his left shoulder. He rubbed it, feeling the healing wound that ran under his fingertips as Slade turned the screen off.
Slade then swept his arms out. " The Teen Titans are dead, I control the city, the world's leaders fear and respect me. And I owe it all to you..." Slade brought his face inches from Robin's, his eye narrowing...." partner."
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That's the end of part 1. Yeah this story turned into a two parter. Please read and review, I'd like to know what you thought. Part 2 will hopefully be done soon, no promises though.
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