Chapter 11

Roy Harper's Apartment

13:00 PM

November 14th 2010

"So let me get this straight?"

Roy was resting from a night on patrol and stopping a robbery from local thugs. He went for a run that lasted about an hour and came home to make a smoothie. As it was getting ready he took a shower but when he came out and saw his smoothie has been drunk; he was on edge. But then he saw a certain someone on his couch and wearing a costume eerily similar to one he discarded.

"You're from another universe?" Roy asked still in disbelief.

"Yep" Speedy replied.

"Your still Speedy?"

"That's right"

"And you came to the team for help?"

"Your three for three"

Roy was glaring down Speedy with agitation, disbelief and curiosity; while Speedy was aloof and ignored the stare he was getting.

"You really think I believe this..." Roy barked as his mind went to Cadmus.

"Your name is Roy Harper, you were the ward of Oliver Queen aka Green Arrow and you left him due to the lack of respect and treatment of a child. Need I go on?" Speedy listed as Roy looked defeated.

"Alright. If you're really me why do you still wear that costume?" Roy angrily asked and pointed at the 'Speedy' insignia; obviously being reminded of his days with Green Arrow.

"Hey, Ollie doesn't own the name Speedy. We made it our own and I'll continue to do so. Besides should you really be questioning my sense of identity; Red Arrow?" Speedy said those last two words with condescension.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on! If you really want to distinguish yourself from Green Arrow; you could've used a better name like Archery or Arsenal!"

They both stared at each other and smiled; maybe this is what they needed to finally trust each other.

"So is Ollie almost as annoying as mine?" Roy asked as he went to make another smoothie.

"Please. Your Ollie is more tamed compared to mine" Speedy replied as he walked up to the counter.

"So your apart of a team?" Roy asked as he put various fruits in the blender.

"Yep. Titans East! Best team in the world!"

"So you never worked solo?"

"I did. But there comes a time when the lone wolf act begins to only work for so long. I have fun with my team, you could too; if you got off your high horse"

"They aren't in my league"

"Then who is?"

"No one! That's why I work alone"

The smoothie was done and Roy drank it as he and Speedy looked at each other. Daring the other to speak.

"So what do we do now?" Speedy sighed as he crashed into the couch.

"You came here. Why don't you just go to your Titan friends"

"No can do. Aqualad is visiting Atlantis and KF is visiting his aunt" Speedy explained which made Roy raise an eyebrow. Wasn't Robin the one to call Kid Flash: KF? "Anyway I only came to see what I was like in this universe and so I can avoid Ollie"

"Thought you said he was better than your one?"

"He is but Ollie's still Ollie"

Roy internally agrees and goes back to sipping his smoothie.


Atlantis

13:06 PM

November 14th 2010

Garth knew he shouldn't do this!

After Batman left with both Robins; everyone didn't know what to do. So Kid Flash suggested that he'll go and visit his Aunt Iris as a new game plan was in the works and he needs to see his inter-dimensional Aunt.

As the Flash Family left, Speedy went off to find his inter-dimensional counterpart in order to avoid being alone with Green Arrow.

So Kaldur had the bright idea to invite his best friend's inter-dimensional counterpart to Atlantis so the former can meet face to face...along with Aquaman.

They were currently swimming their but Garth didn't want to be in the presence of the King of Atlantis so he used his telepathy to summon Dolphins to hasten their trip which only brought more questions by the two he was travelling with.

"I didn't know you can use telepathy, Garth?" Aquman mused.

"Well you know; different universe"

"It is an ability only our King possesses. How did you come to learn it?" Kaldur asked curiously.

"He taught it too me. And look here we are!"

The Dolphins arrived in Poseidonis and dropped off the three and Garth was quick to swim to the castle hoping to get away from Aquaman.

The two deduced even Garth had a strained relationship with his mentor and swam to his location and saw him talking to a pregnant Queen Mera.

"So you really are from another dimension. You look exactly the same as our Garth" Queen Mera stated as she inspects Garth.

Garth didn't really hate Queen Mera; she was compassionate and kind which would make any man fall in love with her. She tried to restore the relationship between the Aqua-duo but the feud was to far down to be fixed.

"I see you already acquainted yourself with our Queen" Kaldur speaks as he walks with his King to Garth who was brought back from nostalgia and peace when he saw Aquaman.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I saw you Queen Mera" Garth announced as he soon realized he shouldn't have revealed that piece of information.

"What do you mean by that, Garth?" Aquaman questioned the inter-dimensional Atlantean as the former tried to hide his scowl when Aquaman put his hand on his shoulder.

"You know the Titans have all my attention on the surface, so I'm not able to visit Atlantis as much!" Garth answered back with a half truth.

Just before Aquaman could say anything; Kaldur looked at him which Aquaman could understand that it meant to leave Garth to him.

"Alright I got duties to attend to" Aquaman announced "Kaldur, Garth I leave you to your business"

With that Aquaman walked off with his pregnant Queen; leaving both Atlanteans alone.

"So what do you want to do?" Garth asked Kaldur in a happy and calm tone but is met with a worried face "What?"

"Garth, we may be from different worlds but we know each other enough to help when one is in pain" Kaldur told the dark eyed Atlantean who instantly got the message.

"So you probably know my relationship with Aquaman isn't great" Garth muttered as he looks down.

"Yes" Kaldur simply said "Garth I can help you. I just need your..."

"Thanks Kaldur but I really don't want to do this! What Aquaman did was beyond forgiveness for me!" Garth explained as he was remembering the betrayal he felt "All I want to do is just take my mind off what happened. Can you help do 'that'?"

Kaldur wanted to help Garth but decided that he wanted Garth to be happy and that would be helping him. He did not want to cross a line. His loyalty is to the King but he did not want to anger Garth more by bringing up sad memories.

"You have my word"

Garth looked a little more relaxed and they both smiled at each other.

"Come. I'm sure my Garth and Tula will be happy to see you" Kaldur stated as he swam to their location, leaving Garth star-struck.

"Tula" he thought as he raced after Kaldur.


Central City

13:20 PM

November 14th 2010

"So you're really Wally?"

We cut to Iris Allen as she was staring at the Kid Flash rapidly scarfing down food as he mutters 'Uh ha'; as she and her husband and other nephew watch in awe and somewhat disgust.

"Wow and I thought I could chow down" Wally admitted in awe as he was now understanding why everyone is disgusted at him eating. But his alternate counterpart brought it to a whole new level!

After the Slade fiasco down at the cave, everyone went their separate ways and the Flash invited Kid Flash and Wally to visit their Aunt Iris.

And that brings us here.

"Aunt Iris, this is delicious. Almost as good as, you know; the other you" Kid Flash said immediately after burping from his meal. Apparently Hawaiian pizza wasn't enough for the red haired speedster.

"Glad to hear that Wally" Iris replied with a smile.

But what really was strange to her was that this Kid Flash had blue eyes and her Wally had green?

This Wally could pass as her and Barry's son?

His blue eyes and her red hair.

"So Kid Flash, I was wondering?" Barry was asking the now stuffed Kid Flash as he sat across him on the table.

"Shoot away Uncle Barry"

"Well I noticed that your speed is well...different than our Kid Flash's and I want to know how you got your powers?" Barry asked after a little lost for words as he did not want to agitate Wally to remind him of his slowish speed.

It didn't work as Wally scowled for a second before gazing at his alternate self waiting for his answer.

"Well isn't it the same of how you got your powers?" Kid Flash pointed at his alternate Uncle.

"What do you mean?" Barry asked generally confused.

"I got my powers from redoing the experiments from Barry's notes" Wally stated as he too was really confused.

If that isn't how he got his powers, how did he get them?

"Really you redid the experiment! That is so cool!" Kid Flash responded with stars in his eyes as Wally was blushing with embarrassment and pride.

"Yeah it was cool especially when he was in the hospital and blew up his parent's garage. That was really fun!" Iris sarcastically stated deflating Wally's ego boost.

"Wait now I'm confused" it was Kid Flash's turn to be out of the loop as the others explained what happened "So you were really persistent? Certainly not how I got my powers"

"Which is..." Wally tried to finally get the answer of how he got his powers.

"Right. It started back when I was twelve and I was crashing with my Aunt Iris for two week..." Kid Flash started to explain his origins before he got interrupted.

"Why were you with me for two weeks?" Iris asked as everyone saw Kid Flash sweat and had the colour on his face fade for a bit before he recovered.

"Can't hang with my favourite Aunt for two weeks, geez" Kid Flash replied as he looked really anxious as he rubbed his hair "Anyway during my stay, I met Barry who was Iris' boyfriend for a year and as Iris was at work, Barry decided to take me to his lab"

Everyone now had a gist of how he got his powers.

"He showed me a few things about being a forensic scientist and we were in the middle of a thunderstorm" Kid Flash explained as everyone knew what's going to happen "So when Barry left the room to help the other scientist; I was left to wander around the room and then I came across some chemicals: the same chemicals that you used to get your powers"

"So that's how..." Barry spoke until Kid Flash continued.

"Yep. When I touched the metal shelf holding the chemicals, the lightning struck it and the chemicals splashed all over me" Kid Flash says before he wraps up the story "I woke up a week later and the doctors were surprised to see me recover so fast and still walk. Then when Barry wanted to see if the incident was anything like the one that gave him his powers; he told me to run...in a minute I was in Star City! Barry told me everything and then after some convincing on supporting my greatest hero; I became Kid Flash!"

A minute passed before anyone said anything but Barry decided to break that silence.

"So once again it was my fault!"

"Barry you have to stop that. It wasn't your fault when this Wally got his powers and it's not your fault now!" Iris consoled her husband as she took his hand.

"Yeah Barry it was my fault of what happened and with him, it was an accident" Wally joined in as he rested his hand on his Uncle's shoulder.

"I guess your right" Barry stated as he smiled faintly.

"Uncle Barry don't feel bad. I mean my Barry did and my life got so much better!" Kid Flash claimed with joy "I mean I stopped crimes, fought alongside members of the Justice League, joined the Teen Titans and got myself a girlfriend"

Wally wanted to scream at Kid Flash's accomplishments as he was grinning with pride before Iris spoke up.

"Girlfriend" she asked as she and Barry had their eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, Jinx" Kid Flash's face brightened up "She has some issues but she's really awesome and hot and cool and hot..."

Kid Flash would have went on and on but sudden beeping interrupted him.

"Sorry, Justice League needs me" Barry apologized as he sped off to get into his costume and appeared as the Flash "Be good and don't go anywhere. Back in a flash"

Flash left with his iconic line as the others rolled their eyes at his catchphrase.

"You know I was the one who coined that term" Kid Flash stated before they continued their discussion.


Bat-Cave

13:34 PM

14th November 2010

It was nearly an hour when Batman left and Robin was a little bit..well he was mad that his nemesis was going to be dealt with by Batman!

Dick managed to reason with him by stating that Batman wouldn't do something like that and he should just relax for the time being.

Alfred went upstairs to prepare lunch while Dick wanted to keep an eye on Robin who refused to go anywhere until Batman arrived.

Dick was curious to see what gadgets and equipments his older counterpart had and they both decided to inspect each other's utility belts.

"So you came up with them and built them yourself? Dick asked Robin as he held a Birdarang which was folded out.

"Yeah. When I reached eleven; I didn't want to use the Batarangs as they belonged to the Bat himself...so I built my own" Robin explained as he stared into Dick's Batarang having past memories stir up.

"What are these?" Dick held up small circular disks.

"They're my electric disks" Robin answered as he went on to explain their functions "After I learnt about the capabilities of using polarized matrices of high energy electrons and what it could do for me"

"I assume you had to overcome the quantum entanglement problem in order to make it work?" Dick questioned as he tried to make sense of what Robin said. He knew of science but he was the tech guy and mathlete not the science guy.

"Yeah, it was difficult but it was my own creation" Robin reminisced of how much fun he had creating these disks.

It was one of the few times he and Bruce not Batman did something together.

"So I see you have a stainless steel retractable staff. Cool" Dick was testing Robin's staff as he was liking the swing and force behind it.

"Thanks. I see you use eskrima sticks" Robin brought Dick's signature weapon.

"Yep but now I kind of want a staff. More range" Dick retracted the staff and put it back.

"I use to have eskrima sticks but I needed more range and attack force as you know how hard it is for a ten year old to fight a giant reptilian monster" Robin stated referencing his encounter with Killer Croc.

"I heard that" Dick replied cheerfully as this was the first conversation he had with Robin where neither one of them was upset.

It was silent for a few moments until Dick deciding that angering Robin more than once wasn't the limit as he had to poke the bear one more time.

"So what was..." Dick started off nervously as Robin looked at him before Dick sighed clearing his head of any fear "What was it like working for Slade?"

This made Robin abruptly stop as he glared down Dick with his meanest Bat-Glare which was more scary than his!

"Come on we both know that it was going to come up eventually; might as well get it done now" Dick said with the scrounged up piece of confidence his could muster.

"I'm fine with telling you...now at least! But can you handle it because last time I checked you weren't so hot when I spoke to you earlier" Robin warned his younger counterpart as Dick recalled what happened earlier with him bringing up Batman.

"I'll be fine it's not Batman, I'm asking about" Dick spoke up but without his usual cheeriness.

"But someone way worse!" Robin spat out as he looked at Dick before admitting defeat by bowing his head "It was the worse! I was his apprentice! His puppet! His slave! He made me steal for him and I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't know what he was going to make me do next...I was at his mercy!"

Robin rambled on as the worst point in his life was replaying in his mind as he was walking with frustration.

"Couldn't you get out of it? I mean what could Slade possibly have that could make you work for him?" Dick shot up as he desperately asked what could make the Boy Wonder be at the will of Deathstroke the Terminator?

Robin was silent for a moment before he spoke.

"Do you know what a chronoton detonator is?"

"No. Can't say that I have" Dick answered as he was confused what a device from something a sci fi flick spawned, had to do with this?

"Well Slade got his hands on one and during one of his latest plans; he planned on using the chronoton detonator to disrupt the flow of time" Robin explained as Dick was even more confused.

"So this machine can disrupt the flow of time?" Dick asked as wondered if that could really be true "Wait so he commanded that you'd be his apprentice or he'd mess with time?"

"No. The Titans would've stopped him from doing that. So we went to stop the detonator but Slade had set up a few obstacles as he sent Cinderblock. a criminal whose power was basically stone skin, to stop us while his minions got away with the device" Robin was now gritting his teeth as he was almost done with the story "So I sent the other Titans to get the detonator while I took care of Cinderblock and when I defeated him, he had the tracker to Slade's base!"

Dick was now immersed with the story wanting to know what brought Robin to the dark side.

"I finally found him! He was right there with the controller to the detonator. After fighting him a bit I finally got it! I stopped his plans but the detonator wasn't his plan..."

"What? Then what was...?" Dick was shocked. If it wasn't the detonator what was it?

"It was a decoy to lure the Titans away from me. The detonator wasn't just a dud though it ejected nanoscopic probes into my friends"

"Probes?"

"Tiny devices that can lay dormant into a person's body and they'll have no idea that they have it in them"

"So why did Slade use them?"

Dick was confused as he had no idea what the probes could do and Robin breathed in as he was telling the hardest part now.

"The probes were harmless on their own but when you activate the trigger they can project immense pain in the body which will slowly kill whoever has them inside"

Dick's eyes widened in realization.

"Yeah!" Robin muttered as he saw the look on Dick's face "Slade threatened to kill my friends as long as I did whatever he said! If I disobeyed the slightest command...he would've destroyed them without a second thought!"

Dick stared at Robin for a few moments in utter fear. Fear because Slade had the technology to kill people with a push of a button and if anyone crafty enough to do the same trick than he was in trouble. This Robin was Slade's victim and was at his mercy along with his friends and the thought of it could scare anyone!

"How did you get out of it?" Dick asked but was so quiet it was a whisper.

"After he made rob another industry….Wayne Enterprises!" Dick eyes widened in shock as Robin nodded his head sideways as to say that Slade has no idea of his connection to Bruce Wayne "When my friends came to stop me, he activated the probes but wanted me to keep fighting!" Robin took a breath again before he continued "When I came back to his base, I had enough and fought for the controller then my friends came which gave Slade the perfect reason to use his probes….he almost killed us!"

"Us?" Dick asked confused.

"The only way to stop him was for me to put the other probes into me so Slade would deactivate the rest and that gave us the opportunity to defeat him and get me out of his blackmail"

Silence came after Robin's story and it was just a stare down between the two.

"Aren't you gonna say anything?" Robin spat out as the silence was getting to him.

"How did you know that Slade was going to deactivate the probes when you had them in you?" Dick asked with worry and anger in his tone.

"Slade hates to lose and he wouldn't kill me because I'm afraid he would've have already done it before then!" Robin explained as he sat back down.

"Man. I'm sorry for…."

"Don't be! I got out of it in the end and everyone's fine now!"

"Yeah but it's still scary, what he's done. Just a push of button made you do whatever he said. I mean weren't you scared?"

Another moment of silence happened before Robin decided to mutter out.

"Yes!"

Unknown to the two Boy Wonders that a hidden camera located at the edge of the cave has just recorded the entire exchange.


Watchtower

13:48 PM

November 14th November

Batman had just watched the entire story of Robin's forced apprenticeship on the holo-screen and he was furious!

He had come up to have a meeting with the Justice League about Slade and he was going to let the Team and Titans deal with him as it was Robin's enemy and it felt it was the least he could for him.

But curiosity sparked in him as he opened up footage from the security camera in the Bat-Cave and saw the two Robins just looking at each other's utility belt's. No drama whatsoever.

Until Dick had to ask about the apprenticeship and his need to know everything overtook courtesy as he listened intently: not liking a moment of it!

First he had forced Robin into an apprenticeship with the lives of his friends in the balance. That's strike one!

Secondly he made him steal for him and from his own company no less! That's strike two!

Finally the only option Robin had was putting his own life in Slade's grasp! Strike three! He's out!

Batman ended the feed and ran to one of the Javelins, not caring about the meeting or whatever Justice League member he shoved and when he reached the ship, he set course to Tokyo, Japan.

Half 'n hour later; Batman had landed in the open forest where the Bio-Ship had landed a while earlier and when he got out to rush to the damaged factory; he was met up with Superman.

"Batman" Superman yelled out before he landed next to him "What's going on, you summon us for a meeting and then you just took off?"

"Out of the way Superman!" Batman ordered before he sprinted to the damaged factory where police tape was around the burnt remains as he jumped over it and went on to search for something.

"Batman, what are you doing?" Superman questioned as he flew over to where Batman was searching.

"Slade had to leave behind something we can use and I'm going to find it!" Batman answered as he came across a broken Slade-bot and tried to see if it can still function.

"I knew someone had to come here" a chilled and controlled voice spoke as the two heroes came face to face with Slade.

"Slade" Superman spoke as he got into a defensive position.

"I assumed it was going to be Robin and possibly Batman but the Man of Steel is a nice substitute" Slade said in the same demeaning voice they heard before.

"I'm taking you in Slade before you have a chance to try anything!" Batman exclaimed as he moved forward.

"Oh" Slade said as he and Batman got into a little scuffle before they broke apart "What's brought this on. The other Batman didn't care what I did, why should you?"

Batman scowled before he kicked Slade and Superman came in to punch him but Slade dodged it.

"Is it perhaps that you heard about what I did to your Robin? No. It's mine isn't it?" Slade rhetorically asked before he went on "How amusing. The Batman in my universe never made an effort to confront me and after I done so much to his little bird, no less. But here you are trying to catch me and you haven't even known Robin for a full day. How fatherly"

Even Batman wasn't immune to Slade agonizing and demeaning words as he punched the Terminator in the chest as Superman knocked him to the ground.

"It's over Slade" Batman claimed as he walked over, only to see the mask broken and revealing a robotic face.

"He's a robot?" Superman gasped as he wasn't expecting this.

"Did you really expect me to jeopardize this plan I laid by coming here in person? But still it is nice to see such devotion by you Batman" Slade's voice transmission still worked as he made his robotic minion stand.

"What does he mean by that?" Superman asked as Batman was seething in silent rage.

"What I mean boy scout is that this Batman went to great lengths to confront me after so little time of knowing my presence while my Batman; who had known of my existence for years. Did nothing!" Slade's robotic voice sparked something in Batman as he was clenching his fist at his counterpart's refusal to try and take down this psychopath.

"Shut..up!" Batman was controlling his anger as Superman was in worry for his friend.

"After all I done to Robin, he still didn't bother to come and fight me himself!" Slade went on "After I harmed him, made him become a thief in order for him to gain my trust, blackmailed him into becoming my apprentice and made him steal for me. Which one of the places he broke into was Wayne Enterprises in Gotham. Your city, no less and he still didn't come to arrest me!

Superman was appalled and shocked by the twisted things he made Robin do and Batman fared no better.

"I even tried to destroy him from using his own mind against him and I didn't even get so much as a notice from you! And do you want to know why Batman never confronted me?" Slade still continued to torment the Dark Knight "Because he no longer cares for his little bird and that makes thing so much easier for me…..!"

Before Slade could finish is sentence; Batman swung an explosive Batarang towards his face, disabling the robot at once and to stop him from talking.

"Batman. You don't have to feel responsible for the other universe's Batman" Superman consoled as Batman was inspecting the circuitry.

"Then why do I?"

He merely said as he was done with the robot as a mask was able to bypass the frequency and it was too dangerous to bring the whole thing back.

"What's our move now?" the Man of Steel asked as they walked over to the Javelin.

"We don't do anything. The Titans and the Team will stop Slade!" the Dark Knight firmly replied as Superman stopped him.

"Batman, the Team may be capable but this is out of their league, I mean…"

"If you keep treating them like children then they'll just rebel and do things they're own way. Besides the Titans won't stand by and let us capture their enemy and the Team won't be on the sidelines either"

"So you're just going to let them fight a dangerous criminal out of courtesy?"

"No. I'm letting them do it out of respect. They're both capable teams and I trust them to get the job done"

With that Batman took off in the Javelin with Superman on his tail.

"Because he no longer cares for his little bird….."

Batman had let those words replay in his head for the rest of the trip and it just made him angry that the other Batman didn't do anything to put that madman away! Richard was practically his son for God's sakes and he would do anything in his power to search for that scum himself!

But he refrained himself from doing it now because he owes it to the other Robin.

The other Dick Grayson.

To defeat Slade himself.


So another long wait but I have good reason. It was the end of college before the Christmas Break and I had to do a shit ton of work as a result. Also it was my Birthday on the 14th December; so I had the entire day to chill from this. Also I was preoccupied by other projects I'm working on. Also this may be the final chapter I'll be doing for the year and if that's the case.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!