"I think we are getting the hang of this," Cyborg commented as the group entered the Tower, fresh from combat practice.
"I will have to agree with ya, Cy," B.B. added, "that robot of yours may be tough, but it ain't nothing now."
Robin only smirked, he too, knowing that they would be better prepared the next time around when they ran into Slade's nearly invincible apprentice.
"So," Robin began, everyone sitting down on the couch, "everything is moving along on schedule, and we seem to have a stretch of free time, so, what shall we do?"
"What haven't we done in a while?" Cyborg pondered, rubbing his chin. He snapped his finger as the thought entered his mind. "What about a little nature hike, I mean, we usually go downtown and whatnot, so why not head up into the hills for a little while, take it easy, enjoy the view."
Everyone thought it over for a minute, remembering the last time they ever did that.
"I don't see the harm in it," Robin replied, "we will still be ready if there is trouble, so yeah, a hike it is."
"Glorious, we may enter the dwelling of the many trees and plants?" Starfire questioned with a grand smile.
Robin turned his attention to her, returning the smile.
"Of course," he replied, grasping her hand gently.
"So," Beast Boy stated, breaking his eye contact on Robin and Starfire, "when are we leaving?"
"As soon as you all are ready to go," Cyborg informed, heading for his room.
"Can we get this started already?" Raven questioned, agitated by the wait for the training to begin.
"Aren't we impatient this morning?" Slade's eerie hiss of a voice came forth from his usual position.
"I only learned it from you," she snapped back, testing his nerves.
Slade only stared at Raven, his eye narrowing through his mask, seeing how both of them donned their usual attire.
"Fine," he stated, "you'll get what you wish, but there is a "surprise" that awaits you."
"What would that happen to be?" Raven asked, nonchalantly, looking at her gloved hand.
Slade pushed a button on his panel, the floor activating, shimmering a hellfire red, the area around the training area was glowing red, but the center that Raven stood upon was normal.
"You so much as come into proximity of this boundary, you will have several thousand volts of electricity course through your body," Slade warned, his robots entering the training area.
"Sounds like quite a shock, don't you think?" Raven flatly stated, letting Slade know that he wasn't intimidating her one bit.
Slade ignored her comment, turning to his control panel, beginning the activation for the training exercise.
"Robots," he called out as he finished putting in a series of information into the panel, "you will attack on my command and strike without mercy."
"Yes, Master," the 4 robots replied in unison.
Raven's eyes jumped open even further in surprise.
"If you can't hold your own against them now on your own, then you need not deserve the right to live," Slade coolly stated, putting his hands behind his back in normal fashion.
"Is he being serious?" Raven thought, changing her view from him to the robots, looking at each of them.
"Prepare yourself, apprentice," he informed, "we shall begin when you are ready."
Raven didn't say another word, only taking up a stance, ready for whatever was going to be thrown her way.
"Robots," Slade announced, "attack."
The machines leaped into action as soon as he finished the command, charging at Raven with incredible speed.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Raven thought, watching a robot with the number "173" inscribed on his forehead run directly at her, his artificial eye narrowed with hate, rage, and determination.
The Titans finally made their way up to the rolling hills of the area between the city and the rural countryside, forest lining either side of the highway. They managed to find a decent place to pull over to the side to prevent any accidents, allowing them to go on their hike without a care in the world. They spent a good part of the day hiking, returning to the T-Car after every outing to refresh themselves. The Titans decided to go out one more time before calling it a day. After taking a path for quite a ways, at least 10 minutes worth, they came across a clearing in the forest, sunlight basking the ground beneath their feet.
"Man," Cyborg said, inhaling the air, "you often forget how beautiful it is out here living in the city all the time."
"Couldn't agree with you more Cyborg," B.B. replied, looking at the foliage, waiting for Cyborg to say something else.
Cyborg only stared at the ground next to his feet.
"Cy?" Beast Boy questioned, tapping him on the shoulder, seeing if his best friend was alright.
He leaned down to pick up the object that was at his feet, grasping it in his metallic hand. B.B. leaned over to see what had grabbed Cy's attention. He saw a rusted piece of bronze-colored metal, cracked and dented, and had a menacingly-shaped eye in the center of it, the piece itself only a little bit bigger.
"Is that what I think it is?" B.B. questioned, pointing to the worn metal.
"Robin," Cyborg called out, turning his head to speak to him, but still keeping his eyes trained on the object.
Robin turned his attention away from Starfire, who had seemed to try to get Robin alone for the moment to herself. He put up his finger, motioning that he would only be a second. She nodded with her usual smile.
"Yeah?" Robin questioned, walking up to Cyborg.
Cy handed Robin the object. His demeanor went from actually being happy for once to one of rage.
"I just found it in the undergrowth," Cyborg informed, "I think something went down here."
Robin only nodded his head, still studying the rusted piece of broken metal.
"Search the clearing for anything doesn't belong here," Robin coolly ordered, "photograph it, then gather it as evidence, I will find out what happened here."
The others nodded, Robin walking back to Starfire, who had been picking wildflowers of some kind. She looked up, seeing that Robin wasn't having fun anymore.
"Is there something wrong, Robin?" Starfire questioned, "is it something I did?"
"No, not at all Starfire," Robin managed, attempting to sound normal, "we just need to investigate something, you're welcome to help if you like."
She only nodded with her usual naive demeanor. Robin ignored her, studying the ground.
"Robin!" Cyborg yelled, rummaging through the undergrowth across the clearing. "Come take a look at this!"
Robin jogged over, seeing what Cy had discovered. What he saw appalled him, he saw to figures, both tattered and beaten, their exteriors rusted and corroded. Robin knew they were the remains of robots, but being made to mimic humans, it just seemed so real to him. The roots of plants and trees had overgrown the husks of the machines, intertwining in and out of crevices in their armor and orifices, showing signs of them being their for quite some time.
"Whoever did this," Robin commented, pulling away plants to see the various, multiple holes that they filled, "was on the run, all of these holes are random and vary in size."
"Scanners say that this area is littered with metallic fragments, so I'm just gonna assume that is what they were used for," Cyborg added, looking at the small screen built into his arm.
"Collect as much of it as you possibly can, along with what is left of these robots," Robin ordered, studying the area still, "I'm gonna head back to the T-Car and get that collapsible evidence crate."
Cyborg nodded, beginning the task of untangling the robotic remains. Beast Boy gave up on trying to help him, mainly due to the fact that he was extremely allergic to Poison Sumac, which happened to be what the robots were in, so Cyborg continued the task alone. He wandered around the clearing, often kicking a small piece of metal every now and then, the area littered with them. Robin continued his way along the path back to the T-Car, which was easily seen from the woods. He held his head hung low, still contemplating what was at hand.
"Why would there be Sladebots in the forest? And for what reason, there isn't anything to steal, so why?" He thought, studying the ground as he walked.
His thoughts were interrupted as he stumbled across a series of rocks jutting from the ground in a depression. After regaining his footing, his sharp eyes took notice to something. A rock on the outer edge of the cropping seemed to have a dark, rust-colored substance on it, and it didn't appear to be part of the granite gray coloring of the stone. Robin knelt down, running his finger across it, finding that it was dry and the rock was actually stained by whatever it was. He reacht around behind him to fish out a kit he used at crime scenes in his utility belt.
"I really hope this isn't what I think it is," he quietly commented to himself, adding a liquid to the rock's surface in order to get a sufficient swabbing of the substance. He placed the sample in a tube, returning all of the gear he had used back to its original spot upon his utility belt.
Robin continued back to the T-Car to complete his original assignment of retrieving the evidence crate, remembering the last time he ever used it was for one of Slade's robberies, his robots stealing the last component that completed Terra's neural interface suit. After making his way past the rock he just took a sample from, the crate in his arms, headed for the clearing. Robin noticed that everyone was gathered around the other end of the clearing, not far from where Cyborg found the robotic remains.
"Hey," he called out, getting their attention, "what are you all looking at?"
"It seems as if someone has built some kind of shelter, Robin," Starfire informed, motioning to what appeared to be a lean-to, a rickety one at that. By the way it looked, it had been uninhabited for quite some time, but that was only by looking on the outside of it.
"Open the door," Robin ordered B.B., setting the crate down, preparing to gather evidence.
He did so, finding nothing inside, but upon closer inspection, he saw strange markings on the dirt floor, all forming a circle in the center of it.
"No," he thought, analyzing everything that he had taken, attempting to put 2 and 2 together.
"What's the matter, B.B.?" Cyborg questioned, squatting to see what he was so intrigued by.
"These markings," he managed, "this...this was where..."
"This is what?" Cyborg asked again, wanting him to come out with it.
"Raven was here," Beast Boy finally managed, "this was her secluded spot, she was attempting to go home, and by the way her markings look, since I have been reading some of her books, she didn't make the journey."
"What are you saying?" Robin asked, stepping forward.
"Raven is still here on Earth," B.B. choked, unable to bring his worst thoughts forward, "and everything that happened here has something to do with her."
Silence enveloped them, only the sounds of nature around them creating so much as a stir.
"Get the evidence," Robin finally spoke up, "we need to get back to the Tower and find out what really happened to Raven."
They followed his orders solemnly, knowing that something bad has happened, maybe as bas as it can get in reality.
"I have many theories on this one," Robin thought to himself, sifting through the forest floor to find random pieces of metal and robotic parts strewn about, "but there is only one that is standing out in my mind and it is possibly the worst case scenario I can think of."
Raven fell backwards as she took another devastating hit from her opponents, all of whom seemed to be much more agile than her. Before she could react again, another robot struck, sending her flying backwards, hitting the ground, and sliding within inches of the perimeter that would shock her if she touched it.
"Get up, apprentice," Slade called out, still upon his platform, watching the carnage take place, "they won't stop until they are defeated, so rise to your feet."
Raven did so, weakly, her knees beginning to shake. The robots surrounded her, all staring at her in the same menacing way.
"Master thinks your good, child," one of the taunted, "but you are nothing compared to us."
Raven only let out an angry growl as she charged the one that spoke, only to have another strike her in the face, and another to trip her at the same time, causing her to go far enough back to step into the boundary. She let out a scream of pain and anguish as the electricity coursed through her body, managing to push herself off of it in time to save herself.
"I know you are better than this Raven," Slade calmly stated, watching her take this beating, "if not, you know what happens."
Raven crawled to her hands and knees, watching blood drip out of her mouth, watching it just splatter upon the floor. She only smiled, letting out a small chuckle, rising to her feet, a sinister grin covering her face, showing off her teeth that had a thin layer of blood upon them.
"This should be interesting now," Slade thought, "she may proverbially "snapped", which is good for me, allowing me to use her to her full potential now."
She continued taking a few steps as her and her foes began circling each other, spitting a mouthful of crimson water thickened with saliva, attempting to keep herself from swallowing the copper-tasting liquid.
"You just don't get it, do you?" Raven questioned the machines, who were dumbfounded, knowing that when a target had been inflicted with damage, they should not be laughing in their faces. "Do you actually think that I have reached my limit?"
"Enough chit-chat, Raven," Slade informed, "finish your training if you are capable of doing so."
Raven did so, spitting more blood from her mouth, wiping what was on her face away. She lunged for the one that taunted her only moments before. The two that attacked her from high and low attempted again, only to be kicked in the face as Raven leaped up and thrusted both of her feet in either direction to the side, going into a split maneuver in the air. She landed, feeling one of the two remaining robots charging her from behind, his heavy footsteps thudding as he ran. Raven spun her right leg around into a roundhouse kick, connecting with the robot's head cleanly, sending it flying backwards. She turned her attention back to her original target again, her psychotic grin still on her face. The robot took a step back, attempting to keep his space from Raven, who casually walked towards him.
"My, my, how the tables have turned," Raven commented, watching the robot back away from her.
The robot that she managed to level with a roundhouse kick had gotten up and was charging her again in the same manner. Raven merely spun around and drove her fist right through its chest cavity, sending shrapnel and circuitry flying out its back. She took hold of the inert robot's body, throwing it over her shoulder, and slamming it into the floor in front of her, shattering whatever was left salvageable.
"Now," Raven asked, intimidating the remaining robot, "where were we?"
She ran full speed, head-on to her remaining opponent, leaping into the air several feet in front of him, kicking him squarely in the chest, and sending him flying backwards, right into the boundary that Raven attempted to stay away from earlier. The robot convulsed as it's circuits were overloaded with electricity, shorting it out, and causing him to drop to the floor, unmoving and defeated. Raven stood there, staring at her final downed opponent, the look of anger and rage in her eyes beginning to subside as her adrenaline subsided as well, allowing her to feel the damage dealt on her finally. She fell to her knees, holding her sides from the blows that had been dealt earlier in the bout.
"You see, Raven," Slade informed, "that rush you just experienced is what you need to thrive off of to perform at your maximum abilities, learn how to harness and control your anger and rage in combat, and you will be unstoppable."
Raven looked up, her face twisted with pain.
"How?" She managed, blood still lingering in her mouth.
"By keeping your adrenaline and endorphins pumping through your system, keep fighting, and fighting as hard as you possibly can."
She rose to her feet, still holding her side, but managing a grin.
"Of course," she joked, "I knew that, but seriously, a very interesting tidbit of information."
Slade only seemed to grin as well, Raven's attempt at humor amused him greatly, so much reminding him of Rose at times.
"You should return to your room and prepare for your mission tonight," Slade stated, "you have multiple targets, so I can guarantee you that the Titans will chase you, so be on your best."
"Not to worry, Master," Raven said, waiting for him to disable the boundary, "as I said, if I run into them again, it will be their mistake, a grave one at that."
"What are we waiting on again?" B.B. questioned with a yawn, looking at the clock hanging on the wall, its readout that of 11:37 P.M.
"For the results of the testing of Robin and Cyborg's evidence," Starfire replied, feeding Silky as she cradled him in her arms.
"Do we have to see it tonight? I mean, can't it wait until tomorrow?" Beast Boy continued to whine.
"No it cannot," she informed, "it is very important that we see the results, because it may have something to do with Raven, and she has been gone for so long."
He thought about what she said for a minute, remembering how much he actually missed her.
"I guess your right," had admitted, propping his feet upon on the table in front of the couch.
The faint sound of a door opening down the hallway peaked B.B. and Star's interest, waiting to see who had discovered what. The footsteps were soft, barely audible to the human ear, but Beast Boy's acute hearing could hear them quite fine. They seemed to be slow and heavy, as if whoever it was was reluctant to bear the information they had discovered. The shadows revealed who it was to be the bearer of news: Robin.
"What did you find out?" B.B. and Star asked simultaneously.
Silence was the only thing heard from Robin's part.
"Robin?" Starfire questioned by herself, concerned.
After another moment of silence, he opened his mouth, attempting to muster the words he must say.
"The sample I recovered," he said solemnly, holding up a picture of the rock with the substance on it, "was blood, human blood."
Both Star and B.B. gasped in horror at his revealed information.
"W-who's?" the Changeling managed, his skin seemingly going to a lighter shade of green, as if he were going pale.
"Raven's," Robin reluctantly informed, twingeing as he said it, "and from what you said, Beast Boy, I don't think she's home."
"Where could she be then?" Starfire questioned, nearly in tears at the news.
"I-I-I don't know Star," Robin admitted, "something has happened, something bad, I know it, I shouldn't have let her leave the way she did, someone should have gone with her, there must have been something that we could have done to prevent this."
"Don't kick yourself Robin," B.B. stated, "none of us knew this was going to happen, it isn't anyone's fault, we just need to keep a level head and find out where Raven went."
"Agreed, Robin, he is right, we must keep the head level," Starfire added, standing to comfort him.
"I know you're right," he admitted, accepting her consoling touch, "but we need to stop Slade and his apprentice, but we're missing something to take them down."
"Not something, Robin," B.B. stated, standing up, looking out the window, "someone."
"You mean-" Robin started, only to be cut off.
"Yes," Beast Boy interrupted, "without Raven, we can't stop them."
Robin stepped in front of Beast Boy.
"We can, and we will find a way, without her or not," Robin informed, holding his finger up.
"I really hope you are right then," B.B. replied, shaking his head.
A moment of silence engulfed the room, everyone thinking about the current situation at hand, the possibility that Raven is missing and hurt, or worse. The elevator could be heard, everyone turning their attention to the sound it made as if someone were coming up.
"Let's hope Cy has better news," B.B. stated, finally breaking the silence.
The elevator stopped, the doors whooshing open, revealing Cyborg, whose face appeared to twisted with rage.
"Or not," Beast Boy added to his last comment quietly.
Cyborg entered the room, stopping in front of them.
"Is it just me," he started in a normal, polite voice, "or does every villain we run into have to use MY SCHEMATICS!"
"Slade has your blueprints?" Robin questioned unbelievably.
"That," Cyborg managed to regain control of himself, "or he is working with someone, actually, I do believe he is."
"You don't mean-" B.B. started, only to be interrupted.
"Yeah, Slade and Brother Blood appear to have some kind of agreement going on, and these robots were designed and constructed by Professor Chang, his handywork is all over them."
Robin thought for a moment, seeing that there was the possibility that 3 of the city's most notorious villains were in league with one another, forming a very powerful alliance, that, if not stopped, could bring Jump City to its knees.
"We got work to do," Robin informed, "Cyborg, you know Blood better than any of us, so you would have a better idea as to where he is located, so your job is to search for him. I will track Slade down, Star, B.B., you two can handle Chang, start your search at his former observatory, see if you can't find any clues as to his whereabouts."
Everyone nodded in unison as he informed them of their assigned task.
"Whatever is happening," Robin thought, headed for his study, "is something bad, I know it, I feel it. We need to find out what is going on before it is too late, we need to find Raven, as I fear the worst has happened, I fear that she may possibly be...No, I shouldn't think like that, losing all hope isn't what we should do. Raven is still alive I know she is, she is too strong-willed a person to go down without a fight, I know she is still alive."
"Come, Raven," Slade beckoned, nightfall engulfing the city.
Raven slowly emerged from the darkness of the shadows behind her, donning her mask upon her face, securing it.
"What's the target?" She faithfully questioned, pulling her hood upon her head.
"You do remember those state-of-the-art microprocessor chips that "Red X" stole?" Slade questioned in a hushed voice, not to alert anyone nearby, even though they were standing upon a rooftop in downtown Jump City.
"Yes, but those are obsolete know, why do you want the-" Raven asked out of confusion, only to be interrupted.
"I don't, but they do have newer versions out, and those, child, are the ones I need, and it so happens to be that all 3 of them are located in the same vault, but that's not all."
"What else?" she continued to question, making sure she knew what she was getting herself into.
"Why a cubic liquid diode crystal, child," he informed, "then, I will finally have all of the components to build the device that will give you and I complete and utter control over this city and its inhabitants."
"That sounds delightful," Raven added, "so where are these objects located?"
"Our first target is here in this very building that we stand on," Slade said, tapping his foot on the roof, "our next is in the Tech Sector."
Raven's eyes widened with surprise.
"You do realize that the Tech Sector is all the way across the city, don't you?" Raven informed.
"Yes, nothing that you and I can't handle," Slade quickly added, "shall we begin?"
"After you," she calmly stated, motioning for him to make the infiltration first.
He only gave a small huff of respect towards her as he took out something from his belt. After a couple of twists and extensions, the object formed into a small saw of some type. Slade knelt down, Raven watching his every move, as he began cutting into the roof of the building in an attempt to create a hole large enough for him and Raven to fit through. With a complete circle large enough for him to fit through, he gentle worked the piece of roofing he just cut, avoiding to create attention.
"Shall we make a grand entrance, child?" Slade asked out of amusement, attempting to lighten the mood somewhat, but keep her focused, him as well, enjoying her presence as his apprentice, but even more as his daughter.
"Why," Raven replied in a similar tone, "I'd be delighted."
The city lights flew by Robin as he continued to shift into higher gears as he gained speed on his R-Cycle, rocketing downtown, swerving in and out of traffic with ease and showing his experience and skill upon a motorcycle.
"My last account of any activity, besides his recent resurfacing, on Slade's behalf came from a warehouse by the docks, several years ago, anything there might be of use," he thought, focusing on the road ahead.
Robin noticed out of the corner of his eye that his communications system on his bike was going off, wanting him to accept whoever was attempting to contact him. He eased off of the accelerator, allowing him an ample cushion of safety in case something were to happen while he was still in motion. Robin pushed the button on the bike's digital screen, Cyborg's image coming up on it.
"What's up, Cyborg?" he questioned, still en route to his destination.
"Blood has been busy, Robin," Cyborg informed, "I found blueprints to some sort of building, probably another academy or something, but this place has been abandoned for quite some time, so his new H.I.V.E. Academy is probably up and running, just a guess though."
"See if you can't find out it's exact location and track him down," Robin ordered, "I'm running a lead on Slade right now."
Cyborg nodded as the transmission ended.
"I wonder," Robin pondered, pushing another button, Starfire's face coming up on screen.
"What is it that you request, Robin?" she asked, B.B. in the background, looking over a bunch of papers on a desk.
"Have you found anything yet?" he questioned, nearly rear-ending a van because he stared at her beauty.
"Nothing that we do not already know," she informed, lowering he head, "we will not cease until we find something of importance."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Robin said with a smile, "let me know when you do."
"Of course," Starfire obeyed, smiling, the transmission ending.
Before Robin could focus on his task at hand, his communicator went off again, but this time, it was not one of the Titans contacting him, but that informing that there was a distress call from OmniTech, a business on the leading-edge of technology, specializing in military hardware, but also providing excellent consumer products.
"Slade," Robin growled out loud, knowing his nemesis all to well.
He made a daring right hand turn at the next intersection, avoiding several cars as he ran through the red light. He engaged the throttle to its maximum, knowing that he needed to get there fast if he had any hope of catching him. Robin also knew that the others were on their way as well, not wanting to leave Robin to face such a foe by himself, knowing what happened on previous engagements between the two of them.
Raven leaped up through the hole that Slade had created only minute before, escape the guards that were attempting to stop the two of them. Slade was right behind her, three microchips in his right hand, a grenade-esque object in the other. He landed, tossing the object through the hole. Raven's face froze with horror behind her mask. She had already committed crimes in his name, but she had never had any part in killing anyone. Slade only looked down the hole as the grenade went off, but instead of exploding with deadly shrapnel, it went off with an extremely bright flash with a tremendous bang, an extremely opaque white gas released as well. Raven could distinctly hear screams of the guards, then silence.
"You didn't," Raven managed, her eyes widened with fright.
"Of course not," Slade informed, walking towards her, "their deaths aren't of any significance to me or anyone else, so they aren't deserving to die by my hands."
Raven shuddered at the thought, shaking her mind off of the idea.
"We really should be going, our next target awai-" Slade informed, only to be struck in the chest by a series of small exploding discs.
He fell to the ground, his attention looking in the direction from where the attack came from.
"You aren't going anywhere," Robin angrily informed, walking towards him, "both of you are going down."
Slade only rose to his feet, chuckling.
"You are quite amusing, Robin," he sneered, brushing his chest off, "you seem to be alone, and if I do recall correctly, you were never able to defeat me by yourself, let alone my apprentice."
Robin's already angered face only hardened that much more.
"Is that what enrages you the most, Robin? The fact that you never defeated me? Or is it that I have long forgotten about you and found myself a loyal apprentice, unlike you."
"That was the worst time of my life and you know it!" Robin yelled, "I wanted to kill you every single waking moment."
"Why, Robin," Slade continued breaking him down, "thank you for the compliment."
Robin didn't say another word, he only charged at Slade, sprinting across the roof to his position. Slade only stared at him as he grew closer and closer, raising his fist to strike him. No sooner than he got within a distance to attack, Raven delivered an attack, forcing him backwards with just as much energy.
"Go Master," Raven's masked voice urged, "I can handle this insignificant whelp myself."
Slade nodded, leaping off the building's edge.
"No you don't!" Robin yelled, scrambling to his feet, attempting to go after Slade, "you aren't going anywhere!"
Robin ran for the building's edge, only to have Raven dart in front of him with blinding speed, grabbing hold of his collar.
"It's only you and me now," Raven hissed, a hidden smile under her mask.
Robin lashed out with his left hand, only to have it easily blocked by Raven's right, taking hold of his wrist, his eyes widening with surprise.
"Come now, Robin," she taunted, "you and I both know that will never work, allow me to show you how it is done correctly."
She tightened her threatening grip upon him, lifting him up off of the ground, and throwing him over her right shoulder in an arc, causing Robin to slam into the ground on his shoulders and neck. He let out a groan of pain as Raven stood over him, an evil chuckle could be heard on her behalf.
"If you know what's good for you," Raven started, "you'll stay do-"
She was cut short by Robin's foot swinging around and taking her off her feet, causing her to slam to the ground on her back. Robin was on his feet again, waiting for her to rise. Raven rose as well, surprised she had let her guard down so much, but she kept her composure in order to keep him from having any kind of advantage over her. She went on the offensive, running and leaping into the air, positioning her foot to strike Robin in the chest. Robin reacted, bringing both of his hands up to block, catching her foot, but sliding back several feet. Raven's eyes widened as Robin only smirked, taking both of his hands and twisting them, causing her to twist in the air and fall to the ground yet again. She jumped to her feet, not pleased with how this fight had already begun.
"This should be quite interesting now," she commented, beginning to circle Robin.
"You're not the only one who can learn a thing or two," Robin snapped back, keeping a close eye on her.
Raven only scoffed as she rolled her eyes at his comment, readying her self to strike again, seeing how he was wanting to be on the defensive, it didn't leave her with much of a choice otherwise. She lashed out once more, attempting to down Robin again, only to have him block. Raven followed up with another strike, bringing her left hand around, only to have blocked the same as the latter. Attack after attack, Robin continued to block, as if he could tell when and where she was going to attack. Raven began to lose her cool demeanor about herself, Robin's newly-acquired abilities forcing her to actually try now. After a few moments of this blinding flurry of strikes in an attempt to hit Robin, he took hold of her fist and forced his elbow into her ribcage, using her own momentum against her, as well as his strength. Her eyes showed a sign of sharp pain, as he happened to hit the same area that Slade had broken several of her ribs many months ago, but they never did heal correctly. Raven stumbled backwards, holding her side, falling to her knees, her breathing deep and heavy against the immense pain. Robin stayed alert, but was surprised that such a simple attack would do so much damage, especially to her.
"Seems as if you have a proverbially "glass jaw"," Robin taunted, wanting her to continue, seeing that they were fairly matched and would enjoy taking her down. "You can dish it out, but you can't take it."
Raven looked up, jumping to her feet, and charging head-on at Robin. He went to block, but Raven followed up with her foot instead of striking with her fist as she usually did, connecting squarely with Robin's midsection, causing him to fall to his knees, short of breath. Raven spun him around and put him into a headlock in an attempt to knock him out to avoid accepting any more damage from him.
"Think of it this way, Robin," Raven gritted her teeth, attempting to keep him in her grasp, "I'm actually saving you, because if you continue, you will end up going back to Gotham in a body bag."
Robin's eyes snapped to attention at her statement, regardless of his current predicament. He managed to wiggle loose somewhat, enough to raise both of his legs, and kick her squarely in the face, sending her flying backwards, skidding on the roof until she hit the edge, stopping violently.
"How do you know that! I never told anyone about any of that," Robin yelled out of anger, surprised that anybody besides Bruce, him, or Starfire knew about his true origins.
Raven ran her hand across her mask, feeling the crack that had began where Robin kicked her with both feet, nearly splitting the mask in two right down the middle.
"You mean about you being from Gotham?" She asked, amused, "Robin, I know more about you than you probably do yourself."
"We'll see about that," Robin yelled, charging her as she rose to her feet. He blindly continued towards her, determination about his face. No sooner than he possessed the thought to strike, the extremely swift end of a staff shot upwards, coming cleanly across his chin, sending him in the opposite direction just as quickly as he charged her. He groggily crawled to his hands and knees, feeling his jaw where he had been struck, knowing that it had been fractured, but not broken.
"You really need to pay more attention," scoffed Raven, approaching Robin in a calm manner, "if not, well, someone may get hurt."
No sooner than she finished her statement, Robin rose to his feet, weak-kneed, reaching for his staff as well.
"We can end this now if you like Robin, all you need to do is let me be and I will be on my merry way," Raven offered, already knowing how he would respond.
"You aren't going anywhere, as soon as I take care of you, I'm going to take Slade down the same, hard," Robin replied angrily, his head still ringing from the violent uppercut from her staff.
"If you haven't realized, Robin," she calmly informed, "but Slade is nothing compared to me, you probably already know that, but even if you were, oh, let's say, hypothetically speaking of course, defeat me, you wouldn't posses the strength or energy to defeat him as well."
"I've overcame greater challenges than you, you are only an annoyance to me," Robin fired back, tired of talking.
"No wonder Slade wanted you to be his apprentice," Raven mocked, "always able to speak your mind, and back up what you say, well, most of the time anyways."
"Enough!" Robin yelled, "I am sick and tired of your mouth, let's finish this!"
"That sounds delig-" Raven managed, only to be hit from her right side by a blast of blue sonic energy, causing her to slide several feet.
"Sorry it took so long for me to get here, Robin," Cyborg's voice called out to him, walking forward to Slade's downed apprentice, his cannon still deployed and ready to fire again.
Raven picked herself up again, a little slower this time around, but she appeared to still be full of fight. She retrieved her staff, staring Cyborg down.
"As Robin said girl, you ain't going anywhere," he informed, his Sonic Cannon still aimed at her.
"It's going to take more than that to defeat me," Raven mocked, readying herself for another charge, "besides, you weren't much of a challenge last time, so I am willing to see if that has changed any."
"Bring it," Cyborg challenged, watching Raven begin her attack, her staff poised to attack with devastating force against his half machine person.
She raised her staff as she grew dangerously closer and closer, ready to bring it down with deadly force, only to hear the faint sound of multiple discs zipping through the air from her left, exploding at her feet and in front of them. Instead of causing her to fall, the flash-froze her feet and the area in front of her, causing her to slide right up to Cyborg, unable to do anything. Raven's eyes focused larger and larger on Cyborg's large personage as she slid up to him, his hand now formed into a fist, and drawn back. He swung his large, metallic fist forward, causing sparks to ignite off of the contact between metal, sending Raven hurling through the air, and slamming to a stop on the ground a ways away. Raven slowly rose up, feeling where her mask had caved in, nearly touching her face.
"I can't do this, I can't take them on like this, they know how to take me down," she thought, still keeping her cool demeanor on the outside.
"Child," Slade's voice beckoned in her earpiece, "report, why are you not at the second target, what is going on?"
"I ran into Robin and Cyborg, I will only be a moment," she replied in a hushed voice so Robin or Cyborg couldn't hear her.
"Are you sure you do not need assistance?" he asked, actually concerned for her safety for once.
"I'm positive, I can handle it," Raven finished the conversation, noticing that Starfire was now hovering behind Robin and Cyborg, Beast Boy changing from a hawk into his human form, landing next to Cyborg.
"Well," Raven stated out loud, "this has been most amusing, but I must go, I am sure that we will meet again in the future, so until then, ta-ta," she finished with a mocking wave of her hand, dashing for the building edge, not before she dropped more of the metallic spheres from one of her pouches. They activated, releasing thick, dark smoke.
No sooner than she did, Robin threw similar once, except instead of creating a smoke screen for an escape, they actually released a chemical agent that canceled out the effect of Raven's, making her attempt to flee under cover futile, managing to catch a glimpse of her leaping over the edge of the building.
"Titans, GO!" Robin yelled, not in any hurry to let Slade's apprentice get away from him.
Beast Boy and Cyborg both flew over the edge in tandem as the usually did, allowing Starfire and Robin to do the same as well, watching Raven suddenly pull up as she neared the city streets below.
"B.B.!" Cyborg yelled out against the force of the wind from flying, "Get me in closer so I can get a shot!"
"The apprentice of Slade can fly?" Starfire questioned unbelievably, watching the black clad person pull up.
"I doubt it," Robin yelled back, "probably some new technology Slade has masterminded or something, just keep up, we can't lose her, if we are going to even have a chance at bringing her down, we need to stay on her tail."
Starfire nodded, attempting to muster a little more energy to fly that much faster in chase of Raven.
"Apprentice, report," Slade's voice was heard in Raven's ear yet again.
"I told you," she informed, agitated, concentrating on what was ahead of her, attempting to dodge buildings of varying heights, as well as signs that jutted from their sides as well, "I'm on my way to the next target, i'll be there in a matter of min-"
Raven fell from the sky after being struck in the back with yet another blast from Cyborg's Sonic Cannon, her body slamming into a low-lying rooftop below, leaving a crater. The Titans landed, ready to attack before Raven even began to rise. She gripped her head out of pain, groaning.
"This is your final chance," Robin informed, "give it up or else."
Raven only stood there, staring at Robin through her mask, and leaned her head to one side, popping her neck.
"You all know the drill," Robin whispered, "one right after another, keep her on the defensive, got it?"
They all nodded, keeping their eyes trained on her. She broke the silence, leaping into the air and throwing a seires of discs similar to the ones that Robin posessed, utilizing as much of the objects that Slade provided for her in order to keep from revealing her true powers. The discs exploded, giving her just enough time to attack during the confusion. She took hold of Robin's cape by the ends, gripping it with all her might, and swung him around by it, choking him. His body crashed into B.B.'s sending both of them to the ground. Starfire attacked with her Starbolts, only to have Raven leap once more, this time coming down and striking Star across the face with a clean, right-hand punch. Starfire fell to the ground, mainly due to distraction, but Raven fell as well, gripping her wrist, not realizing how resiliant the Tamerainian actually was. Cyborg managed to be taken down with the other two males as well, forming a somewhat of a dogpile on the roof. Starfire was the first to rise, not happy about the newly-acquired bruise on her left cheek at all.
"Dude," Beast Boy groaned, "I think she just proved how useless capes are."
"Not now," Robin growled, pushing himself up off of the pile, "besides," he added, brandishing his staff, "that works both ways."
"You will cease and desist what you are doing," Starfire ordered, her jade green eyes ignited with a monochromatic green that glowed in the nighttime enviroment.
Raven didn't say another word, reaching behind her to wield her staff once more, but felt her entire body be jerked in a downward motion. She looked behind her seeing the end of a steel gray staff stuck in her cape, the staff rammed into the roof. Robin used the staff as a vaulting position somewhat, swinging around on it, and delievering a devestating kick to her upper back, causing her cape to rip about halfways up as she was forced forward by the blow, falling to her stomach after a short distance traveled in the air.
"What goes around comes around," Robin smirked, finally feeling good to be on the winning side again.
She leaped to her feet, undoing the clasp on what remained of her cape, allowing it to flutter away in the wind. After doing so, she brandished her staff as well, only to see a green tiger form of Beast Boy charge at her out of the corner of her eye. He pounced upon her, forcing her to the ground, Raven using her staff in an attempt to keep the beast's massive jaws from clamping down on her. After several moments of struggling, the tiger released her, but not after bringing his large paw across her upper chest and right shoulder region, tearing away the black clothing under her armor, revealing pale gray skin. Raven backed up out of horror, covering the area, feeling the warm blood escape from the freshly made moderate wounds. B.B. returned to his normal state in an act of confusion, seeing how Slade's apprentice basically scurried away from them. Raven quickly smeared the fresh blood around on the exposed skin in an attempt to hide its true color, and to avoid what she feared worst of all: her deception and the discovery of the painful truth.
"Apprentice, our window of opportunity is quickly deteriorating," Slade's impatient voice sounded in her ear once more, but instead of responding, Raven reacht around behind her ear and underneath her mask, pulling the small communications device out, and throwing it to the ground, sick and tired of his constant interruption.
"She can't take much more of this," Robin commented, watching B.B. slowly back up after inflicting the first bleeding wound upon Slade's apprentice ever since running into her.
Starfire leaped into action no sooner than B.B. had finished, coming down and hitting Raven with all her might, sending her flying backwards right into a maintainence building on the roof, completely destroying it. When they all thought she was defeated, she rose yet again, proving that she was far from done. Starfire attacked again, but to her suprise, Slade's apprentice jumped upon her striking arm and forced her metal clad boot across Starfire's face with all her might, sending Starfire crashing into the ventilation system of the building they were on. Starfire slowly rose to her feet again, feeling the blood trickling down her face from Raven's last attack. Robin charged at Raven while she was readying to attack Starfire again, his eyes full of rage, wanting to protect the girl he loved so much. Robin lept into the air, easily several feet above Raven, and swung his staff as hard as he could, completely blindsiding Raven across the temple of her already beaten-up mask, sending her rocketing across the roof, stopping violently once more into another ventilation machine.
"Robin!" Cyborg yelled, running up to him, his cannon ready to attack again, "I know we need to stop her but that doesn't mean kill her!"
Robin's focus snapped back to reality once more, realizing what he had nearly done.
"I'm sorry, I-I-I don't know what came over me," Robin managed, but his focus quickly shifted back to the downed apprentice, who still mustered enough energy and conciousness to rise again, this time was the slowest of all, but her eyes were full of determination.
Raven groaned out in pain as she took several steps forward, feeling the bright city lights filtering in throught the cracks in her metallic mask, growing larger and larger with every blow dealt to it, nearing its capacity of staying together. Raven stopped walking forward, all of the Titans poised and ready to continue their offensive against their dangerous opponent. She knew it was going to happen this way for some reason, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted as the large cracks widened and widened, eventually allowing the mask to split in half, nearly breaking down the center where the black and bronze met. Raven eyed the black half of the mask as it fell from her face, falling to the very roof that she stood on, even listening to it clang and resounate off of it as it made contact. Her right hand shot upwards in more of an attempt to conceal her identity, even letting out a gasp of fear and surprise, but she knew it was too late. She knew it was too late and it was far from over, the worst was yet to come.
