Chapter 14 - This ends tonight

Try and walk into the main room of titans tower right at this moment and you would undoubtedly choke ... that's how dense the atmosphere is.

There was no doubt to it; Slade was back with a vengeance and more brutal then ever. He played a new game, a sick and twisted game that even the titans didn't think he would be capable of ... terrorism. He tried to bring them down before, he tried to take over the city, he lied, he used deceit and trickery, but the fact was he never injured innocent people, he only targeted the titans.

Overwhelmed with anger and frustration after Slade's short appearance Robin smashed his fist on the table in front of the couch. He did this not because he couldn't find Slade in time to stop him or because Slade was one step ahead of him (he knew very well Slade was counting on his old obsession and tried to use this to his advantage), he was mad because innocent and hard working citizens were probably hurt or even dead because of his rivals actions.

The titans were all just as infuriated as Robin and now understood why he was so obsessed with Slade in the past. They now realized how important and crucial Robin's research actually was and felt sorry for thinking he was crazy when he spent hours or even days secluded and working.

Starfire went next to Robin to calm him down. At the same moment Rage got up from behind the sofa with the cigarette he previously dropped in his mouth and his eyes turning into a pale shade of red.

"I suppose he's gone now" he said with a deeper voice then before.

Robin turned around surprised of what his friend said and did.

"What the hell were you doing? Why did you jump behind the couch when Slade appeared?" he asked in a curious and somewhat displeased manner.

"Slade does not know I'm part of the team" he answered while brushing off come lint off his shoulder "When I saw his insignia on the screen I knew he would appear and he would see me but by hiding behind the couch I avoided visual contact with him and now he will be surprised to see me".

"The element of surprise ... ah, who cares?" said Cyborg infuriated "Slade's attacking innocent people, we gotta stop him before it's too late and you hide when he probably doesn't even care who he's killing?".

"Yeah, so why are we still hanging around here for? Let's go nail that psycho" replied Beast Boy who along with Cyborg and Starfire turned around ready to head into action.

"Not so fast guys" said Robin stopping his team mates in their tracks "That's just what he's expecting us to do".

"Robin's right" continued Raven "He just wants to catch us out in the open and eliminate us. Plus, he knows that we're angry now and that we don't fight well in these conditions. You saw this stuff happen before when Robin was forced to become Slade's apprentice, we didn't work like a team and we were nearly defeated".

"I agree with Raven, even though I do not know anything about that event" said Rage "It is clear that Slade is counting on an immediate attack from us".

"Well duh! That's just what we're supposed to be doing. What else are we going to do? Sit around here and wait?" replied Beast Boy who looked quite frustrated.

"Yes, that's just what we're going to do! It's the last thing he expects from us" intervened Robin.

"So we are going to allow him time to prepare for another attack?" asked Starfire.

"Indeed that is a risk" replied Rage "But in order to stop him we should take it. For all we know he might be monitoring us right now, just waiting for us to come out and mess up".

Cyborg frowned at hearing this and became inpatient. This time he really wanted to catch Slade just as much as Robin, because the places he bombed were places he used to hang around before he became a superhero, and further more, he even knew a couple of people that lived there.

"So what should we do Rage, huh? You want to sit around and do nothing?"

"I did not say that, I just said ..."

"You said we should stay put, and that'll get us no where!".

"At least I do not want to throw myself head first into Slade's trap" Rage responded a bit irritated.

"That's enough you two" screamed Raven "You're doing just what Slade wants you to do, argue. This isn't going to get us anywhere, Robin's right, we have to attack him later"

"But we do not know his current location. How will we be able to find him if we don't know where to search for him?" asked Starfire.

"I'm way ahead of you" said Robin while replaying Slade's video intervention on mute. He played it over and over, froze frames, but found nothing that might lead to his location. The titans were paying close attention to the images. All of the sudden Beast Boy spoke out.

"Dude, freeze that frame"

Robin pushed the stop button on his remote and the image of a window in the background of Slade's base of operations was now clearly visible.

"Blow up the frame with the window, I have a hunch we can find a clue there" said BB being glad that he could help.

Robin did just as Beast Boy instructed him and blew up the picture. The enlarged frame covered the whole screen and an image of the outside of Slade's base was now visible.

"What are we looking for?" asked Raven not understanding why BB insisted upon that particular frame.

"Clues ...any type of clues" answered BB. "There, look at that" he said pointing towards a white spec on the screen "You see that white point, on the trees?"

"Yes, but of what importance is it?" asked Starfire.

"Those are seagulls, it means that Slade's base is somewhere near the ocean" replied BB

"He's right" said Rage who's face started to lighten up "And not only that, look at those trees".

"They're aspen trees" replied Cyborg.

"My thought exactly" said Rage who had forgotten about their little argument earlier "Aspen trees only grow on the north side of the city".

"How can you be sure?" asked Robin

"When I was not a part of the team I sometimes used to sleep on the outskirts of town. I used aspen bark to improvise a mattress if I slept on the ground and I have only found it north side of the city. I am 100 sure his base is somewhere in the north".

"Good, so we know he's near the ocean and probably in the north ... in sectors 16 or 17" said Robin remembering about Slade's last locations and rubbing his chin while thinking. "Rage, you said you might have a clue about where he could be" he said turning to his friend.

"Oh yes! You all have too see this" said Rage unfolding the map he had on the kitchen table. The whole team gathered around the table and paid attention to the marked map.

"Like I told Robin, there is a river that flows under the city and I observed that Slade's last three bases where located near it so I assumed this is what he used as an energy source to create electricity. The peculiar thing is that he built his bases starting from the south east and slowly going up towards the north. Why he did this is a mystery even to me but if he is positioned where we think he is then he could be near this underground river".

The titans slowly started to unravel the mystery of Slade's location but they weren't 100 sure that they were right. They spent almost an hour debating about possible locations and thought up theories, all until Robin took the map of the table and went to the computer with it to the confusion of his friends.

He scanned the underground map of Jump City and placed it over the surface map. He didn't notice anything unusual, but when he highlighted the locations Slade bombed he realized that his rival was still up to his old tricks.

"Looks like Slade really wants to catch us" said Robin being certain that what he found was Slade's location.

When he highlighted the places his enemy bombed they formed a triangle. At first the others didn't think much of it but upon further inspection they noticed something rather disturbing, the triangle formed an arrow which pointed towards the north and crossed the underground river Rage talked about.

A moment of silence fell across the tower as the titans watched the scene and realized that Slade set them up for falling into a trap. As always, he left an encrypted clue to his whereabouts but it was not followed by a cryptic threat. His threat was precise and to the point, thus the titans knew he was dead serious this time about getting rid of them.

"Great, now we know where to find him, when are we going to attack?" asked Cyborg

"Tonight, 8 AM. We'll take him by surprise and use the darkness as cover" replied Robin with a tone in his voice that expressed motivation and determination "Get some rest and don't waist any of your energy, you're going to need it when we're going to take him down ... This ends tonight!".

With that said the titans headed to their rooms. Before leaving the main room, Starfire, who was still outraged by Slade's merciless attacks, spoke out making Cyborg, Beast Boy, Rage and Robin halt.

"I hope we will give that sick man what he deserves, and for everything he has done he deserves no mercy".

The fact that Starfire wanted no mercy for Slade, even though she used to be so forgive full towards anyone, didn't surprise the titans' one bit. What made the boys halt to a stop and worry was her condition.

"Star, wait a second" said Robin making her turn around and ask what was the matter.

"I am afraid you can not come with us tonight to battle Slade" said Rage.

"Why is that? Have I done something wrong?" she asked being surprised of what her friend said.

"No Star, it's just that you are pregnant and you can't fight" said Cyborg brushing her shoulders.

"But I can fight him, I will not be injured and will not endanger my unborn child, I promise".

"I know you can Princess" said Robin smiling seeing his loved ones determination "But if something goes wrong you will both be in danger. I can't take that risk, I love you to much".

After deciding that it would be much better that she stayed home in the safety room Raven stood in when Trigon threatened her, Starfire complied even though she really thought she could fight.

The titans headed back to their rooms to prepare them selves for the fight that lay ahead. From the tone of Robin's voice, which was neither angry nor hateful, but rather determined and somehow peaceful, they realized that it was going to be a fight to the finish.

As they walked to their rooms Rage followed Cyborg and caught up to him.

"Do you have any weapons?" asked Rage.

"Only my modified bionic arms" he replied.

"No, I mean real weapons, fire arms. Guns, rifles, grenades ... those sort of things"

"Why do you ask?" said Cyborg

"You heard Robin, he said it ends tonight and I am not planning on dieing because of fighting with my bare hands, so do you have those sort of things or not?"

Understanding what Rage meant Cyborg took him down to the training room where he hid several weapons. Rage picked a KH91 assault rifle, lots of ammo, two grenades, and left.

Cyborg was in a way intrigued. Rage picked up a rifle, ammo and two hand grenades for fighting Slade yet as every good soldier knew you can't go into battle without a hand-gun and a dagger in case your ammo runs out.

"What is that guy up to?" Cyborg asked himself pondering about his friends' choice of weapons as he watched him leave.