AN: Welcome back everyone! Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season!
Before we begin:
To SixStringBass on his review of Chapter 2; I honestly had no idea that there were different types of AR-15. I'd say for that particular group of bank heist thieves, they'd likely have Colt Black Rifles. I could give the more advanced and rare rifles to more dangerous groups in the future, like the Maggia.
To warrior of six blades; My sincerest condolences for your laptop. I once lost a ton of writing material in one of my old laptops which forced me to take a hiatus from writing, so I understand that pain.
Also, I agree that Esdeath absolutely outclasses all other ice villains. She would totally be an Avengers-level threat by herself.
You know, I had this fanfic idea about Esdeath existing in the DC Universe, finding out about Superman or Batman, and then falling in love with them and trying to seduce them. She could even take over or destroy the Ice Pack. Just tossing that idea out there for any interested writers.
To mr. bruh; The Mandarin's time will come.
For now, let's see what The Boy Wonder has planned to stop Slade!
Disclaimer: This author does not own the properties of Naruto, Marvel Comics, and DC Comics (unfortunately). This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.
"Hello there!": Speech.
'What a drag': Thoughts.
[I am Iron Man!]: Mechanical Speech
The Earth is Mine!: Monster/Demon Speech
Let'sgetiton!
Chapter 9
Masks
Location: Pym Technologies Facility #1, Jump City
A small red hi-tech chip spins mid-air in a bluish-white energy field in the center of a darkened room. A figure approaches the chip in silver and black armor wearing a black mask with white eyes and a bronze circle on the face. The figure reaches out a silver clawed hand to grab the chip…
…only to appear startled as it notices Robin hanging upside down next to the chip.
"Tell Slade if he wants this, he can come get it himself!" Robin asserts before flipping off of the ceiling and kicking the figure away.
The figure rolls with the hit, backflips away from Robin, and lands in a crouch. The lights suddenly come on, illuminating the metallic white room and the other Teen Titans behind Robin.
A laser unexpectedly shoots from the ceiling at Robin, who jumps away from it. The laser cuts a perfect circle in the ceiling, which soon explodes, allowing five more figures dressed identically to the intruder to rush in and surround the Titans.
[Well, shoot. Now we'll never remember all your names,] Iron Man quips.
The henchmen of Slade rush in and attack the heroes. One of them charges at Robin, who blocks one punch, avoids another, and flips away from a leg sweep. Robin then spins on his hands and swings a kick at the henchman, who blocks the hit. The henchman pulls out a futuristic gun and fires a laser beam at Robin, who jumps and dodges the attack. Robin then jumps again and spin kicks the henchman, who crashes into the wall.
Meanwhile, Starfire is flying around and avoiding the laser blasts from another henchman, who leaps up to grab her. Starfire sees this coming, though, and blasts a massive starbolt that sends the villain tumbling down to the ground.
Another henchman jumps over their tumbling comrade and uses their energy gun to slice off part of a giant light fixture, sending it falling towards Starfire. Luckily, Robin leaps up and pushes Starfire safely out of the way.
Unfortunately, this leaves them unprepared for their three opponents to try and attack them.
Fortunately, a massive computer slides and crashes into the three henchmen, crashing them into the wall.
Nearby, Cyborg and Iron Man are dusting their hands off.
"Amazing what you can do with computers these days," Cyborg jokes.
[And how!] Iron Man agrees as the two heroes fist-bump each other before running back into the fray.
A distance away, Raven glides away from an energy blast from the fourth henchman, who jumps up and launches an energy slash at the heroine. Raven blocks the attack with a black magic shield, though the slash leaves trenches in the floor. Raven uses her shields again to block some punches from the henchman, but a leg sweep gets past her guard and knocks her to the ground. As she recovers, the henchman aims their energy gun at her.
Wham!
But a green ram crashes into the henchman and slams them into the wall. The ram transforms back into Beast Boy and grins at Raven.
"~You owe me big time! You owe me big time!~" Beast Boy gloats, not noticing the fifth henchman aiming their gun right at him.
Wham!
Luckily, the henchman gets crushed between two computers covered in black magic. Raven gives Beast Boy a smug look.
Beast Boy chuckles nervously. "Call it even?"
Back with the chip, the sixth and final henchman leaps across the walls to avoid blasts from Iron Man, Cyborg, and Starfire. One huge leap sends them over the heroes and towards the chip, which they quickly grab before running to escape. Robin pulls out a birdarang and throws it at the fleeing henchman. The weapon knocks the chip out of their hand, sending it flying across the room.
Beast Boy sees the flying chip. "Mine!" he calls out before jumping up, turning into an anteater, and nabbing the chip with his tongue. The anteater lands with the chip secure, but the metal boot of the henchman stomps on the tongue, releasing the chip into the villain's claws.
The henchman leaps back towards the exit and throws a smoke-bomb to the ground, obscuring them in smoke. When the smoke clears, the henchman is gone.
Beast Boy, in his human form, sticks out his tongue in disgust. "That tathted tho nathty!"
[TITANS, GO!] Iron Man calls out as he and the other Titans rush out of the room in pursuit of the stolen chip.
(Insert Theme Song: Teen Titans Theme)
Location: Lower Levels, Pym Technologies Facility #1
The six heroes soon find themselves in a hexagonal room with six hallways leading out and a circular grate below.
Robin turns to Iron Man. "Is that tracker on the chip still working?"
[Yep,] Iron Man confirms as he aims his gauntlet at the grate below.
His laser pops out of the gauntlet and cuts a massive hole in the grate, creating an opening for all six to fit through. The empty laser cartridge pops out as Iron Man and the other Titans enter the water tunnels below.
Just as they all touch down into the tunnel, they see the henchman running away, and quickly pursue.
The henchman sees the heroes right behind them and launches an energy slash backwards, which the heroes are forced to avoid in the now cramped tunnel. Robin recovers fast enough to throw a birdarang, but the henchman blasts it away and continues running.
The henchman then makes a sharp turn into an intersecting tunnel and throws a bomb behind them, which explodes, causing the tunnel to collapse. Iron Man and Starfire fly ahead and quickly blast away the rubble. The two heroes enter the tunnel and see the henchman cutting an exit out of the wall at the end with their energy gun. The henchman then jumps out of the impromptu exit, which leads to a cliffside on the coast, and begins flying into the sky with rocket boots. Iron Man and Starfire fly up in pursuit, leaving the other Titans behind.
"I am asking you nicely to stop running, and–" Starfire begins shouting before an energy blast from the henchman forces her to block herself. Her star-energy shields her, though it causes her to stop pursuing.
This leaves Iron Man to continue the chase, which he's able to do thanks to his superior flight tech.
"Something's off about this guy," Tony mutters in his suit. "Jarvis, scan him for me."
[At once, sir,] Jarvis replies.
The henchman fires some energy blasts behind them, but Iron Man is able to dodge the blasts and close in on the villain. Once close enough, Iron Man grabs the henchman's arms, causing a grapple match to occur mid-air.
Down below, the other Titans have regrouped on a nearby beach and are now watching as Iron Man wrestles with the henchman, the two of them flying down towards the water below.
[Analysis complete, sir,] Jarvis informs.
Tony looks at the findings on his HUD screen and quirks an eyebrow before smirking. "Interesting."
As the henchman struggles to free themselves, they see the arc reactor in Iron Man's chest glow brighter.
The henchman only has a moment to look at the hero wide-eyed–
VRIII-SHOOOOOM!
–Before the Uni-Beam shoots through the henchman's torso and out the other side.
The other Titans look on in horror.
"Dude! Did he just…?!" Beast Boy exclaims, voicing the group's thoughts.
Iron Man lands on the beach below, "victim" in tow, while the other Titans march towards him.
"What did you do to him?!" Robin demands angrily.
[Not him. 'It',] Iron Man clarifies as he shows off the unmoving henchman to the others.
The other Titans' eyes widen as they see wires, sparks, and gears popping out of the gaping hole in the henchman's chest.
"A robot?" Cyborg asks as he and the other Titans take a closer look.
[I had all my scanners on him while we were chasing him. His heartbeat was non-existent, and I couldn't get a lock on him with my missiles because his heat signature was off,] Iron Man explains as his helmet opens. "So, I had Jarvis scan his body, and he found a lot of metal and circuitry where flesh and blood should be."
Robin pulls off the mechanical henchman's mask, revealing a square screen with a speaker below. The screen lights up, showing a one-eyed figure hidden in darkness in a room full of spinning wheels.
[Excellent work, Titans,] the figure congratulates in a voice familiar to Robin.
"Slade," Robin growls.
[Especially you, Robin. I think your skills are improving,] Slade praises the Boy Wonder.
"No more games! What do you want?!" Robin demands.
[But you do lack patience,] Slade admonishes. [If you're really so curious about my intentions, perhaps we should meet face-to-face.]
Tony begins running a trace on the video as he observes Slade's obscured physical form. 'One eye. No slouching. Hands behind their back. Curious.'
"Tell me where you're hiding, and I'll be there in a heartbeat," Robin says to the hidden villain.
[Oh, I'm sure your 'glorious leader' is tracing this signal back to my base as we speak,] Slade says knowingly, [but patience, Robin. Patience.]
Those are Slade's last words before the henchbot suddenly short-circuits and crumbles, leaving the drone unresponsive and smoking.
Robin quickly turns to Tony. "Anything?"
Tony looks at the screen on his arm before shaking his head. "Sorry, Rob. Something was blocking my trace. I couldn't get past it in time."
Robin scowls as another lead on the villain known as Slade appears to have gone nowhere.
Location: Living Room/Kitchen, Titans Tower
Timeskip: Evening
The Teen Titans (minus Tony) are all currently in the living room, with Beast Boy standing in front of the TV facing the others on the couch.
"Okay. All work and no flicks makes me a dull Beast Boy!" the green changeling declares as he holds up two DVDs in his hands. "So, my fellow couch potatoes, what'll it be: Super Ninja Showdown 8 or Maniac Fury: Attack of the Protozoids?"
"Gee. They both sound so good," Raven says sarcastically as she focuses on her book.
"Yeah. It's so hard to pick," Cyborg says seriously, not picking up on Raven's sarcasm. "Wanna watch them both?!"
Raven hides behind her book as annoyance shows on her face.
Starfire turns to Robin, who has an uninterested look on his face. "What about you, Friend Robin? What do you choose for our Potatoing of the Couch?"
Robin sighs. "Honestly, I'm not really up for a Movie Night tonight."
"Come on, Rob. You know Tony's rule: chillaxing after crime-fighting is mandatory," Beast Boy reminds his fellow crime-fighter. "Besides, knowing you, you'd just be sulking in your room about Slade."
"Not sulking. Planning," Robin responds.
"Seriously? Can't that wait until tomorrow?" Cyborg asks in annoyance.
"Guys, this is serious," Robin insists, "Even with that tip-off about the heist, we still almost came close to losing that chip. Some of us nearly got hurt, especially Starfire."
Starfire blushes while Cyborg and Beast Boy share a knowing look.
"Slade is up to something," Robin states as the doors to the living room open, "and we need to figure out what that is and how to stop him."
"Well, I've got something that'll help with that," Tony says as he enters the room and approaches the group.
"Seriously?" Robin asks in surprise.
"I remembered something about what I learned when I interrogated Jinx a while back ago," Tony starts explaining.
Cyborg scoffs. "'Interrogated.' Right."
"…Anyways," Tony continues with an annoyed look, "she mentioned how Slade appeared like he was once in the military. The way he was standing in the video; he had the exact same stance as a bunch of the douchebags I met from the military – except for Rhodey, who will never be a douchebag in a million years." Tony pulls out his smartphone and types away. "So, I did a little digging in the records of the United States Armed forces, looking for a one-eyed man name Slade, and I found this."
The TV screen lights up, revealing a man with short white hair and a white beard-goatee wearing the uniform of a lieutenant-colonel.
"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce former Lieutenant-Colonel Slade Wilson," Tony explains. "Joined the U.S. Army at the ripe old age of 16, after which he quickly mastered every form of combat the military had to offer, allowing him to become the youngest soldier promoted to major in U.S. History. He was such the rising star that he was chosen for a top-secret Super Soldier program."
"You mean he's like Captain America? Are we fighting evil Captain America?!" Beast Boy panics.
"Pardon me, but who is this 'Captain of America'?" Starfire asks in confusion.
"Captain America was a superhero who fought against the Nazis back in World War 2, specifically the sect known as HYDRA," Robin explains. "He defeated HYDRA but disappeared near the end of the war. I guess the Army's been trying to recreate him ever since."
"They haven't been able to reconstruct the serum that made Captain America, as far as I've found," Tony clarifies. "The drug given to Slade enhanced his physical attributes slightly and allowed him to use up to 90% of his brain capacity. This made him even more lethal and helped him rise up to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. However, his army career ended after he was dishonorably discharged due to insubordination. He eventually became the most skilled and dangerous assassin in the world, with the moniker Deathstroke the Terminator."
The screen changes to show Slade wearing silver and black armor, along with a helmet that's bronze on the left and black on the right, with slots for breathing and the eyehole missing on the right.
Robin's eyes instantly widen in recognition. "Wait. He's that Deathstroke?"
Cyborg looks at Robin curiously. "You know about him?"
"Batman told me a story about his first year as a crimefighter," Robin recalls. "It was during Christmastime. The crime lord Black Mask put a bounty on Batman for fifty million dollars and hired a bunch of assassins. Deathstroke was one of them. He nearly killed Batman, but Batman defeated him, the rest of the assassins, and Black Mask – who apparently was The Joker the whole time. Batman said that fighting Deathstroke was one of the most dangerous, life-threatening moments in his career."
"And now we have to deal with him. Great," Raven says in annoyance.
"Along with whoever hired him," Tony adds.
"This is why we shouldn't be wasting time!" Robin insists as he stands up. "If this is really Deathstroke the Terminator we're up against, then we should be planning how to take him down!"
"Whoa! Slow down, Kemosabe!" Tony interjects as he approaches Robin. "We have plenty of time to plan a way to take Slade down. Jarvis is scouring the Internet for clues as we speak, and we'll spend the whole day tomorrow searching the city for his headquarters."
"Aw, man. Seriously?" Beast Boy complains.
"It'll be team building. Besides, we don't have anything else to do tomorrow," Tony tells Beast Boy before turning to Robin. "In the meantime, every one of us is going to get some R&R for the rest of the night. That means no working at all."
"But, he's…," Robin tries arguing as he looks at the image of Slade on the TV.
"Don't worry. We're the Teen Titans. Whatever comes our way, we'll all take care of together," Tony assures his friend as he holds up his fist. "Have a little faith in your friends, buddy."
Robin looks at the offered fist, then towards the smiling faces of his other fellow Titans (and Raven's neutral look), then back at the fist. Robin exhales before tapping Tony's fist with his own.
Tony smiles. "Excellent!" he says before turning to Beast Boy. "Now then, I've enjoyed plenty of ninja stories for one lifetime, so how about Maniac Fury?"
Beast Boy grins. "Sweet! Let's get this movie started!"
With that, Beast Boy puts the DVD into the player, while Tony joins the Titans on the couch. Starfire, meanwhile, pulls Robin down to sit next to her with a cheerful smile on her face. She appears to not notice Robin's beet-red face as she readies herself to enjoy the movie.
Robin shakes off his blush and smiles as he takes in the cheerful, relaxed atmosphere around him.
Location: Robin's Room
Timeskip: Hours Later
Robin has returned to his bedroom after the surprisingly engaging movie. He's currently standing in the middle of the room, rubbing his chin in thought. He glances over at his far wall, which is covered in various paper clippings and lines of string, with the name "Slade" in the middle of the web. He's been using the wall as a makeshift investigation board, where he's posted all of the information he could gather about the villain.
So far, there's plenty he's learned about Slade: the man is wealthy enough to hire supervillains as henchmen, he's technologically capable of upgrading tech-based villains like The Melter and Blizzard, he has knowledge of the arcane arts to summon supernatural monsters like Brimstone, and he has robotic ninjas as his soldiers.
All of this information appears to paint Slade as the type of megalomaniacal genius supervillain bent on taking over the world, like Lex Luthor or Doctor Doom…which apparently is far removed from the mercenary background that Robin just learned of. Perhaps there is another villain pulling the strings behind Slade.
Robin glares at the ground in frustration. 'So much information, yet so little answers.'
"If you're so curious about my intentions, perhaps we should meet face-to-face."
Slade's words haunt Robin's mind. The Boy Wonder wants that meeting sooner rather than later.
Robin looks over at a tall containment unit on another wall. Inside is a special project he's been working on for the past week. If he could modify it cosmetically, and then…
Yeah. That could work. He could learn so much about Slade.
There's just one hiccup: his fellow Titans.
Keeping this a secret from the others would mean Robin would have to trick them into thinking he wasn't involved, meaning he'd have to come up with all sorts of illusions and lies. If he did keep it a secret, and they found out, he's sure that they'd never truly trust him again. That's assuming he wouldn't be kicked off the team entirely.
'My mind is telling me that I should have them be involved with this,' Robin muses. 'I know and feel that telling them is the soundest move, and yet I'm hesitating. Can I really trust them with something like this?'
Batman always taught Robin that the mission always came first. Before anything else. Even one's partners.
Then, Robin remembers what Tony said during the team's Blorthog campfire cookout.
"Those who abandon the mission are scum, but those who abandon their friends – even for the sake of a mission – are worse than scum."
Tony's words spark something inside Robin. 'I'm not Batman, and I won't let myself become him.'
A determined look appears on Robin's face. "I'll tell them."
Location: Living Room/Kitchen, Titans Tower
Timeskip: The Next Morning
As the rising sun shines into the Tower's living room, Cyborg stands in the cooking area with an apron on while the rest of the Titans (minus Robin) sit at the kitchen table.
"Alright, people! If we're gonna bust our butts hunting down Slade, then we've gotta have the right fuel to keep us going all day," Cyborg declares. "So, my fellow crimefighters, prepare yourselves for Cyborg's Super Awesome All You Can Eat Waffle Breakfast!"
Almost instantly, each of the Titans suddenly find a massive stack of waffles in front of them. Each of the stacks has a small dab of butter on top (except for Beast Boy's), and waterfalls of syrup pouring off the sides.
"Dig in!" Cyborg commands before shoveling down his own stack.
Starfire takes a massive bite out of her waffles, before stars appear in her eyes. "Most glorious, my friend!"
Tony is less vocal about his appreciation of the deliciousness, but still has a pleased smile on his face. "Cy, I'll give you $100K for your recipe right now."
"Make it $10 mil, and you've got a deal," Cyborg replies with a grin.
Beast Boy eyes his stack warily. "So, are these…?"
"Yeah, yeah. You got the non-dairy stuff," Cyborg answers in annoyance.
"Sweet!" Beast Boy shouts before digging into his own stack with gusto.
Raven, meanwhile, is less than enthusiastic about the massive amount of carbs in front of her. "Is this…mandatory?"
Raven is suddenly startled by the glare Cyborg gives her.
"Raven, I did not spend two hours this morning making all this delicious food just for it to get rejected. You will eat your waffles, little lady, and YOU WILL LOVE IT!" Cyborg declares loudly.
Raven blinks dumbly. "…Okay," she says before taking a bite out of her waffles.
The doors to the living room suddenly open, and the Titans look to see Robin walk into the room with an uncharacteristically cheerful smile on his face.
"Good morning, Titans!" Robin calls out as he joins the other bewildered heroes at the kitchen table.
"…Uh, here you go, man," Cyborg says as he puts a stack of waffles in front of Robin.
"Waffles? Cool!" Robin says excitedly as he starts eating his stack.
Tony smiles at his comrade. "Well, someone's feeling chipper this morning."
"Indeed! I am most pleased to see you enjoying this sunshiny morning, Robin!" Starfire adds happily.
Beast Boy rolls his eyes. "Duh! We're going after his 'archnemesis'. Of course, he's happy."
"Actually, I was thinking we could do something else," Robin says, surprising the group further. "Something that's hopefully less exhausting and time-consuming."
"THANK YOU, GOD!" Beast Boy shouts, raising his arms up into the air.
"You mean I made all these waffles for nothing!" Cyborg complains.
"You earned $10 million after two hours of work. That's hardly nothing," Tony says to Cyborg before turning to Robin. "So, I take it you have an alternative?"
Robin finishes another bite of waffle before answering, "I do have this one idea. The thing is, I'm not so sure if it's a good one."
Tony smirks. "I like the sound of this already."
Robin rubs his head anxiously. "So, I was thinking that instead of us tracking down Slade, we have Slade come to us, and the way to do that would be for one of us to…I don't know…pretend to be a villain," Robin suggests before chuckling nervously.
Crickets chirp as the other Titans give Robin wide-eyed looks of shock.
"…So, what happened to the Robin we know?" Raven asks.
"Rob, I can tell you right now that this is not a good idea," Cyborg says seriously, before an excited grin forms on his face. "Tell us more!"
Seeing that he hasn't been outright rejected, Robin continues more confidently, "Well, after that failed heist yesterday, we know that Slade is after the chip at Pym Technologies. I'm sure that he's going to try again, but if we have the fake villain take the chip first, we can use it against him. We'll force Slade to come get it himself, set a trap for him–"
"And kick his butt once and for all!" Beast Boy finishes excitedly. "Dude! That's perfect!"
"Let me guess; you want to play the fake villain," Tony says to Robin knowingly.
Robin looks sheepish. "Well, I mean…"
Tony waves Robin off. "It's all cool. He's your archnemesis, after all. Besides, you're more experienced in these kinds of covert operations anyway. I mean, I'd probably be a close second, but…"
Raven nudges Tony, who smiles playfully.
"I believe you will make a fantastic villain, Robin!" Starfire declares happily, before suddenly covering her mouth. "I did not mean…I mean…"
Robin smiles at Starfire. "It's alright, Star. I know what you mean."
"I can already see one glaring problem with this plan, Robin: you," Raven states. "If you're off playing a villain, then you're not playing 'Robin'. I'm pretty sure a guy who can use 90% of his brainpower will find something odd with Robin and the villain not being together at the same time."
"I thought of that. I was thinking of making a hologram of me," Robin suggests.
Tony suddenly snaps his fingers. "Son of a…I've got it! Jarvis, can you bring the LMD here from the Danger Room?"
[At once, sir,] Jarvis answers.
"What is this LMD you are speaking of, Tony?" Starfire asks curiously.
"It's something I've been meaning to add to the Danger Room for a while now," Tony explains. "I wanted a way for us to practice fighting against different supervillains, like Blizzard or Crimson Dynamo. I originally thought of using solid holograms, but then I remembered the special tool I invented a long time ago."
The living room doors open again, this time revealing what appears to be a robotic endoskeleton with human-like eyes and teeth. The robot approaches the bewildered teens and stops right beside Robin.
"Dude," Beast Boy says, "that looks like–"
"For copyright purposes, you shouldn't finish that sentence," Tony quickly interjects. "Jarvis, load Program T-01."
Metal panels suddenly cover the endoskeleton and link together. Tony smiles triumphantly while the others gawk as what appears to be a perfect copy of Robin stands before them.
Robin quickly stands up and inspects the duplicate. "Tony…this is brilliant!"
"This is a Life Model Decoy, or LMD for short," Tony explains. "By analyzing a person's physical appearance, speech, and movements, it can make itself a near-perfect copy of that person. It doesn't do superpowers, though."
Beast Boy gives Tony a knowing grin. "I bet you use this baby to skip out on a bunch of boring meetings, huh?"
"No comment," Tony answers flatly. "Anyways, I figure the LMD can play Robin while the real Robin plays villain."
"You think this'll fool Slade?" Robin asks.
"With Jarvis piloting it, I'm sure of it," Tony answers confidently. "Ain't that right, buddy?"
[Indeed, sir,] Jarvis answers from the LMD's mouth. [I have many recordings of you in combat, Robin, and I'll use that information to mimic your fighting style. I believe I can make a decent crimefighter in your stead.]
Robin raises an eyebrow at this information before turning to Tony. "Should I be worried about you recording my fights?"
"Nah. The recordings are just for training purposes," Tony replies. "You can have them if you want."
Robin nods at the answer, before turning to the LMD and smirking. "You know, my speech isn't nearly as sophisticated as yours, Jarvis."
The LMD identically smirks back. "I figured as much," Jarvis retorts in Robin's voice. "Luckily, I've got a good pair of ears."
"This is sweet!" Beast Boy says excitedly. "Do me next!"
"Not now, Beast Boy/Not now, Beast Boy." Robin and Jarvis both answer in annoyance.
Beast Boy droops. "Great. What do they call it? Stereo?"
"Well, now that that's settled, all we have to do is make Robin a villain," Tony states.
Beast Boy looks excited again. "Oh! Oh! What do we call him?! The Falcon?! Warhawk?! Red Robin?!"
"Actually, I've already made a costume design and moniker for myself," Robin says as he pulls out a big rolled-up sheet of paper. He unrolls it and presents it to the team, who all gaze at what's drawn on it.
Tony smirks. "This is perfect."
Location: Pym Technologies Facility #1, Jump City
Timeskip: Evening
Two guards stand in the ruined remains of the red chip's storage room. After the break-in last night, the company increased security in the facility to better protect the asset.
EEERRRRRP! EEERRRRRP! EEERRRRRP!
Suddenly, the alarms start blaring in the now flashing-red room. The two guards quickly rush out the room's only entrance and raise their weapons to shoot the intruder(s).
Only to find their surroundings empty.
"I don't like this," one guard says to the other before the door unexpectedly closes behind them. "Hey!"
Inside the now guard-free room, a figure shimmers into existence and grabs the chip. The figure wears a black bodysuit with a ragged black cape, gray gloves that resemble shredded bandages, and a mask with a bone-white skull on it. A symbol of a red X is on the skull, with one point going into the right eye. Similar Xs are on the figure's chest and gloves.
The door explodes behind the figure, and the guards run into the room.
"He's got the chip!" shouts one of the guards before both of them shoot at the thief.
The thief leaps towards the ceiling, avoiding the blaster fire, and appears to phase out of the room.
"Where did he go?!" the other guard questions, but neither have an answer.
Location: Rooftop, Pym Technologies Facility #1
The thief opens a hatch, steps onto the roof, and prepares to head off towards his next destination.
[Eager to get home?]
The thief turns and finds all six Teen Titans looking at him, ready for a fight.
"Who are you?!" "Robin" demands. "Are you working for Slade?!"
"Red X works alone," the now identified thief declares, his mask modifying his voice, before holding his hand out. A red X shoots out of his palm towards the heroes.
Cyborg intercepts the X with a sonic blast while the others split up to surround the thief. Iron Man fires his repulsors at Red X, who leaps away from the blasts. Red X then fires more Xs at Iron Man, who flies around to avoid them.
Beast Boy transforms into a lion and jumps to tackle Red X. The thief shoots out another X in response, which turns into red goop that messily coats the green lion and sends the beast tumbling away. The lion tries to get back up, but the red goop keeps him stuck to the roof. Beast Boy turns into a gorilla, a hawk, and an elephant, but none of those other forms get him free.
Starfire and Raven then fly towards Red X, with Starfire throwing her starbolts at the thief. Red X backflips away from the bolts, before jumping back to avoid the claw of black magic that tries to grab him. Red X shoots two more Xs out of his palms, with one of them wrapping around Starfire's body, sending her to the ground with a yelp.
"Azarath Met–MMPH!" Raven tries to chant before the other X covers her mouth, cutting off her magic and making her fall as well.
Cyborg tries grabbing Red X from behind, but the thief dodges the grapple. Cyborg punches at the thief, but Red X leaps over the hero, lands behind him, and slaps an X on the mechanical teen's back. Electricity rushes through Cyborg's body, making the hero twitch and spasm.
"Yo! No fair, man!" Cyborg yells before collapsing to the ground in a heap.
Red X looks at the fallen hero, seemingly unaware of Iron Man aiming his repulsors at the thief from above.
[Dodge these, Edgelord,] Iron Man says before firing his repulsors.
Only to watch as Red X shifts and disappears.
[Hey! Where did he go?!] Iron Man calls out as he looks around, not noticing Red X reappear right under him.
Suddenly, two Xs close around the bottom of Iron Man's jet boots, cutting off his upward propulsion.
[Oh crap!] Iron Man yells as he crashes to the ground.
The armored hero slowly tries to get up, only for two more Xs to secure his hands to the roof.
[Okay. Not cool,] Iron Man grumbles in defeat.
This just leaves "Robin", who starts punching and kicking at the thief. Red X spins and dodges the hits before grabbing the hero's wrists, stopping "Robin's" attack.
"Robin" struggles to get himself free. "What do you want with the chip? What are you planning?"
"You wouldn't understand," Red X responds cryptically before firing an X that covers "Robin's" eyes, blinding the hero. This leaves "Robin" open to a sweeping kick that sends him tumbling to the ground.
With all of the heroes defeated, Red X runs away, leaps off the roof edge, and disappears.
"So, do you guys see what I don't see?" Beast Boy asks in confusion.
"Who was that guy?" Cyborg questions as he lays unmoving on the roof.
[Whoever he is, he's officially on my shit-list,] Iron Man declares.
Nearby, a security camera focuses on the defeated Titans.
Location: Living Room/Kitchen, Titans Tower
Timeskip: One Hour Later
"Seriously, Rob, I'm a walking arsenal, and even I think you have too many gadgets in that suit," Tony complains as he and the other Titans clean/fix themselves up in the living room.
"Yeah! Look what you did to my do! I'm looking at two months of Bad Hair Days!" Beast Boy yells while Starfire cuts the red gunk out of his hair.
Off to the side stands the new thief Red X, who has his mask off…
Revealing the true Robin.
"I'm so sorry guys," Robin apologizes. "I wanted to make Red X a strong, convincing villain to catch Slade's attention."
"Well, you definitely succeeded there," Cyborg comments.
[I am hopeful that I was able to be convincing enough in my performance,] Jarvis says through the LMD's mouth while the red X still covers the robot's eyes.
"Your moves were a little rigid, but otherwise, I think you did well," Robin replies.
"MMM! MMMM!" Raven tries yelling, pointing at the red X still covering her mouth.
"I don't know, Raven. That's kind of a good look for you," Beast Boy jokes.
Raven sends an annoyed glare at the green teen.
"Hold still," Cyborg advises before ripping the X off Raven's face like duct tape.
Raven screams internally for a moment before composing herself. "…Ow." She then turns to Robin. "The fact that you didn't hold back means that Slade might take you more seriously. You made the right choice."
Robin still looks shameful. "Still, if any of you guys had gotten hurt because of me…"
"You need not feel guilt, Robin. We are undamaged," Starfire says comfortingly.
"Hello!" Beast Boy cries out, pointing at his gunk-covered head.
"…Mostly undamaged," Starfire adds with a sheepish blush. She turns to Robin with a smile. "We all understood what might occur during this mission. We bear no grudges against you, my friend."
Robin smiles back in relief. "Thanks, guys." He then frowns again as he holds up the red chip. "Still, even though I'm just pretending to be a villain, I feel so…dirty."
"Relax, Mr. Anti-Hero," Tony says to his friend. "No crime's being committed. I talked with Hank before our 'heist'. He already had the real chip replaced with the replica that you're holding, so No Harm No Foul."
"We are most fortunate that you already know this Hank Pym," Starfire comments.
"Well, geniuses tend to have some sort of relationship with each other, though not all of them are pleasant," Tony says. "It's definitely on the pleasant side with Hank. He's a pacifist with a big brain and a good heart, although he's a bit more science-obsessed than others."
"Isn't he also the hero Ant-Man?" Beast Boy asks.
"Ant-Man?" Starfire questions curiously.
"He's a superhero that can shrink and grow his body into any size he wants, gaining super-strength when he's small," Tony explains. "He can also use a special helmet to talk to insects, especially ants. Long ago, he was a student of Dr. Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom from the Justice Society of America."
"Wait. He's a pacifist AND a superhero? Does he catch bad guys with pillows or something?" Beast Boy asks jokingly.
Tony shrugs. "Well, he can use his Pym Particles to grow and shrink everyday items, so I wouldn't be surprised if he used a giant pillow as a safety net a couple of times."
"Back to the mission," Robin interjects. "What's our next move?"
Tony smirks. "Well, we have our bait. Now all we need to do is set it."
Location: Unknown Room, Titans Tower
Tony is busy typing away on a computer while Cyborg sets up a video camera connected to the computer. Robin stands in the middle of the room still wearing his Red X outfit (minus the mask). The other three Titans watch all this from the wall behind the camera, with Starfire holding a huge stage light.
"Alright! I'm set up on my end," Tony states as he finishes typing. "We've got a nice little posting on the black market for a 'red techy chip' just waiting for a response. I've even linked a dummy bank account."
"Have you done this before?" Robin asks.
"I helped SHIELD out with an undercover operation a while back before we all met," Tony explains. "The case agent ended up becoming an unofficial combat instructor of mine. I still call him Sensei."
"Camera's set up," Cyborg says while the camera's pointed right at Robin.
"Robin, you know the script?" Tony asks.
Robin nods. "I need the full payment in cash and delivered in person. I'll be at Tito's Junkyard at 5:00am tomorrow for the trade. If he's a minute late, the deal's off."
"What if someone else contacts us for the chip?" Raven asks.
"Everyone knows that a robbery occurred at Pym Technologies, but nobody knows that it was a red computer chip," Tony explains, "You see, the chip isn't an official Pym Technologies item. Apparently, it's one of Hank's weird secret projects. I don't know the details. Hank's being unusually tight-lipped about it. The point is the only ones who know about the chip are us, Hank Pym,…"
"And Slade," Robin finishes.
An indicator suddenly goes off on the computer screen, getting everyone's attention.
"And we've got a bite!" Tony calls out. "Raven! Backdrop!"
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," Raven chants before black magic covers the walls and ceiling, darkening the entire room.
"Light!" Tony yells.
Starfire turns on the stage light and shines it on Robin.
"Camera!" Tony calls out.
Cyborg activates the camera.
"Silence!" Tony shouts while pointing at Beast Boy.
Beast Boy turns into a tortoise and tucks into his shell.
"Robin," Tony says as he quickly gets into Robin's face. "You are a strong young farmhand, and the edgy loner thief named Red X is your cow. Milk it!"
Tony rushes to the computer and positions the screen towards Robin, who puts on the mask, becoming Red X.
"Aaaaand…showtime," Tony whispers from behind the screen before pressing a key.
Immediately, the screen shows the same one-eyed man standing in the same gear-filled room.
[I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time,] Slade says to the undercover hero.
"That depends: are we doing business?" Red X asks evenly, looking straight at the camera.
[That depends,] Slade answers. [First off, I'd like to know who I'm dealing with.]
"Isn't it common courtesy to offer your name before demanding someone else's?" Red X questions, causing Tony's eye to twitch in annoyance.
Slade hums in amusement. [My apologies. I am called Slade. And what are you called?]
"X. Red X," the "thief" answers.
[Hm. Catchy,] Slade comments. [Now then, about your 'merchandise'…]
"You mean this?" Red X asks as he holds up the red chip. "I take it you're interested?"
[I'm interested in many things,] Slade answers cryptically.
Red X scoffs. "How mysterious," he says, appearing disinterested. "Anyways, about my payment."
[Let's not be so hasty, Mr. X. You haven't even heard my offer,] Slade interjects, confusing everyone in the room. [Tell me: how would you like to do three times the work for five times the reward?]
Red X's eyes widen in surprise before narrowing again. "I'm listening."
[That chip in your hand is but one of three,] Slade reveals, making Tony rub his chin in thought. [It has some worth by itself, but with the other two chips, their applications skyrocket – as does their value. Unfortunately, my current situation has made acquiring these chips difficult to say the least. That's where you come in. Collect the other two chips, bring all three of them to me, and you'll be greatly rewarded.]
"A tempting offer," Red X says, "but what guarantee do I have that you'll hold up your end of the bargain? How do I know that you aren't leading me into some kind of trap?"
Slade hums. [Your question is understandable. Trust is easily shattered, but it takes time to build.]
An indicator goes off on the computer. Red X looks shocked as he sees that a deposit has been made into the dummy account.
[The full amount you originally requested,] Slade states. [Consider it an extension of my olive branch. So, are we in business?]
Red X looks down, appearing to be in deep thought, before turning back to the camera. "Fine. I'll take your offer."
[A wise decision, Mr. X,] Slade says, before another indicator pops up. [Here are the floor plans for the Pym Technologies facility containing the second chip. This should make your job significantly easier.]
"Well, I do like as little hassle as possible," Red X comments before glaring at Slade. "Just so we're clear, if you double-cross me in any way, there won't be a single piece of you for anyone to find."
Slade chuckles. [A man after my own heart. Rest assured, should you succeed in this little quest, you'll profit more than you can possibly imagine. Best of luck to you, Red X.]
With that, the video feed cuts off.
"…Aaaand cut!" Tony calls out, making the other Titans breathe out in relief. "Phew! If we don't win any Emmys from this, I'm gonna riot."
"Dude! That was so intense!" Beast Boy cries out.
Robin takes off the Red X mask and sighs. "So much for setting the trap for Slade. What do we do now?"
"Well, I'm gonna call Hank and tell him to prep another fake chip for us to steal. Maybe I can get more info on the chips themselves," Tony answers. "In the meantime, Robin, you have another heist to plan."
Robin sulks. "Great."
Location: Tech Sector, Jump City
Timeskip: The Next Evening
The Teen Titans, including "Robin", are currently standing on top of a roof overlooking the Tech Sector of Jump City.
Beast Boy lets out a monstrous yawn. "Ugh! Did we really have to do this during bedtime?"
"You sleep in until 10:00 am, Beast Boy," Raven points out. "When is it not your bedtime?"
[Besides, the dark shadowy thief known as Red X wouldn't do any crimes while the sun's out. Speaking of which,] Iron Man says before activating his communicator. [How's it going on your end?]
[I'm securing the chip as we speak. I'll be over by you guys in just a bit,] Red X answers.
[Gotcha. We'll keep our eyes open,] Iron Man states.
"ZZZZZ," Beast Boy snores as he sleep-stands.
[…Well, most of us will. Iron Man out,] Iron Man says before shutting off the communicator.
"So, did you ever find out what the chips are for?" Cyborg asks.
[No. Hank said he's keeping it close to his chest, which has me concerned,] Iron Man answers. [Hank's usually more open about his scientific breakthroughs, and he's not the kind of guy to get involved with anything shady.]
"Don't take any offense to this, but is it possible he's worried that you'll steal his project, or perhaps take his idea and finish it before he does?" Raven suggests.
Iron Man scoffs. [Nah. That's ridiculous. Hank's my friend, and I'm not the kind of ruthless tech mogul that climbs to the top no matter the cost. That stuff's more up Luthor or Osborne's alley.]
[That may be so, sir, but you do have a reputation of 'absorbing' the scientific talent around you,] Jarvis points out from the LMD "Robin". [I believe a total of 19 tech companies had their top scientists and engineers taken from them by you during Stark Industries' rise to power.]
Iron Man shrugs. [I made their people an offer they couldn't refuse. It's not my fault that the companies couldn't provide their people with proper benefits and a place to truly practice their genius.]
Starfire suddenly gasps and points down to the street below. "Down there!"
The other Titans – including a now awake Beast Boy – look down and see Red X running through the streets, making his escape.
[That's our cue, people!] Iron Man declares as he and the Titans leap down to give chase.
Red X jumps into the underground subway system, with the Titans following close behind. When the Titans enter the subway, Red X is nowhere to be found.
Cyborg looks around and says, "Tony and I have adjusted our ocular sensors to scan at multiple sub-harmonics in the EM spectrum."
"…'Kay. Do you come with subtitles?" Beast Boy asks in confusion.
[He means our eyes should spot X even if he's invisible,] Iron Man answers as his sensors scan the subway platform.
Right before the thief jumps down right in front of him and sucker punches the hero.
The rest of the non-mechanical Titans see something invisible hit Iron Man and send him skidding across the ground.
"It's him!" Raven states loudly.
Cyborg looks back at where Red X was, only to find nothing. Behind him, Red X slams another X on Cyborg's back, hoping to short-circuit him again, but nothing happens.
Cyborg smirks at Red X, who's invisibility drops. "You're gonna have to learn some new tricks, dog!" Cyborg declares before grabbing the thief and throwing him towards the other heroes.
Red X flips in the air and lands in a crouch. The thief finds himself surrounded by the other Titans, with Iron Man having recovered from the hit.
"Surrender! We do not wish to fight you!" Starfire pleads.
"But we will get answers from you, one way or another," "Robin" asserts.
"Sorry, but I don't plan on getting locked up anytime soon," Red X declares before jumping up and launching an X at Starfire, which is blocked by a magic shield from Raven.
Cyborg swings at Red X, who avoids each hit. Starfire flies in to hit the thief, but Red X uses his cape like a matador to dodge the attack, causing Starfire to crash into Cyborg. Beast Boy turns into a bear as he and Raven go in for a pincer-attack, but Red X kicks both of them away, with Raven crashing into a stack of crates.
Iron Man fires his repulsors at Red X, who backflips away from the blasts before leaping into the air.
"Tony! Fastball!" "Robin" shouts as he runs towards his comrade.
Iron Man grabs "Robin's" arms, swings him around, and launches him at Red X for a high-speed kick. Just before "Robin" can connect, however, Red X teleports away, appearing right behind Iron Man.
Red X prepares to fire an X at Iron Man, but a green ram knocks him away. Beast Boy changes back and charges at Red X, who swings himself around a cinderblock column and launches himself at the green teen. Beast Boy ducks to avoid the incoming thief. This leaves the hero open to a punch from Red X, which sends Beast Boy crashing down onto the tracks below.
As Beast Boy recovers, a light suddenly shines on him as he hears a roar from the tunnel ahead. He looks in horror as a subway train comes out of the tunnel, about to crash right into him.
Suddenly, a figure leaps over Beast Boy, grabs him, and pulls him off of the tracks just before a collision can happen.
Beast Boy gets back on his feet, looks at the passing train that nearly made him paste, then turns to his savior.
Red X.
"…Um, thanks, dude?" Beast Boy says unsurely, right before Red X kicks him back down.
With Beast Boy down and the other Titans blocked off by a subway train, Red X wastes no time in running out of the tunnel and making his escape.
Once the train passes, the other Titans regroup with Beast Boy.
Starfire helps the green teen up. "Beast Boy! You are undamaged?!"
"Yeah, I'm good," Beast Boy answers before looking towards the stairs that Red X escaped through. "I guess I owe that guy one."
[We'll give him a thank-you card once we lock him up,] Iron Man states.
Nearby, a security camera focuses on the team of heroes.
Location: Unknown Room, Titans Tower
Timeskip: One Hour Later
Once again, Red X stands in the extra-darkened room facing the camera as Slade's image is on the computer screen.
[Impressive, Red X,] Slade praises. [I tapped into the security cameras to catch your performance. You treated the Titans to quite a show.]
Red X crosses his arms. "Well, I'm glad you found me so entertaining," he says in apparent annoyance.
[Indeed, you were,] Slade says before his lone eye narrows, [although, I couldn't help but take note of that selfless act you did before your escape.]
"If you're talking about me saving that guy from turning into pea soup, it wasn't selfless. It was self-preservation," Red X argues.
Slade's eye widens in surprise. [Really? Care to explain?]
"I'm a thief. Plain and simple. Thieves pop up all the time. No one cares about thieves," Red X explains. "However, if a hero dies because of me, everything changes. I become a cape-killer, and then the Justice League, the Feds, SHIELD, and practically every law enforcement available will be on my ass 24/7. I'd rather not have to deal with all that shit, thank you very much."
Slade hums in thought. [I see. A sound survival strategy. It appears I've misjudged you, Mr. X. That being said, I believe your wanting to stay under the radar and avoiding the arm of the law is hampering your true potential.]
"And what do you care about my true potential?" Red X asks.
[Well, after seeing you in action, I would like to invest in your development,] Slade states.
Red X looks confused by this. "You mean you wanna be a regular client or something?"
[Mmm…or something,] Slade answers. [I believe that with you by my side, you'll become who you were truly meant to be.]
"Let's focus on the here and now," Red X says as he holds up the red chip, along with its blue cousin. "I believe I have one more item on my shopping list."
[Indeed, you do,] Slade states as some more floor plans appear on the screen, along with the image of the third green chip. [One last test. Prove yourself, and we'll meet to discuss your future.]
With that the computer screen goes dark.
"Good," Robin says before taking off the mask of Red X. "It's about time we met face-to-face."
Location: Living Room/Kitchen, Titans Tower
Timeskip: The Nest Day
Four of the six Teen Titans are currently relaxing in the living room. Cyborg and Beast Boy are watching TV, Starfire is making a snack, and Raven is once again reading a book.
The doors open, and the Titans look and see Robin enter the room in his Red X outfit – minus the mask.
Starfire notices the unhappy look on Robin's face and approaches him. "Are you alright, Robin?" she asks with concern.
"I'll be okay, Star," Robin answers. "The sooner I can put Red X to rest, the better."
"I'm with you on that, Rob," Cyborg answers. "I prefer Mr. Goody Two-Shoes any day."
"You and me both, Cyborg," Robin says before turning to Beast Boy with an apologetic look. "Beast Boy, words cannot describe how sorry I am about what happened last night."
Beast Boy rolls his eyes. "I don't know, Robin. You did a pretty good job describing it the last eight times you apologized. Dude, I forgave you already. It's all good."
"No, it isn't," Robin insists. "Putting the people that I care for in harm's way just to catch a villain? That's exactly the reason why I left Batman. I swore that I wouldn't let myself become like him, and now I'm using his tactics to stop Slade."
Raven closes her book and looks straight at Robin. "Robin, in case you haven't noticed, we put ourselves in harm's way on a regular basis. That's all part of being a superhero. The only way to take ourselves out of danger would be to quit being superheroes, and that's extremely unlikely to happen."
"She's right about that," Beast Boy chimes in. "I've been 'Beast Boy' since I was a kid, and I ain't quitting anytime soon!"
Starfire puts a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder. "I have learned much about who you are as a person, and though my knowledge on the Man of Bats is limited, I know that you are far from becoming him. You genuinely wish to help people, especially your friends. It is something I admire greatly, and it is what will keep you from 'The Crossing of The Line', as you so put it."
Robin blushes at Starfire's praise. "Thank you, Starfire." He then turns to the rest of the group. "In any case, I'm hopeful that this'll be the last time I have to do something like this."
"I don't know, Robin. Besides the whole villain design, the Red X suit is pretty sweet," Beast Boy admits.
"I'm curious about you turning invisible and teleporting," Cyborg adds. "That kind of technology requires some serious juice. What kind of power source are you using?"
Robin suddenly looks nervous. "Well…"
Robin's explanation is interrupted as the doors open again and Tony enters the room talking on his cell phone.
"Honestly, I don't know why you were so tight-lipped about it," Tony says to the person on the other end. "For a second or two, I thought you were into something shady – just for a second!…Yes, I know it's a lot longer in terms of advanced computing…So, does this project have a name?…Huh. That actually sounds cool. You know, if you ever need any…Well, of course I know you're capable. You can shrink down smaller than an atom, for God's sake…Alright, I understand. Well, if you've taken care of everything on your end, we'll do our part. Thanks for your assistance, by the way…Of course. We're happy to help. Say hi to Janet for me. Alright, catch you later, Hank."
Tony hangs up the call while the other Titans look on.
"Finally got an answer?" Raven asks.
Tony nods. "Project: Ultron."
"Sounds cool!" Beast Boy says.
"It is, from what it sounded like," Tony states. "Apparently, Hank's trying to make his own advanced AI."
"Artificial Intelligence?" Cyborg asks in curiosity. "Like Skynet?"
"Yes, though completely non-lethal…hopefully," Tony answers. "He wants to use it as a highly intelligent lab assistant to help him with his scientific exploits, kind of like how Jarvis helps me." Tony grins cheekily. "To be honest, I think he's a bit jealous of my situation and wants his own Jarvis, which will be extremely difficult. There's only one Jarvis, after all."
[I appreciate the sentiment, sir,] Jarvis responds.
Robin rubs his chin in thought. "So, Hank Pym is using these chips to make Ultron?"
"That's right," Tony answers. "Each chip drastically increases the processing power of a computer. I'm guessing that with all three combined, you've got yourself an AI. Makes you wonder what could happen if Slade got his hands on them."
"How the heck did Slade know about the chips in the first place?" Cyborg questions. "Didn't you say this was a secret project?"
"It was from an inside source. Apparently, one of Hank's researchers working here at the Jump City facilities was a mole planted by Slade," Tony explains. "I can only assume Slade did the same for most of the companies in the city, trying to gain as much information as possible. I already have Pepper and Jarvis combing through Stark Industries for any potential leaks."
"Well, his efforts won't help him now. Tonight, we're taking Slade down together!" Robin declares, getting excited smiles from the rest of the team – even a small one from Raven.
Tony nods with a grin. "Amen to that, brother."
Location: Pym Technologies Facility #3, Jump City
Timeskip: Evening
Red X walks through a darkened metal room, with the only sources of light being the one illuminating the green chip and the one from the hole Red X made to get in.
'A lot less security than I expected,' Red X thinks to himself as he grabs the chip.
"Excellent work, Red X."
The thief turns around to face the source of the voice. A figure steps into the second light, revealing Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator, in his trademark armor.
"Honestly, I couldn't have done better myself," Slade praises.
"I don't know about that. Looks like you didn't have any trouble on your end, Deathstroke the Terminator," Red X notes.
Slade chuckles. "It seems my infamy precedes me."
"And you came all this way just to meet little old me?" Red X asks. "I'm flattered."
"Why not? You did exceptional work on your own against Iron Man and the Teen Titans. Just imagine how far you can go under my tutelage," Slade says to the thief.
Red X raises an eyebrow under his mask. "You're really serious about me working with you?"
"Indeed. You and I are so much alike. It seems only natural that we should be partners," Slade answers as he offers his hand.
"Let's talk about my payment first," Red X says as he holds up the three chips. "After that, we can discuss any partnership. Hell, if the money stays good, I might even consider you a friend."
"A mercenary through-and-through, I see," Slade notes. "Not even curious about what I have planned for those chips?"
Red X shrugs. "I'm guessing…a new gaming PC?"
Slade laughs at Red X's answer. "My, oh my. You sure make a good show of indifference, but not good enough…Robin."
Robin only has a moment to look shocked before a net shoots out from behind him and snatches all three chips out of his hand. Slade grabs the chips just as the lights turn on in the room. Robin looks around and sees himself and Slade surrounded by a small army of ninja-bots on the upper walkways, along with several large white-and-black robots that each have a single red eye and massive clamping claws.
'No wonder security was nonexistent,' Robin notes mentally as he touches the communicator in his mask. "Guys! My cover's blown!"
KABOOM!
A massive explosion from the ceiling shakes the room.
[TEEN TITANS, GO!] Iron Man shouts as he and the other Titans – including LMD "Robin" – fall into the room and group up with the real Robin, who takes off his Red X mask.
[Well, so much for my final performance,] Jarvis laments from the LMD's mouth.
[You're job's not done yet, buddy,] Iron Man says as he and the other Titans prepare for battle.
"Fascinating," Slade notes before running out of the room, leaving his small army behind to face the Titans.
"He's getting away!" Robin yells as he tries to give chase, only for four of the large robots to block his path.
Suddenly, four missiles shoot from behind Robin and impact the robots, which only have a moment to process the situation before they blow up into scrap. Robin turns around and see Iron Man with his arm extended out. Farther back, a green octopus wrestles with another large robot while yet another one is pushed away by Raven's magic.
[Go! Take him down! We'll handle things here!] Iron Man orders before firing his repulsors at some Ninjabots.
Robin nods before chasing after Slade.
Location: Rooftop, Pym Technologies Facility #3
Slade bursts out of a hatch and makes his escape, with Robin right behind him. Slade jumps off the roof and onto one adjacent. Robin follows suit, intent on catching his prey. The chase continues for three more rooftops before Robin fires an X at Slade, who rolls to avoid the trap. Slade then makes a rather massive leap over 8-lane Main Street onto a smaller building still under construction.
Slade makes no move to continue running, instead appearing to wait for Robin. Robin takes one look at the rather long distance between the buildings and simply presses the X on his belt. Almost instantly, he's teleported himself a short distance away from Slade on the roof, the red light of Jump City's Japantown sign illuminating them both.
"Smart choice. I wouldn't want you getting hurt," Slade says in what appears to be a caring tone.
"Drop the act, Slade," Robin demands.
"Who says it was an act?" Slade asks. "I'm quite open to the idea of us working together."
"Sorry. I have a strict policy about working with psychos," Robin says as he and Slade circle one another.
"How very noble of you. But stealing in order to trap me? That wasn't so noble," Slade states. "Two wrongs don't make a right, after all."
"Who says I stole anything?" Robin asks as he and Slade stop circling.
Slade opens the net in his hand, revealing the three chips. "I think these speak for themselves, don't you?"
Robin looks at the chips and smirks, something Slade notices. The villain takes a closer look at the chips in his hand, then crushes them in his grip.
"Fakes," Slade growls as powder escapes his hand.
"Like I said, I don't work with psychos," Robin declares before taking a fighting stance.
Slade hums in thought. "Quite a clever plan you've made, Robin…assuming of course it is still your plan, and not Stark's."
Robin's eyes narrow at Slade's words.
"I'm not sure which of you came up with this scheme, but I'm certain that Stark took over most of the planning and technical work, leaving you as nothing more than a foot soldier," Slade continues. "It must be frustrating leaving the long shadow of Batman, only to find yourself under Iron Man's. Two powerful dominating heroes who see the Boy Wonder as nothing more than a tool for their own gains."
"Tony Stark is my friend, just like all the other Titans, and if you're trying to pit me against them, you're only succeeding in pissing me off," Robin declares angrily. "The game's over, Slade!"
"On the contrary, Robin, it's only just begun," Slade states before charging towards the hero.
Robin scowls and charges as well, eager to defeat the villain once and for all.
Location: Pym Technologies Facility #3, Jump City
The other Titans have already dealt with most of Slade's forces, with all of the larger robots already destroyed. All that remains are half of the starting Ninjabots.
"This battle is taking too long! We must regroup with Robin!" Starfire declares as she blasts apart a Ninjabot.
A green triceratops impales another Ninjabot before turning back into Beast Boy. "Good luck telling them that!" He yells while pointing at the final group of Ninjabots charging after them.
[Go on ahead!] Jarvis yells from the exit. [I'll hold them off!]
[You heard the guy! Let's go!] Iron Man calls out.
The Titans rush out the door, with Jarvis in the LMD hurrying them along, as the Ninjabots move to stop them. Iron Man trails behind the group of heroes while they run down the hallway.
[Mr. Stark!]
Iron Man and the other Titans stop and turn around to acknowledge the shout. They see Jarvis staring at them through fake Robin's eyes as the Ninjabots close in on the LMD.
They also see that the LMD's chest is open, and a red light is blinking inside it.
[It's been an honor fighting crime with you, sir!] Jarvis jovially calls out as the blinking red light turns solid.
KABOOM!
The Titans watch in varying degrees of shock as the explosion destroy the remaining Ninjabots in a fiery blast. As the various robotic parts fly in every direction, Iron Man catches a larger piece that sails towards him. He looks down and sees the singed ruined head of the LMD staring back at him.
[…The honor was all mine, buddy,] Iron Man says somberly as Raven pats him on the shoulder comfortingly. Next to them, Starfire's eyes water in sadness, Beast Boy hangs his head, and Cyborg places his hand over his chest.
[I'm pleased to see you all think so fondly of me,] Jarvis suddenly says from Iron Man's helmet.
[Aaaaand the moment's gone. Let's go,] Iron Man says flatly as he and the others compose themselves and head out to help Robin.
Location: Rooftop, Japantown
Robin and Slade are continuing their battle on the rooftop, throwing punches as they maneuver through the scaffolding. Robin pants as he avoids Slade's attacks. Two of Slade's hits connected earlier, and they're taking their toll on Robin's body.
'I can't seem to beat him in a straight fight,' Robin deduces as he tries to find a strategy. 'Looks like I'll have to put my gadgets to use.'
Slade throws another punch, but Robin jumps over the fist, flips in the air, and fires several Xs at the villain. Slade barely rolls out of the way of the Xs as Robin lands on the ground.
"Resorting to gadgets, I see. Aren't you a little old to be playing with toys?" Slade asks before charging towards Robin.
Robin throws a smoke pellet to the ground, obscuring his form and stopping Slade's advance. When the smoke clears, Robin is nowhere to be found.
"Considering your history with Batman, I'm surprised you're taking so long to deal with me," Robin's voice rings out seemingly from nowhere.
Slade's lone eye furiously scans his environment. "Come out and face me, Robin. I'll show you how fast I can deal with you."
"I can certainly do that," Robin's voice answers, "or…"
Sploosh!
Something wet and sticky impacts Slade's feet. The villain looks down and sees his feet glued to the floor thanks to a red X. As Slade struggles to free his feet, two more Xs wrap around his body, trapping his arms.
With his body immobilized, Slade can only watch as Robin phases back into view performing a flying kick.
Pow!
The kick snaps Slade's head to the side and sends his mask flying away. Robin lands in a crouch as Slade falls to the ground.
The other Titans arrive on the rooftop and see Robin approach the downed villain.
"This ends now!" Robin declares as he turns Slade over to see the criminal's face.
Only for that face to actually be a screen showing the real Slade back in his lair.
[Patience, Robin,] Slade says to the young hero. [We'll meet face-to-face some other time. Oh, and speaking of time…]
A countdown suddenly starts on the screen. A startled Robin quickly leaps away from the robot just before it explodes.
The entire team looks on at the burning remains of their "foe".
Iron Man's helmet opens as Tony says, "Welp. It's official. The guy's a dick."
Location: Robin's Room, Titans Tower
Timeskip: One hour later
The Titans have returned home to rest up and reflect on their failed mission. Starfire approaches Robin's room, where she sees the Boy Wonder talking with an armor-free Tony.
"Well, at least now we have confirmation that it's the real Deathstroke we're dealing with," Tony says.
"Which means we're back to where we were before Red X," Robin laments as he holds the mask of Slade in his hand.
"I gave Slade's description to the city's law enforcement," Tony says. "They're keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of the bastard. If he pokes his head out even the slightest bit, we'll know about it."
"A guy like Slade won't pop up for a while, especially after what happened tonight," Robin points out.
"True, but the more pressure we put on him, the better," Tony states. "On a somewhat unrelated note, you sure you want to retire the Red X suit? You could just give it a cosmetic change. Make it less edge-lord and all."
"Red X served his purpose, and I want to put him as far behind me as possible," the Boy Wonder answers. "Besides, it's a pain to maintain that thing, especially the power source for the teleporter."
"I could hook you up with an Arc Reactor if you want," Tony suggests.
"I appreciate that, but I prefer to do my own upgrades," Robin replies.
"Understandable. Still, if you ever need a Stark-style tune-up…" Tony offers.
"Sure thing," Robin answers with a smile as he offers his fist.
Tony fist-bumps the Boy Wonder and heads for the door.
Robin calls out, "By the way, sorry about what happened with Jarvis and the LMD. Any chance of them making a comeback?"
"Well, it'll take me a while to rebuild the robot," Tony answers, "As for Jarvis…"
[I believe I'm better suited as a support role for the time being,] Jarvis says from the hallway communicator.
"Maybe in the future, he'll become his own hero. In the meantime, let's all get some well-deserved rest," Tony says before leveling a stare at Robin. "That means you as well, Rob."
Robin nods. "Yeah, I know. Goodnight, Tony."
Tony waves behind himself as he exits the room, passes Starfire, and heads out down the hall.
Starfire enters Robin's room and asks. "Robin, now that the Red X is put to rest, are you feeling better?"
Robin smiles at Starfire. "Much better. I'm happy that I can be Robin the hero again," Robin answers before frowning at the mask in his hand. "Still, I wish that mission could have gone better. Slade figured out our ruse, and I've learned next to nothing about him."
"Actually, from our interactions with Slade, we've learned much about who he is as a person," Starfire proposes. "For instance, you and him are similar in that it is difficult for you two to trust others."
Robin gives Starfire a surprised look.
Starfire smiles at the masked boy. "However, you two are vastly different because unlike him, you are willing to try and trust others. You have hope in people, and you care for your comrades, while Slade must rely on robots and minions. That makes all the difference in the world."
Robin's face softens at Starfire's words.
Starfire surprises Robin with a hug. "I wish the sweetest of dreams to you, my friend!" she says before separating from the blushing teen and heading out of the room.
Robin composes himself and calls out, "Starfire!"
Starfire stops and turns to the boy.
Robin takes a deep breath and says, "Meeting you and the other Titans was the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Thank you."
Starfire smiles brightly. "I feel the same! Thank you for being my friend!"
With that, Starfire leaves the room with an extra spring in her step, leaving Robin alone in his room.
Robin takes one more look at the mask in his hand. The mask of his new sworn enemy. The mask that's haunted him for some time now.
"I won't become Batman, and I sure as hell won't become you," Robin declares before throwing the mask in the trash.
[Insert End Theme: Teen Titans End Credits Theme]
AN: And cut! This concludes the Titans' first encounter with Slade!
As you can see, the Red X plot has turned out a little differently than canon. Tony's influence has inspired Robin to trust the others and get them involved in his plans. Now, instead of a major fracture in the team's trust in Robin, their bonds have strengthened.
Also, I've given a little backstory to the three little McGuffins. Before anyone says anything, Ultron's origins will be thanks to Hank Pym, just like in the comics. Look forward to that little storyline.
On an unrelated note, if you guys want me to continue doing Omakes with the TVA, let me know!
Next time, Starfire and Raven have an opportunity to bond despite their differences, while the other Titans enjoy a fun guys night.
Oh, and there's also a puppet.
Tune in to the next installment of Iron Man: Titanic Adventures!
Until next time!
Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.