Slade walked slowly in the cavernous room, which echoed with the relentless grind of gears turning, powering his robot factory, which steadily produced the parts and subassemblies required to produce his signature robots. He stopped at the end of a production line, which operated by more Slade-bots, and examined the mechanical hands that the line produced. Satisfied with the product, he gave it back to the robot, which in turn packed it into a box which would be stored in a warehouse.
Slade's factory was an efficient and well oiled machine. His next stop was the line that made the computer chips that powered the cybernetic henchmen's brains, circuits that were of his own custom design. As the assembly droid handed him a circuit board to inspect, the sound of one of the massive steel doors sliding open, groaning like a tired giant, interrupted his train of thought.
He had a visitor.
"Slade, what's the meaning of this!?"
"Do you have a complaint, Dr. Pontone?" He asked in a bored tone.
"I certainly do … you promised Logan to me."
"I did. What is your complaint?"
"What is my complaint? He's with his wife! He's never here!"
"Yes, Dr. Pontone, that is by design."
"You promised me …"
"And that promise will be kept, once my need for his services has been fulfilled. Once that milestone is reached he will be all yours."
"You expect me to wait a whole year?"
Slade turned to face the blond bombshell. "What is your infatuation with the green imp, Doctor? It is more than obvious that you could do so much better than him."
"It's none of your business, Slade."
"Everything is my business … but if you are dissatisfied you may leave at any time you wish. Your Swiss account has been fully credited in the amount we agreed. Don't believe me? … Check it yourself."
"I already did, but what good will it do me? Luthor is looking for me; he wants my head on a pike. I can't leave until you complete the rest of the bargain."
"Which I fully intend to do … but you need to be patient, my dear Alexa. You see, I need Logan's undivided attention for now, which is why we are engaged in our little deception. It is virtually certain that Logan has told his useless friends that you are my prisoner, along with the green brat. Right now, Lex Luthor is more preoccupied with me than with you. Nevertheless, while you are free to leave at anytime, I wouldn't recommend it. For one thing, the boy doesn't leave with you."
Alexa snorted derisively. "You think I actually care about him?"
Slade chuckled. "Of course you don't, the boy was bait, nothing more. I must commend you for your detachment. It's how I raised my own daughter. The first lesson that I drilled into her skull was that she shouldn't count on anyone … not even me. It's wisdom that has served her well."
"I'm not happy about this, Slade. You changed the deal on me. I kidnapped him like you asked. You never said anything about waiting a year in this dank hideout."
"You are wealthy beyond your wildest dreams. You are now a billionaire; it's what you always dreamed of, correct?"
"What good is it if I can't use it?"
"Are you saying that you are unhappy with our arrangement?"
"I'm unhappy that you're screwing me, Popeye!"
Slade crossed his arms. "That is unfortunate … for you."
Alexa felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself face to face with Ravager, who had a huge grin on her face.
"What the hell do you want?" Alexa sneered at the teen. With a lightning fast jab she punched Alexa in the face, knocking her out cold. Slade approached and examined his daughter's handiwork. Alexa's nose was bloodied and looked odd.
"You broke her nose, and Raven isn't here to heal it. Oh well, it's nothing that a plastic surgeon can't repair later."
"It was her weakest feature, so no harm done." Rose remarked with a smirk.
"Take her and throw her into a cell … a real cell. I'm afraid that the doctor has become a liability for us."
"Why not just kill her now?"
"I promised her the money and the changeling and I always keep my word. Once we are done, Luthor's business empire will be in ruins and he won't be in any position to harm her, plus he'll be very busy with me in the meantime."
Rose threw Alexa over her shoulder and walked away. As she left the room she wondered what the beauty queen saw in the changeling. She could understand the witch being his mate, they were two of a kind: weird, creepy and … in her opinion … butt ugly. But for the life of her, she couldn't fathom Pontone's infatuation with Puke Face.
It made no sense.
-( - )-
The sound of a baby's cries pierced the silence in the room.
"I'll get her …"
"No, you sleep; it's not time for you to get up, not yet."
Raven sat up and stretched before walking over to the rocking chair, where she left her nightgown the night before. She slipped it on, pulling it over her head and covered herself with a silk robe her husband gave her on her birthday.
"I'm already awake, I'm getting up anyway."
"Then go eat some breakfast. Something with lots of carbs, you're going to need the energy … I'll be out there in a bit … don't you dare leave without saying goodbye."
He stood up and slipped his boxers on.
"And put on a robe, we have young girls in the Tower."
"They've all seen their boyfriends naked. They won't even notice me in my underwear."
"I don't care, just do it."
The changeling groaned but obeyed his wife. He pecked her on the cheek before heading out the door. The trip to the common room brought back plenty of memories. For a moment he felt that he was once again a fifteen year old. Little did he know back then that he would marry Raven and they would have a daughter. Even more unexpected was that he would father a son out of wedlock with a classmate and that both would be held hostage by Slade and his psychotic daughter. Was it genetic, he wondered, that Rose turned out to be a sociopath like her old man, or did he raise her to be that way?
He trudged into the common room at 5:17 AM. To his surprise it was a bright, unlike outside where nighttime still ruled. Also unexpected: Cyborg and Nightwing were waiting for him.
"You're up early." Nightwing remarked.
"Told ya he'd get up early."
Beast Boy groaned. "The baby woke us up; Rave will be coming down when she's done with her."
"How about some pancakes?" The Tin Man offered.
"Sure, that sounds good. Vegan, right?
"Yeah, I'll make them with almond milk."
Gar sat down at the table. "Thanks."
Nightwing joined him at the table. "We need to talk about Slade."
"What's there to talk about? Slade's a psychotic criminal mastermind. We've been fighting him as long as I can remember."
Grayson shook his head. "Well yeah, but this is different."
"How so?"
"Remember when I was his apprentice?"
"How could I forget? We thought you betrayed us."
"Yeah … well … the thing is, Slade had this weird obsession … he once said that eventually I would see him as a father."
"You never told us that."
"I know … it was weird. Slade broke me down. He had me over a barrel, threatening all of you with the nanoprobes … but there was more to it than that."
Grayson sat pensively, carefully considering is next words.
"He methodically stripped away everything that identified who I was. He made me wear his uniform. At first I was forbidden from having any contact with you guys, you were no longer my family, you weren't even my friends anymore and every time I obeyed him he upped the ante. He made me attack you, he wanted me to hurt you and … I obeyed him. You see, Beast Boy, he chips away at you, until who you are is gone … and then he'll start to rebuild you in his image. And I'm ashamed to say that he was beginning to succeed. After I stole the thermal blaster he said that I enjoyed stealing it. And he was right. I didn't know it at the time, but I was beginning to lose myself."
Nightwing sighed. "Had you guys not found me … I might have been lost forever."
The changeling nodded. "Thanks for the heads up. But it won't happen with me … I have to many scores to settle with Slade … he stole Terra from me, he sold Raven back to her dad, he's kidnapped my son and now he's trying to steal me from my family … you don't forget about those kinds of things."
The three friends ate their breakfast in silence, and just as they were finishing Raven entered the room. She tried to lock eyes with Grayson and he looked away.
"Please tell me you have a plan."
Cyborg slowly shook his head. Raven frowned her displeasure and did something she hadn't done in over ten years … she made a telepathic contact with Nightwing.
"You have to have a plan … we can't just send him out there with Slade."
"I'm sorry; Raven … right now I've got nothing. Slade has us over a barrel."
"I'm not going to let him go. Azar knows what Slade will do to him."
"If he doesn't go, who knows how Slade will react? While I think it's unlikely, there is a possibility that he will hurt Mark."
"Don't remind me … Dick … I'm scared … Batman is right, Gar isn't in his prime. You saw how Ravager beat him up."
"Raven … Slade won't damage him, at least not permanently. He needs Beast Boy for whatever nefarious plan he has. Slade doesn't hurt people just for the hell of it … he's too anal for that. Plus he has his own demented code of honor."
She relaxed a bit and noticed out of the corner of her eye that her husband was aware of the silent telepathic exchange that just happened. Gar pushed his plate away and stood up.
"I'd better get going."
Grayson nodded reluctantly. "We'll let you two have a moment before you go."
Gar turned and hugged his friend. As they patted each other on the back, he whispered to him. "If anything happens to me, you'll watch out for Raven and Coraline, right? I know she doesn't need anyone to take care of her, but I'll feel better knowing you'll be there for her."
"You know I'm always be there for the three of you … but nothing is going to happen to you, at least not today. All Slade is going to do is establish that he's the Alpha."
"Meaning he's gonna kick my ass."
"Yes … he will … but you are coming home tonight, maybe bruised again, but you will come home."
The Logans boarded the elevator and departed for the roof. The sun was just rising and the city was slowly coming to life, as the first commuters, who were blissfully unaware of what was happening in the Tower, scurried off to their jobs. The Chromatically Challenged Couple™ walked together, hand in hand, to the ledge. She cupped his face in her small gray palm.
"I don't like this; Slade has to be up to something. There has to be a reason why he won't let us watch."
"I don't like it either, but I don't have any other choice."
"If he hurts you … I'll send him to the same hell where I sent my father."
The two shared a passionate kiss.
"I'll be back … you and I are going out for dinner tonight, I don't care how beat up I am, so arrange for a babysitter, OK?"
"OK."
He turned away and spreading his arms he morphed into an eagle, jumping off the Tower before the transformation was complete. Raven watched as he completed his transformation and began to soar, flapping his large green wings to gain some altitude as there were no thermals for him to surf in the early morning. She watched as he slowly disappeared in the distance, feeling overwhelmed with a sense of both dread and melancholy. So deep was her depression that she didn't hear Cyborg approach her until he was standing next to her. He handed her a pair of very high tech binoculars.
"They're the latest and greatest. Self stabilizing and very powerful … you should be able to see everything from the next mesa. Slade said no satellites and no up and close audience … he didn't say anything about watching from a distance. And I already asked Jinx to watch the baby."
Raven levitated up to his eye level and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"You'd better hurry up, little lady, Slade won't wait for you to get comfy."
"Thanks Cyborg, thank you."
Raven took off, speeding like missile to the Bad Lands.
-( - )-
Two years earlier…
A late model BMW zoomed down a ramp into an underground garage, its tires squealing with every corner it turned, until its driver pulled into a reserved parking spot, screeching to a halt. An angry looking woman stormed out of the vehicle, slamming the door shut with great vigor.
She briskly walked to the elevator bank and pressed a button summoning a lift. She tapped her foot impatiently while she waited for it and was joined by another resident. He was an unremarkable young man, dressed in a decent, though off the rack suit. He had a black leather bound attaché case in his hand. He smiled nervously at her.
People thought it was a blessing to have above average good looks, but all that meant was that you'd be admired from afar. The only ones who would approach her would either be sleazy alpha wannabes or shy geeks like the idiot before her. His name was Lester and he was an accountant at one of the big firms downtown. Not even a junior partner, mind you, just an employee. He had an uncanny knack for bumping into her, so much so that she suspected he was stalking her.
As for the kind of men she really was interested in, namely the rich and powerful, well, it turned out that good looking women were a lot more commonplace than one would think. There was no shortage of arm candy available to those in positions of privilege and she soon learned that the powerful and rich were more interested in a trophy wife than an equal. Her mind briefly drifted to the memory of a powerful man who truly was her friend, the only problem with him was that he wasn't powerful in the business community, his clot was elsewhere, so for all practical purposes he was just as much a loser as good old Lester. Her friend was the sole heir to a substantial fortune however, one which he probably wouldn't inherit for decades, and she wasn't the patient type.
She chuckled to herself. People often said that youth was wasted on the young. That was wrong, she reasoned, what was really wasted was wealth on the not so young.
"Alexa? … Uh … hi?" Lester stammered.
Pontone briefly considered taking the nerd back to her apartment for a quick roll in the hay as a way of getting her mind off of what was bothering her, but she desisted, as he clearly didn't meet her minimum standards for a one night stand, not by a long shot.
"What?" She replied in a clipped and terse tone.
"Did you have a bad day?" He asked in a helpful tone.
"Nothing you could help with." She replied in monotone as they boarded the lift. She punched the "P" button for her penthouse, and without asking him, pressed '5', which was his floor. The stood in silence as the elevator rose. Finally, he broke the silence.
"I'm a good listener, at least that's what my mom says."
The elevator stopped and the doors chimed as they opened.
"I'm sure you are … this is your stop. Good night, Lester."
The nerdy accountant was unable to conceal his disappointment. "Good night, Alexa."
As soon as the elevator doors closed she rolled her eyes. As if … what a loser."
Her thoughts quickly returned to what was troubling her and her frown reappeared. The doors opened a second time at the penthouse level and she charged into her apartment, flipping on the lights and marching straight to her liquor cabinet. She quickly made herself an oversized Martini and stomped into the living room, where she sat down and turned on the TV, selecting the Gotham News Network, just in time to catch the start of the newscast. A perky brunette with a Colgate smile greeted the audience.
"In tonight's top story the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine has announced that a vaccine for the C1H4 virus that has already taken the lives of half of the population of man's best friend …"
Alexa muted the audio, while stock image of the CSU campus were shown on the screen. She stared at the familiar school grounds and buildings, after which she raised her cocktail glass in the air in a mock toast.
"Here's to you, CSU, my alma mater … thanks to you, my best shot at getting rich …"
She consumed the contents of the glass in a single gulp.
"Is lost." A baritone commented from the shadows at the far end of the room.
Alexa leapt to her feet and dashed to a nearby desk with remarkable speed and aplomb. She opened a drawer and pulled out a pistol, which she aimed at the shadowy figure.
"Get out of here … I know how to use this!"
The stranger chuckled. "How cute, you have a pistol … I believe you, you certainly know how to use it, since you're a regular at the shooting range."
Alexa frowned. "Are you one of the guys from the shooting club? Because if you are this isn't funny."
"No, I am not from the club." The mysterious man, who remained in the shadows, replied.
"Then who are you?"
"I can show you."
"Don't come a step closer or I'll blow your head off."
The figure stepped closer and she instinctively stepped back, until she bumped into the desk.
"Whoever you are, don't say you weren't warned." She hissed in a menacing tone as she pulled the trigger. A loud click was heard but nothing happened.
"That Glock in your hands can be a very deadly weapon, Miss Pontone. Fortunately for me I found it earlier and emptied both the chamber and the clip."
The stranger stepped out of the shadows and Alexa gasped.
"I know who you are! You're Slade! Garfield told us about you."
"Logan was dropping names? I'm flattered."
Alexa scrambled for her desk and opened another drawer, furiously ransacking it.
"Are you looking for this?" Slade gestured as he showed her the box of ammo he removed earlier.
"What do you want?" She asked in a defiant tone that barely betrayed the terror she was experiencing.
"Relax, Dr. Pontone, I didn't come here to harm you. Had that been my intent, you wouldn't have made it to your bar."
He produced a sheaf of papers, which he handed to her. She looked at them and when she recognized what they were she gave him a venomous glare. "These are my stock options … they were locked in my safe!"
"It wasn't a challenge to open it; you should spend more on a better safe. Regarding your stock options, they are not for common shares in Luthor's corporation. They're for a shell company he made just for the vaccine project. You do know that there were outside investors … Luthor hardly put any of his own money into the firm, though he received 60% of the shares just for lending his good name to the firm: 'Luthor Vaccines'. Of course now that the university has released the vaccine into the public domain, your options are worth as much as the vaccine subsidiary, which is to say: nothing."
"Yeah, I know that. At the end of the month I have to return the BMW, move out of here and back into a crappy student apartment at my university."
"That is unfortunate. You do know that your PhD is literally guaranteed."
"Yes, I do. But I would have preferred to be staggeringly wealthy, they could keep the PhD in that case … so what do you want, Slade? Does this have anything to do with Garfield and his old teammates, the Teen Titans?"
Slade uncrossed and spread his arms. "Funny that you should ask."
-( - )-
See, as promised I am starting to reveal some secrets. In case you haven't noticed, Slade calls BB by his surname: Logan. I borrowed that from the comics.
And now, the mailbag, which is shorter than usual, but still pretty big. Just a few reviews away from the 1200 mark, I never thought it would have so many. I know many of you are back in school, so I understand that maybe you've been a bit busy, so I'm not taking it personally
Guest - BB is lucky, Raven is very devoted and supportive, not to mention 100% faithful and loyal to him.
Soulsurfer2112 – As you now know, Alexa was Slade's accomplice. But only a fool makes a deal with Slade.
Sweetums14 – Shower moments are an undocumented perk of being married. There are no explicit vows, but it's pretty much implied.
The Cretin – Rose just came across so indifferent, all the other Titans were emotionally destroyed. Maybe it was her way of coping.
Kidstandout – She'll never call him that in public, only in the privacy of their room.
Fl4mingTurd – The new episode, The Colors of Raven, was half decent. The Love emoticlone was all over BB like a cheap suit.
FireHippie – Thanks!
mlbv-grimm – As thorough as he is, Slade isn't perfect and always makes mistakes.
bigC94 – Mia had HIV in the comics. As far a Speedys go, she's a lot easier on the eyes than Roy Harper.
Just a Thinker – When Tim grows up and becomes "Red Robin" he has a thing with Tam Fox, daughter of Lucius Fox.
titanfan45 – They will recruit an unexpected ally to fight back against Slade.
SuperNolon – Slade shouldn't get too confident.
JOHNXgambit – Slade wants BB's complete obedience.
BartWLewis – BB has some Aces up his sleeve, just waiting for the right time to use them.
MakorraKataangfan01 – So many possibilities
7SheWolfShaman7 – It can be a serious investment.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast – That's another perk of being married.
DeeThom – BB will be a tough nut to break.
gabylokita41 – Yeah, there's quite a bit left, plus an extensive epilogue set in the future when the kids are all grown up.
krostovikraven1 – They always find a way, right?
Death Stroke The Kid – Ron Pearlman IS Slade. All the other voice actors don't cut it.
JasonVUK – Well, they are the Chromatically Challenged Couple!
TJSC25 – Nothing like a two-fer! And I'm not telling who's dying.
Bluedog197 – Some are asking for Rose to become a Titan, like she did in the comics.
EP – Yikes!
Anoymous136 – Her patience does have its limits though.
Dragonkyng – What? No telepathic link?