Pieces of the Puzzle

Alexnandru Van Gordon

Alex: You know what? I'm so glad this isn't the cartoon, because otherwise I couldn't kill anyone. Infamous One, you are absolutely right. Writing your own story and sticking to your guns is important (hence: if you make a character because you meant to kill them, don't get attached to them. Get the readers attached, but remember to kill them.).

Victor: (Gasps.) O.O! Alex…Am I hearing the preacher boy correctly? I thought you had this code—no one deserves to die even if they're as evil as Slade.

Alex: (Evil smirk.) Just because someone doesn't deserve to die, doesn't mean I won't kill them.

Victor: I'm not so sure I like the new you…

Alex: (Glaring) Get used to it.

Victor: (Aside to the readers.) Must be the pain-killer pills I gave him for his knee. He just got the brace off it.

Alex: Who are you talking to? -.-?

Victor: Ummm…no one…

DISCLAIMER: Read the ones from the other chapters. I'm seriously getting tired of saying this…

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Guilt

His head felt heavy and he didn't know what to think. It wasn't veryoften that Batman woke up in motion and suddenly forgot everything that happened in the last couple of hours. There was Slade and…he couldn't remember. All he knew was that he was fighting someone and somehow he knew how to win. He was dodging blows he barely saw and took blind shots that proved true. All he could see were blurs and shadows…everything was a shadow.

And he was fighting a pretty tricky one right now.

A sharp kick to his side told him to be careful as his vision slowly cleared. He still saw in shadows, but he could see his tall opponent better and the broken end of a staff in his hand. The end was long and point, a wonderful weapon to use if he was in a spot too sticky to slip from.

And that's exactly what happened.

There was a red flashing dot that was tossed at him, but he knocked it away—setting of an explosion. He was thrown back into something like a rag doll and stood with great difficulty. His opponent was going to kill someone innocent if he didn't end this soon.

As hard as the criminal was, he could tell he was tired and injured by his ragged, stained breaths, and the way he limped then and again. But the man was brave and charged at Batman who was still only able to see shadows. The Dark Knight was near a wall and grabbed the figure by one shoulder just in time, spinning around so that he pinned him up against the wall. But he had been careless with his other hand.

Red liquid flew at his face as the young man coughed and Batman blinked numerous times before the shadows and blurs took shape and showed him his true surroundings. Then his memory returned—everything. The battle with Slade, the syringe…

Robin…?

Batman stared down at his other hand which still held the end of the staff. The pointed end was stuck in Grayson's stomach, far enough to be sticking out his back. More blood was cough up and it splattered against Batman's face and chest as he stared at the young hero in horror. He remembered Grayson now—Robin told him about him when Batman took him to Gotham. But that had been so long ago. This was that Grayson…

No. This was Robin.

"Oh, my God." Batman gasped and held Grayson's weight as they slid together to their knees. Grayson had a hand on Batman's shoulder and another one around the end of the broken staff as the Dark Knight released his own grip on it. "What have I done…?"

"Glad…to see you're awake…" Grayson joked with a cringe, more blood pouring from his mouth in another fit of coughs. "I was worried…"

"I didn't mean to do this…" Bruce said, trying to pass it aside as a bad nightmare…but he wasn't going to wake. "Why, Grayson…Why did you come to save this dimension when your own is doing well enough without our problems?"

"Hero…" He struggled to say and smiled weakly. "You died there…had to say goodbye…"

Batman's gut twisted and he thought of Robin—his Robin, who was…where? Obviously in Slade's hands. He thought he remembered something of the sort when he was acting like a zombie. There was Red-X and the alien girl…Starfire.

"Don't die now." Batman pleaded, watching as Grayson slowly closed his eyes.

The young hero opened his eyes once more and stared at Batman briefly. There was that spark of determination Robin always had…dying out. Batman saw it die out before when Robin was shot, after his mask was taken off—and other times when everything seemed to be lost. If Slade got his way with Robin, that spark would die forever.

"Grayson?"

The man blinked. "I never told my Wayne that he was a good father…" Then his eyes looked past Batman at someone else. "And tell Kori…I do…"

Then he was gone.

Head hanging forward, Grayson said nothing more and all Batman could do was stare at the dead young man. He was wearing a different suit—a blue and black one that was so unlike Robin's colorful taste, and that masked was shaped a little differently…but this was Robin. Despite being a little older and seeing the world take a different turn in fate, he was still the same soft-hearted fool who fought for the best of everything and wouldn't give in to anyone unless lives were on the line. So stubborn and strong…

Batman felt like crying right then and there. He knew his Robin wasn't dead, but still the thought of him in Slade's hands…it was too horrible to imagine, to see such a spirited kid being tamed by an absolute monster. Then there was the fact that Batman didn't think of Robin too kindly after he chopped Slade up. There was that discussion when Robin released HW…

"I eat."

"No you don't…Do you sleep?"

"I do."

"No you don't…Do you tell the truth anymore?"

"I do occasionally."

"Then explain to me why you want to die."

"I don't."

"Oh really?"

"Quite beating on me!" Robin yelled and frowned at Batman with daggers in his eyes. Ever since the Slade incident, Robin had picked up more of an attitude—worse than his usual fiery spirit. It was so unlike him it was scary. "Honestly—how can you believe that someone who just murdered another man could sleep well every night and eat without feeling nauseous? You saw me do it. I didn't hear you stopping me."

Too true, but he still looked down on Robin for that. Now…now look who the tables turned on. Now he was the one who would drag through sleepless night and lose his appetite every time he thought about Grayson. Robin killed Slade because it was his only choice. Batman killed Grayson, by accident, but by accident wasn't good enough. Besides, he killed a hero…

The war raged on behind him and, for once in a long time, he was lost at what to do.

-S-

Throwing the boy over his shoulder, he turned his one cold eye on the alien girl and frowned at her. This soul pathetic being was the number one thing on Robin's mind? Slade would kill her…just as soon as he had Robin by more concrete blackmail. Then he could slit that pretty little throat for her, or snap her neck like he had to HW. That little witch…Honestly, he didn't know if HW died of electrocution, or at the moment he broke her neck in his grip. But what did he care? She was out of the way and he had Robin.

"Follow." He ordered the girl and started out from the room with Robin in hand. Wintergreen would follow with the captured heroes once they defeated the remaining Titans and then things would fall into place, but right now everything was his only because the scale was slightly tilted. If he didn't hurry, he might lose everything tonight.

They made their way to the boat and Slade dropped Robin on deck as the alien girl stepped on. Turning on the engine, he waited until it was good enough before starting down the waterway toward the exit to the sea. From there he could go to his other secret hideout and wait fro Wintergreen before slipping out of Jump City.

Everything was quiet until something stirred behind him.

Putting the controls on auto-pilot, he turned around and stared at the girl. She was standing next to Robin's limp figure and stared straight ahead like she always did. Robin was as still as stone and Slade knew the boy wasn't faking it. Maybe it was just his imagination.

Shrugging it off, he turned around—

—and went reeling back when a fist connected with his jaw. Closing his eye, he rubbed his jaw before looking ahead and finding the green changeling crouched on the control panel. Grinning mischievously, Beast Boy shook his fist out and jumped down off the panel.

"Wanted to do that for a while." The kid said and shook his hand harder. "But, dude, I have no idea how Robin punches you so many times. That mask hurts."

"That's why it's made of metal." He muttered and eyed his target before planting a powerful sidekick to his chest. Caught off guard, the boy yelped and went rolling backwards over the small window and landed on his stomach on the front of the boat. Slipping off, he grabbed onto the window frame and held on as the boat sped down the waterway. As wet as the boat was, he couldn't plant his feet firmly enough to push himself into a more convenient position and relied slowly on his hands.

"Ouch…" The kid muttered and tried to pull himself up. "This hurts…"

"It should."

Slade slowly made his way to the control panel and turned off the autopilot. Then he sped up the boat, causing the transformer almost to fall as the boat bounced up and down on the new waves. But somehow he held on.

"Pest." Slade murmured to himself and took the steering wheel into his hands. Then, taking a moment to see the boy's horrified look, he began to swerve the boat from left to right as best he could without crashing.

"Un…fair…crook…" The kid said with each swerve before getting smart and transforming into a squid. His tentacles stuck to the boat with ease and three were left free for him to use otherwise.

One lashed out at Slade, but he switched the boat back to auto-pilot quickly and jumped back before he was caught. Then he bumped into the alien girl.

-St-

At first all she saw were shadows and blurs, hearing the sounds of someone shouting. But then everything came clearer as the boat began to bounce around. She couldn't remember much until her sight began to return and by then someone had walked into her. She was dazed at first until she recognized the black and orange.

Slade?

Now she remembered a great deal.

"You are a very bad man." She fumed as he turned around to face her. Her hands glowed with her starbolt fire, but he proved quicker than her by planting a fist in his face. This sent her flying backwards and ramming into the back railing as she slipped on a pool of blood.

Blood…? She looked again and sure enough there was blood and it was pooling near Robin. He wasn't…was he?

With his back to her, Starfire couldn't tell and she wouldn't find out son with Slade punching at her. Somehow she ducked a couple of the hits until another one caught her in the face and she almost went over the railing. Then Beast Boy intervened.

Catching Slade in one of his tentacles, Beats Boy gave Starfire time to kneel beside Robin and take him up into her arms. He was covered in blood, but it didn't look like it was his own. He was simply unconscious, the steady rise and fall of his chest a sign that he was still alright.

Overwhelmed with joy, she almost squealed—and did when the boat suddenly began to jump again. In his squid form, Beats Boy leaned a little too closely over the control panel and hit something to make the boat speed up and swerve left to right…left to right…

She was getting sick.

Another high bounce sent her flying to the back of the boat again, but the railing stooped her. The railing, however, did not stop Robin who went hurling over it into the water.

"ROBIN!" Starfire called out and stared in horror as they sped away while he drowned. He was slowly sinking, but she had other plans.

Putting a foot on the railing, she stepped up and dove into the water headfirst, curving beneath the surface to glide underwater towards Robin. The armor made him slightly heavier and gave him no time to float, sinking him faster than he should. But she reached him in time and swam upwards toward the surface, bringing his head up for air.

She saved him. A rare thing, seeing that he usually saved her, but she saved him.

What would he think when he woke up and realized he missed all the action.

Starfire kissed him on the forehead ns squealed with delight as she levitated into the air, Robin again in her arms. She had to get him to safety, but what of Beast Boy.

Staring after the runaway boat, she got her answer.

-BB-

The swerving made him sick, and when he was sick he found it hard to hold his form. So, transforming back into his humanoid self, he was sent flipping backwards onto the deck of the boat behind Slade as the madman worked the controls. Beast Boy had seen Robin go overboard with Starfire after him, and so did Slade.

That wasn't good.

Taking control over the boat, Slade suddenly spun it around and Beast Boy slid from one side of the boat to the other, dizzier and more nauseous with each passing moment. He knew he had to stop Slade and the boat, but both seemed out of his control. First off, he had no idea how to drive a boat, and, secondly, Slade was ignoring him entirely right now as he sped after Robin.

Poor Robin.

Beast Boy grabbed onto the railing of the boat and pulled himself to his feet as the boat began to pick up speed. Her heard Starfire squeak and watched as she soared down the waterway, an unconscious Robin in her arms. Sheesh was Boy Wonder going to be angry when he learned he missed out on all the action. Beast Boy and Star would have to tell him all the details later.

Why? Because this time they were going to win no matter what Slade did.

A grin played on Beast Boy's face and a small growl grew in the back of his throat as he slowly morphed into a tiger, crouching down low behind Slade as he waited for the right moment to pounce. All he could think of was Terra and how she suffered because she mistakenly ran into this guy, how she was still a statue of stone, alone in the cave where Beast Boy would visit her occasionally. First this dude had to bother Robin, and then he had to bother some lost and confused girl.

Boy was he starting to hate the guy more.

Beast Boy deemed the moment right and pounced, claws digging into Slade's shoulder gear as Beast Boy kind of stood behind him in his new form. The armor proved harder to break through and Slade's only problem ended up being the weight—which he disposed of quickly when he spun around and flipped Beast Boy back onto the deck. The boat began to swerve again, but Slade switched it back to autopilot before advancing on Beast Boy.

"It looks as though Robin isn't the only one who needs to be taught his manors." Slade hissed and Beast Boy crouched again.

Slade reached behind him and pulled out his Bo-staff which slowly extended as Beast Boy watched his opponent carefully. They both froze and waited as the boat ceased to bounce and glided across the water after Starfire and Robin. The two enemies watched one another for a fault, but none was found.

Beast Boy leapt and Slade rose the staff behind his head.

-Ra-

With Starfire missing and Batman now on their side, the small team of heroes found it easier to fight. Red-X was fighting head to head with Raven, but slowly…he seemed to snap back into his usual self and ducked a punch from Raven was hands raised.

"Jeeze, woman. Watch who you're hitting."

She paused and stared at him, and eyebrow raised. "What?"

"What do you mean—what? Where am I?"

Obviously whatever Slade did to him was…going undone, much as it had for Batman and…were was Starfire. To think about it, where was Gray—

Then Raven saw him and Kori kneeling beside his limp body. She was crying and Batman was talking to her. Many of the robots were destroyed and the man named Wintergreen was nowhere to be found, but Grayson dead…when had that happened? And why—when they were doing so well?

"Hey, Raven!" Cyborg called as he took out the last of the robots with his cannon. "We have to find Robin and Star and…" The half-machine, half-man looked around in a confused manor. "And were the heck did Beast Boy get to?"

"One of them sent him flying inside." She explained and soared down the fire escape into the room herself. Cyborg and a dizzy Red-X followed and they paused to stare at the empty room…

Where was everyone.

They flew through the next door and down a hall to a main room. It had Slade's many inventions inside and a couple of weapons, but nothing else besides that.

"Slade's stuff, but no Slade." Cyborg muttered as he walked along the table of inventions. His head suddenly snapped up as he noticed a doorway near the far wall and the other two noticed it was well. Running (or flying, in Raven's case) they ran toward the door and made it down a spiraling set of stairs to what appeared to be an underground waterway.

Raven glided near the water and saw the rope to tie the boat. There were marks on the dirt shore and that meant Slade hadn't left too long ago. But that didn't explain where Starfire and Beast Boy were, and where that girl, HW, was.

"Hey…you should come look at this." Cyborg said quietly and Raven's gaze fell further down the shore where her friend knelt. It was just a little ways downstream and lying on the shore as he pulled them up, with the help of X, were two bodies.

Raven soared up to them and landed beside the first body. It was a person dressed entirely in black with a mask on his face. Red-X pulled this off to reveal a handsome young man with short black hair and a bullet wound in the center of his forehead. There was blood on his suit around his right thigh, but that didn't matter.

Then her gaze fell on the other girl with long black hair and an original costume. She recognized her description as the one Starfire used to tell Raven of HW, the electric witch—as some would say. Raven also recognized her when she first came to T-tower the time Batman swung by to take Robin back to Gotham. She didn't look like a bad person, but Raven was worried when she first saw her and took a peek into her mind. The girl smiled and was polite—and she was good on the inside too, but Raven could see that her mind was ill. There were thoughts that wound around others and attached to each other in odd patterns, spiraling and creating a labyrinth that only HW could escape. It was so complicated but made so much sense to the girl that she could pass it aside instantly, masking it with ease.

But it was still a diseased mind.

One that was capable of murder.

Raven put two and two together—HW killed this man who was, no doubt, working with Slade. But then who exactly killed HW?

"Her neck is broken." Cyborg said, examining her body. He titled her head to one side and it went a little too far, showing and unnatural bend in the neck, but the flesh was charred. "But I think she was electrocuted."

"Her powers were haywire electricity." Red-X said as he stared at the girl with his hands on his hips. "They went loco on her sometimes and did quite a number on her body."

"No to mention we found her in the water…" Raven added. But that didn't explain the broken neck. "And the neck?"

Cyborg shrugged. "This water is fairly shallow over here. She could have fallen and broken it."

True…

"FRIENDS!"

Raven jumped at the sound and almost lost control over her powers as Starfire came soaring into view. In her arms was Robin.

"Star!" Cyborg exclaimed and took Robin from her as she landed. She was out of breath and panicky, gazing over her shoulder back the way she came.

"Slade is on his way!" She explained. "And Beast Boy is with him. We must help!"

So now they would catch the madman.

-A-

Here's a lovely little long chapter for you guys to read. I'm getting ready to wrap this up, but I have a wicked idea for book four. I know I should probably end it, but I'm having so much fun (not to mention I haven't updated this one in a while). I've got to go and sleep right now because it's Spring Break, I'm home alone with my sisters, and I'm pretty tired. My older sister is dragging me off to go shopping with her at West Edmonton Mall with her boy friend and my little sis. What is with women and shopping?

Anyhow, before I leave, here's a small sample of the next story just to tease your taste buds. If you like how it sounds then you might want to continue reading, or you can choose to stop reading from me after I finish Pieces of the Puzzle. Anyway—here you go:

Again and again and again…a well timed dance in midair that would fail utterly if you were off by half a second. It was so risky and…amusing—something to admire as you watched with wide eyes.

Snap! Snap!

The sound shattered his entire heart and he found he couldn't look away as they fell.

Thud!

At the same time too…

They were dead…

…Again…

Like it—hate it—don't understand? Good, because that means I have your attention. You'll understand perfectly when I write it, but you'll have to wait. I'll see you guys later, so have a nice week! (But of course you'll hear from me soon. I'm addicted to writing and I know I should probably slow down as someone advised me too. Wish I could, but that's going to take a while and a lot of counseling…)

See you guys soon,

Alexnandru Van Gordon