See, I told you that Chapter 10 would be up much sooner. Homework can wait, this is important! I appologize for the last chapter...it was pretty boring but necessary. I think this one is much more interesting ;) Oh, and thanks to Rinagurl13, frosty1567, lady isil, Niki Dee, anonymous and Rain for reviewing my story "Remember to Breathe". If you have time, check it out. I need to know if I can write fluff...it might be a necessary skill for upcoming chapters!
Majestical: I really don't like Star much either...but I felt a bit guilty for shoving her to the side, so I thought I should catch up a bit on her. LOL rootbeer is tasty! licks lips
frosty1567:I hate math and science! And I feel for you...late night homework sucks! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Madman: LOL you got me there...Rats, I've been outsmarted!
the fonix freeke: Yeah, Dr. M. is definately loony. As to whether he took Robin...well you'll see in a bit.
izzy6392: Sorry...cliffies are just plain engrained in me. And I added quite a bit about BB in this chapter, just for you! :) Lol
yellowlightning: Wow, thank you so much! Yes, it's very exasperating for Raven...Robin is very slippery right now. I'm glad you liked the Starfire stuff...I was worried that no one would. Thanks so much for your review, you really encourage me to keep writing!
kiddette: LOL sorry...I just couldn't help but gloat a bit...I thought my writing was pretty convincing on that bit. I will keep on writing, and I really appreciate your input!
Rinagurl13: Thanks...I'm glad you liked it cause I was worried...it's been written in bits and pieces over this past week. Exactly! Dang Stupid Teachers! This is way more fun than homework.
tinkerbellx2: I would have to agree with you on that: Star needs to stay away from Robin. Lol you will soon find out.Yes music counts, heck P.E. counts! Even lunch counts! LOL! Sweet, I would like to learn French; it sounds fun. I like English most, but I hate when teachers assign poetry. Creativity should not be forced, and it should definately not have a grade attached to it! Sadly, that is about the only class I like this year. The class that I HATE would have to be Geometry. I can't stand the stuff!
Ok then, (wow I say this alot) on with the story!
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"You there! Stop!", yelled a desperate guard, firing a few rounds from his laser gun. He managed to hit the shadowy individual, but for all the notice it took, he might have thrown a flower at it. "He's got Project X! I repeat, the theif has Project X!", he yelled into his communication device. "Back up! Send me back up!" He fired again as the figure ran for the window. "No...They'd have to be nuts to-" Just before it reached the window, the figure sprang upward, crashing through the glass and disappearing from sight. The guard stared at the broken window. No one could survive a fall from a ten story window. No one.
The mysterious theif let himself free-fall for a few minutes, then shot a grappling hook at the building across from Wayne Enterprises. It caught the roof, and the theif pushed the retract button, jerking himself out of his fall and headed straight for the building. He stuck out his legs to keep himself from slamming into the rapidly approaching wall. The impact was enough to shatter bones, but the theif took no notice. Soon he was on the roof, but he didn't pause to rest or wipe the off the blood that was streaming freely down his face. He ran for the edge of the roof, took a flying leap, and landed on the next building over. His masked eyes stared straight ahead, and he took no notice of his surroundings or the ground below his feet. He was going somewhere, but exactly where that was, not even he could say.
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"What do you mean he's gone?" Robin couldn't have just gotten up and left; from what she had seen, he had lost a lot of blood, and, possibly, broken a few ribs. It just wasn't logical!
"Just what I said, Ray!", Cyborg yelled, stepping aside to reveal the empty bed.
Raven stared at it for a moment, fear overwhelming her. The last time Robin had just "disappeared", she had almost lost him. This realization snapped her into action. "Starfire, Cyborg, search the tower. Get Beast Boy to help you if you can", she instructed, already half way to the stairs.
"Wait, where are you going?", Cyborg asked.
"Into the fire", Raven mumbled, almost to herself.
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"Good, Robin. You have passed your first test. However, you are still far from perfect." Slade looked critically at Robin, taking in his multiple cuts and clearly broken leg. Slade took the miniscule device from Robin's outstretched hand, slightly pleased that his plan was now truly in motion.
"Now, before you leave", he droned, reaching into his utility belt. Slade extracted a syringe and a vial of clear liquid, which he injected into Robin's arm. The Boy Wonder didn't even flinch, just continued to stare straight ahead, shoulders hunched and head ducked.
"I'm afraid that you must be punished for the imperfection of your mission, Robin." Slade raised his metal-gloved fist and brought it smashing into Robin's cut and bleeding face.
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Apparently, Slade had packed up and moved. All that remained of his lair were a few scraps of destroyed equipment, and, here and there, a shred of red and green material. The entire building shook as Raven's fear, anger, and desperation got the better of her. The roof began to cave in, but Raven hardly noticed. She hadn't meditated in days, and she was now a slave to her uncontrolled emotions.
"Surely, a person can only have so many near-death experiences. Robin's luck is most likely running out as we speak." Logic had somehow made herself heard over all the clammering and irrational emotions. Raven collapsed, cradling her head in her hands as the building fell in all around her.
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No matter how many times he was smashed to the ground, Robin stood back up at Slade's command. Doing things this way did not entirely suit Slade's tastes. He preffered to hear Robin's blood-curdling screams, to see him desperately trying to escape, to defend himself...Right now, Robin was no better than a punching bag.
Slade soon tired of punishing Robin. "Well, I have enjoyed your visit, Robin, but I think it's time for you to go home." With these words, the masked teenager turned and walked towards the door. Not even Slade's chemicals could keep him from limping slightly as he used his horribly disfigured leg.
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Raven screamed, trying desperately to control her emotions, and in doing so, control her powers as well. Chunks of concrete were ripping themselves from the walls and ceiling, exploding and crashing all around her in a swirling vortex of fury. She screwed up her eyes, curled in on herself; she had absolutely no control now. The building could collapse right now, and there would be nothing she could do to save herself.
"Raven!" She heard a voice through the howling in her head. She opened her eyes, ligting her tear-streaked face.
"Raven!" Beast Boy was running towards her, dodging the flying rubble. In the infinite space between entering the lair and holding Raven comfortingly in his arms, fear and anger coursed through Beast Boy. This was all Robin's fault. He had done this to her, he had done this to all of them.
"It's ok, Raven. It's ok." He stroked her violet hair, letting her head rest on his shoulder. She was shaking, breathing hard...Raven slowly calmed down, and the debris stopped flying around the room, but the damage had been done. The building was collapsing in on them.
Beast Boy stared at Raven, weak in his arms, and desperately searched for a way out of their impossible situation. "So...I'm guessing you can't use your powers?" Raven lifted her head with difficulty, looking into his dark green eyes. "I'll take that as a no", he mumbled. "I guess we'll have to do this the slow way, then." Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl, holding Raven genlty in his clawed feet and flying for the exit, dodging more and more falling chunks of concrete. If he didn't hurry, they would both be buried under several tons of rubble and dirt.
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A scream ripped its way out of his lungs. The pain was so intense; he couldn't see; he couldn't breathe; his brain was a twisted mass...he wanted it to stop...needles and knifes stabbed him...he pleaded for it to stop...
Robin's scream died out, leaving only the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks.
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"Did you hear that sound, friend Cyborg?", asked Starfire, perking up her ears.
"Huh? I didn't hear anything, Star", he said dismissively. His brain was otherwise occupied at the moment. If he had just been there, if only he had stayed put...
"I was quite certain that I heard something from outside this dwelling...", she muttered, walking over to the large window and staring out into the darkness. "I suppose it was merely the wind...", she said uncertainly, returning to the sofa and putting the strange noise out of her mind.
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They had made it out alive, but not unscathed. Raven had several cuts on her arms and legs, and Beast Boy had crashed head-on inot a wall in his eagerness to get Raven out of the soon-to-be-tomb. He rubbed his forehead, wincing as he felt a large goose egg forming on it.
Raven was exhausted and shocked. She had sometimes lost control of her powers, but it had never been this bad before. She could have died, she could have killed someone...But none of that had happened, all thanks to... "Beast Boy?"
"Yeah?", he replied, still fussing over the lump on his forehead.
"...Thank you", she said, sincerely.
A red tinge crept into BB's green skin. "Oh...yeah...It was nothing", he said, his voice squeaking.
Raven smiled weakly...But then the smile washed off her face as she remembered why she had been in Slade's old lair in the first place. "Beast Boy, you were supposed to be looking for Robin", she said, sternly.
Beast Boy's face instantly hardened. "What for?", he retorted, glaring at the ground.
"What do you mean, 'what for'?" There was a warning in Raven's tone, but Beast Boy didn't heed it.
"Why look for him? As soon as we find him he'll just disappear again. And with how he's been acting lately, why would we want to find him?"
Raven glared at the green changeling, anger coming to the surface. Just the fact that he would talk this way about someone he called a friend made her lose a great deal of respect for him. "This coming from the person who told us to lay off of Terra, even after she betrayed and attacked us!" Raven's violet hair swirled as though caught in a gale, her eyes glowed white...
Beast Boy tensed at the mention of Terra's name. A semi-healed wound broke open and began to bleed and ache once more.
The anger in Raven dwindled as seh saw the pain she had caused him. That had been cruel, even by her standards. She wanted to say something, but no words seemed good enough. "Beast Boy...", she croaked, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
He jerked out of her reach, not looking at her. Slowly, jerkily, he walked away, turning his back on what he would not, could not, face.
Raven was frozen, staring after him long after he had slipped out of sight. She shivered slightly as the cold, autumn breeze wrapped itself around her, chilling her to the bone. Rain began to fall, slowly at first, then picking up speed, racing down to Earth and soaking through Raven's cloak. Still she did not move. Everyone she tried to help ended up hurt because of her, her powers were out of control, Robin needed her but she could not help him...She was powerless, useless...What was the point?
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That night, Titan's Tower was filled with regret, sorrow, desperation, anger, doubt, hopelessness...The titans had isolated themselves, wallowing in the emotions that were too powerful to ignore. Every few minutes, something exploded without warning, and sobbing issued from underneath bedroom doors. Misery and chaos reigned...
And somewhere, out in the cold, wet night, Robin lay alone and helpless.
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Lol Chapter 10, complete. Review and let me know what you think! Questions and suggestions are welcome, flames will keep my toes warm. See you in Chapter 11! Later, -Dusty