Hello, again. (Groans and clutches at stomach.) I'm updating like heck to get to the good stuff, especially since this chapter is taking so freakin' long to get going. (Moans again.) Blegh. I just ate this huge amount of ice cream, chocolate, Oreos, and a lot more crap that I don't even want to think about…Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick…

By the way, Remix 17: I don't know if you caught what I wrote on the second chapter, but I'll just mention it again, just in case: I'm not a guy. Oh man-(holds stomach, and staggers to the bathroom.)

Chapter Three: Calm before the Storm…

"I know how to hurt,
I know how to kill,
I know what to show
And what to conceal.
I know when to talk
And I know when to touch,
No one ever died from wanting too much."

Garbage, "The World Is Not Enough."

Slade-

There are some places in the world, where light does not reach even the smallest corner. There are places in the world, full of darkness and death, places where the atmosphere has you drowning in its deepest despair.

It was there that Slade had made his most recent lair, and where he now stood, gazing apathetically at the bustling city's streets, full of cheerful, moving people.

Cheerful…and so...oblivious.

Though it repulsed the criminal to watch the scene in front of him, Slade was almost…relying on their utter stupidity, in order to carry out his plan…if anyone suspected what was coming…it would never work…

But from the way things were going now, he seriously doubted that would happen. No one could figure it out, or had figured it out, and they never would…

Not even Robin.

Slade was rather disappointed with the boy's progress. In the end though, it wouldn't matter-he needed his teenaged foes to stay innocently clueless, even if he would've dearly loved to drop by and mess with their heads a bit.

Slade had to smile as his thoughts focused mainly on Robin. It was so easy to play with the young man's mind, so easy to manipulate and frustrate him.

Good…he was relying on that too.

This city wouldn't know what had hit it…it was too late.

Neither Robin, nor any of his little friends would be able to stop him this time.

It was too late…Too late…

Cyborg:

"HAHAHA! I got you now, you little green twerp!"

"Erg-no, you-ah!-don't!"

"C'mon, B.B. You could at least put up a little bit of a challenge!"

"Cy, don't make me slug you! And I'll NEVER GIVE IN! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! YOU CAN'T-WHAT!"

"Oh yeah! I won! Booyah! Yeah, how do you like that!"

Beast Boy groaned and slumped down on the cough unhappily, grumbling under his breath, while Cyborg cackled manically to the side.

"Yeah! I beat you, I beat you!" Cyborg began dancing around the sullen Beast Boy in a circle, taunting him. Raven glanced over the top of her newest book, eyes narrowed slightly at Cyborg in irritation.

"Must you really do all of this over a stupid video game?" She asked testily. Even Cyborg stopped his victory celebration to stare open-mouthed at her.

"Are you crazy?" Beast Boy whispered. "Do you know exactly what 'stupid video game' this is?"

Raven gave him a look that plainly said she didn't know and didn't really care. Unfortunately for her, the two boys didn't exactly catch her drift.

"This is Soul Calibur III, crazy! We've been waiting ages for this thing to come out! Now, be quiet," Beast Boy ordered, assuming a look of innocent bliss. "We must continue to play the sacred game…"

Cyborg, however, went over to join Raven at the food counter.

"What're you reading?"

"A Demon's Guide to Banishing Mortal Souls to the Fiery Realms of Hell," came the muttered reply from behind the thick volume.

Cyborg shook his head.

"Somehow, I had a feeling…so, how's Robin? He's sleeping in a bit later than usual, don't you think?"

Silence greeted this statement.

"Raven?"

The Goth sighed and, closing her book, set it down on the table, avoiding Cyborg's gaze.

"Rae, what is it?"

"I-I'm just…I'm just kind of worried about him."

"Why? What is it?"

Raven didn't answer.

"It's the Slade thing again, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"I see…what happened?"

"I woke up this morning around five," she murmured, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "He was up, staring out the window, completely out of it. I tried talking to him, but…he's too focused on this obsession thing. I think he needs our help."

"Of course he does! He needs it more than ever now! But he just doesn't listen. We can't help him if he won't let us. If we don't know what's going on, we can't do anything for him."

"Who?"

Both Raven and Cyborg jumped, before turning towards the doorway to face a sleepy (and slightly bemused) Starfire.

"What are you talking about?" She asked curiously. "Is it something important?"

Cyborg and Raven exchanged barely noticeable glances with one another. Starfire wouldn't understand this kind of thing. It was probably best to keep it quiet for now.

If only they knew how much that decision would cost them…

"It's Robin," Raven said, thinking quickly. "He's still asleep. And we know it's your turn to make breakfast, and we seriously doubt he'd want to miss it, so-"

Starfire leapt into the air gleefully.

"Yes! Of course! I shall awaken him immediately!"

And she zipped off to his room.

Starfire-

The young alien knocked gently on her friend's door.

"Robin?"

The door slid open, admitting her, and she peered in curiously. The lights were off, though the hallway shed some illumination in on his room. The floor was cluttered with papers and spare newspaper clippings, and the bedcovers were strewn everywhere, as though someone had spent a restless night of sleeping.

But there was no Robin…

To be continued…

Ah, another chapter completed! This is going surprisingly fast! But that's probably only because I'm trying to keep Alexnandru alive so he can finish his stories…and to keep his rabid fans from killing me.

Anyway-I hope you liked this. I think it's going to get better from now on... (Crosses fingers, praying and begging.) I am off now, to read. I was at a book signing, for Eoin Colfer (how cool is that!) and I bought a load of his books, along with a new series that I'm starting, called "Cirque du Freak." It's good so far. All I know though, it that it's about vampires, and it's about to get gory very soon…I can hardly wait!

Over and out:

Rebel-Aquarius