Robin checked his watch the invitation had said to show up at this time. He skillfully dropped form his perch on a balcony across the street and ran across the empty lot to the warehouse door. The guard asked for Robin's invite, but after he identified himself Red X was waved through. Robin was brought to a man he had never seen before. He was heavyset and looked close to sixty.

"Hello Red X, I am truly glad you were able to make it to our little party. He worried that our invitation had not reached you."

"It came latter than I like, but I found it."

"Very good, I suppose you wonder why I asked you to come to a weapons auction?"

"You could start there."

"Well I guess I am getting ahead of myself, my name is Franco Destuncy."

Robin cocked his head slightly.

"I know it's a rare name," Franco continued. "I am new to this city and I need to set up supply links with the underworld here. You are a master thief no?"

Robin just nodded.

"Well the people I represent would be most appreciative if you could keep yourself in a position were you could freelance for us from time to time."

"I see, and this auction."

"I invited you here so you could see us work and to assume you that we are trustworthy."

"There is no honor among thieves."

"Only not among the dead ones. We do things a little differently, if you help us we will certainly help you in return." Franco placed his hand on Robin's back and guided him into the center of the warehouse where men were setting up merchandise and the buyers were taking their seats.

"Please find a seat with the others, we will talk afterwards, who know you may find something you want." Franco smiled and walked over to great a man in a limo. This area of organized crime was beyond what he and the titans generally worked on. Then he saw them, Slade and two cloaked figures, probably robots, took seats near the front and waited for the bidding to start. Robin started to make his way to Slade; he would have the closest seat to his nemesis as possible. Checking his watch he hoped the other titans would stick to the plane he had outline, if they blew this so help him. Wait what was he saying they were his friends, when had he become so callous and uninterested in what others thought. He didn't like the way he was acting today not at all, but he pushed those thoughts aside, there would be plenty of time to analyze what was happening to him after he caught Slade. Robin took a seat two rows behind Slade and waited.

Starfire circled around the warehouse on last time before returning to the rooftop the titans were using as an onsite headquarters.

"Anything Star?"

"No, if Robin is there he entered before I checked." She told Cyborg.

"Nothing from my end either." Beastboy said as he transformed back into his human form.

"We have to assume that Robin got there early and is already inside." Raven added. "The question is should we move in now or wait the time Robin told us."

"I don't like the vibe of that place at all."

"Cyborg you are correct this place does not feel right." Starfire added.

"Beastboy any objections?"

"None."

"So we do this now. Titans…Go." Raven tried to imamate Robin but it just wasn't the same without him. The titans flew to the roof of the warehouse, Starfire carried Cyborg, and the group prepared to blast through an upper window.

It had taken Franco five or so minutes to introduce himself and several other guest of honor that Robin vaguely remembered from police reports. Slade was the only one he cared about now. The bidding was going to start on a set of assault weapons, like they were some sort of antiques. Then the glass in the northwest corner shattered, smoke started to pour in and figures jumped down into the building. Panic and chaos broke out as Franco's men turned and opened fire on the figures still in smoke. Robin almost broke character and cursed, what the hell were they doing here so early. He had told twenty-five minutes from now twice, at the meeting and in his note, yet they screw it up and attack now? Were they even thinking? Robin was pulled back to reality as he noticed Slade and his robots were heading to an interior room. Robin in his Red X costume gave case, pushing other people who tried to run. Robin burst into the room were several scared and wealthy looking people started to surround Robin, not looking for a fight but offering money in exchange for protection, he ignored them. Slade was in the back of the room, his back turned conferring with his robots, odd.

"Slade."

"Yes."

"We need to talk."

Slade turned around; he didn't move his neck just rotated 180 degrees.

"What about, Robin?"

"You got me mixed up with someone else." Robin took a step backwards.

"No, I'm sure it's you." This time the voice had come from behind him.

Robin turned around and jumped backward to dodge Slade's attack. He was to late; the masked fighter caught Robin in the shoulder spinning him around as the disguised hero backpedaled. All around him the people who had been asking for his help shimmered and changed. He was no longer in a room with Slade and a bunch of bystanders with mafia connections, but a room with Slade and his robots.

Men began to shoot as soon as they entered the building. Raven deflected most of it and the others lucky didn't hit anyone. These men didn't dive for cover they just kept shooting. Starfire and Cyborg just knocked one after another down while Raven ran interference and Beastboy stood by unable to enter that type of withering riffle fire.

"Something's not right." Cyborg said as he got close to one of the fallen men.

It was true the man's chest was smoking and sparking and then the man shimmered and changed into one of Slade's robots.

"They're all robots, with holographic disguises." He shouted over the dim.

"Cover now!" Raven yelled as her shield collapsed.

At that all of the people in the building stopped and turned towards the titans, like a nest of pretenders knowing their cover was blow every person in the crowded warehouse shimmered and revealed there true selves. The titans backed away to a corner and found cover among the boxes as the small army or robotic killers drew weapons and began to advance firing.

Robin dodged to the left and lashed out, his foot taking the head off yet another one of Slade's robots. It didn't matter for every one that he felled another two waited outside the circle for its chance to fight. Not to mention Slade and his robotic look-alike. They were on opposite sides of him each one just standing there waiting. They only way he could tell the difference now was that the real one had a strange emblem burnt into his mask, Raven hadn't told him what it meant.

"What do you want Slade." Robin threw a pair of exploding discs from his utility belt destroying another robot. This time Slade stepped forward rather than one of his toys.

"Why you of course." He moved into a fighting stance.

"Would I have really gone through all of this, the invitation, the drug to make you distrust your friends, for anyone else?" His voice was mocking. "This is all for you Robin."

Every time Robin blocked one of Slade's attacks a robot took the chance to strike him. Robin might only just be realizing that he'd been duped but he did know his limits. Suddenly Slade launched a vicious attack, flames dancing off his fingertips, robin flips over backwards but got a kick to the legs by some robot. He managed to land on his feet right into the fake Slade. Robin pushed away, fast but not fast enough, a cattle prod jabbed him right in the ribs, electricity flowed through his body carving lines of pure pain through every nerve. If his lungs and throat had been working he would have screamed, instead he just collapsed to the ground. In the distance he could hear laughter and he saw out of the corner of his eye, his head didn't seem to want to work, Slade his hands outstretched and a ball of fire floating between them. That's not fair Robin thought, then the flames were on him and pain overtook reasoning again. Funny death by fire should hurt more he thought as the whole world went red and then black.

From behind their makeshift barricade the titans threw everything they had at the robots yet still they came. Every time Cyborg or Starfire popped their heads above the boxes several machines broke, but that was not enough. Beastboy was unable to help so he spent the time moving more crates forward, bolstering their cover. Raven was chanting, not her normal spell that she used to levitate things but a longer and probably much more powerful spell.

"Raven if you're going to do something awesome you'd better do it soon." Beastboy yelled over the noise. The robots were getting close enough to jump over the boxes and where starting to charge.

"Get down." The titans heard mentally and complied. Raven unleashed a massive burst of dark energy that sliced out in all directions cutting through the boxes the robots and even parts of the building at waist level. Many robots exploded clouding the air with the smell of sulfur and ash.

"Everyone alright?" Cyborg asked as he picked a box off of Starfire.

"Robin." She called out flying higher to see the whole room.

"Storage room 'cough' saw him go in." Beastboy said.

Ignoring the others Starfire flew to the door and without trying kicked it in. Inside she found more robots. They seamed to have been turned off and then burnt, but no Robin.

"Robin!" Starfire collapsed.

"Where have you gone?"