The sunlight streamed through the blinds on the window and landed on Slade's face. It woke him up. He blinked a few times a rubbed his eyes in confusion. He glanced around him and down next to him where the teddy bear was. His eyes widened in horror and he hurled the bear across the room and began tearing the room apart in a frenzy. When he was done the room looked like a tornado had passed through it.
"What the hell is the matter with me? Sleeping in a cozy bed, having fun, talking with girls and sleeping with a teddy bear? I must be out of my mind! I'm not a little kid!" Slade swore and hurried out of the room. He had to fix this situation before it got any worse. Right now his main concern was figuring out what the hell was the matter with him. Why was he acting so strange?
He sauntered into the main living area ignoring the rest of the Titans who were just sitting down to a breakfast of cereal and tofu eggs. Cyborg was busy arguing with Beast Boy why tofu shouldn't be eaten. Raven was calmly sipping her herbal tea and reading a book. Starfire was eating Rice Crispies and playing with the toy bobble head that came in the box. She looked up and opened her mouth. "Good morning Robin! How did you sleep last night? Did my little present help you at all last night."
Slade gave her a cold stare and shoved past her and flung open the fridge door. He was mad and hungry. Not a good combination. He some ham and mustard and proceed to make himself a sandwich. He felt the others Titans eyes on him. It was annoying him. Finally he spun around and faced them. "What! Don't you pathetic excuses for a life form have anything better to do then annoy me with your presence?" he demanded
"Robin! Watch your language. That was highly uncalled for." Raven told him. She was attempting to read his thoughts to find out what his problem was but she was getting nothing.
"Yeah man just because you had a bad night is no reason to take it out on us." Cyborg pointed out.
"Do I care what you think? I'm sick and tired of you four harassing me. All your concerns are driving me crazy. I'm not going to put up with it anymore. I'm the leader of this team and what I say or do is none of your concern. So I suggest that you back off." Slade ordered as he headed for the door.
Beast Boy transformed into an octopus and wrapped his tentacle around him. He deposited him on the couch and turned back into himself. He crossed his arm and stared him straight in the eye. "If you think were going to let you leave this room and go back to being obsessed and half mad then think again. I don't know what's got you acting so rude and nasty but it stops here and now."
"Yes please Robin. You are being unreasonable. The stress with dealing with Slade and being leader has obviously gotten to you. Not to mention your still not completely recovered from yesterdays accident. Let Cyborg and Raven check you over please and if they can find nothing wrong with you then will leave you alone for the rest of the day. I promise." Starfire said pleading.
Slade opened his mouth to tell them off but something stopped him. A thought struck him. Maybe he could figure out what was causing him to act so strange if he did let them examine him. Besides if they agreed to leave him alone he could work on his problem without interruption for the rest of the day. He play along for now. "Alright if it will make you happy. But you better keep your word."
Ten minutes later he was on an exam table with electrodes attached to his heads. Cyborg was monitoring his brainwave activity while Raven gave him a complete physical. Beast Boy and Starfire were watching anxiously. "Well what do the test say?" Beast Boy asked. All this medical stuff made his head hurt.
"Will know in a minute after I'm done running the tests. I want to compare some of Robin's test results with ones taken before he was injured just to see if there's any difference." Cyborg informed him.
Slade panicked for a second. What would happen if the test results didn't match? If the Titans figured out that he wasn't Robin he would have to kill them. Not that he wasn't planning to but he wasn't sure this body would allow it with it acting like it was. He had to remain calm. He think of something.
Raven looked up from her charts. "Well I'm pleased to report that you're in peak physical health. Surprising after being nearly electrocuted to death. Your still going to have to take it easy for a few days but otherwise your body is perfectly normal. Now your mind is another story."
"What do you mean? I feel fine. I admit I haven't been very corsual lately but I think that's understandable after what I've been through." Slade said smoothly.
"Dude your concussion is gone so you should be back to normal but your not. Can you tell me what Slade did you up on the roof because your brainwave patterns are a little off. Its almost like there trying to be rewritten." Cyborg said concerned.
That perked his interest. "My brainwaves are off? How can that be?" Slade asked innocently.
"Well I don't know but its almost like if you had a transplant. Your body is acting like its trying to accept someone else patterns as its own. But they're incompatible for the moment. Like if you gave an adult liver to a little kid it will take time for the new one to be accepted but in time it will work out or the person will die." Cyborg explained.
"Well Slade did attach something to my head. It was zapping my mind but then the transformer blew and the next thing I remember is waking up in the Tower. Look I have to go work on something in my study. See you later." Slade said hurriedly as he left the infirmary.
Starfire watched him go. She was greatly concerned for him. "Cyborg is he going to be okay? When will Robin be Robin again?"
"I don't know Starfire I really don't know. These strange brainwave patterns are a real puzzle. Whatever Slade did to him up on the roof might have permanent effects or they could disappear in a few days. All I know for sure is we have to keep an eye on him." Cyborg told her.
Not satisfied with that answer she went in search for her own. Robin's strange behavior was getting worse. First the nightmares, then all the robberies involving Slade, next the strange incident on the roof of GemTech that wasn't clear, and lastly his weird actions. She was going to find a way to help Robin in anyway she could.
She went inside Robin's room and was stunned by the amount of destruction in there. The teddy bear she had given Robin was lying on the floor beat up. She gingerly picked up and hugged it. "Robin. I don't know what's troubling you but I will help you." She then proceeded to clean up the room.
Meanwhile in Robin's study Slade was working furiously. He was comparing the data on the computer disk with notes on the MET with the information Cyborg had told him plus recordings of everything that had been happening to him for the past day. Finally after several hours of concentration he found his answer. He laughed out loud in sheer disbelief. The answer was so simple no wonder he overlooked it.
"I can't belief I didn't think of this sooner. I know that the accident has transferred my brainwave patterns not my soul into Robin's body. That's why this is different then when Star and Rae switched. The electric shock switched my conscience into this body while simutansly creating a blockage from certain areas that are guarded. But since not all of Robin's thoughts, emotions, or memories are so closely guarded I have access to them. This body is attempting to turn my adult mind into a teenagers. That's why there's such a conflict. I keep trying to act like an adult more precisely me. But I'm neither an adult nor me. I'm a kid and not just any kid I'm Robin. His youth is causing the change to happen much more rapidly to me then it will to him but not by much. The good news is I can still think and act like myself I just can't say who I really am. Once more the longer I stay in this body the more likely its going to become permanent. I must do something about this before I'm stuck in the child form. I don't want to have to grow up again. Still it would be nice to shape Robin in my image." Slade said thoughtfully to himself.
He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was nearly dinnertime. He was starving. He left the study intending to head to the main room to get something to eat when he someone called to him. "Robin? Will you come to my room please? I want to talk with you." Starfire said hesitantly.
"Sure Star. Do you have any food in there?" Slade asked as he entered her room. He entered her room and immediately was filled with strange desires. He realized that Robin must have wanted to be alone with Starfire for ages. He was a fool to fall in love. Still Slade had to admit that Starfire was pretty, smart, and above all caring.
He took a seat on the bed. Silky was sleeping on the bed but when he felt Slade sit down he let out a hiss and bit him on the hand. "Hey Silky stop it!"
"Silky stop. Bad Silky. I'm sorry Robin I don't know what's gotten into him. He usually loves you. Here some zorka berries. I hope you like them." Starfire said putting Silky on the floor and sitting down next to him. "Let me see that. Wow that's deep. Let me get the kit of aid and I'll fix it right up."
"Starfire you really don't have to do that. I'm sure that I just disturbed Silky nap. I'm not mad at all." Slade insisted and he wasn't. That creature had sensed the difference and alerted her to the danger. Yet she didn't realize it. He pitied her yet at the same time he felt sorry she didn't understand her pets concerns for her.
"Its no trouble Robin. Raven has been teaching me how to do first aid. There all done." Starfire said finishing tying the bandage.
"Thanks Star. So what did you want to talk about?" Slade asked eating the berries. They were actually quite good. He looked her straight in the eye and ran a hand through his hair out of habit.
"I saw what happened to your room. I knew that the nightmares were making you sick and a little crazy. Still I had no idea that you would tear apart your room or take your frustrations out on us. I know the others say that you will get better sooner or later, but right now your actions are causing you to lose the trust we have in you."
"I know Star its just I can't help it sometimes. I know that for weeks now I haven't been my usual self and the last day and half I have been a monster but that's all going to change. If you will help me figure out what's causing me to act like this and act like me then I'll be grateful." Slade told her.
"I can do that Robin. Together we will get through this and stop Slade once and for all." Starfire told him. She hugged him tightly and then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Slade looked at her stunned then without another word left the room and went to bed.
The next day Slade got out of bed feeling completely refreshed. It felt good to be sleeping in a bed again and eating food. It was also nice to know that he wasn't alone anymore. He was determined though to see the Titans at their best and what they did when they weren't crime fighting. It was time to schedule some training.
That morning he had everyone run the obstacle course and he added a few tricks of his own. The first on the obstacle course was Beast Boy. He set the course at maximum and let it rip. Beast Boy did well during the first few obstacles but that's when Slade's trap sprang. Beast Boy had been using his ram form to bust through the steel walls when shackles sprang from the ground grabbing BB and holding him down to the ground. He struggled to get out of them but the more he fought the tighter they held till he nearly lost circulation in the legs. Finally he was forced to revert to human form to slip out. "Dude what was that for! That wasn't in the simulation last time!" Beast Boy complained.
Slade gave him a grin. "We have to be prepared for anything BB. If you can't handle a little surprise then maybe you shouldn't be doing this course. Now would you like to do it again?" BB nodded and started again. This time he beat the trap.
Later in the training room he messed with the controls to Cyborg workout machine so that instead of gradually adding weight it dropped it all on him at once. It squashed him like a bug, but then he shoved straight back into the wall. "Impressive Cy. Next time I'll have be more clever."
"Next time I'll be ready for you. Are we still on for hoops later?"
"Count on it. I'm going to beat the pants off of you. Now I have to go see Raven. She's going to teach me some of those emotional control techniques she offered to teach me." Slade said heading for the forbidden room of Raven's. He would have to be careful in testing her.
Raven was sitting in the dark meditating when he entered. Levitating above the ground she used her telekinesis to lift the candles off the ground and caused them to circle around her before setting them back down. "Your late."
"Sorry couldn't be helped. Now what were you going to teach me? Will it really help me against Slade?" Slade asked. He wanted to know if there was a way to block his influences.
"Patience Robin. In order to control your obsession over Slade you must first master your emotions. They dictate your life and are the basis of all your decisions. Once you have control over them they will no longer hinder you and you will be able to think clearly. The darker parts of your mind and emotions such as lust, desire, and anger will no longer tell you what to do and how to leave your life." Raven instructed him.
She gestured for him to sit down on the floor and assume a meditation position. "Clear your mind of any thoughts and find your center. Take a deep breath and focus on your emotions. Let them flow through your body. Now I'm going to link minds with you and try to assist in keeping your darker tendencies in check. Now don't be scared."
Slade let down his mental shields. He was ready for her. Over the past several years he had practice several techniques to protect himself against telepaths and he was wondering if he could project his own thoughts into her mind. The moment he felt Raven enter his mind he lashed out with his mind. He overwhelmed her mind with memories from his own past.
Raven's mind was instantly overwhelmed by the flood of memories. It was chaotic and everything was jumbled together. It was too much to her and she crashed to the ground. Slade was on her in a second concern etched across his face. "Raven! Are you okay? What happened?"
"I'm all right really. Your thoughts just overwhelmed me for a second. I didn't realize your nightmares were so dark and grim. They must really be haunting you if you can remember the details so clearly. Why don't we try this again?" Raven suggested. Just then the alarm went off bathing them both in red light.
"I guess our little session will have to wait. There's trouble. Lets go!" Slade ordered. They both hurried out of her room and to the garage. Five minutes later the T car was zooming down the streets heading for downtown.
People were running around screaming their heads off. All around them the streets were transforming into animals and other magical act props. In the middle of the street Mumbo Jumbo was waving his magic wand around grinning. "Why are you all running away? Stay and watch the show of a lifetime. Jump City turned into my own personal magical world! It will be the greatest show on Earth!" That's when a birdarang whirled right past his face cutting a deep gash on his cheeks. He whirled around to come face to face with his most hated foes. The Teen Titans.
"The only show your going to be performing is surrendering yourself to the police and turning everything back to normal. Give it up Mumbo before we have to make you." Slade warned him. He was really getting into the role of a hero. He was still feared by people and adored by others. Not to mention he would get a great work out kicking this second rate magicians butt. What was it that Red X had said to Robin after he asked, "I thought you didn't like to play the hero." His answer was "Doesn't mean I don't know how."
"I've been waiting for you Titans. You're not going to beat me with your tricks this time. Abracadabra!" Mumbo shouted shooting a stream of pink sparks at him. The Titans jumped out of the way. "Titans Go!" Slade shouted. Man that felt good.
Cyborg led the charge. Shooting his sonic cannon at full power at Mumbo. "Take this you crazy magician. No way am I ending up in a tutu again."
Mumbo twirled his wand around and said "Vani Vani Vitchie!" In a puff of smoke a mirror appeared and he used it to reflect the shot right back at Cyborg. It sent the mechanical teen soaring halfway down the street.
Beast Boy had morphed into a tiger and was running at top speeds mouth wide open at Mumbo. "Please your making this to easy. Trapa!" Instantly a metal cage appeared around BB trapping him inside. "You shouldn't have picked a classical animal used in magic tricks." He informed him.
That's when a street lamp, mailbox, and of course a car came hurling at him. Using his hands he stopped them in mid flight turning them into doves. He looked up to see Raven getting ready to use her magical chant against him. "Ah if it isn't my former lovely assistant. I must say I liked you better as a rabbit."
"Very funny Mumbo. Here's a trick of my own. Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" she chanted her eyes glowing. Mumbo hat turned black and engulfed him. "Lets see you get out of that one. What?"
The hat sank to the ground till there was nothing there. Then it attacked Raven draining her powers from her. She fell from the sky landing on top of a parked car. The hat then returned to Mumbo who had magically reappeared. "I seem to have learned some new tricks." He boasted before he had to dodge several starbolts.
"You have hurt my friends with your mumbo jumbo. Now its time to show you what I can do with my powers." Starfire told him. Her eyes lit up and she shot her eye beams full blast at him. She then landed and picked up a bus hurling it at him. "Take that!"
Mumbo had to think fast on his feet if he wanted to avoid being turned into a pancake. Doing some fancy handsprings he avoid the eye beams then he whipped a curtain out of his pocket and threw it on top of the bus causing it to vanish in thin air. "That wasn't very nice. I think you need to be taught a lesson." With a wave of his wand Starfire was strapped down on bed with a bed of spikes hurling down upon her. "Say good night."
"Nooooo! Robin help me!" Starfire screamed
Slade reacted so quickly you swear he moved as fast as light. He fired a line at the building above Starfire and swung on top of the spike bed. He threw a freezing disk on top of the spike bed causing them to halt inches from Starfire's body. He ripped her restraints off. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded her head. She was a little shaken up but otherwise fine.
Slade turned around anger etched across his face. Mumbo had made a mockery of his team and worse he had threatened the life of someone he was beginning to have feelings for. It was strange to admit but it wasn't just Robin's feelings for Starfire driving him, but his own. He was starting to fall in love with her.
"You're going to pay Mumbo. No one hurts my team and gets away with it. Hiyah!" Slade shouted. He used a combination of martial arts moves and his weapons to take out Mumbo finally knocking him out with his bo staff and snapping his wand in half. He grabbed Mumbo by his shirt and drew him to his face and whispered in his ear. "I'm tempted to kill you for nearly impaling my girlfriend, but I'm in a good mood. But if you ever try to harm her or my friends again nothing will save you from my wraith got it."
Mumbo nodded his head. He didn't like the look in the Boy Wonder's eyes. He really meant what he said. By the time the police came to pick him up he was begging to go to his cell.
Slade turned to face his team. Everyone was okay and no one was seriously hurt. He saw that they were near the park and that gave him chance to judge them in their natural envierment. "Hey you guys want to go to the park and relax. After what we've just been through I think we deserve a break don't you?"
"Yeah! I have all the food essentials packed into the back of the T car. Lets go!" Cyborg said and they all got back in the car and drove to the park for an afternoon of fun.
A short time later the Titans were having a picnic in the park. Cyborg was devouring a huge rib while Beast Boy shoveled four tofu dogs down his throat at a time. Even Raven was getting into this having some herbal tea and a salad. Slade was enjoying a hamburger for the first time in ages while Starfire happily slurped some mustard. "I must admit Robin this was a great idea. Relaxing and having a fun time in the park was such a great idea." She told him.
"Yeah maybe a little later we can play some football! Me against the rest of you and this time Raven has to play." Cyborg said.
"Don't even think about. I hate sports. You force me to play and I make it so you can't sit down for a week." Raven warned him.
"That would be something to see." Beast Boy joked.
Slade gave them a sly grin. He had something else in store for them. It was hidden in the T car trunk. It was something he had wanted to try when he was a teenager but never had the chance. Now he did. "I have a better idea. Come on guys follow me."
They followed him over to the car where popped the trunk and handed each one of them a set of safety gear and a helmet. They looked down at the gear as if they didn't know what it was. Then back at Robin. He pulled out five pairs of inline roller blades each specially designed for them. "Come on lets really have some fun. I ordered these a while back and I've been saving them for a surprise. Strap on your gear and meet me in the skate park," Slade told them strapping on his gear and zooming off past them at breakneck speeds.
The rest of the Titans looked at one another in disbelief. Their leader, Mr. I have no time for fun wanted to go bladeing? Well who where they to argue. Quickly the put on their gear and skated after him. "Yo Robin wait up man. Not all of us have skated before."
Slade was already grinding the rails when they found him. He may have never skated before, but Robin had. Using that knowledge and combining his own skills he was quite the blader. He zipped down the half pipe and did a knee grab in mid air. "Come on guys! Its fun."
Cyborg and Beast Boy didn't any more encouragement. Both dropped in and started busting out some moves. Beast Boy was clumsy and kept tripping over his own two feet. Cyborg with his mechanical parts was a little off balance but he did manage to have some fun.
Starfire looked uncertainly down at the skating area. She had never skated before. She turned to Raven who looked both bored and a little apprehensive at the same time. "Raven may I ask a question? Have you ever done this blading before?"
"No Star I haven't. We don't have this sport in Azerath and I've never had a reason before to do something so ridiculously stupid and crazy. But if it makes Robin happy and keeps him sane I'm willing to risk a broken leg. Besides if I do break something I can heal myself." Raven said with false confidence. Without another thought she plunged down into down the ramp and started to skate. After a few minutes she got the hang of it and began to do some fancy moves.
"What's the matter boys? Upset that a girl is better at this than you? Come on I'll teach you how to really bust a move." Raven said to the boys. They were surprised by her change in personality but they weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. They got to their feet and followed her.
Starfire took a deep breath and skated down the rim of the park and tried her best to stay on her feet. Unfortunately she wasn't able to balance and fell on her butt and scrapped her knee. Slade skated over to her and helped her up. "You okay? That was a nasty fall you took."
"I don't know how to do this skating thing. I can't keep on my feet. They keep shooting out from under me. Perhaps you can teach me how to skate?" Starfire asked holding on to him for support.
Slade offered his hand to her. He placed the other around her back to support her. "Follow my lead. I'll help you. Shift your weight till its equal on both feet. Glide your foot in front of you a little bit at a time. See your doing it. Now next hold your arms out for a little to help your balance. Now I'll lead you around for a bit." Slade told her gently instructing her.
Starfire followed all his instructions and soon she was skating figure eights around him and twirling around on one foot. "Oh Robin this is so much fun! I never thought when I came to this planet I would have so much fun learning things like this. Come on lets go skating down the sidewalks!"
Slade grinned and both of them went on a little stroll down the sidewalk holding hands. Both Starfire and Slade were having fun. They were both just two teens on a date. Slade hadn't felt like this since he was with Addie and his family. Looking at Starfire he saw that she was a lot like Addie. She was brave, fierce, and had nerves of steel. Yet she was also gentle, understanding, and always there for you. By the time they headed back to Titans Tower Slade was feeling happy for the first time in a long time.
The rest of the week was like that. At night he would spend hours trying to figure out ways to get back to his body. He had a criminal empire to get back to. He wanted to be immortal again. He wanted his powers back and Robin serving him. But during the days he was feeling happy for the first time in years. He was no longer alone. He had friends and didn't have to worry about his empire or concentrate on destroying the city. He could relax, have something to eat, even sleep in a bed. He enjoyed working out becoming stronger and better all the time. He liked taking out bad guys because it proved that he was better then them. But his favorite moments were when he was with Starfire. He didn't even try to deny that he was in love with her. It wasn't just Robin's feelings for the Tameranian they were his to. He enjoyed giving her gifts, talking with her, and best of all watching the sunrise together.
It was late afternoon at the end of Slade's first week as Robin. It had been an eventful afternoon. Slade was drinking a soda and listening to music while the rest of his team lounged around. Starfire was sitting next to him drinking a jar of mustard her hand on his. She looked beautiful wearing the diamond studded star earrings he gave her. Sometimes it helped to have access to unlimited funds. "I'm glad that you like them. They really bring out the color your eyes."
"Yes they are beautiful. It was very thoughtful of you to give them to me. You are always such a selfless being. You always seem to know how to cheer me up. Like on Tameran when I was in my room dreading my marriage to that thing. You knew just what to do remember?"
Slade froze for a moment. That was one of the gaps in his no Robin's memories. He didn't have a clue what she was talking about. But he pretended he did. "Yeah I am pretty amazing. I would do anything for you Starfire. As long as I'm here no harm will come to you or our friends."
"That's good to hear man. It sounds like whatever happened to you earlier this week has worn off. Your back to yourself, which is good." Cyborg said slapping Slade on the back.
"Yeah maybe now with you're near brush with death and your new found respect for life you'll stop chasing after Slade and start concentrating on other important matters. Like us and the rest of the city." Beast Boy told him for once serious.
"You've made real progress with our sessions. You're not having those nightmares anymore and your able to shield your mind from your darker thoughts. In the past week you've changed. Your still a little more aggressive then usual and you still have a tendency to lose your temper, but otherwise your normal." Raven told him giving him a small smile.
"Yes Robin. Your finally back to your old self. The way you were before all this business with Slade started. Can you promise us that you won't go back to your obsession over him? That you will work with us and talk with us if you have any problems? If not for your sake will you do it for ours? I don't want you to have a relapse." Starfire said her eyes full of worry.
Slade looked at each of them. His mind was buzzing with activity. He thought over his situation. He wasn't making much progress in figuring out how to get him back in his body and if he had to be honest with himself he really didn't want to go back to his old life. Sure he missed his powers, his immortality, and his empire, but there were other things to consider. He was young again and could train his new body to become perfect. If he wanted to become immortal again he knew how. He had friends, fun, and a life now. He wasn't lonely anymore and for the first time in a long time he had someone to share life with. He liked being a hero. His decision was a simple one.
"You guys have my word. I promise never to go after Slade again without your help and I'll spend more time with you. If I ever have any problems I'll tell you. The Teen Titans are a team and I for one am grateful for that." Slade said holding out his hand and each of them placed their hands on top of it sealing the deal. As they left the room Slade smiled. He had broken all ties with his old life. No longer was he Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke the Terminator. He was Robin Boy Wonder.