The next day came all to soon and Terra soon found herself standing on the national bank office tower. Robin was focusing on the museum, two blocks away. Since their release, per say, from Slade's base the two had found out just how much these suits were equipped with.
"Wind conditions are good, no ones around. Are you ready?"
"No, but let's get this over with Ro…" He hissed at her to be quite.
"No names got it."
"Yeah sorry." Terra paused on the precipice; looking down at the world she was about to forcefully reintroduce her self to. Fanning out the wings of her suit she crouched and prepared to jump. "Ok let's go."
"On three." "One." Robin grasped Terra's hand.
"Two." She squeezed his hand tight, its all going to be ok she thought to herself.
"Three." The yelled in unison as the two of them plummeted from the rooftop. For about twenty feet they simple dived then, they began to pull up from their death plummet and began a slow glide towards the museum roof. The muted lights of Jump City shimmered bellow, but no one noticed the two silent figures, hawks descending on unsuspecting prey. They landed fast rolling behind an air compressor. The soreness Terra felt reminded her that even though her previous wounds had been treated and Slade's medicine worked wonders, she wasn't in top condition. Neither was Robin. After doing all of this to train her was he merely trying to get them both killed?
Robin began to mouth commands to her, she couldn't hear them or see his lips move but tiny sensors within the mask transmitted the words to her.
"Get ready for step two." Terra responded with a simple double click of her comm. Robin crouched watching the security cameras go through their patrol of the rooftop, each one finished its arc and returned in about ten seconds, and the timing must be perfect.
A simple hand movement was all Terra saw and then she was off sprinting low while the mechanical eyes were turned. Pressing herself up against the wall beneath the first camera she waited, a timer superimposed over her eyes by the mask ticked down. Slade had scouted this place out thoroughly and had no plans on them failing. The mark reached zero and she was moving again. Ducking beneath the second camera she pulled out a laser image-disguiser. This little beauty was supposed to project and image to a point, while being more or less ineffective against anyone with any common sense, it should work against the final stationary camera. Terra tossed the disc like object out so it slid along the ground. The device started to blink and in three seconds held steady green light, that camera was happily looking at prerecorded scenes of the roof. Terra detached herself form the wall and walked over to the camera. Pulling another of Slade's goodies she attached it to the box that controlled the three cameras on the roof. A few more seconds passed and then she heard a tone sound inside her mask. Robin heard it to and hurried to where she was.
"Phase two complete." She heard Robin tell Slade.
"Good proceed with the next step." Slade was of course not here, or anywhere nearby for that matter. Terra wondered why he just didn't steal the simple amulet himself. A clinking noise drew her out of introspection. Robin was removing the covering for the ventilation system's intake. It was going to be a tight fit she saw as she wedged herself into the ductwork after Robin.
Terra sighed, 'how did I get myself in to this' she thought as she swung upside down above the gallery floor. Robin had her by the ankles and was slowly lowering her to the ground. Halting inches from the floor Terra depressed a hidden button on her armband. The smoke generators worked perfectly, billowing a transparent cloud across the floor. As the smoke rose red lines became apparent, lots of them. A simple grid covered the floor spaced every two feet. Above them lasers appeared to be spread at random across the floor, most were just the same laser reflected of mirrors but that made the task ahead no easier. Disrupting or caging the mirrors was not an option, at least not in this phase of the mission.
"Now."
Robin acknowledged with a click and then swung Terra to the right. This was risky but it was the only way. When Robin let go in mid swing Terra dropped the last inch and landed on her hands. Swaying back and forth, madly fighting to keep her balance Terra flipped over placing her feet in another square, just as planed. Continuing her flip she rose up and crouched down, alerting Robin to her success with a nod. Robin nodded back and then crawled off, he had another task to perform. Leaving Terra to the lasers, at least these wouldn't slice you up. Rising to a half crouch Terra ducked beneath the first set of lasers and moved forward. Three tile sections to go, the next would be harder though. Bending herself over backwards Terra took up a position from when she had taken gymnastics.
I was only seven then, things were happy then. No powers, no burdens, no Slade.
No Beast Boy, no Robin, yep things were better. The sarcasm was just overflowing.
For once maybe her conscience was right for all that she had lost she had gained a good friend and perhaps someone more.
FOCUS.
Starting form her daydream Terra advanced in between the cross X pattern that the lasers had woven. As soon as she crossed the second barrier Terra flattened herself to the ground and curled up, this section was not devoid of lasers. A glance at her watch told her she was ten seconds behind, picking up the pace to near reckless she slid beneath a rather low set laser. Then raising her herself up she began to lift her body over the next obstacle. Raising her hips to clear the low-lying laser, Terra glanced at her watch, dam she was still seven seconds behind. Luckily this square was clear; she flipped up and turned around. The final set of lasers was to close together to pass under or over. No she would have to go through this one.
"Shit." Terra cursed, she wasn't loud so no one but herself heard it. She was five seconds behind, two, no time to prepare, one. The laser wall surrounding the case dropped. It would only be done for twenty seconds, no time to think. Terra dived forwards towards a gap in the laser screen, twisting her body in mid air to dodge the second set. Terra landed hard on her shoulder but still rolled up steadying herself against the case. It vibrated slightly but not enough to set off that particular set of alarms. Fifteen seconds, Terra placed her hand to the glass and let the built in glasscutter do its job. Placing the cut out chunk of glass on top of the case, she reached inside careful to avoid the crown or scepter, after all the guards only placed pressure sensors on the largest pieces. The amulet Slade was after wasn't rigged. Gently she wrapped her fingers around the tine chain of the amulet, it was a simple silver design. Carefully she pulled the thousand-year-old necklace from its place bellow the robes and scepter and lifted it towards the hole. Five seconds left, no time for fines, she cleared the alarmed obstacles, two. Pulling back Terra yanked the amulet of the case, on cue the laser screen raised itself about the case. Smiling to herself Terra placed the amulet in a specially made pouch.
Wait why am I smiling, I'm being forced to do this?
Maybe you like this kind of thing.
No, that's not it this is wrong.
You're still smiling.
Terra began her trek back across the floor. The first barrier was impossible to pass but as planed Robin cut off the lower laser so she could crawl beneath. To bad he couldn't do that on the way in. The remaining ones were much easier, without a clock Terra easily circumvented the remaining lasers. By the time Terra reached the open vent Robin was already hanging upside down.
"Your late."
"Relax we don't have another guard coming by for at least four minutes. Ready?"
Robin just nodded.
Terra leaped up catching Robin's hands, he grunted and slipped a little but held on. Slowly he pulled her up; it must take a huge amount of strength and will to do that silently. Terra wasn't very heavy but still.
"No problems I suppose."
"None, lets get out of here."
"Ok."
"What is that?"
"Huh?" Robin looked down through the vent, there was movement bellow.
Robin undid the vent and poked his head through. A figure was striding across the floor towards the case they had just robbed.
"Shit." Robin pulled his head back up. Who ever he his, he just either disabled the security system or he set off every silent alarm between the city limits and the tower.
"We have to go now." Robin hissed as he lunged forward, all pretense of secrecy gone.
Terra silently cursed to herself.
Why me?
You know you like it.
No.
You know what else you like?
What.
Robin's ass.
Terra didn't even think of a response for this quip.