It's Fall Break for me and I'm so happy to have a week's break from College! On the other hand, I finally have time to post this update! I hope you all enjoy it! :)


Due to the nature of what goes down this chapter, I will keep myself from spoiling it by not responding to reviews this time. However, I am happy to see we broke the 700 review mark! Keep it up!


Since Last Time: 3 more favorites, 2 more Followers (Total: 324 Favorites, 363 Followers)


Updated: October 6th, 2019 1:45 P.M. (MST)


Disclaimer: Again, I just wish that I could animate this fic somehow. Sadly, I don't own the animation skills, or the right to do it.


Chapter Fifty-Two: Return to Jump City


Two days later…

The scene, after so much time, was finally a familiar one.

The metropolis of Jump City was spread out from the North to the South down below. From the tall skyscrapers rising up near the bay, to the suburbs and countryside surrounding the city. From the Golden Gate Bridge crossing over the bay to Titans Tower standing tall in the middle of the bay. Even the flock of seagulls coming in from the ocean seemed like such a familiar sight.

It was a fantastic and relieving view to behold…

The scene shifted lower and showed Beast Boy and Raven on the top of a large hill. The hill was a few miles away from the outskirts of the old city. The two calmly stood there, overlooking their old city, their old home. They didn't say a word as they both processed the sight of their old city with their enhanced eyesight…

'Wow, I can't believe they're finally redoing that interstate there.' Beast Boy thought as he stared at a section of the city. 'And I was this close to nicknaming that strip the Valley of Woe with Chrome Dome…'

'They got rid of the old library and everything in the abandoned part of the city.' Raven thought as she stared at a different section. The old section of the city where she had turned into a portal for her father. Now it looked like they had torn down the entire structure. A large fence was up around it, and a new complex was being built in its place by Bruce Wayne Industries.

'I'll appreciate not having that glaring reminder standing anymore.' Raven thought gratefully.

'Hey. I still remember that bridge. That was where all those moths almost freaking ate us alive.' Beast Boy thought in amusement again as he looked at the large red suspension bridge. He could still picture all those deadly killer moths trying to eat at it.

'That was one of the worst days of being a hero… although at least I wasn't the one forced to go on a date with the girl from hell… oops. I probably shouldn't use that phrase actually.' Beast Boy thought. Raven being half-demon and all.

It was moments like this he was glad his girlfriend really couldn't read his mind… 'On second thought, I'll think about something else. In case Rae is hiding that ability.'

Smart man.

'I see that one abandoned observatory where we faced Professor Chang is still there. And they still haven't tried to fix it up.' Raven thought before she looked down lower at the grass fields where cattle grazed. 'And then there was that time we fought that weird alien race that kidnapped cows.'

'To think it was only last year when we were facing tofu invaders, and our biggest worry was who would get the last slice of pizza.' Raven thought in amusement.

'Hey. I can see our favorite pizzeria from here. Dude, it's been so long since I've had my vegan special there…' Beast Boy thought. 'Maybe if the team was ever normal again…'

'Wow. Was that really where we found Starfire so long ago?' Raven thought as she recognized the intersection ahead from the pizzeria. 'It seemed like it had been so long ago when we all became friends there…'

The mood became much more somber for both of them.

Beast Boy looked to the old T-Tower. 'Dude. It looks like the Tower was literally abandoned.' Beast Boy thought.

His eyesight allowed him to see the Tower as far away as it was in more detail. The damage from the Young Justice invasion had all been repaired. But no lights were on in it. The rooms, especially theirs, looked to have been cleaned out and painted over. A freaking dust weed of all things rolled across the roof of the place as he viewed it from afar.

'Alright, that's just not cool.' Beast Boy thought in slight anger at seeing his old home the way it was. It had been his home before, but now it was like it had died. Just like their old friendships with their old teammates.

Beast Boy realized his hands had formed fists. He then tried to find something else to distract himself with.

'They got rid of my favorite sit-down diner.' Raven thought with disappointment. The building that had held her beloved favorite tea/poem place was gone. A new building was being constructed in the area.

'I wanted to take Gar thereafter everything had settled down.' Raven thought sadly… 'Now I won't get to know if he's into dark poetry or not.'

'Wait, no! They didn't get rid of my favorite arcade! Did they!?' Beast Boy thought in anguish as he saw a new apartment complex being constructed where his favorite old arcade place had been in the city.

Okay, the way Titan's Tower had looked hurt. But if they had also gotten rid of his second home away from home… 'I wanted to freaking take Raven with me to check that place out after all this was over! Like, what the hell!' He thought in anguish.

I guess miracles do happen. Since those date ideas on both ends probably would have made Raven or Beast Boy have second thoughts about ever taking each other out in public for their future outings.

'The layout still looks the same. But there's something... darker about the city now.' Raven thought. 'As if, the people don't like their heroes anymore…'

'It all still looks familiar… but it feels so different.' Both of them realized.

The two of them had stood in silence the whole time they had been standing there. They had thought the sight of their old home would have made them happy. All it did was make them more somber at the realization of how much things can change when one is missing for so long.

"Rae?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yes, Gar." She replied.

"Do you, do you really think that we should go down there and meet Slade?" He asked.

Raven didn't respond at first. She was still looking at the city, just like him. Her hand reached for his and gripped it.

"I, I don't know." She admitted almost sadly. "I mean, Rose could've been wrong. We haven't seen any sign of the Justice League or any other hero since Star City…"

Beast Boy looked to her at last. She also looked at him. It was almost like they could tell what thoughts were racing through each other's minds at that moment.

They just wanted it to end. The running, the hiding, the lying, the fighting... the fear that the next day could possibly be their last on Earth… they just wanted it all to end…

Beast Boy rested his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. She didn't object, and she closed her eyes as they gripped each other's hands. The two stood there in silence for a moment…

"Whatever you want to do Rae, we'll do it, together." He said quietly, yet with determination.

She could sense his worry about going down. She could also sense the hope and confidence shining through the worry. The hope and confidence that everything would finally work out…

After a moment, she planted a soft kiss to his lips. It was a kiss of comfort. It was short, but it was what they both needed.

They opened their eyes. "Let's go down." She whispered.

He gave her a nod and embraced her in a hug. She embraced him back and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Take us down then Rae." He whispered into her ear.

They were still embracing when she opened up one last portal underneath them. They fell calmly into it, and disappeared down into the city below…


The scene showed a city street down in Jump City. A lone couple, a blonde guy and a brunette girl dressed in normal civies walked hand in hand alone down a sidewalk. Their holo-rings glistened in the light of the bright sun up above as they walked by parked cars, closed shops, and discarded newspapers.

No one else was surprisingly out. The two of them were quick to notice that fact.

"Dude, where did everyone go?" Garfield whispered.

"I'm not sure Gar. There were crowds of people a couple of streets back." Rachel replied as she looked around.

The other side of the road had been closed off because of some construction that was going on there. It looked like they were gutting the inside of the building and replacing the stores that had been over there. It took a moment for them to recognize what it was.

"Well, there went my old bookstore." Rachel said blandly.

"Aw dude, they already got rid of my favorite arcade place. Did they really have to take out my favorite video game store too?" Garfield asked sadly.

"I don't see any downsides to that." Rachel quipped.

Garfield didn't respond to her joke. He instead continued to look around at the street as they walked. He stopped next to a sign for the gutted out building. "It says they're planning on tearing out this building here and replacing it with a modernized building." He said as he read it.

Rachel stopped next to him and read it. "I guess the building was old… but it wasn't that old." Rachel said.

The two of them stood there for a moment more and then walked on. The name of the street was still the same. Everything else around them though seemed to have changed, was changing, or preparing for the process of change.

'Dude, how the heck did city life move so fast without us here? It's only been what, six, seven months?' Garfield thought.

They walked on for a moment. Then they turned a corner on a street, and almost stopped at what they saw.

"I think I know why no one is over here now." Rachel said quietly.

The middle of the street was all torn up. Fresh scorch marks were on the sidewalks, cars, and buildings at various parts. It stretched all the way down to a school on the end of the street.

"I guess the heroes fought a villain here recently," Garfield said as his eyes followed the trail of destruction up the road. His eyes reached the school, and he read the words 'Muramaki High School' on the plague.

'Hmmm…' He thought curiously. Something seemed strange about the school, and he focused a little on it.

Maybe it was because the first sign of life he had seen since the crowds left was on the other side of the fence around the school. It was a few high school girls studying at a picnic bench. One of them had blonde hair, and the other two looked like they were brunettes.

He looked at the blonde girl for a moment more. She resembled someone very familiar from before… he then turned his head away and looked back up the road.

'I know exactly who that girl reminds me of.' He thought. Things had changed in the city around him, but that hadn't been the only thing that had changed in the last few months.

"Come on Rae. Let's keep going. I think it was this way." He told Rachel before he walked across the street to continue on.

Rachel looked confused. 'I thought we were supposed to go down to that intersection down there… but I don't remember a school being there before.' She thought before she followed along beside Garfield.

"Was that school there before?" Rachel decided to ask.

Garfield shrugged. "I don't think so. It looks about as new as everything else here." He muttered.

Rachel frowned. "That's weird… it's like almost everything in the city has changed since we left." She said blandly.

The two were silent for a few seconds as they walked. The battle-scarred street was soon left behind them. Which gave them a sigh of relief, since they didn't encounter any of the heroes who fought whatever they did there. "You know what, this city has changed Rae," Garfield admitted as he stopped. She stopped next to him.

He looked at her. They might have been wearing holo-rings, but he could still picture what she really looked like underneath. He could picture her back when they first met, to when they left the Tower, to now that they were back. Both in looks, and in how she acted compared to before.

"And dude, I think we've both changed more than this city." He admitted.

Rachel didn't say anything at first. She instead looked down at the sidewalk and pondered on his statement… "I agree." She said, before looking back up at him.

His hand entered hers again, and he smiled for her. "Maybe some of the changes were for the better." He said.

Rachel rolled her eyes and started to walk with him again. "I'm just glad you don't act like a man child all the time anymore." She said dryly.

"Hey, I can still act that way if you want me to." He said while flashing her a toothy smile.

She rolled her eyes again. "No Gar. I'm good." She said while flashing him a small smile.

"Would you at least be willing to act dark and creepy for me every now and then?" He joked with her.

"When am I not dark and creepy Gar?" She asked.

"Oh, I prefer to say you're mysterious and enticing." He said in a surprisingly deep voice.

Rachel blushed deeply at his statement. "Gar!" She said out of embarrassment.

Garfield laughed at that. "I so hope this all works out. Because I love it when you blush like a tomato dude." He said in an uplifted tone of voice.

"At least I don't look like an overripe tomato when I blush." Rachel jabbed.

"That's a small price to pay with ears like this." He said as he wagged his ears for her. "I know all the chicks love the ears."

Rachel groaned to herself. "Oh dear. Why did I fall in love with an idiot again?" She asked in a bland voice.

Garfield laughed and pulled her close. "Because this idiot is in love with you too." He said happily.

Rachel couldn't keep the smile off her face. "That sounds like a good point." She said a little more happily.

The two stopped talking after that. She cuddled into him as they walked. It seemed the two of them felt a lot better despite all the changes they saw around them. After all, some change does tend to make things and people work out for the better… and for once, if a normal passerby were to see them walking down the street, there'd be no mistaking them for the happy couple that they were.

After a bit, the two of them stopped at an alleyway. The two looked down into its dark depths. "Is this it Gar?" Rachel asked as she looked around to make sure no one was looking. She would have portaled them right then and there, but with how long it had been since they had been near this section of the city, she had had to portal them to the closest spot she could picture. That being, ironically, the place where she and he had first met Starfire.

No one was out yet. There were signs of people starting to appear in the distance though. Now that the danger was past, the street would be thriving with activity again in a moment.

"Just a second," Garfield said as he pulled Rose's note out from his pocket. He unfolded it all the way to the part Rachel hadn't read before.

P.S.: Look for a dumpster at the end of an alleyway between Center and Bay Ave. It should have a katana spray-painted on it. That's one shortcut to the base Robin never found.

Garfield read the last part of the note a few times over quickly. "Well, the last street we walked by was Bay Ave. So…" He looked up ahead at the next street sign. It said Center Ave. on the marker for it. "Let's go and check it out." He said before he stuffed the note away and walked into the alleyway.

Rachel looked around one more time and then walked in after him. The alleyway itself was nothing special. It had a few rickety metal ladders leading up the sides of buildings to apartments. A few discarded metal trash cans lying on the ground. And some broken glass bottles and things like that. No dumpster was visible yet though.

The two walked into the darkness of the alleyway for a few seconds. Behind them on the street, a few citizens appeared walking on the sidewalks. The start of a mass of people that would be curious to see what the damage was this time.

The two said nothing and quickly continued on until they turned a corner at the end of the alleyway. Garfield smiled widely in victory at what appeared before them. "There it is." He said excitedly.

An old-looking green dumpster was on one side of the dead-end alleyway. It looked like it had been years since someone had last used it. However, it had an old faded white katana painted on the side of it.

Rachel put two fingers to her nose. "Are you sure this is it Gar?" She asked.

It smelled like people hadn't come to empty the trash here in a few years either.

Garfield walked up to the dumpster with a grin on his face. "Of course I'm sure Rae. I mean, how many other dumpsters do you know of with a sword like that painted on them?" He asked as he pointed to the still somewhat cool yet old looking painting of the katana.

Rachel rolled her eyes, but she approached as well. He then threw the top open.

"Ewww." He said in disgust.

The dumpster was filled with a bunch of leftover stinky trash. Black mold would have been a preferable sight to the jank (a slang term for worse than junk) this dumpster contained. Garfield covered his nose with his hand and looked to be trying not to gag.

"Now this... is gross, even to me." He said in disgust.

Rachel looked inside the dumpster. "Yeah. I'm not seeing any shortcut in that stank." She said dryly.

"And I'm not reaching my hand into that to find it, dude," Garfield said.

The two looked around for a moment more. "Maybe this wasn't the right one after all," Garfield said as he prepared to close the dumpster.

Beep!

Then, just when Garfield was about to close it, a beep sound was heard. "Did you hear that Rae?" Garfield asked curiously.

Kch.

Before Raven could reply, a small circle opened in the lid of the dumpster. A red field of lasers then appeared from it, and went over Garfield. He jumped back in surprise, but the lasers didn't hurt him.

"Dude!" Garfield said indignantly. They were scanning him!

Beep!

The red lasers turned green, and then they shut off. The little circular hole from before closed back up. The lid, even though Garfield wasn't supporting it anymore, stayed up on its own.

"Okay, a scanner on a dumpster. That's definitely out of place." Rachel said dryly.

As if all the jank trash hadn't been out of place either. The two were silent, almost waiting for something to happen.

Whoosh!

The trash inside the dumpster suddenly disappeared. The two of them blinked in surprise and tried to find where the trash had gone. However, instead of seeing what had done it, they saw an open hatchway in the middle of the dumpster. The two looked down into it, and saw instead of a ladder or stairs, a metal slide leading down into the ground.

"I guess this is our shortcut after all then." Rachel said blandly.

Garfield moved to the side and gestured with his hand nervously towards the chute. "Heheheh... Ladies first?" He joked.

A field of black appeared around Garfield, and his eyes went wide. "I was just kidd- aughhhh!" He was trying to speak when Rachel's powers threw him down the hatchway.

"Whatever you say, ma'am." Rachel said blandly with a slight smirk on her face. Then she jumped into the hatchway after Garfield.

The dumpster lid closed back down.


At first, it was nothing but darkness.

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhhh!"

Punctuated with the screaming of the terrified Garfield.

"Auuuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhh-!" Finally, the hatchway opened up, and Garfield came flying out of it flailing his arms.

Wham!

Garfield slammed down hard onto the dusty ground. The impact cut off his scream. He groaned to himself as he tried to get up. *Cough* *Cough* "Dude, what the hell kind of shortcut was that-" He started to say after coughing on the dust.

Wham! Thud.

Rachel landed on top of Garfield, driving him back into the ground again. "Ugh…" He groaned in pain on the ground.

"Thank you for making sure it was safe for me my lady." Rachel said in a dry humorous tone as she planted a kiss to his forehead.

"Hardy har har. Now I'd appreciate it if ya got your fat rear end the heck off of me back kind sir." He grumbled to her in a fake accent.

Rachel got off Garfield. "Did you just say my butt was fat?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

Garfield kind of blanched at that. "I-!, um-! Uh…" He kind of looked like he didn't want to answer that question.

'I mean, you technically weren't lying master.' The Beast said in his mind.

'Gah!' Garfield thought as he couldn't think of what to say.

Rachel rolled her eyes at his stumbling tongue. "Dork." She muttered, before she helped him get up.

Garfield decided not to say anything about it and instead looked around at the room they had fallen into. "Dude…" He said.

They were surrounded by a bunch of dusty rusty old broken gears. A layer of dust covered everything around them. Though there were still some familiar things.

"That's the screens that controlled the nanobots in us," Garfield said as he pointed to some cracked screens lining one of the walls.

Rachel looked at where he was pointing at. "And that thing there held some of those nanobots." Rachel said as she pointed out what had been a red glowing device before. It was now dark and covered in dust.

Garfield shivered at the memory. Even though it had been a couple of years back, the room still felt dark to him now. "Okay, this is the place. I don't see Slade though." He said as he looked.

"That's because I'm over here, Titans." Slade's voice spoke calmly behind them.

The two of them turned around. Slade appeared from the shadows of the rusted out gears. His eye glinted almost evilly behind his mask. His arms appeared to be crossed behind him as he stopped in the middle of the light.

"It certainly took you long enough to get here," Slade added in his baritone voice.

The two nodded their heads, and then took off their rings at the same time. Within moments, Raven and Beast Boy appeared in their uniforms.

"That's because we had to recoup after the last fight." Beast Boy said calmly.

"I saw the fight. And I must say, well done for taking down Superman. Lex Luthor would be so proud to hear about that." Slade said calmly.

"We wouldn't have fought him if he hadn't left us no choice," Raven muttered dryly.

Beast Boy didn't respond as he and Raven started to approach Slade. 'Finally, after everything that's happened, we're finally going to learn how to escape. We're finally going to be able to go free.' Beast Boy thought in relief.

'Master.' The Beast suddenly spoke up. 'Something doesn't feel right here.'

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. 'It's Slade Beast. There's always something off whenever we're around him.' Beast Boy thought offhandedly.

'No Master. I mean something really feels off here. Like there's something missing that we're not noticing.' The Beast replied.

"You wanted us to come here, Slade. So what now?" Raven asked when they were a dozen feet away from Slade.

The Beast realized it. 'Master, look around! There's no dust on the floor here, and I can't smell anything!-' The Beast tried to say.

'Calm down already. Nothing is going to happen-' Beast Boy started to interrupt. Though he was also starting to take note of the fact that his sense of smell was being hindered by something. Something-

"Now, you fulfill your end of the bargain Deathstroke." A deep voice said in the darkness.

The two turned in surprise at the unexpected voice. At first, there was nothing…

Then, Batman and Superman appeared out of the shadows. Their arms were crossed in front of them. Superman looked as good as new, besides his nose. It looked like it'd have to be reset if he didn't want to snore for the rest of his life.

The two quickly stepped back. "Wait, I thought I kicked your butt last week!" Beast Boy said.

"Watchtower Healing room. Does wonders for broken bones, dislocated joints, third-degree burns, and every other kind of harm a hero could ever meet." Superman said in a voice devoid of emotion. He looked fresh and ready for round two.

The two turned around to flee. Other figures were coming out from the shadows behind them though.

"Hello there fugitives." Green Arrow said with his bow at the ready. He had Aquaman and the Flash beside him. Captain Atom, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Kaldur and Aqualad, Speedy, Doctor Fate and Zatanna, Hot Spot and Argent, and a few other heroes appeared with them. Some of them were smiling in victory. Others of them appeared emotionless.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment." Hot Spot said calmly.

"Tula and Jason will finally be avenged," Kaldur said in a calm voice.

The two turned back to face Slade. His arms, that had looked to be crossed behind him, actually weren't. They finally saw they were handcuffed together at the wrists.

"What the heck dude! I thought you were supposed to help us!?" Beast Boy asked angrily.

Slade shook his head almost as if he were sad. "I was Titans. I truly was. But it seems we were both found out." He said in a less than happy voice as he nodded his head behind him.

From the darkness behind him, several more heroes appeared. Starfire, who had exceptionally shorter hair that would take months to grow back; Bumblebee, the leader of Titan's East; an evilly grinning Cyborg, and a rather cruelly smiling Nightwing. "Yo, what's up, old friends? Did you miss us?" Cyborg asked as he revealed the chained, beaten figure of Rose Wilson.

The two of them gasped in shock. "No…" Raven said in a fear-filled tone.

Rose looked up at them. "Sorry… I swear I didn't foresee this coming." She said painfully.

Starfire grinned widely like her fiancé. "Finally. You are the surrounded old friends." She spat out the last word in the end.

"And there's nowhere for you two love birds to go," Nightwing said as he cracked extended his Bo-Staff.

Superman cracked his knuckles as well. "I think it's time this ended now." He said. The other heroes all around got in battle positions. They looked ready to easily contain the two.

"I'll enjoy making you pay for trying to steal my fiancé away from my friend Raven," Starfire said viciously.

"As if I'd ever leave the love of my life for a bland goth girl like you," Nightwing said with equal viciousness beside her.

Beast Boy and Raven got back to back and frantically looked around them. 'No, this wasn't what was supposed to happen. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down!' Raven thought in fear.

They were completely surrounded by heroes. There really was no way out.

That didn't mean that they couldn't try. "Rae, portal us now!" Beast Boy ordered. He brought up a mental list in his mind of what animals he could possibly use to gain an advantage against these heroes. The Beast being first and foremost if they had to fight.

Raven tried. She really did. She focused for a few seconds in getting a portal to form. It should have been easy, they were in Jump City, her old turf. She still knew parts of it like the back of her hand. Her eyes widened when her black ethereal energy didn't appear below them.

"I can't-!" Raven was saying.

Thoom!

Then, before a fight could break out, a glass case fell from the ceiling on top of them. They looked up in surprise at the ceiling of the glass case. "What is this!? I thought you wanted to fight us!" Beast Boy yelled.

Batman put his finger over a button. "As dangerous as you two are, better to be safe than sorry." He said before he pressed another button on his wrist.

Gshshsh!

Green gas came spewing out from the floor underneath the two. "Augh! Cover your mouth, Rae!" Beast Boy said in fear before he quickly covered his mouth. Already the air around them was becoming thick with the green gas.

Raven, who hadn't been prepared to hold her breath, accidentally breathed some in. She started to cough. "Gar. I, I don't know what to do." Raven said before she started to cough again. She fell to one knee beside Beast Boy. "My powers aren't working."

"That would be because of me. You're welcome." Zatanna said in a pleased voice.

'No! Not now! Not after everything we've been through!' Beast Boy thought angrily. He looked to the glass case and narrowed his eyes at it.

Kschhhh!

"Rawrrr!"

Within seconds, he had morphed into the howling form of the Beast. Then he threw himself at the wall of the glass case.

Bam! "Rawr!" Bam! "Rawr!" Bam! 'Rawr!" Bam!

The Beast howled in rage as he hammered his fist against the side of the glass case. Small hairline cracks appeared where it connected with the glass. The Beast saw the hairline cracks and narrowed his eyes on them.

'The weak points of this pathetic cage.' He thought angrily.

Bam!Bam!Bam!Bam!

The Beast increased his efforts where he saw the cracks appearing. He used both fists as he beat on the area over, and over, and over again. Each hit made the cracks a little bigger, a little wider, and a little more towards freedom. The indestructible glass was proving to not be so indestructible.

Raven weakly crawled on her hands and knees until she was beside the Beast. She wasn't coughing anymore, but she looked to be losing consciousness. "Hurry, I'm… losing…" Raven tried to say before she fell flat on the ground beside the Beast.

"Rawrrrr!" The Beast howled in fury.

Bam!Bam!Bam!Bam!Bam!

The cracks looked like they were about to give way before the powerful blows of the Beast. Superman got a slightly worried look on his face. "Bruce. Are you sure that cage is going to hold?" Superman asked Batman.

"Even if he breaks out, the gas is already getting to him. He'll join his demoness mate within moments." Batman said confidently.

Bam!Bam! Bam!...Bam…Bam…

The Beast's hits started to become slower and weaker. A tired look came into his eyes. 'No! I can't fall! Mate needs me! Mate…'

Bam…

The Beast slammed his fists one more time into the glass wall. He was so close… Then he slumped forward defeatedly against it.

One second the Beast was there, then the next a tired-looking Beast Boy was in his place. He managed to look down beside him at the unconscious form of Raven in the midst of all the gas. His hand weakly reached out and went limp on her head. 'No… Rae…' He thought.

He had failed.

Slowly, his eyes closed. Then after a few more seconds, he passed out next to her in the midst of all the gas.

Thmmmm…

The gas started to get vacuumed out of the glass enclosure. Within moments, there was no more of the green gas inside.

The glass case shimmered for a moment, and then it disappeared all at once. Doctor Fate lowered his hands and then nodded to Batman. It was done.

"Grab them," Batman ordered.

Superman and Doctor Fate approached the two heroes. They checked their pulse and breath first to make sure that the two were out. Then, seeing that they were harmless, Superman picked up Beast Boy. Doctor Fate then picked up Raven.

"We're good to go Bats," Superman said in genuine relief that he didn't have to fight the Beast again.

Batman nodded, and then looked to Slade. He pressed another button on his wrist.

Ksh! Clank! Clank!

His handcuffs fell off, and Rose was released from her chains. "Dad!" Rose yelled as she ran from the heroes and her chains to hug her dad. He hugged her back and glared up at Batman with his one good eye over his daughter's shoulder.

"You'll regret ever doing this to me, Batman," Slade said darkly.

Batman turned around. "Next time, don't try to bite off more than you can chew Deathstroke," Batman said gruffly. "And you can forget about spying on us in the WatchTower. I already had all of your bugs removed." He added.

"Yes, sir," Deathstroke said disdainfully.

Batman started to walk and motioned for the other heroes to follow. Superman and Doctor Fate walked behind him with the prisoners in their arms. The rest of the heroes in the room followed along behind them. Most of them looked relieved that they didn't have to fight the Beast.

"I'm grateful that thing didn't get out," Aquaman said under his breath.

"You and me both." The Flash said next to him.

Soon, the last of the heroes had left the old lair. Slade and his daughter were the only ones left in the room…

Slade looked down at his daughter. "You acted well there daughter. Well done." He said calmly to her.

Rose let go of her dad. "You trained me, well father." She said calmly as she brushed herself off. She looked to her dad curiously. "Tell me, father. Why did you say we needed to let them get captured? Didn't you show me how easily they could've gotten past Xatu's barrier using a device you had to cross the Panama Canal?" Rose asked.

Slade stood up straight, and calmly rubbed his wrists where they had been bound by the handcuffs. "Of course I knew how they could get past it. I've known how to get past that thing since that Lord of Order and the mistress of magic herself put it in place." Slade said calmly.

Rose looked confused. "Then why did we betray them now?" She asked.

Slade put a hand on Rose's shoulder. "I am sure you will foresee the results soon my daughter. All that was needed was to set the stage. For now, we'll watch from the sidelines as the Light sees just how much of a fool that boy they're entrusting really is." Slade replied in his calm, baritone voice.

He walked off into the darkness towards his secret exit. Rose followed with a calm look on her face. "Yes, father. I'll do whatever you say." She said calmly as she disappeared from view as well.


Author's Notes:

*Looks over his shoulder in the new bunker he's hiding in to make sure no one has snuck in before typing in the journal* Day 3: I've somehow managed to remain alive despite my readers' best efforts to hunt me down after today's latest chapter. Food supplies are low, clean water is almost out, ideas for getting myself out of this mess are running thin.

I only wanted to kickstart the last arc of this story. I never imagined that leading the two into a trap would anger everyone after trying to bribe them with all that fluff… *Author cuts off as he hears growling behind him* "Oh no…" *Turns around, comes face to face with one of Bluedog's growling Hellhounds* "AUGHHHHHHHH!" End of Journal, Day 3. Found in the remnants of a bunker in the Sahara Desert by the Fanfiction Corps. Blood was on the scene, both black and red. No sign of the Author or the Hellhound involved were found.

What will happen to our two heroes? Will they somehow manage to escape the Justice League? Will the Justice League come to their senses? Will the Author survive his reader's latest attempts to kill him for pulling their legs again with such an evil cliffhanger? Better yet, will the Author remember to update to answer all these questions? Find out, whenever I next decide to update! (Funny reviews like what I wrote up above help me out with that).

Till Next Time

Allen Blaster