Robin entered the room to see Starfire sitting of the bed. "How long have I been asleep?" She asked.
"Two hours" Beast Boy replied. "You went back to bed after Rose left."
"I see," Starfire replied as she remembered when Rose left.
Raven entered the room. "What do we do know, Leader?" she asked.
Robin thought. "We have no clue as to where Slade is, do we?" he asked sadly.
Beast Boy shook his head. "Sorry, man. Rose didn't know that much."
"Hm, shows how much Slade trusts his family." Cyborg said.
"Actually," Robin countered. "It shows how smart he is. He anticipated she'd lose to us, so as a safety, he didn't tell her the location of his base of ops." he sighed in defeat. "There must be something we overlooked."
Raven looked at Robin. "What about that building you first encountered him?" she asked.
Robin's head snapped up in surprise. "I totally forgot about that place!" he got up and patted Raven's back affectionatly before leaving to go to his own room. He paused in the he doorway. "We leave for Slade in two hours. Get ready!"
Robin made his way to the building alone. He had told the others aside form Beast Boy to wait outside for a couple of seconds before they should enter, as a safety precaution. He picked the lock with ease and slowly ventured the building.
Beast Boy changed into an ant and mad a mad dash for the door and barely caught the open crack before it closed. Robin had told him to enter through another door along the side of the science building that was next door. He was told to be cautions and to look out for any other people who would notice him. He thought he had, but he failed to see four sets of white, pupilless eyes watching his tiny green ant body scamper into the building. after waiting about two seconds, the four people, two males and two females, swiftly and quietly entered the building.
Starfire looked through the window until she saw Robin's 'all clear' signal. the others joined him inside. "Where's Beast Boy?" Raven asked.
Robin looked at her weirdly, "Last i checked you didn't care about him." he said, "Why the sudden change?"
Raven actually blushed. "Well, you know. I just...forget it!" she said frustrated at how this human had broken down her guard.
The team of four approached what seemed to be Slade's lair. It was a large room with many machines that gave off a green aura and
had a steady stream of greenish water rushing form one end of the room to another. The four teens entered stealthily, Robin darting in
and out of dark spaces, Raven phasing into boxes every-so-often. Starfire flew above and out of sight. Only Cyborg was the most
obvious. He followed Robin's lead by darting behind larger objects. "Over there!" Cyborg whispered.
Robin nodded and picked the lock on another door. "We're in." he said. the entered. "This seemed almost too easy," he said to the
Titans. They nodded.
"It's like he wanted us to enter." Cyborg noted.
Three Titans burst through the door. A man in a black trench coat turned fast and stared at them with his one eye. "Ah, Robin, Starfire,
and Raven, how kind of you to join me. You're just in time for a game. "
"What ever the game is," Robin said, "I don't want to play it."
"But Robin, you're not playing…" he threw the robe off and pulled two swords out and rushed the three. "I am." In seconds Raven's
hooded cape was cut from her neck, any closer and she would've died. Starfire managed to dodge the blunt of the attack, but was
still sliced in the stomach though it didn't do any real damage, only Robin was prepared and jumped over Slade's head and whipped his
staff out.
He struck the older man in the back. "It may be your game, but we will win!"
"And you came to that conclusion, how?" Slade asked as he picked himself up. He threw ninja stars at Robin.
Robin put his cape in front of them and on contact folded his cape over on itself down, rendering the stars non-lethal as they dropped
to the floor. "You'll have to do better than that. You three are alone. I assume the Changling has left?"
"Actually," came a voice from above, "The I'm is right here!" A blur of green pummeled Slade to the ground. He grunted as he
fell. Just as he stood, a blue and white beam enveloped him, blasting him into a wall.
"Boyah, Baby!" Cyborg yelled.
Slade stood, "Five on one? That's not fair! I'll kill you all so easily!"
"What gives you that idea?" Beast boy said as he transformed into a rhino and charged Slade to gore him.
"The simple fact that I have a secret weapon." Slade replied as he jumped over Beast Boy. Beast Boy rammed into the wall and his
horn got stuck. Slade took this opportunity to kick at all the feet before beast Boy could change. Right as he changed, Slade brought the blunt end of his blade onto Beast Boy's neck, knocking him out instantly.
"That's it?" Slade taunted the other Titans. "you see, Robin. You and Raven are on the wrong side."
"I'll never join your side!" Raven said, enraged at how brutal Slade was to Beast Boy. She rushed him, but when he attacked, she was
ready. She ducked and rolled under the attack and he foot shot out, knocking Slade down. Robin, with his bo staff, then leaped up
to slammed it onto Slade's head. But Slade rolled away in time and struck his palm out and this caught Robin under the chin. "you see," he said. "I win. I always win!"
"There is still four of us!" he turned his attention to his team. "Come on! We can take him!" he ran forward, but when he his the second step, the tile sunk into the ground and a cage captured Robin, Cyborg and Raven. Robin looked about the cage, embarrased and frantic. "Starfire! Look for the controls! Cyborg, try to break us out!"
Cyborg nodded and fired a beam at the cage, but it did not move. He when to punch it, on contact, he collapses; short-circuted.
"You see, boy. Don't try to fight me on my home turf! I know all the tricks!" He held his arm up and there was a sickening crunch. Starfire's body fell down into his waiting arms, seemingly lifeless. Her right leg bent at an angle that couldn't be normal; not even for an alien.
"Like is said, Robin, i always win! I made this devise in case you made the unwise decision to oppose me." he patted a control panel that stemmed out into five cannons affectionatly. "This is what will deliver to you a slow and painful death." he opened the cage and roughly through Starfire's body into the cage.
Robin lovingly and protectivly cradled her body. He shot a venomous frown at Slade who pretended not to notice.
He typed in the codes on the large module and it whirred to life.
Five beam cannons, each of a different color, aimed at each Titan. "How about that?" Slade said as he tossed in Beast Boy's body just as the tofu-teen was coming to. "Huh, what happened? did we win?" he asked stupidly.
Robin just wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but his voice remained strangely calm. "No, Beast Boy. We didn't win. We lost."
Robin looked up. Had the enemy really won? He looked at Starfire's expressionless face and began to cry. He was a terrible leader. He should never have left the Batman. Then he noticed two shadows near the roof and he smiled. "I see where your plan shall fail!" he taunted.
"How, Boy?" Slade said dismissively.
Robin pointed up. Slade raised his head in time for a foot to be planed in his face. "What?"
A girl stood up. "Ravager is back," She said, "But this time, I'm on the right side!"
Beast Boy looked up, "But how'd you change your mind?" he asked.
"Nightwing landed and then kicked Slade in the ribs. An audible crack was heard. "She's with me!" He said. He revealed two bird-a-rangs and threw them with such accuracy that they struck the controls just so, stopping the machine.
"Open the cage!" Beast Boy yelled.
A girl with a pointed cowl and fiery red hair dropped down and began to hack the system. Finally the cage opened.
"Security breech!" Slade called out and drones flooded the area. Nightwing, Batgirl, and Ravager were caught up in the melee as Robin and Raven fended off the drones from Beast Boy as he fixed Cyborg again. "Once he's up again, i'll help get Starfire up!" he called out.
"Well hurry!" Raven yelled back as she dropped one of the now destroyed cannons on a group of drones.
"Look!" Robin called out as his staff was jabbed into two more drones. "Slade's getting away!"
The black and orange man was stealthily running from the battle. He was almost to the door when a man the seemed twice his size dropped down infront of his, barring his exit.
"Bat-man!" Slade's voice dropped to a whisper, but that word made everyone stop and stare.
"Okay," Beast Boyt's coarse voice broke the silence, "Starfire's good, Cyborg's good. Hey? Why's it so quiet?" he inquired.
Robin frowned at the teen grasped Starfire up in a hug that lasted one second before the battle resumed. Nighthawk approahed behind Slade and his batons whacked Slade's helmet at the base and the mask fell apart.
"No!" Robin cried. He wanted to see the face of the man who had been stalking him before he even became Robin.
Bat-man's fist flashed forward and caught Slade in the jaw. Nightwing tried to punch at Slade's back, but he grabbed the wrist and twisted away from the punch. Slade looked to the battle and saw that his drones, though numerous, were loosing. If is escape from this, i need to be reminded to upgrade their fighting program he thought to himself.
Cyborg and Beast Boy were a awesome team. As Beast Boy tossed the drones aside in a rhino/elephant crossover, Cyborg used his sonic cannon to clear a path in front and at the sides.
Raven and Starfire, though having limited fighting experience with each other, seemed to fight as though they had been friends for life. Raven would grab a bunch of drones and toss them in the air and Starfire would shoot them down. If a drone got too close to Raven, tentacles would shoot out from under her hood and cape and slash and throw the enemies about. When a group of drones got too close to Starfire, she did somethign that surprised everybody; she punched the ground and the earth shook, knocking them down for good.
Bat-girl and Robin were fighting as one body, executing flawless team-up combos. Robin would throw a bird-a-rang andit would pin a drone to a wall and Bat-girl would stab it. With a series of somersaults and back flips, the two old partners would leave a path of dstruction.
Bat-man and Nightwing were also beating down on Slade. It was all the villain could do to block. He couldn't get a punch in. Then a bat-a-rang was slashed across his face and chest. Slade looked down for a second and crimson liquid spilled form his chest. Nightwing uppercutted the man and Slade was knocked back tot he edge of the railing. The whirr of a helicopter came closer. "Until later," Slade jumped to the helicopter and it flew off.
later...
"So what was it like?" Robin asked Nightwing.
"Hm?"
"His face. I know you saw it."
"Yes, I did," He said solemnly. "It was the face of a demented cold-hearted maniac with a cold calculated devious mind. He had an eye patch."
"Like a pirate?" Robin asked.
Nightwing nodded.
"I guess I should say thanks."
"No need." And soon he was gone."
//////////////////////////////////////
He entered the Tower and immediately was met by Starfire's embrace. "Whoa!" he hugged the alien back, "How's it going?" he asked.
He opened his eyes as he was hugging her and saw Bat-girl's said smiled meet his gaze. He sighed and smiled grimly back. He let go of the hug and approached Bat-man and Bat-girl. "So, you saved my butt, again." he stated. "I failed and now you're ready to tell me how you were right."
Bat-man just shrugged. "Failure happens. It has happened to me and i learned from them. You do the same." he turned and left. As soon as he was out the door, the cold chill the others had felt in the room seemed to disappear.
He turned to Bat-girl. "Barbra," said as he moved in to hug her.
She resisted. "Tim, i just wanted to say congradulations; you've just severed all connections to Bat-man and Gotham." He smile sent a shiver run down his spine.
"Barb, that's not what this is about. I just ..."
She interupted again by placing her glove covered fingers on his lips. "Shhhh. Hush. It's okay, i understand." She swallowed hard. "This is good, by... for now, hopefully. You have a girlfriend, " she slightly gestured to Starfire who was drinking mustard straight from the bottle as Cyborg tried to tell her that that is not the way to eat the yellow mustard.
"Look, Barb I-"
She shook her head. "Once you finished that mission and made this team, you sealed the end of our relationship. I supose it's for the better." she kissed his check. "I'll miss you, Tim." she walked a little way, then turned. "Aw hell!" she kissed him full on and neither resisted. There was an aoudible gasp from the Titans before the two ex-lovers broke the break up kiss.
Bat-girl turned and left the building in silence.
After the shock had worn off, about two hours later, the Titans and Rose stood outside on the street in civilian clothing.
Rose stood by the curb, smiling. "Where are you going to go?" Beast Boy asked.
"Bludhaven." She replied. "Look for Nightwing. He might take me in like Bat-man did to Tim... and him." She smiled.
"You're always welcomed back." Cyborg spoke up.
"But my room will still be off limits." Raven said as she tried to flag down another taxi. It sped passed; another unsuccessful attempt.
"Thank you my friends." Rose said as she waved her hands and a taxi stopped by the curb.
Rose got in the car and the yellow car sped off.
"Well, that was quite an adventure!" Beast Boy said. "New friends. I can't believe that we actually met the Bat-man!"
Cyborg rolled his eyes. "He was creepy, though." He turned to Tim. "How did you stand him?"
"I didn't say i did. I stood Bruce Wayne's fatherly attempts, though. Those where hard. Bruce is a good guy, though."
Cory looked at Tim. "But how can one person be two totally different people and not explode!?!?"
Tim laughed at her confusion. "He's a weird person, thats how, not normal."
"Is anybody?" Raven asked flatly.
"There you go again!" Beast Boy complained, always being negative!" then he drew close to the gray goth girl. "You know they say opposites attract."
Raven pushed her away, "Not in my case. Now leggo!"
As the five new friends talked and walked in the street, a police car parked by the road and the officer went into a diner.
The radio static stopped and a woman's voice came over the short wave. "Burglar in building. Hostages. two casualties. 10-108
Well?" Tim looked at his frineds as he opened the front of his shirt revealing his kevlar padded robin uniform.
Raven pulled her turtleneck off, her costume underneath, and wrapped her cape about her neck.
Starfire pulled her pants down and her miniskirt fluttered in the wind.
Cyborg and Beast Boy ripped out of their disguises in an overdone cartoony manor and struck a heroic pose.
Robin, fully changed, stood infront of his team and smiled. He may have lost some powerful allies for the time, but he had gained new ones whose powers might not even have been fully tapped. he took one more look at his rag-tag teen team then turned forward. To the future, a new city awaited him to explore. A new future, a new life.
"Titans, go!"
//////////end.
Author's Note: How was that? I finally finished. you probably forgot about this story, though.Oh well. I have started a new story based on Michael J.J's True Heroes. It's a Fairly Odd Danny Neutron! (Fairly Odd Parents, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron crossover) wish me luck! p.s. please review this last chapter. and sorry about the batgirl robin thing, got carried away experimenting with that new paring. thanks. I may make more chapters if i get good reviews, but i make no promises. I'll try to though.