A Nightmare All His Own
By Flying Star
Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not mine, if I did own it, Robin would admit his feeling to Starfire.
Again rated PG-13 for some blood and swearing.
As it sometimes happens when you're in the mist of a story, it can become longer than you thought. And so, I've decided to make this a three parter. In this chapter, Robin confronts more fears, watches another person die, meets up with some old 'friends', and catches a glimpse of someone familiar.
Replies to my reviewers, since everyone seems to do it.
~ Deathstrike- Glad you liked it. Yeah, I know, I didn't want to kill them, but it is one of his worst fears. Here's part two for your reading enjoyment.
~ Tribekitten- Thanks a lot for checking out both stories. And here's the next part.
~ Serenity - Hey girl, thanks a bunch for the review. Looking forward to yours and Seventy's new fic. Here's the next part.
~ RobinRox- Well, seems like I got a range of emotions from you. Apologies for what I'm going to do in this chapter. And here it is.
~ Seventy 5ive- Thanks for checking this out. Looking forward to yours and Vanillasuga's new fic. Here's the next part.
Special message: Thanks to my friend, Guine, for encouraging me to continue writing.
****************************************************
Part 2: Corruption Of Power
( Robin's new quarters)
* Partner...* one word, just one simple word. And yet Robin felt like his entire world had just collapsed on him. *First a member, but now the sworn enemy of the Teen Titans, correction Titan.* he thought sadly.
( Flashback: Moments earlier)
" Partner?" Robin scoffed
" Yes," Slade answered simply. " You came to me, figuring to trick me into giving you information. Rather ingenious in itself, pretending to partner with me under the guise of Red X, gain my confidence and trust. But....after constantly eluding your teamates and the police, you began to feel the rush, the absolute power. You had the control, and they could do nothing about it."
Slade held up three familiar colored chips. " After retrieving these chips, you changed plans, instead confiding in me, confessing your ploy. You continued to steal for me, enjoying your new status. Your former teamates, not knowing your identity, came to stop you." he chuckled. " The alien tried to warn them, that you were Robin under the mask, but you proved your loyalty by dispatching them, one by one, until she remained. Unfortunately, as you can see, the camera recording the fight was mysteriously destroyed before you tried to eliminate the alie.."
" She has a name, you know." Robin said, glaring at Slade. He didn't see the blow until right before it hit, knocking him senseless for a moment.
Slade cracked his knuckle." Ahem, as I was saying. You failed to kill her, and as you can see, she's made it her mission to stop you. But she's been a resilant pest, taking you on many times since that day, and still managing to survive. That's why I need the component you're holding."
" I don't have..hey!" Robin yelped as Slade plucked a small sphere from his hand. * But it wasn't there a minute ago.* his mind argued.
" Yes," Slade examined the sphere. " This is what we need to finish her off. Come X, I need to impliment this into your suit."
Robin followed silently, too stunned to even argue his name.
Slade motioned for Robin to sit, turning his back to him as he hooked numerous wires up to the sphere. Reading the information on the computer screen, he nodded, before turning back to Robin, two cords in his hands. " I just need to transfer the information to your suit." He grabbed Robin's head, plugging the first cord into the back of his mask, before plugging the other one into a port on Robin's left hand glove. " This will only take about ten seconds, please try to refrain from screaming."
" Scream..." Robin began to ask, just as Slade activated the sphere. Robin barely stopped himself from biting his tongue in half as two simultaneous waves of electricity flowed from the the cords. His teeth began to vibrate and his body started shaking as the waves connected, creating a flash that would've blinded Robin, if he wasn't already spasming in pain from the high voltage that threatened to stop his heart.
Slade turned the sphere off. " That should do it." he eyed Robin's shaking body. " You may return to your room to recover. We shall test your systems later, go."
Robin picked himself up, dragging his aching body to the only other door in the room. His knees felt like rubber as he sat down on the lone piece of furniture in the room, his bed. Still twitching from the shock, he slipped into a dreamless sleep.
(End Flashback)
That was three hours ago. Now he was sitting on the bed, staring at his open palms, trying to figure out just what Slade had done to him.
* Knowing Slade, it's definitely deadly. * Robin though grimly. For the third time since waking up, he tried removing his mask, only to be met with frustration as it stayed securely in place. * Can things get any worse?"
As if in answer to his question, the screen by his bed lit up, showing the one he despised. " X," Slade began, " The Titan's been spotted downtown, I want you to engage her in battle."
Robin grit his teeth. " I told you, I'm not fighting her. You can get some other lackey to...ARGH!" he fell off the bed, twitching as a weak current of electricity flowed through his suit.
" X, must we go through this every time?" Slade's voice became harsh. " This is the perfect time to test your new ability, now hurry before she leaves. I expect a full report upon your return."
The door to Robin's room slid open, Robin reluctantly exiting. * I won't fight her.* he thought. *Somehow I'll show her that I'm not the same person that she fought, and together we can get revenge on Slade.*
Nodding to himself, Robin began running, and before long he reached the designated area, only to find... " Nothing." he muttered. " There's no one here, maybe Slade got the coordinates wron..." A green bolt of energy skimmed his arm, setting the fabric on fire. Robin quickly extinguished it and looked at the alley in front of him.
Twin pools of burning green light glared at him as Starfire emerged from the shadows.
" Red X," she hissed, " You DARE show yourself!" Her hands lit up with twin starbolts. " I shall send you to what you call hell!" She threw the energy, which Robin quickly dodged.
* This is going to be harder than I thought.* Robin thought as he flipped away from Starfire, then sidestepped another starbolt. * She's mad with grief. Still, I have to try.*
"Starfire!" he called out, again having to dodge more green energy. " Please, I just want to talk!"
Starfire swooped down, her beautiful golden face still twisted in anger. She hovered less than a foot off the ground as she continued to glare at him. " There is nothing to talk about. I gave up on the reasons long ago."
She grabbed her left arm, and for the first time Robin saw the deep scar adorning it. A quicker glance revealed multiple scars on her legs as well, some newer than others. " Like what you see?" Starfire growled, clenching her right fist, green energy surrounding it. " I have many reminders, everytime we met, you gave me another one." She flung the energy, scoring a hit to Robin's chest.
Robin grabbed his chest, snuffing the new flame as Starfire scowled.
" I always return the favor." She flew low, grabbing Robin by the shoulders before he could react. Then she flew up until they were at least six stories above the street. " Fine, you want to talk?" she growled through clenched teeth. She brought his face inches from hers. " Then talk, X! It will do you no good though."
Robin struggled against Starfire's strong grip. " Star, please listen to me. I.."
" Do not refer to me by that name!" Starfire yelled, nearly dropping him. " Only HE was allowed, and he no longer exists!" Her grip tightened and Robin winced as he felt the bones in his shoulders starting to give.
" Please listen," Robin was panting now, his shoulders on the verge of breaking. " I'm not the same person that you think I am..I'm"
" Of course you are not. You are the Red X, the enemy responsible for the death of my friends." she sniffled a little, but no tears emerged, she had long since stopped crying. " You took pleasure in their deaths, as so too will I take pleasure in yours, farewell." She released her grip, letting him fall.
Despite the numbness in his injured, but not broken, shoulders, Robin managed to grab onto a nearby light pole, slowing his descent enough for him to land uneasily. A yell of anger came from above and he rolled to the right, dodging another pair of starbolts. * This is getting me nowhere.* he thought, finally coming to terms that Starfire was mentally beyond his help. * I have to get out of here.*
' Red X, use the suit's new ablility, it's downloaded into your palm Xs. Just aim and shoot.' Slade's voice crackled through his communicator. ' Do it now!'
" I'm through taking orders from you, Slade. " Robin said as he kicked open the doors to a nearby library and ducked inside. Outside he heard Starfire rampaging through the street as she closed in on him.
' Do not make me use force, X.'
Robin winced as Slade sent more electricity coursing through his suit. " I..won't do it. I would rather...die." He rasped as Slade cut the power.
'Oh no, X. I have other means of getting what I want.' Slade's voice was eerily calm.
"What..." Robin ducked as the doors to the library caming crashing down, and Starfire came flying in, her glowing eyes narrowing as she caught sight of him. With a cry of anger she flew at him, her hands already crackling with green energy.
' The girl will die. And since you are not willing to do it. Then I shall!'
" What the hell!?" Robin's left hand was moving on it's own, lifting against his will, and aiming right for Starfire! " No! Stop it, I won't... hurt..her!"
' You will because I want you to, X.'
Robin grabbed the offending hand, trying to force it down, to no avail......
' Didn't you ever wonder, X, why I allowed you to be my partner?' Slade chuckled
The X on the palm began to glow a bright red as Robin kept trying to force it down.......
' Part of it was power, you were willing to do almost anything to gain more. But, you were also reluctant to do some of the tasks for me, and I could see your dislike for me growing.'
A red x suddenly shot out.....
' I had to take precautions, you could say. I very well couldn't have you turning against me, and I surely couldn't have you disobeying my commands. Your electrical punishment was a part of some new components that I previously downloaded into your suit. It also allows me to take temporary control of your suit, as I did now. '
Making a direct beeline for Stafire's face. Robin could do nothing but watch helplessly.
' You belong to me, X. Don't ever forget that.'
Since Starfire was already flying at full speed, she was unable to dodge the x as it collided with her. But instead of wrapping her up, which was what it's original purpose used to be, it exploded against her body, coating her in a sticky substance that immediately began to eat through her skin like acid.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Her screams rattled the windows of the library as the red coating continued to destroy the skin, smoke rising from her body. Her eyes, full of betrayal and hatred, landed on Robin as the last of her skin melted away. " S-s-s-e-EE, you are a k-k -Killer. " She choked out as the green light of her eyes dimmed and her skinned body fell, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
" No." Robin fell to his knees, bitter tears falling from his eyes. " Slade, you bastard!" he hissed." You had to take her away from me."
' You've failed, X. The Titan is still alive.' Slade's harsh voice cut in.
Robin looked at the communicator in disbelief. " Alive? Quit playing games with me, Slade!" he forced the words out." There's no way that..." the words died in his throat as he looked at the now body-less floor. " Th- That's impossible! " he sputtered. " No one could survive that!"
' New coordinates, X. Your target is roaming the Jump City cemetary.'
" The cemetary?" Robin jumped up, running through the doorless front and out into the streets, uncertain as to what really awaited him there. Nothing made sense to him anymore, his outfit, Slade's words, Starfire's supposed recovery from certain death. It was like he was living in a...
* SLAM!*
Robin hit the ground hard as something collided with his chest. Rolling to his knees, he raised his head, only to have it slam into the pavement as something slammed into his back. Blinking rapidly to clear the bluriness inhibiting his vision, Robin used his staff to get to his feet.
Eerie laughter rang out behind him.
Robin turned around, instantly regretting the sudden movement as a wave of nausea gripped him, and found no one. " W-who's there?" he cursed inwardly, his voice sounded pathetically weak to his ears.
No vocal reply came, instead there was a flash, and again Robin's head hit the ground as a net wrapped around him, his staff falling from his grasp and rolling away.
Struggling against the net, and the rising nausea, Robin caught a flash of color. Turning his head, he could only make out red and green as whoever had tied him up, fled the scene.
" Dammit, so careless." he muttered as he thrashed to free himself.
' X, why haven't you reached your destination? The target is still moving.' Slade's voice had an edge to it.
" I'm a little tied up at the moment." Robin snapped as he managed to partly free an arm. A glint caught his eye, and he turned his head to see something red a few feet away from him. Wiggling until he reached the object, he tried to grab it. The fingers of his semi-freed hand were only able to brush the object on the first try. But on the second try he was able to grasp it. His eyes widened a little at the familiarity of it. * So simliar to my birdarangs, but with more blades.*
He stopped musing, and began using the birdarang-like object on the net. Moments later, he stood up, pulling the remaining net from his body, before picking his staff up. As he secured the staff to his body he felt something clinging to his outfit. Taking a moment to pull it free, he gave it a quick glance. The object was the size of a penny with a smooth metallic surface, but other than that it didn't look like anything important.
' Red X, the target.' Slade's voice cut in.
Robin glared at the communicator, throwing the object behind him as he began running. He wasn't doing this for Slade, he was going to find out if, and how, Starfire could be alive.
' Your target is twenty feet due North, still moving. I advise you to hurry, X, I will not tolerate failure.'
Robin bit his lip to keep from cussing Slade out, he couldn't afford to be immobilized at the moment.
Entering the gates of the cemetary, he was struck by the putrid smell of decay. He hurried his pace, trying to breath through his mouth. The smell intensified as he reached a small clearing, and as he rushed past a small grouping of graves, the ground by his feet burst upwards, a skelatal hand grabbing his leg.
Robin cried out in surprise as he fell to the ground, the hand holding his leg losing it's grip. Flipping over he came face to face with...two of his former teamates, both literally falling apart.
Robin ducked as zombie Beastboy, burned almost beyond recognition, tried to grab him with his remaining hand. Furious at missing his prey, the zombie shifted into a lion, it's mane ablaze as it opened what remained of it's mouth and roared, before rearing back on it's three legs and charging him. Robin rolled to the side, just out of zombie Beastboy's reach as the other zombie reached out for him.
Barely avoiding the fused skelatal mass that Robin thought looked a little like Cyborg, he stuck out his leg, tripping the already gutted zombie. Then using the metal shell as a handspring he leapt away from zombie Beastboy's second charge.
Zombie Beastboy collided with the metal husk of Cyborg, reverting back to his human form, his blackened eye focusing on Robin. At the same time zombie Cyborg began to twitch, and then sat up, the metal lump that was his head turned until he faced Robin as well. Then as one, they both stood up, zombie Beastboy growling softly as zombie Cyborg made hidious grinding noises.
Robin took a step back. * What the hell are these things?!* he though fearfully as he raised his hands and aiming carefully let two Xs fly. They both hit their mark, crashing into the zombies bodies, and holding them to the ground.
Running past the struggling zombies, Robin realized there had been three graves near the zombies, so that left...
He grabbed his staff as black energy surrounded him, vaulting over it before it could grip him. Looking up he was faced with a being that would've resembled Raven, had it's face not been bashed in.
Zombie Raven no longer had arms, but two skelatal hands hovered before her body, held aloft by black energy. She lunged at him, her ragged cape flying behind her as she tried to grab his face.
He dodged her clumsy attack and lashed out with his staff, shattering one of the hands. The zombie stopped for a moment, seeming to examine it's ruined hand, and then raised it's other hand, calling forth a mass of black- enshrouded tombstones.
Robin climbed the nearest tree, at the same time throwing out a large x that pinned zombie Raven to the ground, and swung into the top branches. The tombstones, no longer under zombie Raven's control, crashed to the ground.
But it wasn't to last. With an inhuman growl of rage, zombie Raven forced out a wave of black energy that obliterated not only the x pinning her, but also zombie Beastboy and Cyborg's advancing bodies. Her mashed eye then turned skyward, scanning the trees.
Robin stopped climbing, and held his breath, hoping that the creature wouldn't spot him. After several minutes of silence, the zombie let out a frustrated sigh, and hovered away from the area. Robin exhaled slowly, but waited several more minutes before he felt it was safe to move. Since he wasn't sure how close the zombie could be, he decided to stick to the treetops, to avoid detection.
" That was too close." he muttered as he continued to leap from tree to tree. " Don't know what the hell those things were. They looked sortof like my friends, or someone's idea of a sick joke, maybe some kind of robots since they had no blood." He shook his head. " I have to focus on finding Starfire, IF she's really alive."
' X, the Titan has stopped moving. Her location is now five feet due North. No more stalling.'
"Right." Robin muttered, wishing he could chuck the communicator into the nearest sewer. But for some reason it and his suit were latched securely to his body. The bottom half had only come off once, when he'd had to make a quick trip to the restroom facilities. At which he found out three things, one: he had nothing on underneath, and two: the suit, once put back on, would cling to his body like a second skin, and three: the communicator never came off.
" Could this day get any weirder?" As if in answer to his question, his eyes caught a glimpse of something floating a few feet away, near the floor of the forest. This something had gold skin and red hair.
"Starfire?" he leapt forward, closing the gap. The person had now stopped in front of a large stone, seemingly hesitant to look directly at it. Instead the person turned her head for a moment, and Robin, not realizing how far forward he was leaning, heard the soft crack of the branch a moment too late.
To be continued *********
Ack, don't throw anything! It shouldn't be long before part 3 is done. Well, what did you think? Please review.
By Flying Star
Disclaimer: Teen Titans is not mine, if I did own it, Robin would admit his feeling to Starfire.
Again rated PG-13 for some blood and swearing.
As it sometimes happens when you're in the mist of a story, it can become longer than you thought. And so, I've decided to make this a three parter. In this chapter, Robin confronts more fears, watches another person die, meets up with some old 'friends', and catches a glimpse of someone familiar.
Replies to my reviewers, since everyone seems to do it.
~ Deathstrike- Glad you liked it. Yeah, I know, I didn't want to kill them, but it is one of his worst fears. Here's part two for your reading enjoyment.
~ Tribekitten- Thanks a lot for checking out both stories. And here's the next part.
~ Serenity - Hey girl, thanks a bunch for the review. Looking forward to yours and Seventy's new fic. Here's the next part.
~ RobinRox- Well, seems like I got a range of emotions from you. Apologies for what I'm going to do in this chapter. And here it is.
~ Seventy 5ive- Thanks for checking this out. Looking forward to yours and Vanillasuga's new fic. Here's the next part.
Special message: Thanks to my friend, Guine, for encouraging me to continue writing.
****************************************************
Part 2: Corruption Of Power
( Robin's new quarters)
* Partner...* one word, just one simple word. And yet Robin felt like his entire world had just collapsed on him. *First a member, but now the sworn enemy of the Teen Titans, correction Titan.* he thought sadly.
( Flashback: Moments earlier)
" Partner?" Robin scoffed
" Yes," Slade answered simply. " You came to me, figuring to trick me into giving you information. Rather ingenious in itself, pretending to partner with me under the guise of Red X, gain my confidence and trust. But....after constantly eluding your teamates and the police, you began to feel the rush, the absolute power. You had the control, and they could do nothing about it."
Slade held up three familiar colored chips. " After retrieving these chips, you changed plans, instead confiding in me, confessing your ploy. You continued to steal for me, enjoying your new status. Your former teamates, not knowing your identity, came to stop you." he chuckled. " The alien tried to warn them, that you were Robin under the mask, but you proved your loyalty by dispatching them, one by one, until she remained. Unfortunately, as you can see, the camera recording the fight was mysteriously destroyed before you tried to eliminate the alie.."
" She has a name, you know." Robin said, glaring at Slade. He didn't see the blow until right before it hit, knocking him senseless for a moment.
Slade cracked his knuckle." Ahem, as I was saying. You failed to kill her, and as you can see, she's made it her mission to stop you. But she's been a resilant pest, taking you on many times since that day, and still managing to survive. That's why I need the component you're holding."
" I don't have..hey!" Robin yelped as Slade plucked a small sphere from his hand. * But it wasn't there a minute ago.* his mind argued.
" Yes," Slade examined the sphere. " This is what we need to finish her off. Come X, I need to impliment this into your suit."
Robin followed silently, too stunned to even argue his name.
Slade motioned for Robin to sit, turning his back to him as he hooked numerous wires up to the sphere. Reading the information on the computer screen, he nodded, before turning back to Robin, two cords in his hands. " I just need to transfer the information to your suit." He grabbed Robin's head, plugging the first cord into the back of his mask, before plugging the other one into a port on Robin's left hand glove. " This will only take about ten seconds, please try to refrain from screaming."
" Scream..." Robin began to ask, just as Slade activated the sphere. Robin barely stopped himself from biting his tongue in half as two simultaneous waves of electricity flowed from the the cords. His teeth began to vibrate and his body started shaking as the waves connected, creating a flash that would've blinded Robin, if he wasn't already spasming in pain from the high voltage that threatened to stop his heart.
Slade turned the sphere off. " That should do it." he eyed Robin's shaking body. " You may return to your room to recover. We shall test your systems later, go."
Robin picked himself up, dragging his aching body to the only other door in the room. His knees felt like rubber as he sat down on the lone piece of furniture in the room, his bed. Still twitching from the shock, he slipped into a dreamless sleep.
(End Flashback)
That was three hours ago. Now he was sitting on the bed, staring at his open palms, trying to figure out just what Slade had done to him.
* Knowing Slade, it's definitely deadly. * Robin though grimly. For the third time since waking up, he tried removing his mask, only to be met with frustration as it stayed securely in place. * Can things get any worse?"
As if in answer to his question, the screen by his bed lit up, showing the one he despised. " X," Slade began, " The Titan's been spotted downtown, I want you to engage her in battle."
Robin grit his teeth. " I told you, I'm not fighting her. You can get some other lackey to...ARGH!" he fell off the bed, twitching as a weak current of electricity flowed through his suit.
" X, must we go through this every time?" Slade's voice became harsh. " This is the perfect time to test your new ability, now hurry before she leaves. I expect a full report upon your return."
The door to Robin's room slid open, Robin reluctantly exiting. * I won't fight her.* he thought. *Somehow I'll show her that I'm not the same person that she fought, and together we can get revenge on Slade.*
Nodding to himself, Robin began running, and before long he reached the designated area, only to find... " Nothing." he muttered. " There's no one here, maybe Slade got the coordinates wron..." A green bolt of energy skimmed his arm, setting the fabric on fire. Robin quickly extinguished it and looked at the alley in front of him.
Twin pools of burning green light glared at him as Starfire emerged from the shadows.
" Red X," she hissed, " You DARE show yourself!" Her hands lit up with twin starbolts. " I shall send you to what you call hell!" She threw the energy, which Robin quickly dodged.
* This is going to be harder than I thought.* Robin thought as he flipped away from Starfire, then sidestepped another starbolt. * She's mad with grief. Still, I have to try.*
"Starfire!" he called out, again having to dodge more green energy. " Please, I just want to talk!"
Starfire swooped down, her beautiful golden face still twisted in anger. She hovered less than a foot off the ground as she continued to glare at him. " There is nothing to talk about. I gave up on the reasons long ago."
She grabbed her left arm, and for the first time Robin saw the deep scar adorning it. A quicker glance revealed multiple scars on her legs as well, some newer than others. " Like what you see?" Starfire growled, clenching her right fist, green energy surrounding it. " I have many reminders, everytime we met, you gave me another one." She flung the energy, scoring a hit to Robin's chest.
Robin grabbed his chest, snuffing the new flame as Starfire scowled.
" I always return the favor." She flew low, grabbing Robin by the shoulders before he could react. Then she flew up until they were at least six stories above the street. " Fine, you want to talk?" she growled through clenched teeth. She brought his face inches from hers. " Then talk, X! It will do you no good though."
Robin struggled against Starfire's strong grip. " Star, please listen to me. I.."
" Do not refer to me by that name!" Starfire yelled, nearly dropping him. " Only HE was allowed, and he no longer exists!" Her grip tightened and Robin winced as he felt the bones in his shoulders starting to give.
" Please listen," Robin was panting now, his shoulders on the verge of breaking. " I'm not the same person that you think I am..I'm"
" Of course you are not. You are the Red X, the enemy responsible for the death of my friends." she sniffled a little, but no tears emerged, she had long since stopped crying. " You took pleasure in their deaths, as so too will I take pleasure in yours, farewell." She released her grip, letting him fall.
Despite the numbness in his injured, but not broken, shoulders, Robin managed to grab onto a nearby light pole, slowing his descent enough for him to land uneasily. A yell of anger came from above and he rolled to the right, dodging another pair of starbolts. * This is getting me nowhere.* he thought, finally coming to terms that Starfire was mentally beyond his help. * I have to get out of here.*
' Red X, use the suit's new ablility, it's downloaded into your palm Xs. Just aim and shoot.' Slade's voice crackled through his communicator. ' Do it now!'
" I'm through taking orders from you, Slade. " Robin said as he kicked open the doors to a nearby library and ducked inside. Outside he heard Starfire rampaging through the street as she closed in on him.
' Do not make me use force, X.'
Robin winced as Slade sent more electricity coursing through his suit. " I..won't do it. I would rather...die." He rasped as Slade cut the power.
'Oh no, X. I have other means of getting what I want.' Slade's voice was eerily calm.
"What..." Robin ducked as the doors to the library caming crashing down, and Starfire came flying in, her glowing eyes narrowing as she caught sight of him. With a cry of anger she flew at him, her hands already crackling with green energy.
' The girl will die. And since you are not willing to do it. Then I shall!'
" What the hell!?" Robin's left hand was moving on it's own, lifting against his will, and aiming right for Starfire! " No! Stop it, I won't... hurt..her!"
' You will because I want you to, X.'
Robin grabbed the offending hand, trying to force it down, to no avail......
' Didn't you ever wonder, X, why I allowed you to be my partner?' Slade chuckled
The X on the palm began to glow a bright red as Robin kept trying to force it down.......
' Part of it was power, you were willing to do almost anything to gain more. But, you were also reluctant to do some of the tasks for me, and I could see your dislike for me growing.'
A red x suddenly shot out.....
' I had to take precautions, you could say. I very well couldn't have you turning against me, and I surely couldn't have you disobeying my commands. Your electrical punishment was a part of some new components that I previously downloaded into your suit. It also allows me to take temporary control of your suit, as I did now. '
Making a direct beeline for Stafire's face. Robin could do nothing but watch helplessly.
' You belong to me, X. Don't ever forget that.'
Since Starfire was already flying at full speed, she was unable to dodge the x as it collided with her. But instead of wrapping her up, which was what it's original purpose used to be, it exploded against her body, coating her in a sticky substance that immediately began to eat through her skin like acid.
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Her screams rattled the windows of the library as the red coating continued to destroy the skin, smoke rising from her body. Her eyes, full of betrayal and hatred, landed on Robin as the last of her skin melted away. " S-s-s-e-EE, you are a k-k -Killer. " She choked out as the green light of her eyes dimmed and her skinned body fell, hitting the ground with a sickening thud.
" No." Robin fell to his knees, bitter tears falling from his eyes. " Slade, you bastard!" he hissed." You had to take her away from me."
' You've failed, X. The Titan is still alive.' Slade's harsh voice cut in.
Robin looked at the communicator in disbelief. " Alive? Quit playing games with me, Slade!" he forced the words out." There's no way that..." the words died in his throat as he looked at the now body-less floor. " Th- That's impossible! " he sputtered. " No one could survive that!"
' New coordinates, X. Your target is roaming the Jump City cemetary.'
" The cemetary?" Robin jumped up, running through the doorless front and out into the streets, uncertain as to what really awaited him there. Nothing made sense to him anymore, his outfit, Slade's words, Starfire's supposed recovery from certain death. It was like he was living in a...
* SLAM!*
Robin hit the ground hard as something collided with his chest. Rolling to his knees, he raised his head, only to have it slam into the pavement as something slammed into his back. Blinking rapidly to clear the bluriness inhibiting his vision, Robin used his staff to get to his feet.
Eerie laughter rang out behind him.
Robin turned around, instantly regretting the sudden movement as a wave of nausea gripped him, and found no one. " W-who's there?" he cursed inwardly, his voice sounded pathetically weak to his ears.
No vocal reply came, instead there was a flash, and again Robin's head hit the ground as a net wrapped around him, his staff falling from his grasp and rolling away.
Struggling against the net, and the rising nausea, Robin caught a flash of color. Turning his head, he could only make out red and green as whoever had tied him up, fled the scene.
" Dammit, so careless." he muttered as he thrashed to free himself.
' X, why haven't you reached your destination? The target is still moving.' Slade's voice had an edge to it.
" I'm a little tied up at the moment." Robin snapped as he managed to partly free an arm. A glint caught his eye, and he turned his head to see something red a few feet away from him. Wiggling until he reached the object, he tried to grab it. The fingers of his semi-freed hand were only able to brush the object on the first try. But on the second try he was able to grasp it. His eyes widened a little at the familiarity of it. * So simliar to my birdarangs, but with more blades.*
He stopped musing, and began using the birdarang-like object on the net. Moments later, he stood up, pulling the remaining net from his body, before picking his staff up. As he secured the staff to his body he felt something clinging to his outfit. Taking a moment to pull it free, he gave it a quick glance. The object was the size of a penny with a smooth metallic surface, but other than that it didn't look like anything important.
' Red X, the target.' Slade's voice cut in.
Robin glared at the communicator, throwing the object behind him as he began running. He wasn't doing this for Slade, he was going to find out if, and how, Starfire could be alive.
' Your target is twenty feet due North, still moving. I advise you to hurry, X, I will not tolerate failure.'
Robin bit his lip to keep from cussing Slade out, he couldn't afford to be immobilized at the moment.
Entering the gates of the cemetary, he was struck by the putrid smell of decay. He hurried his pace, trying to breath through his mouth. The smell intensified as he reached a small clearing, and as he rushed past a small grouping of graves, the ground by his feet burst upwards, a skelatal hand grabbing his leg.
Robin cried out in surprise as he fell to the ground, the hand holding his leg losing it's grip. Flipping over he came face to face with...two of his former teamates, both literally falling apart.
Robin ducked as zombie Beastboy, burned almost beyond recognition, tried to grab him with his remaining hand. Furious at missing his prey, the zombie shifted into a lion, it's mane ablaze as it opened what remained of it's mouth and roared, before rearing back on it's three legs and charging him. Robin rolled to the side, just out of zombie Beastboy's reach as the other zombie reached out for him.
Barely avoiding the fused skelatal mass that Robin thought looked a little like Cyborg, he stuck out his leg, tripping the already gutted zombie. Then using the metal shell as a handspring he leapt away from zombie Beastboy's second charge.
Zombie Beastboy collided with the metal husk of Cyborg, reverting back to his human form, his blackened eye focusing on Robin. At the same time zombie Cyborg began to twitch, and then sat up, the metal lump that was his head turned until he faced Robin as well. Then as one, they both stood up, zombie Beastboy growling softly as zombie Cyborg made hidious grinding noises.
Robin took a step back. * What the hell are these things?!* he though fearfully as he raised his hands and aiming carefully let two Xs fly. They both hit their mark, crashing into the zombies bodies, and holding them to the ground.
Running past the struggling zombies, Robin realized there had been three graves near the zombies, so that left...
He grabbed his staff as black energy surrounded him, vaulting over it before it could grip him. Looking up he was faced with a being that would've resembled Raven, had it's face not been bashed in.
Zombie Raven no longer had arms, but two skelatal hands hovered before her body, held aloft by black energy. She lunged at him, her ragged cape flying behind her as she tried to grab his face.
He dodged her clumsy attack and lashed out with his staff, shattering one of the hands. The zombie stopped for a moment, seeming to examine it's ruined hand, and then raised it's other hand, calling forth a mass of black- enshrouded tombstones.
Robin climbed the nearest tree, at the same time throwing out a large x that pinned zombie Raven to the ground, and swung into the top branches. The tombstones, no longer under zombie Raven's control, crashed to the ground.
But it wasn't to last. With an inhuman growl of rage, zombie Raven forced out a wave of black energy that obliterated not only the x pinning her, but also zombie Beastboy and Cyborg's advancing bodies. Her mashed eye then turned skyward, scanning the trees.
Robin stopped climbing, and held his breath, hoping that the creature wouldn't spot him. After several minutes of silence, the zombie let out a frustrated sigh, and hovered away from the area. Robin exhaled slowly, but waited several more minutes before he felt it was safe to move. Since he wasn't sure how close the zombie could be, he decided to stick to the treetops, to avoid detection.
" That was too close." he muttered as he continued to leap from tree to tree. " Don't know what the hell those things were. They looked sortof like my friends, or someone's idea of a sick joke, maybe some kind of robots since they had no blood." He shook his head. " I have to focus on finding Starfire, IF she's really alive."
' X, the Titan has stopped moving. Her location is now five feet due North. No more stalling.'
"Right." Robin muttered, wishing he could chuck the communicator into the nearest sewer. But for some reason it and his suit were latched securely to his body. The bottom half had only come off once, when he'd had to make a quick trip to the restroom facilities. At which he found out three things, one: he had nothing on underneath, and two: the suit, once put back on, would cling to his body like a second skin, and three: the communicator never came off.
" Could this day get any weirder?" As if in answer to his question, his eyes caught a glimpse of something floating a few feet away, near the floor of the forest. This something had gold skin and red hair.
"Starfire?" he leapt forward, closing the gap. The person had now stopped in front of a large stone, seemingly hesitant to look directly at it. Instead the person turned her head for a moment, and Robin, not realizing how far forward he was leaning, heard the soft crack of the branch a moment too late.
To be continued *********
Ack, don't throw anything! It shouldn't be long before part 3 is done. Well, what did you think? Please review.