Bad Deal

Chapter 2

The assault on him had been brutal; it seemed all of his army was after him. Touch cursed Slade under his breath. Figures, the one challenge for him and he doesn't even try to keep me. Well, time to get that invitation. He slumped to the street, channeling the last of Starfire's power. He focused it into a continuous beam, leveling the androids after him. Then suddenly nothing, the androids that were left disappeared. He's testing me. I will kill him. First I gotta rest. I hope they can find me. He wearily, raggedly stumbled to the building corner. He crashed down, wincing as he landed. Focusing his power again he raises his arms up hoping it would work. He channeled the green bolts, loosed them, they flickered out, and he passed out.

Raven had been mediating on the roof when a raven shaped green fire flew into the sky. What does he want? I am not to be toyed with. She flew off to confront this menace. Robin had received the signal that a battle was raging near the pizza parlor. He alerted the other Titans, contacting Raven first.

"Raven, aler…"

"It's him. He's toying with us."

"Him?" Slade! It couldn't be. Not now.

"That Touch guy, he signaled the sky with a raven. He wants us to find him."

"Come back down to the Tower, it could be a trap."

"No! He has mocked us, humiliated us, angered me." Voice rising with each adjective.

"RAVEN! That's an order!" Robin spat forcefully.

Raven cocked her head, ready to retort, but felt the volleyball net start to crackle. I will save this for him. "I'm returning, but I'm not sitting next to Beast Boy again."

"Heh, alright, alright. Raven…"

"What." Came the curt reply

"…Thanks."

Never had such an enemy dared to assault them head on, not without some sort of distraction. Slade used Terra, those worms, lasers, but never head on. They always went to him. The other chumps had always tried bank robbery, or other schemes. Why was he so ballsy? He just sauntered in and beat them. Soundly. Robin knew it was from their lax attitude. Cyborg cursed himself for not being more alert, security was his specialty. Starfire was unhappy, her friends were beaten, and she could do nothing but get tossed around. Beast Boy was seething, This guy took my powers. He became me, if Robin even considers letting him become a Titan, I'll no longer be useful. I gotta prove my worth. Soon he had an idea, he would show them. Raven was insulted. He called me His raven. I am not. So help me… Then a headlight blew. "Sorry" came the mumble. Robin was on edge. This was a mission of revenge. Everyday that the villains attacked, the closer to the villain's tactics that Robin was willing to use. This guy was heads above them. Robin thought The Titans will bring him back to our height. Soon.

Touch had regained his thoughts. Opening his eyes he saw Raven.

"So my little caged bird has found me." He smirked. "I'm tou…"

Beast Boy, morphed into a Rhino, slammed in his side, careful to hit only his clothing, bunting him across the street so he wouldn't touch him.

"Boo-ya!" Cyborg was waiting to catch him, grasping him in a tight bear hug. "Pay-back time!"

"Hurgurhg..." as blood trailed out of his mouth. "Damn…I guess 'hello may I take your daughter on a date' is out of the question?" He whispered.

"Your right and you can't morph either"

"Riiiiight, you got me there" He became a snake slithering out, and changed in to a kangaroo, to hop out of there

"Not so fast Villain Touch!" Starfire yelled peppering the field with her bolts cornering him in a circle. Cyborg was back on top of him, barreling his back and kicking him at the same time. Robin rushed in, locking him down with his bo, stabbing it into his spine Robin then planted both feet into his lower back. Touch vomited blood. He was getting doozy. Cyborg picked him up by the neck.

"Had enough?" Cyborg taunted him

"NO SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER!" It was ragged, and blood filled. The crimson liquid turned his teeth the same color. He flashed a toothy grin. "Argh!" Starfire burned him with her eye beams.

More blood came rushing out of his mouth and from the new cuts from the assault, then Touch swelled with energy. He stood up, glaring at Raven, he stopped moving, and fell back down. They backed off slightly, only when he stopped did they advance. Then he exploded with energy. Raven grabbed her friends in a protective bubble, forcing them out. Then she encased him in a bubble, tight around him, suffocating him, all with one hand. The other she started tightening the grip. Choking him, crushing him, she would make him pay.

"I…do…not…belong…to…anyone…ESCPECAILLY…NOT…YOU!" Venom welled within her. Street lamps bent, bursting. The suffocating grip was inching close to it's goal.

"Raven! No!" Robin yelled. "You're killing him"

"So? He embarrassed us; He took away our freedom; He did it without remorse. We spent a year and a half under his eye. HE KNEW ABOUT US, TERRA, THE BETRAYAL, EVERYTHING. He will never violate anyone ever again. I WILL NOT BE VIOLATED!"

"Hurk!" Vomiting blood "…You're…pretty…when…you're…angry." Touch mustered, struggling for each word.

"Man, you are something else." Cyborg said

"Raven, release him!" Robin commanded once again.

"I'm getting tired of that tone Robin." Raven, reacting to Touch's comment, amplified her power.

"TITANS, TAKE RAVEN DONE! SHES GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Maybe he deserves it" Cyborg countered.

"DO IT! WE NEED HIS INFORMATION!" Robin shot back "And we don't kill." An after thought

"Very well friend Robin, but if he harms these friends I will not let up."

Beast Boy reacted first, shifting into giant eagle, slamming into Raven. "Come on Rae..let...go!" Only Beast Boy could get away with calling her that. She softened, releasing Touch, and fell under the weight of the eagle. Beast Boy caught her and landed gently. Touch stood up, smirked, opened his mouth to say something, promptly fainting from blood loss. Raven steadied her self against Beast Boy, still seething.

"Ok, Titans, lets get him back to the Tower. I modified his restraints, so they should hold him. Raven, we will talk later."

Back in the Tower the Titans were arguing over what to do with their prisoner. He groggily woke up, seated up right.

"Man, I really need a Capone now. Hey Animal Boy, they are in my coat pocket. Be a dear and get one for me." He said, barely above a whisper.

"You really are something else. Besides there isn't any smoking. I already told you."

"Gotta do something to keep people on their toes." He smiled

"Stop being so pleased with yourself. You are at our mercy" Raven snarled.

"Yes mistress." Innocently, then "Hey Dick, you modified my chains? Nice, set on a molecular level? Man, ingenious. I can still get out." Flashing a quick smile.

"No, you can't. I made sure of that. Why did you signal for us?"

"Aren't you gonna ask me where I was on the night of July 25th at Two in the afternoon? I hoped that when my Calvary arrived to save me from the evil master's minions. I would lavious my heroes with kisses and worm my way into their hearts with my off beat antics. Apparently that didn't work, so I got you instead."

"Man, I don't understand you at all. How were you able to shift, when I didn't touch you, only your clothes." Beast Boy was curious.

"Man, you are the dense one. My suit has to be attuned with me. You know like yours, so if I touch a meta-morph I can mimic them, and not get caught with my naughty bits showing later."

"How were you able to break Raven's shield?" Robin demanded?

"How about I talk to you privately first, then I'll have a Q & A, then Tea and Crumpets!"

"Ohhh I want to know about this session of Q & A. What are Crumpets?" Starfire asked. Reverting back to inquisitive or happiness was always her way.

"We are not leaving you in here with him alone, who knows what he is capable of." Raven shot back.

"Scouts honor, really. If you want to hang out at the door and let Cyborg monitor my vitals, so you can pounce if I get fresh with Dick, do it"

"I'm getting really tired of your attitude."

"I like you Raven, but I'm getting tired of you reading my mind. Stay out of there." This time there was not a hint of pleasant tones. Only anger. And a perfect imitation of Raven's icy stare. "I'm serious, back off"

Raven withdrew, slightly surprised mostly embarrassed, the rest of the team backed out, leaving only Robin.

"What are you bringing to this table?"

"Man. I really need a Capone. Can I get one or not?" With that Touch morphed into an Amoeba, slipping out of the restraints and headed for the Capone's. Lighting one, he dodged a flying kick from Robin. "Ahh, that's better. Easy Dick, I needed to calm down"

"How did you do that? I modified those. I don't want to hurt you." Voice full of bravado, Robin glared at him.

"He's back Robin, and he wants you. I got caught in verbal tete e tete with him. Musta struck a nerve. Anyway, he sent those bots after me. I know you saw them. The rest of them were too busy exacting revenge."

Taken aback, Robin regained his composure, pressing "Why should I believe you? What about this Deathstroke? Your hand is getting weaker."

"Look I'm a mercenary. I sell info to the highest bidder, Deathstroke allowed me cash, fights, and revenge. I got a family. Alright, a kid, I needed the money. I'm good at it. Forgive me."

"You have a kid? You are married? What?"

"Married and divorced. In my village it is not uncommon to marry early. She was my arranged marriage. And she was pregnant. It wasn't mine but she needed help, my mother liked her so I did it. I found out later that my employer at the time had raped her. So I quit, killing him, running from the company he kept. Deathstroke found me, and the rest is what we have here." Touch looked forlorn. "You can't afford my rates for info on Deathstroke. I already paid for the repairs on the damage, so there's that."

Remembering the suit case of money, Robin realized Touch had left it. Now Robin was shifting in the role of listener, this guy was weird "You said earlier you killed your dad, why?"

"To become a man. He trained me, so my final test was to beat him. Beating him meant killing him, or being killed. I guess I'm that good." He let out a hurt chuckle.

"You perplex me." Man, this guy sounds like Batman could use him. Robin thought. This could be a ploy, stay alert Raven warned. Robin agreed, shifting back. "Well, I'm not letting you go, or trusting you until you tell us about Slade and this Deathstroke person."

"I will not give out info for free. Isn't there any other way?"

"No." Curt, Robin glared.

"You put me in a tight spot, I was hoping to ply my entrance to the Titans with my other hand, but I need you to trust me."

"What can you pos…"

"Terra…" The responding silence was audible. "I can bring her back."

Beast Boy fell in the room, excited.

"Beast Boy, get out of here. I'm trying to…"

"Really? You can get Terra back, Dude. LETS GO ALREADY!" Beast Boy yelled as Cyborg dragged him back out. "Sorry Robin, I'll keep a better leash on him."

Robin shifted back to Touch. "How?"

"All I gotta do is absorb her power, She petrified, she didn't die. If I can absorb about half her power she will regain control and break out. If I do this, I'm good right? Pretty please?"

"We will see."

"You think I can talk to Raven?"

"If she will come in."

"Well, send in the circus."

Robin left, still considering his offer. "Raven, he wants to talk to you." Robin went down the hall, needing to collect his thoughts. "Starfire, come with me. I want to chat."

"Is it about the crumpets? And how does he make you fresh?"

Cyborg and Beast Boy stood watch, forcing Raven in the room.

"What do you want with me."

"He's coming. They are already laying siege to the underworld."

Taken aback, Raven collected her thoughts "No he's not, it's not time. I still have time to prepare, almost a full year." Wait "How do you know about Trigon?"

"He's the one that introduced me to my little caged bird. I am supposed to free you. Or so he tried to impress upon me. Only I don't take to mind control, so I just pretended. But I can't get you out of my head. And whoops, I fell in love." He smiled, sincerely

"How did you know I was skimming your emotions?"

"Training, baby, I gotta be alert at all times. That and a mimic's mind is jumbled as it is. Look, seriously, if you want to get to know me, just ask, I'll open my head right up to you. I will not tolerate invasion though. But be warned. I've got a mind more fucked up than Swiss cheese."

"Don't you mean full of holes?"

"You are even cuter when you look lost. Man, I could get used to you."

"Don't push it. I will still break you. Every last piece of you." With that Raven left.

Over the next five hours Robin thought, and he decided. Robin called a general meeting, including their captive. Weirdly enough, the young man had ingratiated himself on everyone except for Robin and Raven. He tried Starfire's Pudding of Redemption, and ate the whole thing. Starfire was instantly happy with the new man. He laughed at Beast Boy's jokes, and helped Cyborg with his car. Man, he is really trying. Yeah, I know. Raven interjected. Wha…Raven? Robin thought Sorry, but you seem to be the only one with sense around this guy. She shot back. Yeah, Something's not right. I wonder if… Robin stumbled. If he has some sort of pheromone based power? Right. He's going to have to be fully honest with us about his powers. So…Robin stumbled again. Do I want Terra back? Raven said. Yeah. I gave her the benefit of the doubt once. If the rest of the Titan's want it, I guess I'll live with it. Ok, well lets find out. "Titans, lets get this meeting started."

Now I proceed to the meeting, and maybe even Terra's comeback. It's gonna get darker. Don't worry. Read and Review.