Me: Yay! It's my Birthday! Go Delbert, go Delbert, go Delbert! (Oops, wrong show/movie. That's my fave line on Treasure Planet, which I do not own) I mean, go Rocky, go Rocky, go Rocky! It's your Birthday! Too bad Slade don't know that huh? But he won't ruin it, I'll tell you that. Please, give me some reviews for my Birthday. They'd mean a lot to me. You review, I give you a piece of cake that you'd like to have. So you get to decide the flavor. :3 Read and review and wish me a Happy Birthday.
Disclaimer: I still don't own Teen Titans, but I'll say I do since it's my Birthday. So I DO own Teen Titans.
The days were more brutal then before. I was getting stronger and stronger, little by little. I was almost able to dodge every attack Slade sent my way.
He had his Bo staff out and was trying to hit me in the head with it. I jumped back and did a back flip. When I landed, the Staff was centimeters away from my face. I hit the end of the staff with my arm. My legs gave way because of Slade's sweeping kick, knocking me down on my rear. He held the Staff in front of my chest. I couldn't stand without getting stabbed in the throat. But I had an ace up my sleeve;
A cool move that M&M taught me.
I pulled the left side of my body over and kicked the Staff out of Slade's hands. I kept my hands on the black stone floor as I flipped over. I jumped up and aimed a Roundhouse kick at Slade. I caught him in the chest. He flew back and hit the wall. I pulled a few explosives out of my utility belt and threw them at him. They landed and exploded in front of his feet. I walked cautiously towards the smoke that had erupted. But a laser from behind caught me in the shoulder.
"Arrgh!" I fell forward and landed in front of Slade. I rolled over and hundreds of Slade's Slade-bots were gathered in front of us. "Is there a reason why you summoned all of your robots at once?"
"I didn't," Slade said, standing and helping me to my feet.
"Well that can't be good."
"That's because it isn't," Slade said. He sounded angry, but he didn't show it. He pulled a remote out of his utility belt and pushed the button. His robots didn't leave. "They're not in my control anymore."
"Then you know me all too well Sladey," a guy's creepy voice sounded in an echo around the entire room.
"Xavier."
"A friend of yours?" I asked.
"Let's just say I have a few bounties on my head Apprentice," Slade said. "Being a Mercenary has its ups and its downs. This is one of them."
I looked at him and gave him an expressionless look.
"You must really love your life."
Several Slade-bots fired their lasers at Slade and me. Slade and I both dodged them in the same way and the same direction. The robots walked towards us, trying to trap us in a circle. They all had lasers, but only half of the robots were firing at us. As I landed on my feet from doing a back flip, the ground shook and I saw a boulder three times as big as Slade come out from behind us. I turned around and jumped up onto the top and jumped down to the other side. I backed into the rock and looked over my shoulder. Slade ran around the boulder on my right and sat down next to me.
"I don't know how Xavier got past my security systems," Slade said. "I've lost complete control over my robots."
"Thank you Captain Obvious!" I shouted as lasers crashed into the boulder, small chips of it coming off. I looked around the boulder as a laser came towards my head. I backed my head away so that I wouldn't get hit. "This is just great! You've led me into a war zone! I am not about to be killed by your stupid machines! This is your fault!"
More lasers made contact with the boulder, shaking it.
"Would you like to specify why this is my fault?" Slade asked, almost angrily.
"First of all, I wouldn't be in this damn mess if you hadn't kidnapped me in the first place! Second, if you hadn't given Steven that damn power take away thingy, I would be able to have my powers and kill all of these stupid things at once! Third, you're the one who thinks you can do anything and everything he pleases! Well News Flash bucko! You're an idiot! You had to make robots that anyone could hack into a turn against you! That's why its your fault you stupid ass Baka!"
More lasers hit the boulder, making it smaller.
"Give it up Sladey!" Xavier shouted. "You can't win when I have your whole base completely in my control!"
More lasers hit the hunk of rock, dust and debris flying everywhere. I was hit in the head by a small chunk of it as it fell.
"That's it!" I shouted. "These guys are really pissing me off!"
I stood up and ran towards the line of fire.
"Apprentice!" Slade shouted. "Get back here!"
I rolled across the floor and dodged a laser beam. Slade was taking down all the robots that got in his way as he ran after me. A small group of robots surrounded me. I did a handstand and twirled around, my legs hitting each robot. I jumped to my feet and kicked at two more. One grabbed my bleeding shoulder, but I grabbed it and flipped it over my head. I threw it into another one, knocking three more behind them down to the floor.
Slade ran along side me, Staff in hand. He ran in front of me and swung his Staff around at the approaching robots. Using my chakra in my feet, I jumped up into the air, landed on Slade's shoulder, and jumped off at the robots. I turned around in midair and kicked three with a Roundhouse. They were knocked to the side, giving Slade and me space to get to the training room door. I kicked it open and ran down the hallway.
"Where's your control room?" I asked in a shout as robots chased after us, their lasers firing.
"The north wing!"
I turned a corner and ran down the hallway, skidding as I went on the slick floor. I caught my balance and ran. We came to a steel door at the end of the hallway.
"Is there a code for the door?" I asked in a shout.
"And I'd tell you why?"
"Because I'm closer to the door!" I shouted. "What's the fuckin' code?"
"Nine, two, one, four, five." (1)
I punched in the code.
ACCESS DENIED!
"He must have overridden the code!" I heard the robots getting closer to our destination. "Come on!"
I ran past Slade and ran towards the robots, Slade right behind me. I knocked down the robots in my way and jumped over a few. I went left, right, forward, and two more rights. In front of us was another steel door. I kicked it open and ran towards the trees. I ran into the deeper part of the trees. I didn't stop until I could no longer hear the robots. I slowed down to a walk, breathing hard from all the running. I stopped and collapsed to the forest floor on my knees. Slade walked up behind me and stayed standing.
"I suppose I should give you some credit Apprentice," Slade said. "You did well against my robots."
I had my hands on my knees as I tried regaining my breath back.
"It… was no… big deal," I said between pants. "We'll… be safe here… until either Xavier gives up… or until… we find our… way… out of… here."
I sniffed the air in through my nose and stood up. I grabbed my shoulder with my other hand and walked to the west, Slade following right behind me. Blood stained my uniform and the ground as I walked. I found a clearing with a few logs on the ground. I went to one off to the side, sat down, and set my back against it. Slade did the same with the log to my right. We didn't speak or move for several minutes.
Ten minutes later, I turned to my left side, my back facing Slade. I rested my head on the log, my hands under my right temple. I breathed in the air deeply and let it out. I thought about my friends and how they were doing without their powers. I even thought of my family and wondered if they were flipping out over me turning up missing again.
"What are you thinking of Apprentice?"
"I thought you were always five steps ahead of your opponent?" I asked sounding annoyed. "You figure it out." I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but couldn't. "Why does bad shit always happen to me?"
"Depends on what it is," Slade said. "What bad things have happened to you?"
"Why would you care?"
"My thirst for new knowledge grows every time I hear about something I don't know," Slade said. "So tell me."
I opened my eyes and looked up without moving my head. I looked back down at the ground.
"My life was normal before you kidnapped me and told me of my powers. I had a family who didn't worry about me so much. When I returned home, my life changed drastically," I explained. "My once calm mother didn't bawl her eyes out if I was late getting home from school. She didn't jump to conclusions about calling the police if I called her when I should have been home instead of at the park or a friend's house. My father used to not get mad or upset if I didn't tell him where I was going or when I was leaving. My once understandable sister wished I didn't exist. She never even talks to me anymore unless we're fighting over who gets the front seat of the car or which one of us gets to use the bathroom first in the morning before school.
"They worry too much. They practically watch me like a hawk would its prey. My life was ruined the day you took me from my family. Now I feel empty without my powers inside of me. I feel useless. Everything changed. Things I didn't want changed changed. My world has turned upside down when it should be right side up."
Slade didn't say anything. I looked behind me and noticed he had his eye closed. My eyes lowered in exhaustion as I lay back down. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
"Apprentice. Wake up."
My eyes slowly fluttered open. I rose up and rubbed my tired eyes. My shoulder was in pain. I grabbed it with my other hand and felt bandages on it.
"What?"
"We have to get out of here," Slade said.
He helped me to my weak and tired feet. He pulled me along with him.
"I can walk you know," I said. I wrenched my arm out of his grip and followed him. "Is Xavier around?"
"I returned to my base to get my first-aid kit for your shoulder," Slade explained. "I snuck in, went to my Hospital Wing and came out. My robots discovered me and went to tell Xavier. I came back here, wrapped your shoulder, and woke you up. If we keep moving, we'll loose him."
I stopped and started laughing.
"Your running away," I said, still laughing. "You're afraid of Xavier. Now that's funny."
Slade stopped dead in his tracks and faced me.
"I'm not afraid of anything Apprentice. I could kill Xavier easily, but I do not need my Apprentice getting hurt. Xavier would kill you," Slade said seriously. "He is stronger than you."
I stopped laughing and said more seriously, "I'd like to see Xavier try and kill me. I'm part Ninja; I know all the best attacks in Ninja history; I know how to take that bounty hunter down; I know how to protect myself; and I will not, and never will, be your Apprentice. Face it; you're afraid of loosing your life. Part of me thinks you're afraid of me. Let Xavier come and I'll show you I'm not weak."
Slade just stared at me, his expression unreadable. He turned back around and continued walking. I followed him farther into the forest. We heard a river up ahead. I was holding my shoulder again; it hurt like Hell. Slade kept glancing back at me. We made it to the river and Slade stopped. He grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to the water. He unwrapped the bandages from my shoulder.
"Get in the water."
I looked at him as though he were crazy. But I did what he said anyways after removing everything except my boxers. I stepped into the cold water and went under. The cold water made my shoulder hurt even worse. I came back up and shook my head of additional water. My hair lay over my eyes, water dripping from the ends. I went back to the bank and sat down on the ground.
Slade injected something near my hurt shoulder and it numbed the pain. He wrapped it back up with clean bandages and put his supplies away. I rubbed my eye and yawned. My eyes were slightly burning, so I rubbed them harder.
Something doesn't feel right.
I looked behind me and saw a shadow that disappeared as I looked. I saw my utility belt next to me. I slowly took an S shaped boomerang out and held it deftly between my pointer and middle finger.
"Yo Xavier! I know you're there!"
Xavier stepped out from behind the tree he had been behind.
"You've got quite the eye there kid," Xavier said. "But your hearings not too great."
"Save the speech," I said, standing. "Killing Slade is my job."
"You'd kill your Master?" Xavier asked astounded. "I thought Apprentice's were supposed to be loyal to their Masters. I guess not."
"I won't be his Apprentice for long," I said. I smirked. "You're just in my way."
I threw the boomerang at Xavier with fast speed. He quickly pulled a sword out and sliced the boomerang in half. It fell to the ground behind him.
"You'll have to be faster than that child."
I vanished in the wind (2) and reappeared behind Xavier.
"I think I'm pretty fast, don't you?" I punched him in the spine. He stumbled forward a few steps. "KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU! THE ART OF SUMMONING!"
My sword appeared in my hands. I also summoned Slade's Bo Staff and fused the sword and Staff together. The blade grew longer and shinier. I slashed out at Xavier, but he dodged it and turned around in midair. He lashed out at me with his sword and ours clanked together. He pushed me back and lunged at my stomach. I brought my sword down and parried it away. I stuck my sword in the ground part way and did a handstand on it. Xavier swung his sword at mine. I front flipped, bringing my blade out of the ground, and swung my blade down at Xavier's head. He backed up and held his sword out in front of him, stopping my attack.
I back flipped and landed a few feet away from Xavier. He ran towards me and swung his sword at me. I blocked it with mine. This went on for several minutes. I finally planted a good swing at Xavier's sword breaking his in half. But mine also broke in half. The tips of our blades landed a few feet away from us. Xavier threw what was left of his sword at me. I did the same. They passed each other, Xavier's coming straight at me, mine going straight at him. We both didn't move as they came closer and closer. I grabbed Xavier's easily. Mine went passed and got stuck in the tree behind him.
"I admit kid, your good," Xavier said.
"Are you trying to make me go to your side?" I asked. "The only side I want to be on is mine. A normal kid without problems like this. That's the side I want to be on."
My broken sword came out of the tree and came at Xavier. He dodged it.
Heh! Thank you!
I dropped Xavier's broken sword and slid on the ground underneath him. He came back down. I kicked my leg upwards and caught him in the chin. He flew back up into the air. I landed underneath of him and held my pointer finger into his back.
"What the Hell is going on?" Xavier asked angrily.
"I'll take you out in five seconds flat," I said evilly in his ear. "You might not make it once I take you down. Then I'll let Slade kill you."
"Why don't you just kill me?"
"Because I'll never be like him," I said angrily. "Not now… NOT EVER!" I vanished from underneath of Xavier and we both started falling to the ground. I was on his right. I pulled my leg over my body. "BARRAGE OF DRAGONS!"
I caught him in the stomach. I landed on my hand, my foot still on top of Xavier's stomach. He crashed into the ground, his arms and legs flying up into the air and falling back down. My hand slipped out from underneath of me and I fell on my ass, my foot still on Xavier. I slid backwards and my foot landed on the ground. Xavier wasn't moving. Slade came up beside me and looked down at Xavier.
"Good work Apprentice," Slade said.
I smirked and pulled something out from behind my back; Slade didn't notice the knife in my hand.
"Then I'll make good work of getting away from you."
I sliced the only place on Slade's feet without armor; his ankle. I did this quickly with both. Slade fell and I jumped up. Slade tried getting up, but I planted a kick in his back. I started running back towards the base.
"Get back here Apprentice!"
I made it to the base, went to the bedroom I had been spending the night in, pulled on my normal clothes, went to Slade's weapon room, grabbed bombs, explosives, a Bo Staff, and an extra utility belt, and hightailed it out of there.
Instead of going back into the forest, I went around the lair and searched for a road. When I found one, after getting out of a forest, I ran to the west. I didn't stop until I knew I was far enough away from the lair. I slowed to a walk and thought about my options to use when I found a phone to call Courtney.
First I'll need to ask her if she has her powers or if Steven took them. Then I'll need to tell her my location and have her come get me. Shouldn't be too hard.
I looked behind me to see if any vehicle was coming. I saw none. I was totally alone.
"Okay. I'm a little worried about the silence," I said out loud. "I so need to find the next gas station or something."
I continued on my way.
"Yo, could I use your phone dude?" I asked the guy at the bar.
"Aren't you a little young to be in a bar kid?" the guy asked.
"Yeah, but I don't want anything, but to use a phone," I said irritably. "If I get caught by the Psychopath that's after me, you'll have a dead kid's body on your conscience."
That got the barman's attention.
"Do you need quarters?" I nodded. He gave me some. "The pay phone is right over there."
I looked to where he was pointing.
"Thanks dude. And if I ever become a famous skateboarder and become rich, I'll send you a seventh of the money. Deal?"
"You got yourself a deal kid."
We shook on it and I ran to the pay phone. I put in two quarters and dialed Courtney's number.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"God! Courtney! Pick up!"
Ring! Click!
"Hello?"
"Yeah, hi, is Courtney there?" I asked.
It was her brother.
"Yes."
"Then let me talk to her," I said irritably.
"Sis! Your boyfriend is on the phone!"
"I don't have a boyfriend you stupid Baka!"
"Who is this?"
"Her friend Rocky."
"Its your friend Rocky."
"Give me that!" The sound of a crash could be heard on the other end. I checked my wrist, even though I didn't have a watch on. "Rocky! Are you alright?"
I had to put the phone away from my ear. I put it back to my ear.
"I'm fine as of now," I said. "But listen, if you don't get here now, I'll probably get captured by Slade again."
"Where is here?"
I looked around to make sure no one was near the phone. I placed it down and asked the barman where my current location was.
"Not far from Grants Pass kid," he said. "You're in a bar in Gold Hill. Dan's Bar is the name."
"Thanks."
I turned around and was about to go back to the phone when an S shaped boomerang crashed into the base of it. I looked towards the door.
Oh… shit.
Slade walked inside and came towards me.
"That was very clever Apprentice," Slade said. Slade wasn't even limping. "Tracking devices are great to have, don't you agree?"
I backed up until I hit the counter to the bar. I was cornered by Slade and couldn't think of where to go. Slade and I were almost nose-to-nose. I gulped.
"Um, maybe," I said sounding scared.
Slade grabbed a strong hold on my neck, blocking my airways. He lifted me into the air. I grabbed his hand with both of mine, but I couldn't get him off of me.
"You really disappoint me Rocky," Slade said. "You've displeased your Master."
It was a bit muffled but Slade sure heard me when I said, "Its what I do best right?"
With his free hand, he punched me in the stomach. I cringed and shut my left eye. I slowly opened it. I heard a click of a gun behind me. I tried turning my head to see who had the gun, but couldn't go very far.
"Put that kid down sir," the barman said. "Right now or I'll blow your head off."
"Smart dude. Piss him off even more," I said angrily as best I could. Slade placed me on my feet and slackened his grip. He pulled out a gun of his own. My eyes widened at it. "Seriously, I did not know he owned one of those."
"Be quiet Apprentice," Slade said. "Now… if you want to live, I suggest you put the gun down. Or…" He put the gun to my head. "…I'll shoot my Apprentice."
"WHAT?"
His grip tightened. I couldn't breathe now. Slade cocked the gun. I struggled to get the gun away from my temple.
"You have three seconds."
Slade's grip lessened again once my struggles stopped.
"Do what he says you fuckin' moron!" I shouted. "I don't want to die!"
The barman lowered his gun.
Bang!
"WHAT THE FUCK MAN?" I shouted. "You killed him! What the Hell's the matter with you?"
Slade returned his gun to his utility belt. He released me and kicked me in the stomach. I fell on my back.
"You must really like making me angry," Slade said. I tried sitting up, but Slade placed a foot on my chest. I grabbed his ankle and didn't feel what an ankle would normally have felt like when it was sliced open and the tendon was broken. "You've gotten yourself into this mess Apprentice and only I can get you out of it."
He stepped down hard onto my chest. I choked out in pain. Tears of pain welled up into my eyes.
Will someone please get me out of here.
I heard a motorcycle outside and it was coming towards the bar. A pair of bright headlights came inside. Slade backed up, taking his foot off my chest. I rolled over and jumped to my feet. A motorcycle came flying into the bar window and landed, coming towards me.
"Rocky! Jump on!"
It was Robin!
I grabbed his hand and pulled myself onto the seat. He quickly turned back around, burning rubber across the floor. He drove back out and headed down the road.
"Boy am I glad to see you!" I shouted. I pushed him forward, his motorcycle inching closer. "What took you so long?"
"Its not like I could have Raven teleport to you."
"What? Why?"
"Your friend Steven… yeah, he stole all our powers."
"What the fuck man?" I asked angrily. "Now what are we going to do?"
"First we're getting you home," Robin said. "Your parents contacted us and said that you never came home with Steven. We arrived in Grants Pass and met Steven. We asked him where you were and he told us that you were with Slade. He told us that he knew where, so he took us to the burned down Dutch Bros. Coffee factory here and stole our powers then."
"Dammit," I said quietly. "We can't fight Steven, not with him having all our powers."
"We'll figure that out later."
Robin drove on.
We came to my house. I jumped off the cycle and ran to the door, Robin following right behind me. I walked in and it was a bit too quiet.
"Mom? Dad? Venus? Guys?"
I heard shuffling feet coming down the stairs. My mom came in to view and embraced me in a hug.
"My poor baby. Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said. She released me. "Were you worried?"
"Of course I was worried," she said. "But at least you were only gone for a week. I'm so glad you're alright."
"I am too mom."
"Oh, and a package was left outside the front door for you. I put it in your room."
"Okay. Thanks," I said, walking towards the stairs. "Could you call my friends and tell them to come here."
"Even Steven?"
"No!" I shouted. She gave me a strange look. "I mean, he already knows. Yeah, he does."
I turned back around and headed up the stairs. When we reached the top, Beast Boy was talking to Venus.
"Why did the aardvark cross the road?"
"Shut up Beast Boy," Raven said.
"Get this freak away from me," Venus said, walking by me. "I don't want to get the freak virus."
She walked down the stairs.
"Nice to see you too!" I shouted after her.
Beast Boy looked hurt.
"Dude, what's her problem?"
"Forget about it," I said. "There are more important things to do and worry about."
We walked into my room. I saw a small box with my name and address on it. I picked it up and looked for a return address.
"Who's it from man?" Cyborg asked.
"It doesn't say," I said.
Robin pointed to my address and the street name was circled.
"That should give you a clue."
I looked at it closely,
2645 S.W. Cottontail Street (Not my real address. Close though)
I noticed that the direction of the street was darkened in red.
S.W.
"Coincidental?" Beast Boy asked. "I think not."
"Great, I live on a street with Slade's initials. Just perfect."
I tore open the box. A note fell out and landed on the floor. I bent down and picked it up.
It read,
I had Steven teleport this to you, so listen carefully.
In one week, a villain's tournament will be taking place. It's of a sport that you know all too well Apprentice. If you can beat Steven in the skateboard competition, I'll give you your powers back. But if you loose, you'll become my Apprentice without complaints or trying to run away.
It's your choice Rocky, so I suggest you take it and enter. Next Friday is when you sign up and the competition is all day Saturday, starting at 8:00. If you don't enter, then you and your friends will never get their powers back.
Until then,
S.W.
I reread it three times.
"So dude… are you going to enter?" We all looked at Beast Boy. "What?"
I shook my head.
"Of course I'm gonna enter you dolt," I said. "Don't you want your powers back?"
"Well yeah, but-"
"Then I'm entering."
I crumpled up the paper and threw it in my trashcan.
I'll show you Slade that I can beat your stupid friend Steven. Just you wait. I'll beat him so bad, he won't know what hit him.
Notes: (1) The code is pretty simple. You take Slade's name: S L A D E. then you put the numbers that the letters represent. S-19 L-12 A-1 D-4 E-5. Then for the first two letters: S and L, you use the second digit number. So you get, S-9 L-2 A-1 D-4 E-5: 9, 2, 1, 4, and 5.
(2) This is a Ninja technique where the person vanishes and reappears, like teleporting a short distance and it kind of looks like you're in a ball of wind. (Do not mistake it with my wind powers)
End NotesMe: Wow. This is the longest chapter ever in the history of chapters on my fics. Please give me Birthday wishes and you'll get cake of your choice. Leave a lovely review.
Love,
Rocky-White Wolf of Curses (Who is now officially 16. Woohoo!)
