Chapter 6 — First Date

That night, at dinner, Rurouni asked Raven, "They're doing an open mic down at the Sushi Hana tonight. Wanna go?"

"Oh, sure, I'd love to. Let me go take a shower, and then we'll go," replied Raven.

Beast Boy teased, "Ooh. Raven's got a boyfriend! Raven's got a boyfriend!"

Rurouni cocked an eyebrow, grabbing the shape shifter's tighty-whiteys (they were actually blue with a monkey's head pattern), yanking up and pulling them over his head and eyes, at which everyone in the room, save the victim, started laughing uproariously.

"Boo-yah! Atomic wedgie!" shouted Cyborg.

Raven entered the room, black towel wrapped around her violet hair, and giggled softly. He certainly had that coming, she thought.

"In case you might be wondering, I did that," said Rurouni between laughs.

"Dude! What did you do that for?" whined Beast Boy.

"You're being an idiot, Gar." He turned to Raven. "Let's ditch this joint."

"All right then." She removed the towel and tossed it on Beast Boy's head, which elicited another round of laughter.

Beast Boy removed the towel and complained, "Dude! Since when am I a clothes hamper?"

"Since about fifteen seconds ago," hooted Robin.


Down at the Sushi Hana, Rurouni and Raven were sharing a pot of tea and a plate of egg rolls when the former stood up and walked up to the microphone.

"Ahem," he said. Then he began the recitation.

A cat in despondency sighed,

And resolved to commit suicide.

She passed under the wheels

Of eight automobiles

And under the ninth one she died.

This brought a round of applause and a slight smile from Raven, and Rurouni said, "Thank you."

He was then walking back to the table when an explosion rocked the restaurant. When the dust cleared, a man in an orange and black mask and steel boots and gloves appeared and leapt, delivering a flying kick to Raven, rendering her unconscious. Customers screamed and scattered.

"Raven!" shouted Rurouni. He then turned his gaze to the mystery man. "Slade! What are you doing here?"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Yohimura."

"That's Rurouni to you, you creep." He pulled out a chain with a small weight on one end, and a blunt sickle on the other. This was a kusari-gama. Slade pulled out his bo staff.

"Well, then. Rurouni it shall be." His gaze narrowed. "I've been watching you, Rurouni. Watching, and waiting."

"Where are the others?" Rurouni swung the sickle end around in a small circle.

Slade advanced on Rurouni, who retreated. "They're a little, shall we say, occupied." A faint buzzing came from the folds of Rurouni's robe. He pulled out the offending item, the communicator, and flipped it open. The small screen was filled with static.

"Rurouni, report." The sound was somewhat garbled, but the voice was definitely Robin's. "We need you over here. Cinderblock's on the loose."

"I'm a little busy with Slade at the moment. Raven's out of commission. You can handle him without us."

"But…"

"But nothing. You can take him, you've done it before. My fight is here. Rurouni out." He put away the commlink. "Now where were we?"

"I must say, you're quite the combatant. It was quite a surprise to me when you took Plasmus down." Rurouni stepped back, and realized he was against the wall. "You're quite the threat." Slade thrust the tip of his staff, now fully extended, at Rurouni, who jumped, landed lightly on the end of the staff, and vaulted over Slade's head, and brought up his own weapon defensively. "Very impressive," noted Slade as he brought the staff around and knocked the swordsman off his feet. "But not good enough."

"I've got more cards in my hand," retorted Rurouni, who brought the chain around the mercenary's ankle and yanking to trip him. "Think I don't play with a full—" A steel-toed boot to the face cut him off.

Oof, he thought. Note to self: Don't talk while fighting this guy. He somersaulted back and landed on his feet, while Slade stood up quickly. Rurouni charged at Slade, flinging the sickle end at him. Slade deflected the attack casually. Rurouni brought the other end forward, wrapping it around the staff. He pulled, disarming the armored man. He tossed the weapons aside and swung at him. Slade dodged the punch easily.

"Since I have stripped you of your weapon, I shall liberate myself of my own. You are a worthy combatant, Slade." Rurouni came forward with a flurry of blows, which Slade either blocked or dodged. Slade then brought his foot up and around in a back kick. Rurouni caught the foot and threw him across the bar, sending him crashing into a wine rack. Rurouni grabbed the staff and kusari-gama, slinging the latter over his shoulder and using the former to pin the defeated man against the wall. "You're planning something," he growled. "What is it?"

At that moment, another shower of sheetrock and wood came up, followed by a "Boo-yah!" This startled Rurouni into letting up on the cyclopean villain. "Cyborg!"

"What?"

"Never mind, get Raven."

Slade stood up and pulled out a small cylindrical device with a button on top.

"A detonator!"

"Very good, Robin." He pushed the button. A cloud of smoke appeared, and when it cleared, Slade was gone. Only the detonator and a fortune cookie remained. Rurouni picked it up and opened it. It read:

A bomb will go off somewhere in the industrial sector in 3 hours. Good luck.

Rurouni took a bottle of wine and flung it against the wall. "Damn it! He got away."

A hand on placed on his shoulder caused him to bring the staff around, and it stopped centimeters from Starfire's head. "Sorry about that, Star." He sighed heavily. "I'm just a little tense right now, and Slade's getting away is the least of our problems right now." He took Raven's limp form in his arms. "We need to get Rae to med lab and find that bomb."

"That'll be a piece of cake," said Beast Boy. "He told us where it is."

"But not exactly where it is," said Starfire.

"So we had better start looking." Robin punched his open palm and went into leader mode. "Cyborg, you take Raven and Rurouni to med lab. Star, Beast Boy, come with me. We're going after Slade and his bomb."


Rurouni carried the half-demon into the T-car's back seat, and buckled himself in a back seat as well, setting her head on his lap. He looked into her eyes and fingered her hair. Wow, she's beautiful. His reverie was interrupted when Cyborg said, "Yo, Ru. Sure you don't want to ride shotgun?"

"No, it's okay. I'd rather be back here with her."

"Oh, I see. Hey, you love her, don't you?"

Rurouni blushed. "Well, yes." He looked out the window. "I just hope she feels the same way about me…"

"All in good time, brother." He punched the gas. "Let's hurry it up!"