Limping into the next room Terra was surprised by the size of it. The room was as least as large as the first room and it was painted the same. The major difference was the large chasm between the parts of the room. They now stood on what appeared to be a cliff facing the opposite edge about forty feet across. Robin looked over the edge and promptly backed away.
"That far huh."
"What."
"The drop."
"I can't see the bottom."
"It's an illusion the floor is twenty feet bellow us." Robin and Terra both whirled around at the sound of that voice. Slade calmly stepped through the door that they had just passed through.
"How did you?"
"I have my ways, now watch closely." Slade pressed something on his left gauntlet.
"The controls are in the same place on your suits." A thin sheet of material extended from his arms connecting to his legs, forming a glider of sorts. Slade ran towards the edge and jumped off. Robin and Terra peered off to see where he had fallen. While the semi-glider didn't look like it would hold Slade sailed across the gap like a bird and closed his arms dropping to the ground on the other side.
"The final goal is through this door, hurry now the training is almost over." Slade disappeared into a burst of flame.
"Why can't he just use a door like everyone else?" Robin checked his gantlets looking for the glider activator.
"Robin I don't see the controls."
"Just bellow the last ridge." Robin showed her where he was pressing. "Here."
When she pressed it the thin membrane extended, good it didn't appear to be damaged.
"I have no idea what to do."
"I've done this kind of thing before just keep your arms spread."
"What if I mess up?"
"You won't, here take my hand." Terra grasped his outstretched hand; she could feel him squeeze, just a little, the reassuring kind. "Ready?"
"No, but let's do this." With a running start the two took to the air, like a pair of birds ridding the current. It was exhilarating the freedom Terra could feel as she flew through the air. The feeling she had gotten when riding on a floating rock couldn't compare to almost freefall.
Robin pulled his arms in and smoothly dropped to the ground, Terra only managed to fall to her knees.
"Are you alright Terra?" She just laughed. "Terra."
"I'm fine. Well a little sore." She admitted.
"Lets go."
"Right." Nodding Terra stood up, her strength had returned, or at least the adrenaline was drowning out the pain.
The next room was more along the lines of a normal room than the others. Note more along he line does not mean normal. The room had a low ceiling and a pair of chairs in the center; they were bolted to the floor. The far wall lit up, robin realized that the whole wall was a TV screen.
"Wow."
"What." Terra sat down, it felt good to finally rest her legs.
"The tower has a 54' screen but this is wow." Terra just looked at him.
"It's a projector dumbass." Terra waved hr hand in front of the previously unseen light source and her shadow showed up on the wall.
"Oh, yeah." Robin laughed sheepishly and sat down. Terra just shook her head. As he sat the lights dimmed and with a light rumbling Terra was sure that they had started moving. The picture, which had previously been blank, focused into the image of a building.
"This is the Jump City museum of natural history and ancient art." Slade's voice begun without preamble. "Last month a new exhibit opened called treasures of ancient Sumeria. The centerpiece of the exhibit is the royal garment of the great kings." The image turned to a glass-incased robe, incrusted with jewels and adored with a massive crown. "You will take the amulet of Quoz." The picture zoomed in to a simple necklace that lay at the foot of the robe, nestled between a pair of scepters.
"I've been there before Slade, I wont steal anything for you."
"You will or you will never leave here alive." At that point Slade simply ignored what Robin had to say and continued on an explanation of how the two of them would subvert the security and steal the necklace. Terra didn't want to do this as well but she quietly watched and took in the plan, she noticed that Robin while challenged Slade the whole time took in every detail.
"You will leave for the museum as soon as your wounds have healed." The door in the far wall slide open. "When you give me that amulet I will deactivate the suits and you will be free."
"You promise."
"Yes of course, when have I ever balked on a promise, Terra?"
"I don't ever remembering you make a promise." Slade didn't respond.
"Come on Robin lets get out of here." Terra pulled Robin towards the open door but stopped to hold her side.
"Relax, I'll lead for a while." Robin swung her arm over his shoulder and let her rest on him as they walked through the door, and back into a very familiar holding cell.
"Full circle huh."
"Yeah, the doors open let's get out of here." Heading through the far door the two found themselves in their room for the last couple of weeks. Robin sat Terra on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom, returning with a first aid kit.
"Let me take a look at your injures."
"I'm alright really." She still raised her hands over her head and let Robin's fingers probe her midsection.
"Oww." Robin pulled back quickly.
"See, your hurt, I need you to take off your suit."
"You just want to see me naked."
"You have a bra on right?"
"Yeah, but that's not the point."
"Terra you wont get any better if someone doesn't take care of you."
"Hmmmp." Terra stood and unzipped the suit, rather than steeping out of it she just removed her arms letting the rest fall over her legs as she sat back down. Large parts of her right side and back looked puffy and discolored, like a bruise that was just starting to show.
"Raise your arms again." Terra complied and Robin began to apply a paste from the first aid kit.
"Ugh, what is this shit?"
"Who said medicine was supposed to smell good."
"But must it be this bad?"
"This is nothing, I got a bad cut when I trained with the True master. Robin steeped back and undid his suit the same way she had. Terra almost gasped when she saw his bare chest, besides a collection of scars that seemed to belong to a much older person, Robin had as many bruises from the fight as herself, possibly more.
"My god Robin."
"The bruises, they're nothing I'll take care of them after we finish with you." He pointed to a small scar over his chest. "This one was much larger when I got it, it just healed up great. The True Master's remedy worked but it smelled so bad, I'm just thankful she didn't mention what it was made of before I got it off."
"What was it made of?"
"Hold still, lets just say that dinner hand been bad enough that night and I was glad that I didn't have to see it again."
"What does that mean?" Terra did stop fidgeting and let Robin begin to wrap her wounds with some of the medical gauze in the kit.
"It was nasty, trust me."
"I do, but I still want to know."
"Ok well you start with Goat and Yak piss."
"Gross."
"It gets worse."
"Go on."
"Boil it down and you get a resin. Well you take that and add it to Yak milk and ferment it." Looking at Terra's face Robin added it smelled worse than your imagining.
"There all done, wait don't put the suit back on the area needs to breathe for at least a night."
"Fine now sit and let me take care of you."
"I can do it myself."
"I didn't ask a question, now sit." Terra scolded playfully as she pushed him to the bed.
"Not so feisty, submit I submit." Terra just laughed as she began to apply the foul smelling medicine.
"What's so funny?" Terra just kept laughing and Robin joined her.
"When do you think Slade will consider us healed?" Terra lay beside Robin looking up at the darkened ceiling, food had come and gone and now the two tried to sleep. After wearing the suit as almost a second skin Terra was anxious about sleeping next to Robin with her upper body exposed.
Afraid he will try something or are you wishing he would?
Not now.
"I don't know. Knowing Slade we could see action as early as tomorrow."
"Are you still certain you wont do this. After all he only wants a small piece of a treasure."
"Slade doesn't want it for sentimental value. For whatever reason he's alive again it involves Raven. Anything that is remotely magical is a threat if it involves Raven."
"You say again?"
"I see no way that he could have survived what you did to him."
"So you'll do this?"
"I don't like it, but I've done far worse while working for Slade."
"You worked for Slade?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what."
"I guess I can see why non of the others said anything to you about this. About four months before we met you I was Slade's apprentice."
"Why?"
"He blackmailed me with the others. I had no choice."
"What happened?" Robin thought back to his memories of his fights with his friends, and to Red X.
"I'd rather not talk about it." Robin was silent after that and Terra decided not to press. Settling back she closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep.