Disclamier: I don't own any of the characters or plot themes for Teen Titans. The series and characters are owned by DC Comics, Cartoon Network and anyone who is associated with the production of the show.
Spoilers: The Apprentice parts 1&2, this is my version of these two episodes. It is different from the actual episodes and much much darker. In my version Slade did much more to Robin than just threaten his friends. To find out what you will have to read and find out.
Reviews: I love reviews, good, bad, any are good. If you Flame me however I'll just laugh and delete them. Questions submitted by reviewers in their reviews are addressed at the end of each chapter.
Chapter Notes:
Sorry for the delay between chapters 4 and 5. I had school issues to wrap up the last couple weeks and then I had to reorient myself with my computer games. I'm telling you take a couple weeks off from crime fighting and the city goes to seed while you are gone. City of Heroes rules! No I promise I do not have a problem so please call off the men in white coats who are coming to take me away.
This chapter is written from Cyborg's perspective. Other than that no more notes.
On with the chapter:
I glance up from the video game that I am playing with Beast Boy and look around the Tower's Wreck room. The place has had an almost subdued atmosphere since Robin disappeared and it hurts to look around and not see him. Everywhere I look I see him. I see him playing video games with Beast Boy and I and I see him standing by the fridge drinking a soda, or coming downstairs after a late night of patrol.
A dull ache throbs through the human parts of my body which the mechanical part of my brain identifies as lose. Robin's disappearance has affected us all more than we want to admit. It's been almost two months since he disappeared and we are only now coming to terms with the idea that our best friend might not be coming back.
The idea scares us all. In a lot of ways he was like a glue that held us together as a team. Each of us claimed him as our best friend and he treated each of us like his best friend in return. He always helped me through the times when having a mechanical body got me down. He always helped me find the human that exists inside me when I could hardly find it myself. There has been more than one occasion when I was ready to give up and not plug myself in to charge so I wouldn't have to get up the next morning to face the fact that I was never going to live a normal life. Robin convinced me that I was important and that what little remained of my natural body could still make a difference. If he never comes back I won't get to tell him how much he means to me.
I know that Robin means just as much to me as he does to the other Titans. I remember dozens of times when Beast Boy would run off to Robin to tell him his newest joke. Robin would always listen and laugh just enough to make Beast Boy feel like he did something great. Robin was even willing to try one of Beast Boy's vegetarian recipes when no one else. I know that the little green changeling misses Robin so much even though he tries to hide it under a good natured optimistic façade.
Then there are Raven and Starfire. I think Robin's disappearance has affected the two of them the most. Starfire has been so quiet and reserved while Raven has been almost completely withdrawn and snappish. She almost always stays in her room when we aren't on patrol. Each time I try to talk to her she tells me that it is none of my business and that she needs to meditate. I guess I can't really blame her for that because she does need to do that to keep her powers in check. Tonight is the first night in almost a week that she has actually decided to join us in the wreck room.
I know that Robin would be able to talk to her once and figure out everything that is bothering her. He was always able to do that when she got in a mood. He would just disappear for a little while and go talk to her when the rest of us were busy with something. He always seemed to understand how to handle her when she was being emotionally distant.
If you ask me I say it's because he trained with the Batman for so long. I've seen the guy plenty of times on TV and in every shot he's dark, brooding, and emotionless. You have to pick up some tricks along the way when you train under a guy like that. There has to be more than that to the man though. Nobody can be that unfeeling all the time. Just like there is more to Robin then he admits to us. To us he is just Robin but I know he has to have a civilian identity when he takes off the mask. It must be the same for the Batman.
I'm smart enough not to question Robin's relationship to Batman because the one time Starfire tried to bring it up to Robin he got very quiet and there was a hint of underlying anger that told us all to back off. Star didn't catch the hint and just kept going and we finally had to make Star be quiet before Robin got mad at her.
That whole experience was weird though. Robin's anger wasn't directed at Batman but at Star. We had been watching the news and they had done a report about the Batman. They had even showed some film that had been captured during one of his battles with one of the big guys out of Gotham. Star had been disgusted and upset when she saw the rough methods that Batman used to fight crime. She thought that his methods were brutal and insensitive and Robin just kinda flipped and stormed out of the tower.
I don't think Star ever really got the hint not to talk about Batman around Robin but despite that whole incident she and Robin stayed friends. Robin constantly helps her learn to grasp earthly concepts that she would otherwise have no clue about and they seem to have a good friendship. I think Star thinks that it will grow into something more one of these days but I'm not sure. After Star's comments about Batman there is a coldness that exists in Robin that Star just doesn't notice.
I know Raven notices though, but then she is an empath and picks up on almost all the emotions that arise in this tower. That is why I don't really blame her for needing to meditate so much. All four of us have been pretty emotional since Robin's disappearance and I know that she has definitely been feeling it.
The weeks after Robin's disappearance were pure agony for all of us as we practically ran ourselves into the ground with exhaustion. I don't think we got more then two to three hours at a time as he shook down every lead and contact for any evidence or clue that would point to the location of our best friend. Slade had covered his tracks too well and the leads quickly dried up. When the leads and possible clues dried up we were all devastated and really too upset to care.
I saw how badly it was affecting everyone, especially the girls, and pulled Beast Boy aside. We agreed that I would take over leadership of the team until Robin returned and that we needed to try and bring a more natural feel back to the Tower. We had to do it before the four of us went crazy.
When we told Starfire that we had to slow down on our search for Robin and actually focus on fighting crime she was angry. She couldn't believe that I wanted to give up on our best friend. Raven took it much better and it was her level headed words that finally calmed Star down. She had told Star that Robin wouldn't want us giving up on our mission to fight crime just because he wasn't there with us. She told her that we couldn't give up on Robin like. He had worked too hard to make us a team and if we threw it away then we wouldn't be doing Robin a bit of good.
I felt really bad about making us refocus, after all Robin was my friend too and I didn't want to give up on him but we had a to protect the city. I was relieved when Raven actually sought me out. She had thanked me for trying to keep things right with the team. She's been slightly more agreeable since than but not much. Her emotions are still uncontrollable but we are keeping it together.
I refocus on the game as Beast Boy starts a new match of the game he picked up called "Supreme Ultimate Warrior of the Cosmos". The premise is pretty simple manipulate your little guy into beating the crap out of the other players' guy until one of you can't stand anymore. You would think we would get enough of this type of thing just by being superheroes but the realistic violence created by millions of individual pixels is just too thrilling to put down.
After thoroughly beating him I stand and stretch. He looks at me in frustration.
"I was so close to beating you that time man. Why are you quitting? I just know I can beat you next time." I can't help but grin at him.
"Sure BB, don't worry buddy I'm just stretching and taking a short break. I'm gonna go to the kitchen and grab a soda do ya want one?" He thinks about it for a second before a grin spreads across his face.
"Sure Cy, grab me one would ya man? I'm thirsty, getting my butt kicked is harder than it looks." I laugh.
"No BB, kicking your butt is harder than getting your butt kicked." Before he can say anything I make my way to the door but stop as a reach it. I turn to the girls who are setting silently on the sofa.
"Do you two want something to drink?" Raven shakes her head.
"I'll make tea for myself before I go to bed." I turn to Star.
"Star? A drink?" She thinks for a second before replying.
"Thank you friend Cyborg but no." I shrug my shoulders and nod.
"Your call girl. I'll be back in a couple minutes." I leave the room and head for the kitchen. I grab the sodas from the fridge and make my way back. As I enter the room I cast a worried glance at the girls and walk over to the small of knot of what remains of my friends. I hand out the sodas and am about to sit down to resume the game when the alarms of the tower begin to go crazy.
I immediately dash over to the computer console and shut them off before beginning to furiously fiddle with the dials to see what had caused the disturbance. Almost immediately the image of our game on the screen disappears to reveal Slade's image.
I glance back to look at the other Titans before returning to face the screen. Raven and Starfire are staring at the screen with almost identical looks of hatred and I expect the screen to explode any second due to Raven's powers but she is keeping a tight reign on her anger.
"Hello Titans."
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH FRIEND ROBIN?" I wince as Starfire suddenly starts screaming at Slade but Raven quickly silences her with her powers and Slade chuckles darkly.
"You are most impatient my dear girl. Keep your temper in check or I will sever the connection and make sure you never see your precious boy wonder again." I feel dread pool in my stomach as I listen to Slade continue to speak.
"The docks, tomorrow night at midnight, Warehouse seven." With that the connection goes dead and the game Beast Boy and I were playing flickers back on like nothing had happened.
The TV suddenly explodes as Raven looses control of her emotions and disappears in a flash of black energy. I know she's gone to her room to meditate and don't dare follow her. I'll try talking to her later but right now she needs to be alone.
My gaze flickers to Star who is sitting on the couch with a stunned empty look on her face. I can see the trail of tears as they silently course down her face but before I can move to comfort her Beast Boy has pulled her to him and is muttering soothing words into her ear. I can't hear much of them but I know from what I do hear that he is reassuring her and calming her down.
Being as there is nothing I can do to help either of them I head upstairs to check on Raven. I make my way up to the wing of the tower where our rooms are and knock. She doesn't answer and try the knob. It turns and I open it slightly. The light that spills into the room casts long shadows and I see Raven sitting cross-legged on her bed. She looks up at me asI enter and I can feel the emotion rolling off her in waves. I know she doesn't like to project like this but right now she can't help it.
When she doesn't tell me to get out I let myself in and shut the door. My artificial eyes compensate for the darkness and I make my way over to sit on the end of her bed.
"How ya doin?" She laughs bitterly.
"How do you think? I'm feeling everything you are plus my own emotions. Rage, fear, anger, the need for revenge, dread, I feel it all and a dozen others that I can't identify. Robin could already be dead and Slade is just baiting us into a trap but we won't know until we are already caught but you already know that."
"I do but I can't stop you, or Star, or BB from going on the chance that he isn't. Hell the mechanical half of my brain can't even stop my human side on this issue. We will go and we will do what we have to do. There isn't anything less we can do." My words seemto calm her because the waves ofenergywere surrounding us calm slightly and she sighs.
"I hope you are right."
Responses to my wonderful reviewers:
Alexnadru Van Gordon: I'm glad you liked the conflicted parts of Robin's personality.As I said to reviewers before Batman will be important. Keep reading to find out how. I'm glad you think Slade is creepy, because he is and he should be. Please R&R again.
Queen-Morganalefay: I understand not reviewing after every chapter. Some chapters are always better than others. If I were giving out prizes for reading my mind the first one would go to you. Batman will be in this story just keep reading to find out how. I'm glad I can show emotion when I don't have much to build on. Most of Robin's emotion at this point is built around confusiion and fear. Thanks for the review and I hope you keep reading even if you don't.
PinkFlamingo44: Thanks for the review. As you can see you will get to see the Titan's reaction to Robin as Slade's Apprentice next chapter. I hope their emotional states for this chapter helped tied you over to next chapter though. Keep reading and reviewing.
rixietrixie91: I'll keep going. I plan to cover Robin's emotional recovery very extensively. The poor boy has a lot of issues to work out and I want to see him go through all the stages of grief, guilt, ect... You got a few emotional hints in this chapter. I hope you picked up where they are going. Thanks for the review.
KaliAnn: Robin isn't necessarily evil, just really really confused and yes evil in a sense. I hope you keep reading. I definitly believe that all heroes walk a delicate line between two very different worlds. Just look at Hal Jordan (Green Lantern if you don't know who I'm talking about.) He fell from grace twelve years ago and it has only been in the last six months that he actually started returning to his role as GL. A fact that I am extremely happy about by the way. I understand the line that a hero walk. Thanks for the review and keep them coming.
Disky: Even though you reviewed the wrong story in your review I still forgive you. I appreciate the longer e-mail you sent me about my fic. I agree that Starfire and BB are not naive, but instead young. It's the truth, they are young and emotional, as are the rest of the Titans. Robin's emotional limits are definitly going to be tested in upcoming chapters. He has a lot of mental issues and unresolved conflict to deal with and he's going to have to dig some things out of the closest to completly heal the wounds that Slade will leave on his soul. Thanks for the deep, in-depth review, keep them coming they are much appreciated.
Sara J: Sorry about the length between chapters. I've had school issues to wrap up then I pretty much took 5 days to veg out and play video games. My characters definitly needed to go out and fight some crime. I swear you take a couple days off the job and the city goes to seed. Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like my writing style. I try to vary the perspectives of the chapters so my readers get a look into all my characters psyches. I think knowing what someone is thinking is just as important as not knowing what is going on. I can't tell you how Batman is going to figure into the story. That would be giving it away. Keep reading and reviewing to find out.
TigerHelix: Thanks for the review.