(A/N: Hey there! Just a few notes I probably should have mentioned in the last chapter: this story is set after Trouble in Tokyo, but I'm assuming the Titans went straight home after hearing that they were needed back home, so Robin and Starfire haven't actually been on an official date yet. Also, Ron and Kim are already together. This is my first story, so if the formatting ever seems weird, I'm sorry, I'm still kind of figuring this out. Now on to the actual story!)
"Come on, KP, you have to help me cram!" Ron Stoppable insisted, clutching a copy of Hamlet in desperation as he followed his girlfriend to her locker through the crowded hallway of Middleton High School.
"Couldn't you have just read the book?" Kim Possible asked, entering in her combination.
"I did read the book…"
"All of it?"
Ron scoffed. "Are you kidding me, KP? Reading this whole thing would break every aspect of my personality. I've got to stay true to my inner Ron-ness."
"Then you can stay true to your inner Ron-ness's grade," Kim replied as she finished the combination and clicked open the door. "The least you could have done was start cramming last night instead of two periods before. Just read as much as you can during lunch. I don't think even I can help you out of this one." She switched out her science and math textbooks with her English and Latin ones.
"But think of all the things I've done for you," Ron pleaded. "They don't make sidekicks like me every day. You couldn't save the world without me. And we've literally been best friends forever."
She sighed. "All right, you win," she smiled, giving in. "I'll help you study at lunch, but that doesn't mean I can get you a good grade on this test."
"I thought you said you can do anything," Ron smiled.
"Anything but miracles," Kim replied. She was about to shut her locker when the computer suddenly buzzed to life and Wade's face appeared on the screen.
"Hey Kim! Hey Ron!" the small technological genius greeted them.
"What's the sitch, Wade?" Kim asked.
"Remember when I intercepted that anonymous email Drakken had received last week?" Wade reminded them. He began typing on his own keyboard, making a map of Middleton pop up on Kim's monitor. "Well, after some snooping, I've found that he's been receiving and sending tons of messages with this contact. I was able to hack into his account and I've got some clues for you."
"So you know who's behind the emails?" Kim asked. During her last fight with Dr. Drakken, Kim had used her Kimmunicator to let Wade hack the computer system that controlled the mad scientist's latest doomsday device. By accident, he also downloaded a strange email from an unknown sender that seemed to be offering to meet Drakken in person for some reason. Wade had been trying to trace the origin of the message ever since with no luck.
"No," he shook his head. "This thing has been rerouted through Sweden, Australia, and even Zambia multiple times."
"Somebody doesn't like to be discovered," Kim commented.
"Right, but get this." Wade zoomed in on the map of Middleton and revealed a blinking red dot on the opposite side of town from the high school. "Whoever this is, he offered to meet Drakken at the annual villain convention today. Drakken checked into the convention only a couple hours ago, and he's meeting the mystery contact in the early afternoon. It seems like whoever this guy is, he's offering some kind of partnership."
"Really?" Ron asked, skeptical. "I mean, I know the guy says he's an evil genius, but how many times have we blown him up? If I were a bad guy, I would want a partner with a better success rate. Am I missing something here?"
"No, you're actually making a lot of sense," Kim agreed. "But somebody must want Drakken for something, and it can't be good. Wade, when do you want us over there?"
"As soon as possible."
"All right! Looks like somebody's going to miss his English test!" Ron said, jumping up in celebration and throwing his book in the air.
"If we're lucky, this'll be over before sixth period," Kim told him, catching his book and handing it back to him. "Read it on the way."
Ron looked at Hamlet sadly and sad. "Shakespeare sure knows how to kill a guy's inner Ron-ness."
"We'll be there in a sec, Wade," Kim said, closing her locker for real this time. The two hurried out to her car and Kim started the engine.
Meanwhile, the Titans minus Robin stared at the gaping hole Slade had left in the wall. Robin helped Starfire back to her feet with a worried look. "Well, at least he didn't get the xenothium," Beast Boy shrugged, trying to be optimistic.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Robin asked the alien, still focused on her. "That was quite a hit."
"Yes, I believe I am the 'all right'," she assured him. "I am stronger than I look."
His worries now satisfied, Robin began to feel his hatred for Slade rising up again. He slammed his fist into the wall. "I can't believe we let him get away…again! I nearly had him this time!"
"Chill, man," Cyborg told the team leader. "I…"
"You think we'll get him next time?" Robin finished. "You always say that, you all do. I know you're trying to be encouraging, but it isn't working. The fact is ever since he's returned, Slade's been more slippery than ever, and we've never been further from discovering what he's up to than we are right now. He's always two steps ahead of us. What are we supposed to do, wait for him to pop up somewhere and go through this all over again?"
"Robin, should not be so hard on Robin," Starfire said gently. "Slade cannot hide forever. We did indeed prevent him from stealing the xenothium. Is that not a thing to celebrate?"
"A minor victory," Robin replied coldly, "while the bigger problem is still at hand. If only we could find him instead of waiting for the alarm to go off."
"Robin," Cyborg said, "something tells me we don't have to just wait for Slade to resurface." He showed the team a little blinking light on his arm. "I attached a miniature GPS tracking device onto the back of Slade's helmet when I punched him. He's pretty far away by now, but I can see where he's heading east."
"What's east that Slade would be interested in?" Raven asked.
Cyborg pushed a few buttons on his arm computer and a holographic image popped up of a convention center. "The annual villain convention in Middleton. Almost all of the major bad guys can be found there when it meets."
Beast Boy looked questioningly at his half-robot friend. "A convention? I thought Slade was more of a loner. This doesn't seem like his thing."
"Neither is breaking in to steal something valuable without any robot henchmen for backup," Robin pointed out, "but he still did it. Cyborg, how fast can we get to Middleton?"
"In the T-Car? We should be there before you can say 'Titans, go!'…that is, if you can handle it."
"What do you mean, 'if I can handle it'?"
"Well," Raven said, "last time you went to go meet Slade where he was, your obsession kind of got the better of you. And also the time before that. And that other time before that."
Robin hated to admit it, but Raven was right. He did have a habit of giving in to his obsessive tendencies whenever he was alone with Slade. The only time that hadn't been the case was when the two had been forced to work together during the would-be apocalypse. Ever since Slade had come back, though, it was clear that the battle with Trigon had not changed where he stood in Robin's mind.
"I'll be careful, I promise," Robin told his teammates. "Besides, you'll all be there to keep an eye on me. If you see me losing it, go right on ahead and stop me."
The other Titans looked at each other uneasily. No one wanted to be the one to get between Robin and his arch nemesis. Finally, they nodded their agreement. "Fine," Cyborg spoke for all of them, "but you'd better watch yourself. Next stop, Middleton!"
