You know, I had actually planned out exactly how this story was going to progress, then when I started writing... It.. changed.. alot... yeah, well not really. But the order that everything happens in changed. I dont know, I was just overly impatient.. but its gonna be cool this way. i hope. Oh yeah... any one looking for the pictures from this fic... check my profile and look under teen titans story stuff... yep.. ENJOY! WE own none of the original characters, only Rain, Kaira, and Tex in this chapter.
Robin fell back from the group, causing Beast Boy and Cyborg to do the same. The girls turned to look at them, but Cyborg just waved them on.
"What's up man? You're looking a little.. shaken?"
"It's nothing."
"Dude… that excuse loses meaning after the tenth use." Beast Boy replied. "Spit it out."
Robin looked up at the two guys. "You won't laugh, tell, or tell me that I'm a horrible person?"
"No way." Beast Boy said.
"It's a dream… a recurring dream."
"Uhhhuuhh."
"With a girl."
"Oh." They said together.
"But its just a dream Robin… that's no big deal... well.. unless its Raven or Star." Cyborg added.
"It's not. But it is a big deal, because it's not just a dream, its something that happened."
The two male titans stopped short.
"So you do have things for girls."
"I did. Since then … I haven't. She's all I can ever think about. But of course I have things for girls…" He looked at them oddly.
"What! We just weren't sure if you were to high and mighty to have a girlfriend." Cyborg joked.
"So who is it and what happened? Would we know her?" Beast Boy questioned.
"No."
"Well.. tell us anyway."
"It's…. It's Speedy's sister."
They stopped again. "HE HAS A SISTER!"
Robin nodded.
"and?"
He told them the entire story, and about the note and how he thought he had seen her.
"Well… tonight, just relax and what not. We'll see if you were imagining her or not later." Cyborg told him as they approached the doors of the club, rejoining the girls.
As the group entered the club Starfire squealed with delight.
"The lights are so pretty!" she exclaimed, pointing to the colored lights covering the ceiling.
"Told ya this place was cool." Beast Boy said happily.
They headed over to a table in the corner, sliding into the round booth. Literally moments after they had seated themselves, waiters had appeared to take drink orders.
"You ordered two?" Robin asked Cyborg in confusion.
"Bee. Remember?"
"Oh… she's not here yet is she?"
"No. But I might as well be ready."
"Ah."
They turned their attention to Beast Boy who was bouncing up and down in excitement while straining to see the stage.
"Waiting for your lover girl?" Cyborg teased, only to be answered by an extremely irritated Beast Boy.
"She is not…my…. Lover girl!" He paused. "She's just really really really really really reallllllyy cool."
The group laughed.
The lights on the ceiling, although numerous, did not illuminate the room very well, but instead kept it half dark and club set. The only thing in the large room that was bright enough to see well was the stage at the front.
A new waitress walked in front of them, setting down their drinks.
"Hey Tex, how's it going?" Beast Boy asked her.
"Fine thanks."
"You're not dressed up."
"Heh. You try passing out drinks in a dress. For now, this is a good enough costume." She replied, swinging her hand down over her club outfit. She brushed her dirty blonde hair out of her face as she distributed the drinks. Smiling at Beast Boy, she gave a small wave and headed to the next table.
"Another friend of yours?" Raven asked.
"Oh… her?" Questioned Beast Boy. "That's Texas. She's friends with Rain… or at least… they seem to be friends. Normally she's on stage too, but every now and then they have to do drinks and whatnot."
The conversation was interrupted by a DJ stepping into the light in the middle of the stage, ironically dressed like a super hero, making the Titans chuckle.
"So tonight, we figured, What the hey? Let's make all of our actors sing. Well… honestly… we just found out that most of them could. Kind of annoying really. We knew they could dance, but you can't do musicals unless you can sing… and now we learn that they're capable of that too." He said. As he spoke, two girls appeared on the stage behind him, dressed as gypsies. They were both incredibly attractive, at least, from across the room. As the DJ exited the stage, the two started to dance.
Beast Boy pointed at the blonde on the stage. "That's Rain." He explained.
"Now why do you keep saying she's not your girlfriend… If I were you I'd say she were just for the h—" Cyborg began, only to be slapped in the back of the head by the new arrival of Bumble Bee.
"You invited me here as your date tonight… You better not be talking about what you would do." She told him, sitting down beside him. She was wearing a very Victorian dress, matching his costume perfectly.
"Nice to see you too." He replied with a grunt, passing her the drink.
"Oooo ! Oooo! Look look! Watch!" Beast Boy cried with excitement. On stage, the two gypsy dancers were spinning, their shawls wrapping around them. They dropped to the ground, entangled but graceful, and upon rising were in all white. The one labeled as Rain had come up in baggy white pants that hugged her hips and were low cut, with a tight white long sleeve shirt, exposing her stomach. Her bright blonde hair was now pulled back in a long straight ponytail, wispy bangs sweeping her face.
Cyborg muttered under his breath, not opening his mouth up to his opinion for the evil glare coming from his date. Robin laughed.
The two had begun to sing by now, and were advancing off the stage and out into the crowd, all of which had sat down around the edges of the dance floor in front of the stage, giving the entire thing for them to move in. At the end of the song, they spun once more, this time ending in their obvious costumes.
She's gorgeous. Robin thought, while watching the blonde. She now modeled an angel. Her long ponytail had suddenly curled, a pair of white wings had appeared on her back and a long white dress had taken form to her body. Although it was like the dresses that Raven and Starfire were wearing, it was completely different at the same time. It had no sleeves, It just wrapped her torso tightly. The white fabric that fell down her hips and cascaded over the floor seemed to sparkle. She was still to far away for him to get a good look at her, but from what he could see he was very impressed.
She handed her microphone to the other girl and began to walk towards Beast Boy, who got up and gave her a hug when she was close enough.
"Let me introduce you to my friends." He said quietly, turning her towards them. "See… you got Cyborg, and Bee, then Raven, and Starfire, and Robin."
Her eyes circled, giving a slight wave to all of them, and freezing when they reached Robin.
Holy… mother… of god. He thought. Its not her… Not her… Cant be her.. I saw her earlier… she had brown hair… its not her.
Now that she was close enough, he saw that she looked uncannily similar to Ray. The only difference being that she was blonde. Beast Boy quickly asked her if she wanted to dance, obviously wanting to keep his friend to himself. From the rapid reply, it was obvious she was as uncomfortable as he was. Robin watched in confused disbelief as they disappeared onto the dance floor and into the crowd. Unfortunately for his brain, they never managed to get out of sight, for the other dancers appeared to have been purposefully leaving a clear view.
He watched them as they danced, biting his lip nervously and tapping his fingers on the table.
"Now… there most definitely is something wrong." Starfire commented.
"She just looks like someone I know."
She looked towards the girl. "I see."
"She looks like someone Id like to get to know." Cyborg added, gaining himself another slap on the head.
"Come on Sparky. Lets go dance." Bee said hastily, dragging him to a part of the dance floor where she knew he couldn't see Beast Boy and his friend.
"Well… Only one way to find out if its her." Raven told him, getting up and taking him by the hand. She walked a little ways away from the booth with him and said quietly. "You are the only reason I am willing to do this." Continuing towards the pair, she approached Beast Boy, faking flirtatiousness.
"Okay Beast Boy… You're supposed to be my date." She said, grabbing him by the hand and forcing him to dance with her. When they were a safe distance away from Robin she began complaining.
Robin looked at Beast Boy's leftovers.
"May I have this dance?" He asked nervously. Either she says yes… or she says no… either way… no big deal. He comforted himself. She nodded, avoiding all eye contact with him.
He stepped forward, placing his hands on her hips, triggering the stereotypical response from the girl: arms on shoulders. Why won't she look at me? He asked himself in confusion. She was making every effort not to make eye contact. The closest she came was looking over his shoulder, but past him.
Ahhhahh. I get it. Mask. He had convinced himself in his mind to the identity of the girl, and now was making up excuses and rationale for why it was her. I only saw her without a mask once. She thinks I would have forgotten, but has a feeling now that I didn't. He stopped his train of thought for a moment. Or if its not her then she must just think I'm too cute to look at. He sniggered. Well… I made a total fool of myself, might as well show her that I'm not a complete idiot and that I'm not clueless.
He wrapped his arms farther around her, dipping his head down and forcibly making eye contact with her. As he raised his head, her eyes stayed locked. Victory.
Sure enough, her eyes were a vivid green, looking back into his with a look of mixed emotions, scorn, regret, lust, hate, love, betrayal, friendship; all wrapped into one. All of her contradicting emotions in her beautiful green eyes.
Heh. I know who you are… but you don't know who I am. Once again he cut off his thoughts. Did I just say that? Of course she knows who I… If I weren't wearing my mask then I could say that… but I am, so she… errrrrrrgg… He mentally slapped himself in the face.
A sudden pang of nervousness and weakness crossed him. What if she hates me? No… She can't… hate… me. But she won't talk to me… his mind involuntarily relived what had happened that day. Shoot.
"……Ray?" He asked quietly.
She widened her eyes slowly and opened her mouth to speak, nothing coming out for a moment.
"N." She replied.
"Huh?"
"Rai-n… Rain. I don't know who you're talking about, but my name, is Rain."
He was speechless.
"Sure about that?"
"Well… no… Its not my real name, but its what I go by. What was it you called me?"
"Ray."
"Yeah, see, I don't even like that name, why would I use it?" She asked.
"Hm. Touche."
She giggled quietly, causing him to look down at her again. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. My name. Is Rain."
"Positive?"
"Are you positive that your name is Robin?"
"No. My name isn't Robin… it's just what I go by."
She stopped for a minute, staring into his mask.
"Are you trying to make me slip up or something?"
"No. I'm just answering the question. I'm positive that my name isn't Robin… That's just what is right now. And one day, Ill be going by Night Wing."
"Night Wing eh?" She said, lifting eyebrow in curiosity.
"You like?" he flirted.
"Sure. Although if this Ray person you mentioned was an old girlfriend or something… I'm not sure shed be too happy with you flirting with me just because I look like her." Rain challenged.
"Who said you looked like her?"
"You called me by her name, obviously I must look something like her."
"Ah. Once again. Touche." Hm… So is this her or not? Might as well say something gentlemanly, keep me on the plus side whether it is or not. "And no. She was not a girlfriend."
"No?"
"Nope. I was too stupid to realize what was right in front of me. Thus. Not a girlfriend."
"How sweet."
He smiled. That should do the trick.
"How is it that he can just come walking in and hitting on mmmmyyyy friend?" Beast Boy questioned in astonishment. "I found her first!"
"Yes… but you kept insisting that it wasn't your girlfriend." Cyborg replied.
"Well of course I did. Because Terra is my girlfriend!" Realizing what he had just said, he threw his head down on the table, tearlessly sobbing. The other titans squinted sadly, not knowing what to say.
"I'm sorry BB…"
"It was all my fault. Had I just told Robin that she couldn't control her powers and to not say anything about it… she wouldn't have run off… and if she hadn't have run off… she wouldn't of joined Slade… and if she hadn't joined Slade… she wouldn't be a piece of rock right now!" He banged his fists down next to his head.
"It's okay Beast Boy… We'll get her back." Raven comforted.
"I'd hate to change the subject, but what's up with Robin right now anyway? He doesn't flirt with girls." Cyborg interrupted, the comment extracting a snort from Starfire who put her elbows down in jealousy.
"He said something about her reminding him of someone." Raven said quietly.
Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other for a moment.
"Boyyyss… Are you neglecting to tell us something?" She asked.
"No. Nothing. Just. Interesting." Cyborg replied quickly, turning back to Beast Boy who he gave a quick smile to.
"Maybe he did find her first." Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg.
A cell phone rang, which Bee picked up. Speaking on it for a minute, then hanging it up.
"My teams coming down."
"Say what?" Cyborg inquired.
"My team… They.. want to see what this place is like to… any objections?"
"Of course not." He turned quickly to Beast Boy. "You think Robin has decided whether that's her or not?"
"Dunno… why?"
"Cus if Speedy's on his way……"
"Gotcha."
"So you are 150 positive that you aren't Ray?"
"Are you ever going to give up?"
"Not really."
"Darn." She said, allowing her to lead him back to the table.
"You want to sit?" He asked her as he resumed his seat between Raven and Starfire.
"I'm fine over here at this end of the table." She replied.
"So Rain… You like our buddy Robin?" Beast Boy asked her teasingly. She looked at him in a jokingly angry manner.
"No. Actually I find him to be highly … annoying. Very nosy." She tested, turning a matter-of-fact look towards Robin. After a second, an arm was around her shoulders and she stopped in what seemed like a mix of shock and fear.
"Now when did you go blonde? I thought you hated blonde Sis."
She looked at him for a moment, before her eyes closed tightly, teeth and fists clenching. "When I tried to become unrelated to you." She said in frustration, turning and smacking Speedy's hand off of her.
"Testy testy." He said, putting his hands up in self-defense. "No need to get all bipolar on me." She glared at him in disgust.
"Awww… Rraaaayy.."
"Rain. Rain Rain RAIN!" She ranted. "You all are so stinking CLUELESS!"
"We all?"
"Oh.. I'm sorry… did I say you all? I meant YOU!"
"Well its not my fault I never know what to call you! You're always changing your name!"
"It wasn't that many times…"
"Ray and Rain. Yeah. And neither are your real name."
"Buzz off twirp." She said, a manner of 'Im older than you' filling her voice and driving her brother crazy.
"I don't know what you've been through, but you sure got mean!"
A sigh of something like lust came from behind them. "¡Rápido tiene a una hermana y no nos dijo?"
Rain turned slowly, looking down at the two red head twins that were gawking at her with wide eyes.
"¡La señorita que adoramos usted¿Usted quiere casarsenos, sí¿Será usted nuestra amiga¿Unirá usted nuestro equipo¿Cantará usted una canción para nosotros también?"
She looked on awkwardly for a moment, biting at her lip before tilting her head and opening her mouth.
"Yes … Speedy …has a ….sister, obviously he didn't tell you, Thank you mucho for the… kind… praises… and declarations.. of… affection… I don't want to marry you, I won't be your girlfriend, I'm not a Titan and I'm off for the rest of the night."
The twins returned the speech in disbelief, along with the rest of the Titans.
"You… understood them?" Aqualad asked.
"Well… Long story… but yeah." She replied, finally looking up at him. "…Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry, haven't been introduced. I'm Aqualad and this is Mas and Menos."
She looked back down at the young twins. "Hola. Mi nombre es la Lluvia, yo no trato de tener afiliación con la nariz de moco de un hermano."
They began to giggle unstoppably, staring at Speedy.
"What?"
The original waitress, Texas, walked behind Rain, placing her arms on her shoulders. "You're related to that? You never told me you had siblings… but…" She commented with a small laugh. "I think he's cute… How could you possibly not want to be affiliated with that snot nose?"
Rain smiled as the evil glare appeared on her brother's face, only to be replaced in confusion. "You… don't speak Spanish." He was now eyeing her suspiciously.
"Ahem."
She stopped, turning to Robin who was now sitting with her arms crossed and his eyes squinted in what could only be anger and annoyance. She swallowed hard.
"Yes?"
"You lied to me."
"… I didn't… lie… persay… I… I … omitted." She countered, looking down in embarrassment. He shook his head slowly.
Looking back up, a slight look of resentment came over her. "No. No. I lied to you. How about that?"
"Why?"
"Because it seemed convenient. Vengeance Robin. Vengeance." She returned bitterly, walking away from the table.
Robin stared after her. Crap. There was the sign that she wasn't just upset after our last get together.
"Don't worry Robin, apparently she's bipolar." Speedy comforted.
All at once the Titans signals began to light up.
"Rain isn't going to be happy when we just get up and leave without saying goodbye." Beast Boy said quietly.
"We don't have time. She'll just have to forgive us." Robin replied hastily.
Starfire looked at him. "After the last display, I have a foreboding feeling that gaining her forgiveness will not be an easy task."
"Oh well." He returned, running out the doors.
"Hello Titans. Glad you could attend my little ball." Slade's voice spoke in soft tones.
"We were already at a party, this wasn't on my to do list." Beast Boy muttered.
"Where's your little stooge?" Robin asked.
"You mean… Red X?"
"Who else would we be talking about?"
"Well, I do have a couple hundred minions."
"They're not even worth fighting." Cyborg added.
"Perhaps not. But if it's Red X you're dieing to fight, I suppose I can't resist giving you what you want."
Not surprisingly the black and red figure appeared on a ledge of a high building next to them. This time, there was something very different about him though.
"Get down here you fool!" Slade ordered. The figure stayed put for a moment, seemingly deciding whether to take the order or not, but in the end complying. After coming into the moonlight, the titans could see the difference.
"That's not good." Cyborg whispered.
"You see Robin, I can't have the two of you using the same moves, or I'll never get rid of you. So in solution, I've connected myself to Red X, making me in complete control; all through the use of these cuffs." He bellowed with a laugh, pointing at the pieces of metal wrapping Red X's neck, wrists and ankles. "It's quite ingenious really." He extended.
Without so much as a command, the figure had leaped in front of Starfire.
"I do not wish to fight you."
Her opponent let out a small chuckle, dropping to all four and swinging a leg around and under hers, knocking her to the ground. In a matter of seconds she was trapped under the all too familiar red x, stretched over her body while her enemy ran in for an attack with Robin.
"Yes. This is all I care about. Destroy him!" Slade commanded.
Slade's moves in a body half his size. This I can handle. Robin thought as he connected his fist to X's chest. The adversary paused for an instant, startled from the short amount of time it had taken Robin to connect. Upon revival, Robin had already extracted his staff. In less time than the first hit had taken the end of the staff crossed the foe's face, leaving a cut in the cheek of the mask.
"I think he fights better without you." Robin sneered.
Slade's eyes had swelled with anger for a second time, his unseen teeth undoubtedly grinding behind his mask in rage. "Is that so?"
Robin nodded absently.
"Red X. Remove your mask."
The titans all turned in shock at the command.
"He wants him to take off his mask?" Raven asked in utter confusion.
"I… don't know." Cyborg replied.
The titans were not the only ones confused by the order, for the receiving end of the command had also turned to look at Slade, in extreme disagreement.
"I said… take… off… the mask." He said quietly, his fists opening and closing between words.
X didn't move.
"Fine. I'll just have to do it for –"
Before the sentence had ended the smaller figure had begun to pull up its mask.
"Bandages?" Beast Boy asked.
The entire person under the mask had been covered, and began to unwrap the binding, an invisible force taking over the task. As it pulled back, brown hair began to spill out over it, covering what part of a face was being revealed. The entire outfit began to dissolve, showing the uniform that was hidden beneath.
"IT'S A GIRL!" Beast Boy screeched.
The figure stood in front of them like a whole new enemy, head drooped over delicately disguising her face. White gloves spanned up her arms to above her elbows, falling into white bands around her upper arms. The black tank top around her torso ended above her stomach in a red band of ribbon, an X slashed through the center of it, and matching the short black skirt wrapping her hips. Although her tall black boots were both marked with large red X's, the belt around her waist sported the symbol of Slade.
"Pick, your head up." Slade added to the command harshly.
"I'd rather not." The female replied.
A bright light began to shine from around her neck, forcing her head up. A white mask covered more than half of her face, a large X crossing over one eye.
"You… are such…an a—"
"Ah ah ah…" Slade interrupted.
Robin looked at her suspiciously. Why does she seem familiar?
"Well Robin. Now you see, it's a girl that's tied skills with you, and since you say she fights you better on her own, Ill just let her do so."
"Maybe I don't feel like it." She muttered angrily, only to be greeted by a shock from all of the controlling bands. "HEY!"
"Added feature apprentice. Added feature."
"I am not your apprentice. I need to be taught by no one, let alone you." She said.
"It looks to me like Girl Red X here has a bit of an attitude." Robin threw at Slade.
"It's none of your business Robin. All you should be focusing on is getting yourself out of her way alive."
"She's not attacking me ye—"
A fist had hit one side of his face, sending him back a few feet.
"That's for ripping my Red X mask." The girl said quietly, kicking him hard on the leg as he was trying to regain balance, causing him to fall to the ground. "That ones for the punch to the chest."
"Even yet?" He asked as he stood up.
"Not quite." She replied, holding up one hand as a shot of white light surrounded it and threw itself at Robin, hitting him square in the chest and sending him into a nearby wall.
She's not supposed to be able to do that… "What was that one for?"" The 'Girl Red X' comment."
"You saying you don't have an attitude problem?"
She had walked over to where he braced himself against the wall in pain, placing one hand on both sides of him on the wall, leaning in so that they were only a total of five inches apart.
"Never." She replied. "I'm saying that I have a name other than 'Girl Red X'."
"Do you? Never would have known. In case you don't remember, you're the one that started attacking me and working with my enemy."
"My name is Kaira." She told him quietly. "And do you think your enemy would have control bands on me if I would attack you willingly Bird Boy?"
He smirked. "Probably. You seem like the type to fight anyone. Good or bad."
"That maybe true… but we're not so different Robin."
"Last time I checked, I was good and you were bad."
"Yes, but we both hate him." She retorted, tilting her head back slightly to point nonchalantly at Slade. "I don't want to hurt you Robin… I kinda like you."
"Is that supposed to be enlightening?" He asked with a discreet smile to her.
"Of course it is. It'll keep you alive."
"I don't need a girl to like me to stay alive. Let alone a bad one."
"Stop being so stubborn, love. We could kill him together… then go out somewhere." She returned the smile.
"I think I'm already taken, sorry."
"Oh. What a shame. Oh well. I'll spare you anyway."
"Spare me anyway, how are you going to do that when you're being controlled, and why isn't he making you kill me yet?"
They both turned their heads, finally noticing how the other titans were preoccupying Slade, in mostly futile attempts.
"I fight these stupid bands a bit, you fake injury or use your little gadgets to make a smoke screen and drop down the sewers or something. Easy. In the meantime, you act like I'm causing some sort of pain to you."
"That's almost considerate for an evil broad."
"Funny, I thought so to."
"You're not expecting me to be nice to you now are you?"
"Although it would be nice… I'm not to focused on it."
"How come?"
"Cus I know that you'll give in to your want of bad girls in the end."
"I barely want any girls… What would make you think Id choose an enemy over an ally."
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
"Because I can tell even through your mask that you like me more than your dreary old superhuman nymph over there."
"Starfire?"
"Is that her name?"
"Maybe." He teased.
"Hm. I've been taking it easy on her, maybe next time I'll just kill her." She said bluntly.
"Not a good way to get on my favorites list."
"No. But it'll keep most of my jealously in place… although… neither is this…" She added, kissing his lips unexpectedly before grabbing him by the arm and throwing him into the middle of the street. Action from the other titans halted as they watched the continuing fight. Robin picked his head up to look at her, eyes wide at first before narrowing down as he stood, engaging in battle. He dropped down, replaying the same move she had used on Starfire, flipping himself backwards to clench his staff and throwing it back up in her face.
The white gloves of the opponent caught the end of the staff in between the metal bands on her wrists as it came down, causing sparks to fly and one of the bands to dent.
Well look at this. Hit the wrists enough and maybe we'll be able to see if she spoke the truth or not. Robin thought as he spun the staff back around. She through the dented metal wrist back up in front of it, turning it to an angle where the staff would cause some sort of damage. As the metal of the staff grazed over the metal of the band and onto her glove it cut through, skinning a segment of her flesh, causing her to pull back and wince in pain.
I hurt her. He told himself. But then again, she's still my enemy. Kaira did three adjacent backflips, landing herself a good 15 feet from him. He pulled out a birdarang, throwing it and allowing it to bounce off of the dented metal before returning. The metal on the band cracked so that it was halfway off of her arm. Not wanting Slade to see what she was doing, she dropped her arm hard to the pavement, pulling off pain from the hit of the birdarang, facing herself purposefully with her back to him. A look of slight victory crossed her face as the metal broke away from her arm.
Good, its my right arm. He's right handed, that's the one he uses most when he takes over. She though to herself, running at Robin and flipping over him, landing in a lunge with her back to him on the other side.
"Huh?"
Her backmost leg flew up as she brought the bent leg up, hitting Robin in the back and knocking him forward. His hands burned as they scraped metal.
Metal? Looking down, he saw the manhole. Ok… maybe she does want me to get away. He flipped himself over as he saw her walking towards him.
"Next time we meet I'm going to have to actually inflict pain.. so I suggest you be better prepared." She whispered as she changed direction slightly, moving to the opposite side of him that his friends were on, back to the side where Slade was standing. Yanking a smoke bomb from his utility belt, he threw it at her feet, whispering loudly to his friends as he removed the manhole lid. One by one they dropped down into the sewers, replacing the lid after the last one was down.
"What now? Why are we retreating?" Beast Boy asked.
"To keep me from getting killed!" Robin replied hastily. "Slade's going to know exactly where we've gone…. We have to get as far away from here as possible."