Another chapter updated, and another step toward the long-awaited Chapter 5! Hope y'all enjoy, and as usual, I own nothing. Teen Titans belongs to DC and Cartoon Network.

Chapter 3

HIVE Five killed in gangland-style execution. Police have no suspects at this time.

Terra felt her blood run cold at that headline. The news said that there were no suspects, but she knew it was Slade's handiwork. He'd been going on about how tired he was of them and the other local muscle throughout her time with him, and the guys he'd brought in from Gotham were exactly the kind of thugs that would operate like this. She wouldn't be surprised if Cinderblock and Overload turned up dead soon, too. She'd have to pass that on to Robin so he could warn them, if Slade hadn't gotten to them yet. Even the bad guys didn't deserve to get gunned down like Sonny Corleone at the toll both.

She sighed and pulled on her shorts, tossing the paper aside and trying to focus on the day ahead. Robin had them all looking out for any sign of Slade's next move. She wished she'd listened more carefully to Slade now, or dug into his files to see what else he had planned. Anything to help the Titans.

"No. Nothing good would have come of sticking around with him longer." She told herself, shaking her head and starting toward the door. Unsurprisingly, Beast Boy and Starfire were waiting for her, both offering a smile. She smiled back, the three falling into step almost immediately.

"Morning, guys. Did...either of you get a chance to look at the news?" They both blinked and shook their heads. Starfire obviously like the tone in her voice.

"You sound as if the news is of sadness. What is wrong, friend Terra?" the alien girl asked with some concern. The geomancer sighed and looked over at the innocent heroine, trying her best to think of a way to explain it to her delicately.

"The...the HIVE guys...the ones that didn't get caught..someone..."

"Killed them all." A familiar voice spoke up. Terra jumped a bit before she realized it was just Raven, stepping out of her room, her eyes narrowed under that big hood of hers. Starfire's hands went over her mouth, and Beast Boy's eyes went wide, jaw agape. "Stormed their hideout with automatic weapons and grenades. Sounds like Gotham gangsters."

"Dude...all of them? Just...killed them like that?" The changeling looked as shocked as she had when she'd read it herself. Terra nodded solemnly.

"Yeah...guessing Slade didn't want any loose ends, or them giving Robin info out of spite." She paused a moment, look over them all before turning to Raven. "We should try to find Cinderblock and Overload when we get a chance. Warn them that Slade might come after them too, if he hasn't already." They all nodded in agreement, Starfire still looking shocked, though it was quickly being replaced with that same anger that she'd seen from the alien when she'd vowed to break Slade for manipulating the young blonde. Now Terra was really sure that Starfire wasn't just boasting for her friend's benefit that time. They were in the living room before Raven spoke up again, her eyes dangerous slits set firmly on the trio of her friends.

"Slade isn't even pretending to be playing nice anymore. We can't expect any kind of mercy from him, or write off anything as too far for him now. He's bringing in gangsters from Gotham and it sounds like he's hired a lot of superpowered mercenaries. We need to find out what he's planning."

Then, almost as if on cue, the alarm rang, and Robin's voice rang out from the hall.

"Titans, trouble!"

TTTTT

Opened a year prior, the STAR Labs Jump City Office had been created to house the most dangerous, sensitive, and secret scientific materials in North America. It had boasted numerous times that, unlike its counterpart in Metropolis, it would never fall victim to a break-in from the local criminal population. Its security systems were subject to weekly inspections upgrades, and its databases were constantly updated with the latest information on the city's superpowered residents, and security protocols were tailored to counter each known criminal's specific powers. Professor Hanna Carlson, head researcher of the facility, even went as far as to dare the HIVE Five to attempt a break-in, during which the security measures had proven more than sufficient to counter the intruders, leading to the arrest of Billy Numerous and one of the few instances in Jumpy City's recent history where the Teen Titans were actually turned away by security personnel upon their arrival, and later told that their intervention would never be necessary on STAR Labs property.

What the STAR Labs Jump City Office had not prepared for was the arrival of Slade's hand-picked team, armed with the layout of all the lab's security measures, courtesy of Calculator. The Titans arrived just as Electrocutioner was tossing the last of the security guards into one of the giant monitors in his office, looking not quite as impressive as the League, but still a sight that gave Captain Cold pause. The Boy Wonder's boomerang had missed his head by mere centimeters, and was now imbedded in the wall behind him. Sure, he'd done his homework, read every bit about the kids he could scrounge up on the flight over. Once he'd done some reading, he could see why Electrocutioner, Shade and Parasite had been picked for this team. They each had a power that was perfect for handling some of these little punk-ass kids. Atomic Skull, Sportsmaster and himself weren't so specialized towards handling one Titan in particular, but he figured Slade thought they were badass enough to be able to take them regardless.

"Didn't you guys learn from Killer Moth? Moving to Jump City doesn't mean easy pickings. It just means the Titans will be kicking your butts instead of the League." Robin, of course. Kid always was one for speeches. Captain Cold just rolled his eyes. "Save yourselves a hospital stay and come quietly." The other Titans were gathered around him. From right to left, Cyborg, Raven, Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy and Terra. Those last two, he remembered, Slade wanted for himself later. He frowned at the memory of the cyclops' hate when he spoke about them.

He still had some reservations about hurting these kids too much. The big supers in the League were one thing. Those were some real badasses that he knew could take whatever punishment he could dish out. Robin and the others? He was a bad guy, the first to admit that, and he'd done plenty of terrible things in his line of work, but the idea of him going too far in the inevitable fight, if he struck one too hard or too much. If he actually killed a freaking teenager...

"Remember the job, Lenny." He told himself, hands balling into fists and electricity cracking around his gauntlets. "They're kids, but they're supers. They can take whatever you got."

"Still the same as ever, Bird-Boy! Don't got Bats to bail you out now, though!" He heard Electrocutioner shoot back at the skinny hero, while he just raised one of those freeze rays of his and fired straight at Robin. A slab of rock shot up to block the blast, freezing solid on the spot and bursting into ice crystals. The Titans scattered at that, coming at them at all angles. Good. Just like they wanted. The goons they'd brought would handle the heavy lifting and the loading in back while they dealt with the capes.

"You know your targets, boys! Get 'em and hit 'em hard!" It was Sportsmaster, charging straight for Robin. The others followed soon after, their chosen targets set firmly in each man's gaze. This was going to be a hell of a fight.

TTTTT

Despite the numbers being even here, Terra was scared. These weren't the HIVE Five, or Mumbo or Mad Mod or like anyone else that she'd fought with the Titans in her time in Jump City. These were real hardcases, guys that had fought the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and other big leaguers. They could take plenty,, and dish out even more. Atomic Skull was already leaping at her and landed on the slab of rock she was floating on, one meaty fist raised and swinging at her face. She ducked in time to keep it from hitting her square in the cheek, but she yelped out loud as two of his knuckles slammed into the top of her head, sending her reeling and rock tilting at an angle that set them both off balance. She kicked out as his gut as they started to fall, earning a grunt of pain from the skull-faced bruiser, but little more. She tore another slab from the ground and leaped on, flying away and sending the first at Skull at incredible speed. It struck home and sent him flying back into the wall. For a moment she thought she might have had him KO'd right then and there, but that hope was shattered when his fist came straight through the rock and crumbled it into dust.

She could see a man in dark purple and what looked like motocross pads, his face covered by a dark, featureless hockey mask that barely contained a thick crop of red hair, brawling with Robin. She guessed that was Sportsmaster, one she'd only heard about but never seen. He and Robin seemed evenly matched, trading punches and kicks so fast she could barely keep up. Not that she had the focus to do that anyway, with Atomic Skull baring down on her again. She collected herself and summoned up a shower of sharp stones, sending them straight at him with a cry and flash of yellow. He raised his arms to keep them from hitting his face, little gashes appearing on his skin, but still he kept coming. She hopped off the slab and hurled it at him as hard as she could, but he saw it coming this time, and batted it away with what looked like contempt.

"Trick don't work twice, sweety." He said, his voice surprisingly nasal coming from a face like that. The geomancer glared at him, eyes flashing again as she summoned up a huge chunk of stone behind Skull. He heard it, but he didn't move in time before she slammed it down toward him. It caught him in the chest, sending him to the ground in a great, grunting heap. She smiled as she kept him pinned under it.

"Its not my only one, though! Didn't see that coming, did you?" Terra grinned as she felt the fear starting to melt away. These guys weren't so tough. They could still beat them. Hell, she had this guy pinned, and if he looked like he was getting free she'd just have to stick more rocks on him. She turned for a moment to see how the others were doing.

She wished she hadn't.

Cyborg was being tossed around like a rag doll. Electrocutioner's gauntlets were screwing with his circuits really bad if the sparks that flew from his body were any indication. Her friend's body was stiffening as his systems were being short-circuited or overloaded or whatever the word for it was. Raven was trying to help him, rising up with her arms outstretched and those magic words on her lips.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The inky-black burst of energy was heading straight for Electrocutioner's back, hopefully enough of a distraction for Cyborg to get away long enough to let his systems get back in order. But the blackness changed direction sharply, then downward toward Shade's cane. The skinny crook was grinning and wagging his finger at Raven.

"Uh-uh-uh. The shadows are mine." It distracted Raven long enough for a blast from Captain Cold's ray to strike her in the back. It didn't take long for the ice to encase her completely, and Terra almost screamed her friend's name as she took her attention off the rock on Skull's chest for an instant to try raising another to take down Shade or Cold.

The instant was enough for Skull. With a roar, he stood and lifted the rock off of him, over his head and hurled it at Terra. Her attention still on helping Raven, she didn't notice it until it struck her in the side. She screamed as he hit the ground, rolling as she felt ribs crack and her flesh split. She started to push herself up, gritting her teeth through the pain she felt in her side and the blood trickling down toward her thigh and stomach. Skull was stalking towards her, while across from them she could see Parasite and Starfire. The purple giant's hands were around the alien's throat, her screams filling the room as he drained her.

"Nothing personal kid. But ya picked the wrong team." The fear came back in spades. She gathered as many stones as she could, preparing to hurl them at Atomic Skull, but knew that he'd reach her before she could hit him.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!"

TTTTT

Beast Boy was angrier than he'd ever been before. He ignored the blood from the gash in his forehead where Sportsmaster has slugged him, his body morphing into an enormous green gorilla with his meaty fists swinging straight at Atomic Skull. The supercriminal turned in time to face him, and he cried out as those ape fists smashed into his head. The side of his skull had visible cracks now, and he was struggling to to get to his feet. Beast Boy wouldn't have that. With a roar he slammed a fist into Skull's gut, and another into his face. He worked the chest and stomach, desperate to get him away from Terra. From the corner of his eye he saw Starfire's eyes flash bright green, and Parasite went flying as she kicked out with all her strength, slamming into the wall hard enough to send a shower of debris from the ceiling on his head. She was on him in an instant, pounding at his face with all the strength she had left.

Robin wasn't doing quite as well, looking dazed after Sportsmaster had delivered a solid kick at his leader's ribs. He was trying to reach for his utility belt, but that X-Games reject wasn't having any of it, seizing his hand and thigh, lifting Robin over his head and hurling him at Starfire. She was too busy beating on Parasite to notice, and they both went down in a heap.

Skull had taken the distraction to his full advantage. He caught one of Beast Boy's fists, then growled as he shoulder-checked the hulking ape onto the ground. The changeling's vision went white as he felt blows rain down on his face, chest and neck. He summoned all his willpower and morphed again. Skull was thrown back as the teenager expanded, growing until he stood nearly eight feet tall. Rhinoceros, blood still trickling down his face, but looking as enraged as when he'd fist hit him. He pawed at the ground twice before he charged, the giant horn lower to catch Skull full on.

He hadn't quite reached his enemy before he felt the star-bolts strike him in the side, sending him veering off-course and into the wall. Parasite was grinning wide as he hovered over everyone's head, eyes and fists flashing green as he worked up more energy to hurl at Beast Boy.

"Wonder how much've a bonus Slade'll pay out if we bring this one and the blondie to him. Seemed real eager to see them again." He laughed out loud, raising one hand to hurl the biggest star-bolt Beast Boy had ever seen.

Chance saved him from seeing how bad it would have hurt.

"That's it! The boys got the stuff loaded up! Let's get a move on!" It was Captain Cold, shouting and frantic, eager to get the hell out of here. Parasite looked hesitant, glaring first at Beast Boy and then at Terra, who was finally getting her footing back and working up a fresh wave of stones to hurl. "C'mon, Jones! We ain't got time to screw around anymore!"

Reluctantly, Parasite let the ball of energy dissipate, then turned to regroup with his retreating team. Beast Boy had gone back to his normal form, struggling to his feet as he watched Cyborg trying to aim his cannon-arm as best he could with his damaged systems. The rapidly-expanding wall of darkness from Shade's cane dashed any hopes of him hitting one of them as they ran, and soon the entire room was blackness.

TTTTT

It took ten minutes for everyone to recover enough to all be standing, with STAR Labs personnel scrambling to help them as best they could while security tried to lock things down. Robin swore as he clutched his bruised ribs with one hand and helping Cyborg to his feet with the other.

It had been a disaster. Broken bones, deep lacerations, concussions, Cyborg would have to be reboot a lot of his more complicated systems and Raven was still being thawed out. He couldn't believe how soundly beaten they'd been.

Slade had chosen his people perfectly. Electrocutioner to counter Cyborg, Shade for Raven, Parasite for Starfire and the others to deal with him, Terra and Beast Boy.

Those two were off in the corner, Terra's hand squeezing Beast Boy's as she pressed the cleanest cloth she could find against the cut on his forehead. Still clutching his side, he staggered over to them as quickly as he could, letting out a soft moan of pain before he slumped down beside them.

"So...Slade really isn't playing it safe anymore. He's stepping up his game quick." Terra looked up at him, looking as devastated as he'd ever seen her before.

"I'm sorry, Robin. I should have paid more attention to when he was talking. If I'd listened more, dug just a little into what he might have planned, I could have...I could have warned you about these guys." He put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head and looking her in the eye.

"This isn't your fault. You've done everything you could to help us." That seemed to lighten her mood just a little, but not much. Beast Boy gave her hand a squeeze, smiling as be he could through the pain.

"Heh...don't worry about it, Terra. We...well, we get our butts kicked a lot the first go with new bad guys, right? Means it'll be out turn to kick theirs next time." He laughed once, though it was obviously a bit painful to do so. Robin and Terra laughed along softly, as much as they could given their utter failure here.

"Excuse me. You're Robin, yes?" A female voice spoke, older and deep. They all looked up to see a tall, middle-aged woman in a lab coat. Her ID badge read 'Professor Carlson'. The lead researcher here. "I wanted to thank you for what you tried to do. I'm sorry that you and your friends were hurt trying to defend our work here."

"Don't thank us now, Professor. They got away with whatever it was they were here for." Robin said, voice firm and just a touch angry. He hated failure, more than anything else at this moment. Even more than Slade. He looked up sharply, eyes narrowed. "What exactly did they take?"

That gave Carlson pause. She hesitated a moment, seeming to weigh the consequences for a full ten seconds before she spoke again.

"It was supposed to be classified. Special order from someone above my pay-grade, shipped in from our labs in Metropolis. They took several canisters of Substance 1174/AA, though it isn't much good without the tanks it was built for."

"Tanks? Just what is this stuff they took?" It was Terra this time. Carlson sighed deeply, removing the thick-lensed glasses from her noses and cleaning them with the edge of her coat.

"Cloning tanks. 1174/AA is a growth acceleration agent, but like I said, without the tanks it may as well just be inedible orange juice."

"And what if they had the cloning tanks?" Terra shot back, eyes narrowed and fixed on the professor. "Just how quick does this stuff work?"

"Two weeks, maybe more depending on who or what exactly they're growing. But that's not a concern. The only people that ever made those cloning tanks workable was LexCorp, and there's only four of them left. They're all stored at the company hazardous materials vault, too." Robin shook his head in disbelief at the answer.

"And you trust LexCorp not to give those up to someone with enough money?" He spat out the company's name like it was poison. Even if Lex himself wasn't officially in charge anymore, they were still a bunch of corrupt crooks. That struck Carlson, if the sudden widening of her eyes was any indication. She took a step back, her voice suddenly taking on a nervous tone as she started away from the trio of teens.

"Excuse me...I need to make a call." She was gone seconds later. Beast Boy and Terra turned to look at Robin while stared at the ground, hands balled into fists. There was a long pause, the only sound coming from the lab personnel as they tried to get things in order and help the other Titans. Finaly, Robin broke the silence.

"So we know part of Slade's plan." He said, his voice grim and filled with renewed determination. "Now the question is who or what he's planning on cloning."

TTTTT

I promised, and I delivered. Spent all night working on this one now that I've got some freedom again. Was a pleasure to finally write down a mostly action chapter, even if my fight scenes leave some room for improvement. I'll try and work on that as I go on. Thank y'all again for the wonderful feedback, and I'll try to keep this updated regularly. Til next time, read up and enjoy, and let me know what you guys think! Teen Titans and the DCAU forever!