Ghosts of the Past

Alexnandru Van Gordon

Now, I wasn't going to continue this but, seeing that some of you are still reading it, I thought—what the heck! Might as well anyway. But, to those of you who read this, you will have to understand that this story will take longer for me to write seeing that the Not Again duo is grabbing all my attention. It may take time, but I always keep my promises and I promised a book four.

And remember, my own characters aren't meant to keep your attention. If they start to distract you, warn me immediately. Oh—and I only really speak of two new ones (the twins) for reasons that will end with Robin's suffering. You'll see why I need them. But don't worry. Those two little twins are the only two I'll only ever mention—and maybe even only in past tense. There might be word of HW—but nothing new. O make a count—only two new guys mentioned…Wow—I'm spazzing out at this again…

DISCLAIMER: Own them? No. What a foolish idea. He he he….he…

CHAPTER ONE: A fair warning

Things were quiet again and it felt almost too good to be true. You could breathe easier in the tower and the crime level was kept at a manageable level. The Titans still had their fun and they were no where near out of a job, but the aftershock was still there. You felt relaxed…and then you were tense because the feeling was new to you. It seemed that you had chased and fought something for so long that it was hard to finally let go. It was hard to fight Slade, but even when there you had something important to do. He was a challenge and you couldn't help but admit that a challenge was what inspired you to take up the hero of a hero. Sure, there was the fact that you saved lives and locked up the bad guys, but you could also do that as a cop. As a hero things were personal—you could let them become personal. Slade threatened everyone's lives, but only the people who fought face to face with him could hold a true grudge.

Such as the Titans.

And Robin most of all, though he appeared to be at peace the most. That was what troubled his team the most…the peace, the calm and relaxed look to him whenever he was around. It was frightening—it was like suicide. Once a person had their mind made up that they were going to kill themselves they knew they had their answer—and they knew for sure that the suffering was going to end very soon. It wasn't that Robin was the suicidal type…but you worried. Just as the peace before suicide meant something bad, this just had to too.

Friday was the uneasiest of days for the Titans—all besides Robin—and that was when they really kept an eye on their leader. They would fight or relax that day, practice a little and maybe do something later on to have a little fun, but when seven pm rolled around the air seemed thicker and the others began to worry. Their leader was as calm as ever and would even ask if they were alright.

"Does anyone want to come?" He'd ask every once in a while to see their reaction. It was always answered with the same reply—a quick shake of the head or a dead silence as though no one had heard. Deep inside, they still feared Slade. Why didn't Robin…maybe they would never know.

Maybe it was because he had seen the man's face.

Seeing the face meant he was human, and what was human could be destroyed. Slade wasn't a monster from under the bed or a manifested nightmare from their worst memories—those you had to face one way or another that usually took a lot of gut. Not that you didn't have to steel yourself just as much to face Slade, but he was silent man locked up in prison who hadn't hurt a fly since he was signed into Jump city Asylum.

Things were just too good to be true.

And Robin would leave each Friday night without another word. Sometimes one of his team mates would watch him leave from the roof or the main room window, wondering what he talked about with his worst enemy. As far as they knew, not only did Robin remove his mask, but he was required to leave his belt at the front door. The guards didn't want to risk Slade win a room with weapons, but even the Titans knew Slade preferred to fight by hand. Disarming Robin wasn't lowering Slade's chances of escape—they were lowering Robin's defense.

Then again, Robin didn't look like he was very afraid when he left.

"Maybe we should go with him one day?" Beast Boy suggested. He was taken more serious after his winning blow against Slade, something that was a long gash still in the process of healing. Silence met his answer and no one spoke anymore of it.

Two months after the incident and they were still acting like mutts with their tails between their legs.

-R-

It was routine when he arrived. The guards who monitored the main area of Slade's cell through the cameras was a little nervous, twirling his cane irritably until he saw Robin arrive. Apparently today was not a good day.

"Trouble?"

The guard shrugged as Robin began to undo his belt. "Dr. Jang came in to see how he was doing. Poor miss. She can't talk straight when she's around him. I think he gave her some sort of lecture on how pitiful life is, and that made her day."

That sounded like Slade alright.

Handing the guard his belt. Robin followed his as he was led down a long hall until they reached a single door at the far end. It was metal five inches thick and was bolted in to survive a nuclear explosion. Once that was opened, Robin was locked in the darkness between the first door and the second. As soon as the first was secured, the second automatically unlocked and opened just enough for a person to pull it open the rest of the way—with much difficulty anyway—but Robin didn't need to worry about that in the least. His small figure slipped right into the room and he waited as the second door slammed shut behind him with an echoing bang.

The room was plain. It had a bed in one corner, a shelf for book in the other. There was a door leading to the closet and another leading to a washroom which was free from cameras, and a table with chairs sat near the middle of the room. In the farthest corner from the door was a reading chair and a small nightstand where a lamp sat. It was turned on dimly and was set so close to the figure reading in the chair that all Robin could see of Slade was his silhouette. Other than that, there was a light hanging from the ceiling but that was never used. The bulb to it was smash anyway by Slade when Dr. Jang wanted to see his face. Not many people knew what he looked like and that was how he preferred to keep it.

"Your five minutes late." Slade said first, eyes still on the book resting in his lap. The only clocks were the one on the wall and the one on his wrist. That was probably the only way Slade knew what time it was in the outside world, having his cell in the center of the asylum with no windows.

Tucked under his arm, Robin had brought the newspaper, walking over to Slade and handing it to the man before sitting down at the table to face the man. Taking off his own mask, he placed it on the table top and thought about quite a few things before striking up a conversation. He waited as Slade looked over the first page of the newspaper before he said anything.

"What did you do to Dr. Jang?"

"Hm?" Slade asked, pretending it was small talk. "What about her?"

That's how Slade usually acted. He didn't think anything he did was really wrong and that was his major problem. The love of putting people down and watching them suffer was enough to keep him satisfied enough to live.

"The guard told me you told her something…discouraging."

"Discouraging? What an interesting way to put it…"

"Did you or didn't you?"

There was a laugh and Robin waited patiently for an answer. That, believe it or not, was something he picked up from the criminal.

"She tried to figure out what was wrong with me. She wanted to know my history and, as you already know that, only a trusted few are allowed to know that. So, instead of losing my temper, I questioned her history and brought upon a few questions to think about before we spoke again."

A criminal giving a session to a psychiatrist—what a thing that would be to see.

"And what were some of those questions?"

"…Have you ever seen someone die? And she said yes…then she started to cry and left. It's not my fault she can't handle past mistakes."

He really did love his job, didn't he?

Slade flipped through the paper before successfully tossing it onto the table. He took up his book again and silence ensued…for a long time…

"You didn't say anything about it, did you?"

Robin, who was staring at the clock, snapped out of his small trance and turned his attention back to Slade. "About what?"

"About my picking on the Jang. I thought the only reason you came whenever I asked you to, was to make sure I didn't hurt anyone here."

True…he was worried Slade would try something, but he was more worried Slade would escape. As long as he knew what Slade was up to, he could keep tabs on him. In silence Slade was dangerous, and had he not spoken to Jang at all—then Robin would have panicked. When Slade knew he had the upper hand he kept quiet, knowing it did not help his plans in anyway by talking to someone. He was a man of business and silence suited him best.

"Maybe…" Robin answered, not quite satisfying Slade by letting him know he was edgy. "Maybe I just come to make sure you're still breathing since no one likes to check up on you often. Wouldn't want you rotting away in here on your own, now do we?"

He had no idea if that hit Slade in any sore spots…until the man sighed heavily and turned the page of his book before providing a come-back. "You and your fantasies. I know you'd rather have me in the grave, Robin, but you know I won't die in here. That's why you come…you're afraid I'll escape."

Maybe mind-reading was a part of Slade's enhancement, he didn't know, but it is awfully creepy when your worst enemy knows how you think. That only prompted the idea that the two of them thought alike, something Slade enjoyed but Robin disliked. If the two always thought alike, why did Slade have the upper-hand whenever something came along? Experience? What? Or was it Slade's explanation that one of them was limited by so many rules and regulations as a hero while the other was free to do whatever they damn-well wanted to?

Drove him nuts sometimes. Perhaps that's why he said…

Though his face was well masked by shadows, Robin could see Slade's one eye suddenly dart toward him, eyeing him…

It was then that Robin realized Slade had a plan to escape. It was done and settled—Slade was ready to leave the prison slowly as his masterful idea unraveled before them all. Right now Slade was as good as free.

"My…you're a quick one." Slade commented; eye still pinned on the young hero, noticing how the boy's shoulder stiffened and a frown crossed his face. "What would Jump City do without you?"

"Don't know—would you even be here if not for the Titans."

"True…" It was well known that the only reason Slade choose this average city to torment was because the Titans were there. In search for an apprentice, Slade came to them and pestered the hell out of anyone until he got what he wanted. And, since then and still up to now, everyone knew that was Robin.

And here Robin was, sitting unguarded in the same room as the man who wanted to capture him. And if Slade did have an escape plan, Robin was as good as his. But he knew Slade wouldn't try something this early. He had respect for Robin (and it was hard to earn his respect) and that meant he would give him a fair warning…This was it.

"When will it begin?" Robin asked, not daring to ask the words up until now. He almost didn't want to know.

"It already has…I'm long gone by now, somewhere in the city. You won't find me until it is too late…"

This was madness—Slade was sitting right there and—

Breathe seizing in his chest, Robin stood immediately and walked up to Slade, reaching out and—putting a hand straight through his chest. Although he felt nothing, he recoiled as though he had been burned and stared with wide eyes at an illusion. This couldn't be…How…Slade was always monitored and—

Slade was a mastermind. He'd probably explain it to Robin when they met.

Robin spun around in rage and took his mask from the table, fitting it back on his mask before walking toward the door and pressing the small button on the control panel attached to the wall. The guard outside answered, sounding quite surprised that the meeting was cut short today.

"Something wrong?" The guard asked; worried beyond belief that something was. "You're not fighting, are you?"

"What's there to fight?" Robin growled. "You've got no prisoner in here for me to brawl with."

And it had barely been two months…

-RX-

"Come again on that last part?" If there was something he hated more than being a hero, it was going up against the guy who caused everyone so much agony. This was not the type of news he wanted to hear first thing Friday night and he knew Batman wasn't going to be peaches and cream about it either.

He could just picture the trouble ahead.

"He's gone. No one knows how or when, but he's gone."

Red-X eyed Boy Wonder on the screen. The half thief/half hero still held the title of Red-X and would rather die than give up the suit, but Robin still had that wary look about him whenever they talked. No matter what X did, Robin couldn't over the feeling that he would suddenly turn around and join the bad guy. Well, so far, Red hadn't met a villain he liked enough to join. He'd had enough of the Joker and the Riddler, not to mention the Ice Man and Two Face—they were all a bunch of weirdoes, but none bet good ol' one-eye Slade. He'd always take gold.

"What am I supposed to do about it? I can't do nadda now that I'm trapped in Gotham with Batboy, and not to mention I have the kid to look after."

"Kid?"

"Vincent—the wall walker. It's funny when he accidentally electrocutes himself, but don't tell him I said that. I'm supposed to ship him down to Steel City so Bumble Bee can start the heavy duty training."

"How is he?"

"An amateur, but he does good—and stop changing the conversation. What exactly do you need from me?"

"The suit."

"Whoa—you're not serious…are you?"

"I designed that suit to keep up with Slade had he never found out it was all a lie. I was actually going to go with him until he blew my cover. I need its belt to beat him this time."

"Sorry, kid, but you're belt is mine. If you need it, I'm coming too."

"And the kid?"

"Bumble Bee can wait. It'll be a treat for him, I'm sure, to see the kids who knew his sister. He's still edgy about her death."

Who wouldn't?

"…Fine. But no tricks."

Tricks? Him? Unheard of…

---

Saturday…Saturday was quite the day. Everyone was out and about, but not nearly this early in the morning. The sun was just rising and everyone who was sane was ready to sleep in until noon. There was no one outside but those who kept guard over the peaceful city—and for a good reason too.

Wait until the news heard Slade was out on the loose again. Wouldn't that create a panic…

Standing out on the docks, a figure stood staring into the glowing waters. The gold and red reflected of the smooth waves and brought light to the apathetic face. Soon a spidery smile crept to fill the space and hands rested on the hips as she stared at her reflection. Putting a hand to her face, she couldn't help but smile. It was so perfect…so terribly perfect that the Titans wouldn't know what hit them until it was far too late. Especially Boy Wonder…

There was a sound behind her and she turned slowly, already knowing who it was. Wintergreen, the one who was looking for help in releasing Slade. He crossed his arms, a smile of approval on his face of the job-well-done.

"What does he think?" She asked; he being Slade in the warehouse just down the dock. "Shall he continue, or am I a failure like everyone else."

"You're assistance is still required—and yes, you will have your revenge. You impressed and that was good enough for him. Now…here…" He handed her something and she stared at it with an arched eyebrow.

"I heard about these…did they really…?"

"They did."

"What'd ya know? My mask is complete. Now…when am I supposed to see him?"

"Today."

"Today…" She turned to stare back out at the sea. "You really want to do a number on the kid's head, don't you? Trying to drive him loco, are you?"

"It will make it easier to get the job done. But you're not only supposed to trap him. Destruction needs to take place in the city for once. It's been too long…"

And this was Slade's revenge. He wanted to destroy both Jump City and Gotham, moving to dominate the rest of the world. And why not—he had the goddamn power to do it. Let him.

She smiled. "I take it I'm going to have a lot of fun with you too around. What's the maximum amount of damage I can do to this city?"

"Hmmm…no more than a large building so far. We want to scare the people first."

Then scare them they shall…

-A-

FISRT! This lady I'm talking about is NOT A NEW CHARACTER. You know her…but not as well as you think. Keep in mind many things for the future, because I will leave few clues around for you to pick up. There was already one clue in the story to who she is, and yes…she is the only idea I could come up with to get Slade out of prison. Wondering how? Keep the clue in mind if you noticed it and you'll see what going to happen.

Well, I'm off…to do something. I'm busy tonight (Saturday night) so I'll probably be late for my next update—but only by a day or so.

Until again,

Alexnandru Van Gordon