Okay, here's Chapter 3.
The Titans returned to the Tower, exhausted and frustrated. They had searched for Robin but had failed to find even a trace of their friend.
"Dude, I'm all for putting his picture on some posters or something," Beast Boy said as he flopped onto the couch. "I mean, sure, they left in the R-Jet, but somebody has to have seen something. He can't have disappeared."
A shadow detached itself from the dark in the corner, making all of the Titans jump. Cyborg had his sonic blaster ready but put it down when they realized who it was. "Dude, that is too freaky," Cyborg said, turning his blaster back into his arm. "That's practically what the other guy did."
Batman stepped further into the light. "I wish you would have waited for me before you had gone searching. What's the R-Jet?"
"This really sweet jet that the fake brought," Beast Boy explained.
"And you think that they left in it?" Batman asked.
"Yeah, well, what else? All of our vehicles are here," Cyborg said, shrugging.
Batman nodded and sat down on the couch, looking thoughtful. Raven sat down across from him and looked him in the face. "What is it?" he asked, noticing her gaze.
"When the imposter was here, I kept getting mixed feelings about him," she said, still looking at Batman. "With you, I don't get those feelings."
"Did you tell Robin about these feelings?" Starfire asked.
"I did, but Robin said that he believed that the imposter was Batman, and he had an explanation for everything I said. I shouldn't have listened to him, and I should have done something."
Batman looked at her. "What would you have done?"
Raven looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, how would you have acted on those feelings? You said that you should have done something, so what would you have done? Personally, I think that if you had done something, 'Batman' would have gone back to Gotham rather angry, and Robin would never have spoken to you again," Batman said, leaning forward to impress his words upon her. "I think that you did all that you could have done by telling Robin of your suspicions, so don't blame yourself or burden yourself with unnecessary guilt. We need you to have your mind clear for this situation, not fogged with emotions."
"Uh, okay," Beast Boy said, becoming a snake who began to imitate a question mark. "Way too deep for me. So, what are we going to do?"
"Am I right in thinking that you've already searched the city?" Batman asked, becoming businesslike once more.
"Been there and done that," Beast Boy affirmed.
"All right, then, I need to get my bearings since a search of the city isn't exactly urgent right now. Could I see Robin's room?"
"Sure, right this way," Beast Boy said, leading the Caped Crusader out of the living room and down the hallway. "Wait till you see the wallpaper."
Batman pondered that cryptic remark until he saw what Beast Boy was talking about. Every wall in Robin's room was covered with newspaper and magazine clippings. There was one word that all of them had in common: SLADE. He walked around the room, examining the clippings and even stopping to read some of them. He opened up a filing cabinet and poked through the files of the different criminals until he found Slade's. It was very full.
"Robin has issues concerning Slade," Cyborg said as Batman read the file. "He even held Robin prisoner for some time a while ago."
"The guy is creepy beyond description," Beast Boy said, plopping onto the edge of Robin's bed.
"Why did he hold him prisoner?"
"He wanted Robin to be his apprentice," Raven said, showing her distaste. "He managed to infect us all with nanoprobes that would attack us whenever he hit a switch. That was how he managed to control Robin."
Batman nodded and went back to reading the file.
Name: Slade
Age/Birthplace:?
Description: Wears a mask and body armor, mask always appears to have only
eye. Sometimes appears as an old man in an Oriental costume, also appears to
have only one eye.
Known Characteristics: Knows about Oriental arcane lore, also has a high
command and understanding of technology. Intimately knows the details of the
human mind, likes to play mind games with those he meets, playing on his/her
fears and doubts. Highly driven and determined, focused and serious. Fighting
ability incredible. Style unidentified. Monetary resources are great and possibly
unlimited. Very intelligent, and very cunning. Always has a well- executed plan.
Personal Observations: Too much like me for comfort.
Batman smiled the slightest bit as he read the last line. The rest of the file had been neatly typed on a computer, but the final line was written in Robin's handwriting. It made him feel closer to his missing protégé.
"Batman?" Starfire said quietly. "Do you think that Robin was kidnapped by Slade?"
"It's possible," Batman admitted. "In fact, from what I've read of this file, I'd say that it was almost definitely him or someone working for him. The plan is too tight for Robin to suspect anything, and he always trusts me. Why wouldn't he trust me when I come to see him?"
"Yeah, but we can never find Slade," Beast Boy groaned. "How're we gonna find him now?"
"I'm thinking," Batman said, leaning his head on his hand.
"Thinking what?" Cyborg asked, looking interested.
"I'm thinking that we need to go to the Batcave. It has wider sensors than are on the computer here, and we can use the files that I have there to get a probable idea of where Slade might have taken Robin."
"How do you know about the sensors on the computer?" Raven asked.
"I helped equip this place," Batman said as he put the file away. "Let's go."
The Titans returned to the Tower, exhausted and frustrated. They had searched for Robin but had failed to find even a trace of their friend.
"Dude, I'm all for putting his picture on some posters or something," Beast Boy said as he flopped onto the couch. "I mean, sure, they left in the R-Jet, but somebody has to have seen something. He can't have disappeared."
A shadow detached itself from the dark in the corner, making all of the Titans jump. Cyborg had his sonic blaster ready but put it down when they realized who it was. "Dude, that is too freaky," Cyborg said, turning his blaster back into his arm. "That's practically what the other guy did."
Batman stepped further into the light. "I wish you would have waited for me before you had gone searching. What's the R-Jet?"
"This really sweet jet that the fake brought," Beast Boy explained.
"And you think that they left in it?" Batman asked.
"Yeah, well, what else? All of our vehicles are here," Cyborg said, shrugging.
Batman nodded and sat down on the couch, looking thoughtful. Raven sat down across from him and looked him in the face. "What is it?" he asked, noticing her gaze.
"When the imposter was here, I kept getting mixed feelings about him," she said, still looking at Batman. "With you, I don't get those feelings."
"Did you tell Robin about these feelings?" Starfire asked.
"I did, but Robin said that he believed that the imposter was Batman, and he had an explanation for everything I said. I shouldn't have listened to him, and I should have done something."
Batman looked at her. "What would you have done?"
Raven looked at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, how would you have acted on those feelings? You said that you should have done something, so what would you have done? Personally, I think that if you had done something, 'Batman' would have gone back to Gotham rather angry, and Robin would never have spoken to you again," Batman said, leaning forward to impress his words upon her. "I think that you did all that you could have done by telling Robin of your suspicions, so don't blame yourself or burden yourself with unnecessary guilt. We need you to have your mind clear for this situation, not fogged with emotions."
"Uh, okay," Beast Boy said, becoming a snake who began to imitate a question mark. "Way too deep for me. So, what are we going to do?"
"Am I right in thinking that you've already searched the city?" Batman asked, becoming businesslike once more.
"Been there and done that," Beast Boy affirmed.
"All right, then, I need to get my bearings since a search of the city isn't exactly urgent right now. Could I see Robin's room?"
"Sure, right this way," Beast Boy said, leading the Caped Crusader out of the living room and down the hallway. "Wait till you see the wallpaper."
Batman pondered that cryptic remark until he saw what Beast Boy was talking about. Every wall in Robin's room was covered with newspaper and magazine clippings. There was one word that all of them had in common: SLADE. He walked around the room, examining the clippings and even stopping to read some of them. He opened up a filing cabinet and poked through the files of the different criminals until he found Slade's. It was very full.
"Robin has issues concerning Slade," Cyborg said as Batman read the file. "He even held Robin prisoner for some time a while ago."
"The guy is creepy beyond description," Beast Boy said, plopping onto the edge of Robin's bed.
"Why did he hold him prisoner?"
"He wanted Robin to be his apprentice," Raven said, showing her distaste. "He managed to infect us all with nanoprobes that would attack us whenever he hit a switch. That was how he managed to control Robin."
Batman nodded and went back to reading the file.
Name: Slade
Age/Birthplace:?
Description: Wears a mask and body armor, mask always appears to have only
eye. Sometimes appears as an old man in an Oriental costume, also appears to
have only one eye.
Known Characteristics: Knows about Oriental arcane lore, also has a high
command and understanding of technology. Intimately knows the details of the
human mind, likes to play mind games with those he meets, playing on his/her
fears and doubts. Highly driven and determined, focused and serious. Fighting
ability incredible. Style unidentified. Monetary resources are great and possibly
unlimited. Very intelligent, and very cunning. Always has a well- executed plan.
Personal Observations: Too much like me for comfort.
Batman smiled the slightest bit as he read the last line. The rest of the file had been neatly typed on a computer, but the final line was written in Robin's handwriting. It made him feel closer to his missing protégé.
"Batman?" Starfire said quietly. "Do you think that Robin was kidnapped by Slade?"
"It's possible," Batman admitted. "In fact, from what I've read of this file, I'd say that it was almost definitely him or someone working for him. The plan is too tight for Robin to suspect anything, and he always trusts me. Why wouldn't he trust me when I come to see him?"
"Yeah, but we can never find Slade," Beast Boy groaned. "How're we gonna find him now?"
"I'm thinking," Batman said, leaning his head on his hand.
"Thinking what?" Cyborg asked, looking interested.
"I'm thinking that we need to go to the Batcave. It has wider sensors than are on the computer here, and we can use the files that I have there to get a probable idea of where Slade might have taken Robin."
"How do you know about the sensors on the computer?" Raven asked.
"I helped equip this place," Batman said as he put the file away. "Let's go."
