First of all, some review responses:
sehnsucht792: What do you mean both shows are ending production? I know KP's ending (not if kp. has anything to say about it.) I never heard anything about TT ending. I know we're currently in season 4 and I know season 5 is on the way, as well as a direct to video movie.
al-mansur: No, I have virtually no martial arts experience whatsoever. But when you spend several years watching pro wrestling, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Kill Bill, Matrix, Dragonball Z, KP, TT, Star Wars, Cowboy Bebop, and Freddy vs Jason; you develop an eye for fight choreography.
Sestren NK: I was not aware of that. Drakken, Motor Ed, Brother Blood, and Bender all in one person. Awesomeness if I've ever seen it!
DigiSim: um…oopsie-daisy
And also, please stop requesting that I put so-and-so in this fic. If I ever write multiple sequels, I'm sure all you're favorite characters will get their time to shine.
Fun fact #2: Jason Mardsen(my favorite voice actor, FYI), the voice of Felix from "Motor Ed" and "Steal Wheels", will be playing the part of Billy Numerous in the upcoming Titans episode "Overdrive."
Thank you, now on with the story.
Keep Your Friends Close…
By Cabel
Chapter 5
With a waterside location overlooking the moonlit bay, there was no doubt that Titan Tower had the best view in all of Jump City. However, Ron was too busy checking out the Titan's home entertainment center to notice.
"Dude, this place is awesome! Where did you get the fundage for a place like this?" He asked, now changed into his casual attire.
"I have some friends in high places." Robin answered, finishing up a bandage on his chest.
"Look Rufus, they even have cable!" Ron said excitedly, Rufus fainted from awe. Starfire couldn't help but chuckle at the duo's antics.
"Is he always this easy to impress?" Raven asked.
"That's Ron for you, full of child like wonder." Kim said from her seat on the sofa, now wearing her green tank top and Club Banana denim attire.
Across the room Wade was helping Cyborg finish up the repairs to his sonic cannon.
"You know Cyborg," Wade's voice said through the kimmunicator. "If you redirect these circuits, you can probably increase the power output by twenty percent."
"I thought about that before, but I figured the sonic vibrations would damage the amplifier and cause an overload."
"Perhaps, but if we reinforce the casing here, and install servos to equally distribute the vibrations…"
"That could work, let's try it out!" Cyborg said as he went back to work with renewed vigor.
(AN: I have no idea what I just wrote)
"You know KP, in between a boy genius and the combined salaries of a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon, one would think we could get a cool headquarters."
"Oh, you mean the same doctors who told us to get a job after I asked for a new jacket?"
"Ok, first of all, your parents told you to get a job." Ron answered as he sat down next to Kim. "You just applied for the both of us."
"And you became a millionaire because of it."
"Wait a second," Beast Boy interrupted. "If he's rich, then why are you even having this conversation?"
"Because 'naco boy' here wasted his royalty money." Kim answered as she ruffled Ron's hair.
"So I got carried away," Ron said in defeat. "I learned my lesson, now let's do what we agreed and…" Kim cut him off.
"Never talk about it again. Jinx, you owe me a soda."
"Darn it."
"So Kim, what can you tell us about Shego?" Robin asked.
"Wade, can you pull up the file on Shego." Kim said to her kimmunicator.
"Done." Wade responded, and then a picture of Shego came up on the Titan's big screen.
"As far as personal history goes," Kim started. "Not a whole lot. Real name, place of birth, blood type; all have been removed from every known database on the planet. We do know that she and her four brothers were affected by the radiation of a comet when they were young, causing them to have superpowers, and together they formed the crime fighting team, Team Go."
"And let me guess," Raven said. "She was the bad apple."
"Understatement of the year. After leaving Team Go she went to work primarily for Dr. Drakken, right up till her arrest about a month ago. Anyways, your turn, what's the down-lo on this Slade guy?" Robin pressed a button on the remote control and a particularly threatening image of Slade came up on the screen.
Ron shuddered suddenly. "Did anyone else just get chills?"
"We know even less about Slade." Robin said as he took the floor. "Our limited sources combined with personal experience have led us to believe that he has a military background, working as an assassin all over the world using aliases such as 'Deathstroke' and 'The Terminator.'"
Kim got up to get a closer look at the various images of Slade in action on the screen. "Hand-to-hand combat, advanced weapons and technology, he must've been pretty high in the ranks to be able to pull all this off."
"But wouldn't a soldier type like that be highly disciplined or something?" Ron asked. "You know, like Mr. Barkin?"
"Far fetched, but he does have a point." Kim said to Robin. "Shego's never been much of a 'fall in line' type of girl."
"Slade apparently saw potential in Shego." Robin responded. "And if Slade sees something he likes, he doesn't care what he has to do, or who he has to hurt to get it, including Shego."
"Great, as if he wasn't creepy enough already." Kim sighed.
"There is one thing that I've been wondering about." Starfire said. "If you all have never encountered Slade before, then how did you all know to come here?"
"I think I can answer that." Wade's image came up on the big screen. "The only clue we had concerning Shego's breakout was the brief image of Slade's robots in the security footage. Even with my through research, I couldn't find anything, until I stumbled upon a database that was heavily protected. Long story short, I kind of, ha ha, hacked into the Tower's computer."
Most are led to believe that an electronic eye cannot twitch. Not that it didn't stop the small tapping noise that was coming from Cyborg's direction.
"You, hacked, into, the tower's, computer! You hacked through my personally designed, bi-weekly upgraded, anti-hacking, anti-viral, anti-spam, firewalls!"
"Does it block pop-ups?" Ron asked.
"I'm still working on that." Cyborg admitted quietly.
"If it's any comfort, it took me a good four hours to get through." Wade said defensively.
"Four hours! I designed it so not even I could hack into it in four months!"
"Newsflash. He called a boy genius for a reason." Raven calmly said.
"Yeah, but still."
Beast Boy laughed. "Cyborg's been outdone by a 10-year old!"
"I most certainly have not!" Cyborg boasted as he pressed a button on the console, sending the video feed of Wade from the big screen to a smaller one on his forearm.
"If you thought my programs were tough before, wait until you see this next upgrade, then we'll see who the real genius is." Cyborg continued as walked proudly out of the room.
"Why do I get the feeling they're gonna be at it all week?" Kim said.
"If Wade takes his electronics as personally as Cyborg does, they could go on for years." Beast Boy said, bringing up a round of laughter from the others. Kim started laughing but she winced and grabbed her side calmly, only Ron seemed to notice.
"Excuse me, which ways the restroom?" Kim asked.
"Down the hall." Robin directed. Kim walked out through the automatic doors in the back, Ron following her every movement.
"I hope she is feeling alright." Starfire said.
Snapping out of his pseudo-trance Ron said, "KP, nah, she's fine. It's just been a long week, that's all."
"We all better rest up." Robin said. "We'll assemble at 0900 and get to the bottom of all this. Goodnight every."
Beast Boy turned into a dog and stretched out his front legs with a yawn. "Smartest thing I've heard all night, I really need to catch up on my beauty sleep."
"Then I guess we won't be seeing you for a couple moths then."
"Ha ha, very funny Raven." Robin watched as the other's left the room. When they were gone, Robin turned toward the front window and allowed his thoughts to roam.
"What are you up to this time Slade?"
Kim lifted up her tank top in front of the restroom mirror, revealing several small bruises along her upper-midsection. There was a knock at the door and Ron's voice came from the other side.
"It's me."
Kim pulled her shirt back down and welcomed Ron with a smile as she opened the door. Ron returned the smile.
"Ribs still bothering you?" He asked.
"Still a little sore, but I should be fine in a day or two."
"Good thing that suit takes so much punishment."
"Yeah, double the action at half the price." Kim said as they embraced. "Now what do you really want?" She added flirtatiously.
Ron returned the embrace. "Can't I worry about my girlfriend?"
"That depends on what you're worried about."
Ron hesitated, trying to find the right words. "Remember how you were after the attack on Bueno Nacho? As soon as Wade said, 'Jump City,' you wanted to hop on the next plane out. It took me, Monique, the tweebs, the doctor, and your mother's puppy pout to get you to stay behind and heal up."
"Shego is a wanted criminal." Kim said, releasing the hug. "I'm the one who put her behind bars, it's my responsibility to make sure she stays there, along with whoever helped her escape."
"And suppose tonight's fight had happened two weeks ago. You bandaged up like you were, me less than perfect." Ron sighed. "You can do anything, but not everything. Shego's always been tough before, but with this Slade guy giving her an extra edge….I, just don't want anyone to get hurt."
Kim lifted her hand up and caressed his cheek. "You're right, our usual routine won't cut it this time around. But we're not fighting alone, so I think that just about evens everything out." They returned to their embrace.
"Thanks for worrying though."
"Thanks for listening." Ron said as the couple leaned into a kiss. For a moment, there was no crime fighting, no super-villains, no school, and no obsessive-compulsive relatives; there was nothing but them and their love. They allowed themselves to become oblivious to the world around them, including a certain Tamaranean princess who was observing them quietly from around the corner.
"Again."
A shin slammed into Shego's abdomen.
"Again."
Another into her side.
"Again."
Another to her back.
Slade's training, simplicity at it's best. Shego was standing still with her arms raised, leaving her midsection exposed to any attack, specifically from the three henchmen positioned around her, waiting for their master's command.
"Pain…" Slade began as he circled the quartet, signaling the henchmen to kick as he talked. "…is what drives human life, my apprentice. The way a man lives his life depends on how he reacts to pain, and how much he's willing to endure. In order for you to become, perfect as a warrior, you must learn to endure pain that would otherwise kill a hundred times over, and to use it focus on your objective. And furthermore…"
Slade drove his knee into Shego's abdomen, making her drop to the floor.
"…One cannot simply 'get used' to pain. Because there is always someone who kicks harder." Slade turned to walk away when Shego jumped up as if she were ready to tear Slade apart. The collar of her uniform tightened again, stopping her in her tracks as she gasped for air.
"I could hear you blood boiling. Use it. Continue, fifty more rounds." He ordered as he walked away. In her frustration, Shego clawed into the concrete floor, leaving half-inch deep marks in it. She said nothing; she just got back up into her position, lifted her arms, and braced herself.