This was most inopportune. He wanted to leave the Tower, under the cover of darkness, anonymously. Doing so maximized the probability of success. He did not factor in taking Raven and Beast Boy with him. It would partially nullify his strategy. He briefly pondered applying the nect pinch to both of them at the same time, but quickly estimated that the chance of success was less than 10%. He would have to change his original plan.
"Yes, I know where to find Slade. And I have learned something else about him: He's Deathstroke the Terminator, or to be more accurate, he used to be."
The Chromatically Challenged Couple were unable to conceal their surprise.
"Dude, no way, everyone knows that Deathstroke died in a crash."
"Yet his body was never found."
"Human remains were found in the wreckage." Raven retorted.
"And they were never positively identified. I believe that the only person aboard the private jet was William Randolph Wintergreen, Deathstroke's confidant, and that his airplane was sabotaged by the CIA, who thought Deathstoke would be on board as well. I am confident that he was not on board and that after the incident he chose to disappear and reinvent himself as Slade. I also believe that the purpose of his quest for world domination is to avenge Wintergreen's assassination."
The two Titans appeared utterly stunned.
"Dude, Robin's been trying to figure out who Slade is for years."
"Not to mention the Justice League." Raven added. "If what you're saying is true, we should get the others to join us."
"No, we should not." Spock calmly replied.
"But why?" Beast Boy asked in an impatient tone. "If he's really Deathstroke, then we'll need all the help we can get."
Precious time was being lost. Spock quickly decided to let the two join him on his mission.
"Because I have determined that there is a high probability that Slade will kill either Robin or Starfire before they have offspring. If that comes to pass, the timeline will be damaged in ways even I cannot estimate. It's possible that the Federation might never be founded, or something even worse. They cannot join us on this mission."
Raven's eyes widened. "You were going on a suicide mission."
"While it is not the desired outcome, it is highly probable that I will perish on this mission. Your presence diminishes that probability, but it also increases the chances of your perishing substantially."
"How about asking Chrome Dome to join us?"
"Negative, his presence won't enhance our chance at success, but he too could perish … you need not join me. The truth is that even with your assistance we will most likely fail and perish."
Gar puffed his chest out. "Forget it, dude, we're Titans, doing the impossible is our thing."
"I still think we should get the others." Raven remarked.
"As I already said, that is not an acceptable option. I am leaving now, join me if you wish. The choice is yours."
Raven frowned. "Robin will be very angry with us."
"Especially if we get killed."
"Very funny, Gar … anyway, I'm in."
"Me too."
"Then we must leave now."
-(-)-
Spock tweaked the knobs on his tricorder while Raven's flying disk streaked across the nighttime sky, the moon barely gave its presence away.
"Set your heading to 275 degrees." He told Raven.
"I don't have compass on me." She tersely replied.
Spock pointed in the direction. "That way."
Beast Boy shivered in the predawn chill while Raven changed direction. He could tell by the location of a few landmarks, the bay bridge, the Tower, and a few other structures where they were going: the Badlands, the desert canyon where they first met Terra.
"Spock, are you sure Slade's lair is in the canyons? Robin said that no way was he there."
"I am certain. That area has an extensive network of caves, a perfect place for him to hide. There are geothermal springs which could power turbine generators without creating any form of unnatural exhaust that would give away his location. There are many different ore deposits he could mine to use in the construction of his androids. In addition to that ..."
"It's OK, we believe you." Raven muttered.
Spock subtly nodded as he continued to fiddle with his tricorder. Soon the entered the desert canyon. They flew over the remains of the giant scorpion that Terra killed when they first met her. Gar frowned when he saw it. Raven noticed and took his hand, giving it a firm squeeze.
"Don't think about her, she's in the past." She whispered.
"I know, it's just that sometimes the bad memories are the hardest ones to forget."
"If anyone should know about that, it's me."
They came to a junction in the canyon, with split into three smaller ravines.
"Take the left one." Spock instructed Raven.
Raven slowed down and guided her disk to the left.
"Please land 340 meters ahead."
Raven was about to say that she didn't have a way to measure 340 meters when Spock pointed at the location where he wanted them to land.
-(-)-
Slade sat in a large chair in front of several screens. The images on them were mostly dark, but computer algorithms were able to enhance them somewhat.
"Interesting … definitely Raven, the disk gives her away, and two companions. One will be the green idiot, but the other … too tall to be Robin and too lean to be Cyborg. The Tamaranian would fly on her own. Did they bring their pointy eared alien friend with them?"
"Why didn't you install real cameras, Slade? If you did we could actually see who it is."
"For a very simple reason, Terra. An electronic camera could be detected via sensors, and I know that our mysterious Mr. Spock has some very sensitive scanners. By using lenses and fiber optics I can see almost as well, without betraying our presence."
"Well, it didn't work, they're here anyway. Why didn't the others come too?"
"A good question, my young apprentice. We will soon find out."
Terra crossed her arms. "I don't want him to get hurt."
"We already discussed this. If he is willing to join us, he won't be harmed. Using whatever means you wish to convince or manipulate him."
"Manipulate him?"
Slade turned to face the blond. "Sex often works with young men, plus that is what you desire, it it not?"
Terra balled her fists. "I love him. But you wouldn't understand that, would you?"
"I understand, more than you could ever imagine."
Terra looked at the screen and saw the silhouette of Raven's cape fluttering as she landed her disk.
"What about her?" She asked.
"Raven is fully expendable, and removing her as a threat will make it easier to capture the true prize, the Vulcan."
"Vulcan? You mean you know what this Spock guy is? I've never heard of Vulcans."
"Neither had I. I paid Sinestro handsomely for providing me any information he could on Spock."
"So what makes Vulcans so special?" She asked.
"At this point in time, nothing."
"What do you mean?"
"Vulcans are just beginning to explore beyond their solar system, Epsilon Eridani. They have no enemies, are pacifists and do not have weapons on their ships."
"OK, so if they're so ordinary, why do you want to capture him?"
"Because he is out of the ordinary. He had an energy weapon with him. Fortunately he had it set to the stun setting when he fired it at me, and I was able to deflect the shot. I also showed Sinestro some photographs I took of his ship. He could not identify it."
"You're kidding? I thought those rings the lanterns wear know everything."
"He is a yellow lantern, so his knowledge is less than the Guardians. But he is very familiar with the Milky Way, and has never seen a ship like Spock's. As to what it means, I have some ideas. But first we have to capture him."
"So what do we do?"
"Divide and conquer, Terra. You know what to do, proceed."
She nodded and walked away.
-(-)-
Spock led them to a cave, pausing at the entrance. He tweaked his tricorder several times before shutting it off.
"This cavern has an unusually high concentration of kemocite, which interferes with my tricorder."
"Kemocite?" Raven asked.
"It is a mineral that is a multiphasic isotope of a radiolytic compound. It is unknown to present day Earth science. My tricorder will be of no use to us once we enter the cave. We must proceed with caution."
"I'll morph into a cat and sneak in ahead to scout it out."
"You be careful." She chastised him.
The changeling morphed into a green tabby and meowing a quick goodbye to Raven, he took off. He stealthily slinked his way through the cave, slipping from shadow to shadow, stopping occasionally to to take a good look at his surroundings.
There was nothing out of the ordinary, it looked like an ordinary cave. There were no wires or cables anywhere that he could see. He continued to explore, until he had covered almost a mile. He didn't know that the caves were so deep in the Bad Lands, but then few dared to explore them as giant scorpions were not the only hazard to be found.
Beast Boy was about to turn around and go back when something caught his eye. Still in cat form he scampered over to the shiny metal object, and his eyes widened when he saw it. He morphed back into his human form and picket it up.
"No freaking way." He muttered to himself as he examined it. It was a butterfly shaped hair barrette. He stared at it, in disbelief.
"Terra?" He muttered to himself.
A shadowy figure lurched out from the shadows. A chloroform laced cloth covered his faced. He struggled but collapsed almost immediately, after which he was dragged back into the shadows.
-(-)-
Raven and Spock followed behind, at a slower pace, to give Beast Boy a chance come back and warn them if he found anything ahead. They walked quietly until she broke the silence with a whisper.
"He should have been back by now."
"Agreed." Spock replied.
Raven pulled out her communicator. There was no signal. She frowned as she put it away,
"I'm getting worried."
"Worrying will not help him nor keep him safe."
"I know that, but I can't control it."
"Actually, I think you are. From my observations, humans have a difficult time controlling the feelings they have for their romantic partners."
"That sounds so clinical. Mr. Spock, do Vulcans feel love?"
"We do, but we suppress it, along with all other emotions. It is Surak's way."
"I used to think that way."
"But now you do not?"
"Correct … my powers are tied to my emotions. To control my powers I have to control my emotions. And I used to control my emotions to the point of suppressing them. But I don't do that anymore. And since I stopped doing that, I experience happiness."
"I experienced happiness once." Spock replied in a dispassionate tone.
She was about to ask him why he stopped when something caught her eye.
"Look!" She said as she pointed at the ground.
Spock nodded. "It appears as if someone was dragged away from this spot."
Raven lit her flashlight to get a better look.
"Those are Gar's shoe prints. He morphed back into his human form. Why did he do that?"
"And was dragged to this wall. Unfortunately my tricorder remains non-operational." He said as he began to examine the wall with his hands. "The does not appear to be an opening. I cannot explain how Garfield vanished."
Spock saw Raven's jaw tremble.
"Raven, is something wrong?"
"Terra's back."