Hmmm...well you know the song and dance by now.
Raven of the Night676: -sweat drops- Uh...hehehe. Lol thanks.
Mina: LOL if you don't like him now... That was a pretty unpleasant scene. Sugar high, eh? LOL my friend Rusty's little sister has decided she's obsessed with Teen Titans...made a bunch of paper Robin masks. Only problem is, she think's Starfire is the end-all be-all. :( Wish I could see it cuz I always giggle at that part...I'm so pathetic. Sadly, my name is not Budah -sigh- lol if you guess right, I'll tell you so. Dorothy? Daina? Hmm...I'll guess eventually. Tell me if I get it right, ok:)
jambey: LOL. Hmmm...not quite bored, more exasperated to the point of insanity...well not that bad, but near. I swear the answers will come very very soon.
Aeris-Raven: Yeah... -blush- I accidently typed about instead of above...I enjoyed writing that chapter about as much as 12...that one was fun to write...if you get what I mean by fun.
DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin: No problem...wish I would go on a vacation -sigh-. Well hope you had a lovely time at the store:)
CloudsHalo: I swear, you will find out soon, very very soon. Thanks for the heads up..but grr what a long wait! Glad you enjoyed it!
antiterra: Whoa...that's...interesting. LOL well, if you hate Terra, you are MORE THAN welcome here! Bash the little earth shifter!
Dark-Magic67: Hmmm...you'll see about that soon. Glad you like it:)
Darkofthenight: Yes sir or ma'am, as the case may be.
Majestical: No prob. I really did mean to have more of her in this story...but I kinda backed her into a corner (a locked room, to be more precise), so it's hard to work her in. There is more of Raven in this chapter though, and there should be more in the chapters to come (what there is left, that is).
Umbro Draco: LONDON? FOR A WEEK? AND MORE? Gr...I am so jealous. -sigh- I wish someone would take me to London. Well, it's good to have you back. Cracking he is. Poor Raven indeed. I am so evil. Glad you like it:)
Mystyre: Hmm...trick? Do you have a trick up your sleeve, Robin? Rob: Uh...well...you see, it's uh sorta complicated...and you wouldn't understand. Dusty: Oooh, of course. Uh...about that... -sweat drops- Glad you like it! Oh and so sorry I took so long to read inner workings...it's good!
CelticHeiressFiona: Ooh...peach? Those are the best kind. Thanks!
Tifereth: Technically, Slade was doing a good deed...though he took way too much pleasure in doing so. Rob: -blushes- Stop it. Dusty: Oh yeah, you're so humble. -tears well up in hazel eyes- But...but...I'M SORRY! If you hate Slade now... LOL I like the way you describe my story. I should hire you to write my summaries...How does a dozen digital cookies per summary sound? Yeah...I need to figure out how to work in an explanation of that, cuz I haven't really told what Slade injected into him. Are you banned again? Poor Tifereth. Yes, you will find out very soon.
VerticallyxChallenged: I won't hurt you. LOL I am? Still sorta surprised really...I never thought they'd be this popular. LOL yes, a hug and some therapy...oh and the death of Slade would be helpful too. Thanks!
Strixvaria: Thanks.
Rebel-Aquarius: Yeah...I guess I just sorta project my life onto them and then I can understand them better, like Robin for instance. Sure, what's your penname? Or have you started it yet? Just let me know, and I'll come check it out. Yes, I will...very soon. Thanks so much, I'm glad you liked it!
Child of Blood: -shiver- I heard of someone that liked to do that to innocent kitties...But Slade deserves it. We could disect him in the name of science...see if there's a heart somewhere in there.
kiddette: Whoa...haven't seen you for a while! Glad you like it...and still wondering what that proposition was...The story's almost over.
AnnFaithDarknessGoddess: Yeah, sorry, but believe it or not it was the average length. Yeah, you should find out all of that very soon (I know I've said this many times before, but this time I mean it). Yeah, Slade is really good at putting salt in the wounds. Yeah, there's no way he would let her go...not for now at least. Thanks!
Cheerin4danny: Thanks! So you like Danny Phantom huh? I think it's pretty cool too...Sam and Danny are cute together.
Telepathic communication is in italics. Ok then, ON WITH THE STORY!
"Starfire! Beast Boy! I think I found something!"
The alien girl's eyes widened, not sure if she should be happy or afraid. "What is this 'something', Friend Mina?"
"I don't know yet, but...it looks pretty creepy."
BB's face appeared on the screen next to Mina's. "Where are you?"
"I'm in Gotham. Thought we might have more luck her than in Jump City. Hurry, I'll wait for you." The girl's face disappeared, leaving Beast Boy staring at Starfire. A silent conversation passed between their green eyes, then both nodded, and Starfire shut off her communicator. Anything was better than not knowing.
Robin walked as silently as possible down the dark, dusty hallway, freezing every time he stepped on a creaking floorboard, his heart pounding, certain that Slade would emerge from one of the countless doors at any moment. He felt like a fly with it's wings ripped off, trapped in a glass jar being tipped and shaken at the will of some all-powerful being. No escape, no control. Fear.
Raven must be behind one of these doors, but the question was which. No doubt, if he did manage to find her door, it would be locked, and then what would he do? A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach was telling him that this was exactly what Slade was expecting him to do. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as a terrifying thought occurred to him: what if Slade could read his mind, as Raven did? What if, at this very moment. . . All too possible. Slade had "died" twice now, and yet here he was. Robin was beginning to think that nothing was impossible when it came to Slade. How could anyone fight a ghost?
Robin froze in front of a door, perfectly identical to all the others, except for one tiny detail. It would have been all too easy to miss in the semidarkness, had his eyes not been fixed on the floor. A corner of blue cloth protruded slightly from beneath the door, and that was all he needed. This door was indeed Raven's. . .but what would he find behind it? His heavily bandaged hand hovered just above the handle, shaking slightly as he bit his lip hard. What would she say when she saw him dressed like. . .this? What would she say when she saw the metal "S" over his heart? With painful clarity, he recalled the look she had given him the first time he had been forced to wear it. Disbelief, pain, horror. . .disgust. She had watched him like one would a rattlesnake in tall grass; as though at any moment he would strike. And a snake he was, no matter how much he didn't want to be. He had ached to tell them, yearned to explain, to get those acusing stares off of him and tend the burns their eyes had left behind. But always that voice echoed in his head, that venemous, terrifying, hateful voice. "Not a word, Robin. They're not your friends anymore."
And it was true. When he wore that "S", he had no friends, only enemies. With Slade, there was only hate and fear. How could Raven love something so despicable, so cowardly, so very different from her? Once he had seen trust in her eyes. Once he was sure that she loved and admired him. Now there was no regaining that. There was too much pain, too much to be forgiven and nothing to make it deserved. His face was cold and unreadable as he lowered the hand, turning away from his life, his light, his purpose. It was like turning you're back on the sun to dive head-first into a dark, cold pool of mud.
"How could you think that?"
Robin jumped, whirling around and searching the hallway before his brain understood. It was Raven, she had spoken, but on the inside. Shame beyond anything he had ever felt burned through him, and he longed to tear off the suit even though he knew she couldn't see him.
"Stop it! I don't care what you're wearing!" The equivalent of a heavy sigh whistled through his mind. "How could you ever think that. . ."
He didn't even deserve to speak to her.
"Damn it, Robin, stop! Don't say that!"
He was a coward, a failure, a murderer.
"Stop!"
Cold and burnng at the same time, Robin wished with all his heart that the bomb had killed him and spared her this pain. He wanted to die, truly wished himself dead for the first time in his life. There was nothing more to live for. . .nothing that wouldn't be better off without him.
"I LOVE YOU!"
The words exploded in his mind, tingling through his entire body with a tangible warmth. He gasped as the warmth gathered in his fingers, pulsing over the broken bones and soothing the pain away. Bruises, cuts, scrapes, all were healed in that one breathtaking moment, and he was left standing outside her door, eyes wide as he brought his hand before them and gingerly flexed the fingers. They moved easily, the constant throbbing gone. Raven did that for him.
"I love you, Robin. Nothing can change that, not Slade, not the Titans, not even you. Please believe that. Please trust me."
He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat and blinked back reluctant tears. "Raven, I--"
"APPRENTICE!"
He flinched, his stomach clenching to the point of pain as a cold, iron fist clamped around his shoulder, jerking him backwards. In the next moment he was looking up into the icy face of his master.
"What do you think you are doing, young man?" That single, gray eye glared down at him, and he crumbled beneath it's gaze.
"I. . .I. . ." he stuttered, eyes darting away again and again only to be drawn back to that terrible face. He had to protect Raven, had to keep Slade away from her at all costs. There was no telling what he would do if Robin disappointed him. "J-just walking. . ." The memory of that cold, cruel pistol pressed against Raven's temple made his stomach lurch sickeningly. He hated himself for getting her into this mess, and if anything happened to her. . .
Slade's eye narrowed, and a cold sweat broke out on Robin's forehead. He knew. "I see. Let me see your hands."
"Wh-what?" How could he know about that? How?
Slade's hand shot out as Robin tried and failed to back away. His arm was caught in the man's iron grip, Slade's other hand squeezing Robin's fingers lightly. He pretended to flinch in pain, but the time gap was too great to avoid suspicion. Robin wasn't sure exactly why, but he had a feeling that he did not want Slade to know his fingers were healed. Too late.
"Well, would you look at that. Nothing short of a miracle. By the look on your face, I'm sureyou don't know this, Robin, but the bones are completely healed. Beautifully so, in fact." As though to prove his point, Slade ripped off the bandage and bent each of the fingers one right after the other, and of course, there was no pain.
A different, younger Robin would have been angered by the sarcastic taunting, but this one could only feel fear, like a giant rock lodged in his chest. This could lead to nothing good.
"I am very pleased to hear this, Robin. And a special thanks to your little girlfriend, too." A metal boot slid across the floor, shoving the cloth back under the door soundlessly. "This has sped up the process considerably."
Robin swallowed hard, but the lump was still there. "P-process?"
"Oh yes." The tone in his voice sent shivers up Robin's spine and a trickle of cold sweat down his back. "I trust you have not forgotten that little ceremony, Robin?"
Forgotten it? It was the only thing he could think about.
"That was not just for fun, Robin. That agreement is binding, contract or no." He chuckled, still glaring down at Robin, as though trying to make him feel small and afraid. It was working. "I like to think of it as a pact sealed with blood. Your blood."
Even with all his thoughts of suicide, that statement multiplied his fear ten-fold, if for no other reason, because when he was gone nothing would stand between Slade and Raven.
"It goes without saying that, should you. . .disappoint me, you will pay with your very life. And she", he tilted his head towards the door, "will be utterly expendable."
His fears and suspicions had now become cold, hard facts. There was only one choice. "What do you want me to do?"
"No! What are you doing? Fight, Robin! Don't give in!
"It's too late."
Slade removed a pistol, horribly similar to the one he had used to threaten Raven, from his belt and placed it in Robin's newly-mended fingers. "Kill."
His masked eyed widened in horror, and he tried to drop the weapon, only to find Slade's hand clamped firmly around his, keeping it in place. The cold of metal against his skin was like poison, seeping up his arm and into his chest to stop someone else's heart. No! Never! He could never. . .but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he had to. "I. . ."
"You have two shots, the second for if you should miss. Both must be gone when you return, and don't attempt to get rid of them with alternate methods. I will know." Slade stared down at him, the glint in his eye as fatal and permanent as a bullet to the heart. "I am not asking you to kill your 'friends', Robin. Just a random individual who means absolutely nothing to you. Need I say that your precious Raven will be dead before you return, should you fail. You have one hour to be back, or she will die regardless of a successful shooting. Do I make myself clear?"
His mouth was full of sand, his lungs, paralyzed, his heart, beating franticly in his ribcage. He knew what he had to do.
"Robin! You can't! It's not worth it, nothing is worth taking a life! You do have a choice!"
Uncertainty was tearing him in half, confusion clouding his mind. "I. . .I won't--"
With lightning speed, a metal-gloved hand struck him on the side of the head. Stars winked before his eyes as he crashed into the wall, his head throbbing and his ears ringing. Slade gripped the front of his uniform, lifting him a good six inches off the ground until the cold mask was barely an inch away from his skin. "Do I Make Myself Clear?"
That cold, gray eye said everything. Slade would kill without a second thought, without any semblance of remorse or regret. Raven would not die, he couldn't let Raven die, no matter what the cost. She was his only hope. "Yes."
"But. . .Robin. . ."
Slade jerked him closer yet. "Yes, what?"
Robin's face burned red with shame. "Yes, Master."
He could almost see Slade's condescending smile behind the mask. "Good boy. You now have 49 minutes, to be exact, so I suggest you hurry. Oh, and one more thing."
Robin turned back, wondering what Slade could possibly say to make it worse.
"Don't get caught."
"Uh...what am I supposed to be seeing here?"
"Friend Beast Boy is right. I am afraid that I do not understand. What did you find?"
Mina frowned in confusion. "But. . .don't you see it?"
"See what?" Beast Boy squinted in the direction the girl had indicated. Aside from a few weeds and beer bottles, there was nothing. Just as empty lot. "There's nothing to see! Is this some kind of twisted joke?" he demanded, anger fueled by disappointment making his voice harsh and acusing. He was so sure that this time. . .
"No! I. . ." Growing desperate, Mina ran to Starfire, turning her face toward the delapidated warehouse. "There! It's right there!" Her eyebrows knit together in a deep frown. "Don't. . .don't you see it?"
Starfire turned her head towards the girl, eyes dark with concern. "Friend Mina, I can assure you that there is nothing in the area of which you speak. At least, nothing that will assist us in our search for our friend." She stressed the word, as though convincing someone that she did indeed consider Robin as such. With obvious difficulty, she pulled herself together. "We. . .we should. . .continue the search. Be of good cheer, friends." Smiling weakly, Starfire turned away and Beast Boy followed suit.
Mina's eyes darted from them, to the "invisible" warehouse, then back again. Why couldn't they see it? It couldn't be a mirage...the shadow! Maybe they would at least be able to see that. "Wait!" she yelled, running after them and dragging them back toward the building. "Do you see that shadow?" she asked, pointing to the ground on the dark side of the building.
BB blinked, noticing it for the first time. "Yeah. . ."
"Well, where did it come from? What's blocking the sun?"
Starfire looked up at the empty lot, then back at her newly aquired friend. "I. . .do believe you, Mina, but my head is still filled with questions. Why can you see it, if it remains hidden to our eyes?"
Mina, somewhat excited at making them believe her, frowned again. "I don't know. I. . .I just can, I guess. Come on!" She grabbed their hands, tugging them towards the building but keeping to the shadows, just in case. There was obiously something very fishy about this place, so caution was the best course. When they were barely a foot from the building, she took a deep breath. Time to find out if she was hallucinating or not. "Stretch your hands out in front of you, see if you don't feel something."
Starfire immediately obeyed, but Beast Boy hesitated, giving Mina a strange look. "Have you ever been to shrink?"
"Just do it!" she yelled, exasperated at his distrust.
With a grunt to the affect of, "This is a waste of time!", BB conformed, stretching his hand out towards the building's rough brick wall. Starfire touched it first, and she gave a gasp of surprise. "My hand will not move any farther!"
Beast Boy's eyes were wide as he ran his hand along the wall. "Whoa...you were right! How did you do that?"
"It doesn't matter, cuz in about five seconds, you won't remember, anyway!"
Beast Boy and Starfire whirled around, and instantly froze. "This is not good."
Well, there you go. Kind of a weird place to stop, but it's the best I got right now (oh the horrible grammar...forgive me). Hope you liked it, and I'll try to update soon! Bye! -Dusty