Chapter Sixteen
Slade assumed a ready stance, facing the Titans. They surrounded him in a circle.
"Pretty stupid of you showing up by yourself!" Beast Boy yelled.
Slade chuckled. "I don't need anyone or anything else to help me now. I can take all of you down. Starting now!"
With that, Slade lashed out! First, he delivered a quick and powerful blow to Cyborg's chin, then kicked Starfire in her side, and delivered a punch to Beast Boy's stomach. And he did this all in the space of three seconds!
Then, he threw a smoke bomb at Robin, Terra, and Raven. Coughing and staggering, they were helpless against Slade's attack; he grabbed Robin's head and slammed it against his knee, then he kicked Raven in the stomach and finally backhanded Terra across her face!
Slade wasted no time in making another attack on the Titans. He did a series of flips toward Beast Boy. Before the changeling could retaliate, Slade already delivered a kick to his face with one foot and one to his back with the other! The green shape shifter laid on the ground, moaning in pain.
Cyborg took aim with his sonic cannon. Just as he fired, though, Slade jumped out of the way, toward him! He felled the half-robot hero with several blows to the head and precise kicks to the back of his knee joints. When Cyborg fell, he noticed his nose was bleeding.
Starfire slung several starbolts at Slade, as well as lashing out with her eye beams. Slade barely manage to avoid them, and so throw another smoke grenade. The Tamaranean girl was blinded, and tried to back out of the cloud. But Slade had grabbed her wrist and quickly twisted it, causing a sprain. He then spun her around while still holding her wrist. He brought her to her knees, straining her arm until he heard a crack! Starfire screamed in pain as she nursed her dislocated arm. Slade then kicked her back, sending her sprawling!
The remaining heroes fanned out to find Slade. They had nothing but their friend's cries of pain to rely on.
Terra occasionally gathered a dozen of so rocks and flung them out with her powers, hoping to hit Slade. Raven used her powers to try and sense him. Robin simply used his own senses. He forced himself to relax and remember the training he had when he sought the True Master.
Raven's mental search was interfered with by her sensing of Starfire's overwhelming pain. Taking pity on her, she decided to try and help her. But as she walked to her, she tripped on something and fell! It was Slade's boot!
"Didn't you once say I was insignificant?" he asked.
Raven gritted her teeth in anger, but before she could do anything, Slade kicked her in the face with his other foot, sending the mystic sprawling. She had a large bruise on her face and a bloody nose.
Slade made his way for Terra and Robin, anticipating their attacks. Sure enough, a large piece of stone careened toward him. Slade ducked and rolled out of the way, and threw two more smoke bombs.
"Why are you hiding, Slade?" Terra asked, defiantly. "Why do you need this smoke? Scared to fight me? Scared to face me in the open?"
Slade chuckled. "I use the smoke because it is intelligent to do so. Unlike your boasting..."
With that, he lunged at Terra, pinning her to the ground! He held her by the shoulders, and lifted her up as he stood. He then threw her against the edge of the roof, ramming her head first. She ignored the pain and got up to try and deliver a kick. Slade caught her foot and sprained it, causing her to scream in pain. With a roundhouse kick, Slade sent the geomancer flying, landing face down on the roof.
He walked over to her, when he saw Robin.
He pause in his stride and admired his work. "As always Robin, you underestimate me. Not even with your friends could you hope to stop me."
"And as always, Slade," Robin said. "You always underestimate me. I've learned new ways of fighting!"
With that, he called upon his skills and launched a speedy attack! Relying on his other senses, he made a flying sidekick at Slade's side, knocking him down! He then took out his bow staff and used it as the he once learned, dodging Slade's attacks and catching him off guard. Next, Robin used several other techniques and skills, sometimes with his staff, but often with his own hands and feet. Slade managed to block a few of his blows, but he missed a number of them, and winced in pain each time.
The other Titans recovered and were watching with glee. "Kick his ass, Robin!" Beast Boy yelled.
Raven got up and joined Starfire. She helped reposition her arm in its socket. Starfire winced in pain.
"Better?" Raven asked.
"I will be!" the Tamaranean replied.
"Feel free to join in, Titans!" Robin said in the midst of his fight.
Smiling, the other Titans did so! Slade tried to ward off the blows, but Robin's attacks had disoriented him.
Beast Boy then charged at him as a rhino, knocking him to the building's edge. He recovered, but discovered he now had at least one, maybe two, broken ribs.
Raven grabbed him with a claw of dark energy, tossed him in the arm, and slammed him in the middle of the roof!
Cyborg wasted no time in getting a shot with his sonic cannon. "Boo-yah!" he yelled.
Terra then pelted him with rocks, which tore small holes in his costume and drew blood.
Starfire finally fired her eye beams at him, leaving a burn mark on his chest!
Slade rose to one knee, recovering his breath.
The Titans gathered around the villain.
"Impressive Titans, very impressive." he said panting. "Now this changes things."
"How so?" Raven asked.
"Now, you all will become my apprentices!"
Robin chuckled. "You're in one hell of a position to be making claims like that!"
Slade managed a laugh. "As always Robin, you forget that I always have a fallback plan!"
He reached for his belt and pulled out a control device.
"What the hell is that thing supposed to do?" Beast Boy asked hilariously.
"This is my ultimate weapon." Slade explained. "I enter the command, and this city and everything in it will go up in a cloud of vapor the size of Nebraska!"
The Titans were stunned. "It's a bomb!" Cyborg said aloud. "A control for a bomb!"
Slade laughed as he came to his feet. "Not just any bomb, Cyborg. It's a thermonuclear device. A yield of forty megatons! And if you don't wish to be responsible for the total annihilation of your city, you will do as I say!"