A/N: in this chapter there is a short mentioning of an unknown character. It's a completely made up one (do you call them an OC? I'm not sure… I need a Fan-fiction dictionary! Anyone?). OC's, to me, are only good for cannon fodder, so he will NOT be a big part of the story or take over in any way…maybe that mean's he isn't an OC… I'm just clueless… He's there as a plot twist and to make a point later. This is the first you will hear of him, but he will be there, waiting in the wings, so take notice…
Disclaimer: Jag äger inte "Teen Titans". Ha! I did it in Swedish! Just to annoy! I really have to work on my evil-skills I think…
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Chapter 3: Friends Like These
Standing there, side by side in the doorway, Slade and Robin gazed at the magnificent building. Well… Robin thought if was magnificent, anyway. He just wished he wasn't so terrified of it right now.
"I'll be in touch later tonight to set up the communications with Cyborg." Slade said. Robin turned slightly towards him and the man bent down and kissed him. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was an I-own-your-ass-kind of kiss. Robin tried to push the man away but ended up gripping his shoulders instead. The kiss ended as abruptly as it began and left Robin's knees shaking slightly. Taking a step outside the door it suddenly closed behind him and he was alone again. Heading for the underground tunnel leading out to the island, he used his personal code to access it, and then he started the walk home.
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A man studied the mercenary and the boy through night vision binoculars, from several buildings away. He was surprised, but pleased, seeing the kiss. This was it. His chance for the perfect revenge.
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Thoughts tumbled through Robin's head like deranged kittens in a field of catnip. What was he going to say? What did they know? He almost turned back several times, but forced himself to continue walking. They probably knew he was coming by now. Entering his code surely had triggered one of Cy's alarms. They would be waiting. Going through different scenarios in his head, the new ones worse then the ones before, he suddenly became angry. Who were they to judge? He had been poisoned for goodness sake! And even after that…? Were they so perfect? They weren't even human, what did they know?! Reaching the base, still fuming, he stepped into the elevator, punching in a different code to take him to the main floor. As the doors slid open he suddenly found himself bathing in an eerie green light. Looking up from the floor he found his friends standing before him, ready for battle.
After a few stunned seconds of this, Starfire was the one who broke the silence by throwing herself around Robin's neck, squealing in delight.
"Robin! You are safe! We have been much worried!"
Robin awkwardly hugged her back, trying to breathe, in the alien's firm embrace.
"Glad to see you, Star."
They were going to attack me!
"Sorry about the welcome, Rob, we just thought it might have been… Slade…" Cyborg apologized as they all came into the giant living room.
Or maybe you just weren't sure I would be on your side anymore, Cy…
Robin tried to smother those bitter thoughts, but they insisted on lingering in the back of his mind.
The moment they stepped out into the better lit room his friends all gasped. Even Raven couldn't help herself.
"You are not wearing your mask!"
Questions started hailing through the air.
"What happened,
man?"
"You were successful in escaping, yes?"
"Are you
hurt?"
"Dude?!"
Robin gestured for them
to stop and simply said: "He let me go."
"What?"
"He
did release you?"
"Really?"
"Dude!"
"Yes!" Robin said tiredly. "We have… a deal…"
His friends became quiet. Robin, meeting those four pair of eyes filled with both fear and rage for him, but mostly of pity, somehow became even angrier.
"Screw his deal!" Cyborg shouted while Beast Boy nodded his head vigorously. "We will hunt the bastard down and I will personally…"
"You will do nothing of the sort." Robin's cold voice cut through his friends ranting.
"Friend Robin. I do not understand." Starfire sounded so lost it tore Robin's heart. Her next words made it harder again, though. "What has happened to you?"
Robin suddenly lost it. All his frustration erupted out of him like he was an emotional volcano having a very bad day.
"What happened to me?! What HAPPENED?! You really want to know? The details too? I got stung by this damn sex-plant, ambushed by Slade, who takes med back to his place and fucks my brains out and you know what? When I wake up in the morning I find out I actually LIKE it! How 'bout that?! In fact he just kissed me goodbye!"
The shock in his friend's eyes was something Robin would never forget. Although their skin tones varied between green, brown, pale grey and a slight hue of orange, they all now seemed to pale. This was quite an achievement for every one of them.
Raven picked herself up first and, grabbing Robin by the neck of his t-shirt simply started dragging him from the room.
"I will speak to him" she informed the others who were still trying to deal with what Robin just told them. "It is clear that he is still in shock and has no idea what he is saying. Contact Batman and let him know that he is back."
Raven lead a quite docile Robin to her room and locked the door behind them. Robin sat down on Raven's bed, wincing a little. She noted his discomfort and her heart went out to him. Discovering the look on her face Robin gave a small malicious smile.
"Yeah, what can I say? The man is big."
Raven's face erupted in a fierce blush. Trying to repress her embarrassment and anger she looked at Robin with a scowl on her face.
"I am glad that you decided to be open to us about this, but there is such a thing as too much honesty."
Robin's features softened and he looked almost vulnerable for a moment. He scooted up on her bed, pulled his knees up to his chin and wrapped his arms around them.
"I'm sorry, Rae, it's just…"
"It's all right, Robin, I understand..."
She did. Robin might not, though, judging by the confused look he gave her. She took a deep breath and started to explain.
"You are trying to alienate us. Maybe you are unconsciously testing our friendship or maybe you think this will hurt us less if we are angry with you, or if you can somehow make us disgusted by you… or... maybe… it will just make it easier…"
"Easier to do what?" She could tell that Robin was a bit irritated at her attempt at a psychological analysis. She hesitated. Fear rose in her chest as she uttered the next words.
"Easier to… go back?"
She expected Robin to jump up from the bed and storm out of the room, but he just sat there, staring at her in shocked silence.
"We have a link, Robin! I could tell that even if you were trying to be cruel out there, you were actually telling the truth…"
Robin nodded slowly. The fear in Raven surged again. She… they… could not, would not loose Robin! And least of all to Slade!
"Are… are you going back?"
"I'm a hero, Raven!" Robin finally answered. "I want to save people, protect them! Not steal and destroy and kill. Do you… do you really think I could live that kind of life?!"
Yes, Robin… I believe you could, and would thrive doing so, she thought grimly.
"No, of course not!" she assured him out loud. "Robin, I know you, I trust you, and I, we, will stand by you, no matter what. We can fight this if you would just let us!"
"Fight what, Raven?" Robin softly asked.
Raven didn't know what to answer.
Robin closed his eyes and with a great amount of inner strength, he pulled himself together before opening them again.
"Thank you, Rae" he said, and looked deep into her eyes. "I have calmed down now. I will go apologize and then, I'm afraid we have a lot to discuss. As a team."
Raven rose to follow him out, slightly irked by his blue eyes, wishing he had his mask back on to shield her from some of the intensity of what he was feeling.
Entering the living room Robin startled as he saw Batman's face on the giant screen.
"Robin! What
happened?" the dark knight asked, his voice full of worry.
Robin
could see his teammates cringe, expecting another outburst from the
boy and he inwardly smirked.
"Batman, I will give you a full report later. Right now I have to address my team." Bruce gave a curt nod and Robin ended the call.
Robin turned towards his team, his friends, he reminded himself, and took another very deep breath.
"Guys… I'm so
sorry. Raven was right; I was in a state of shock."
"Then you
didn't mean… that stuff you said…?" Beast Boy couldn't
even say it himself.
Robin glanced in Raven's direction.
"No, BB, of course not." he lied.
His team visibly all relaxed, with the possible exception of Raven. She knew Robin had just lied, but she could understand why. He couldn't possibly believe they could accept something he hadn't done himself yet. Better to keep it to himself.
"We have things to talk about, though." Robin said gravely, "Unfortunately what I said happened right after he caught me… that was true. And so was the part about the deal."
Half an hour later he had finished explaining Slade's pact to his friends and looked around at their faces, trying to interpret their reactions.
"And if we don't
agree to these terms, he'll…?"
"He has threatened to take
me away. For ever."
"I still say screw him!" Cyborg hollered and banged his fist down on the table, which, though it was metal, became distinctly dented. "We can protect you, Robin! He won't be able to get his hands on you ever again!"
Oh, and where is the fun in that…?
Robin shook his head. "You can lock me up in a bloody safe… don't you think Slade wouldn't be able to get at me even then? Do you think he would give up? He would tear this building apart, killing every one of you, to reach me."
There's no place to hide… well there might be one place, but I'm not going to run back to 'daddy' because of this. This is MY fight!
"What's this guy's problem, anyway?" Beast Boy complained. "Why is he after you?"
"Apparently I'm perfect" Robin grinned at his friend, but got only uneasy glances in return.
"Sooo…" Raven's dry, logical voice rang through the air. "This way he will let you live and work with us… just… 'borrowing' you from time to time for… lessons?
Robin could hear the double meaning in her words, but fortunately they seemed to evade the others.
"I do not trust Slade!" Starfire declared "He is more devious then a Snoorblatt! He will surely take our friend from us again, and… and..." tears erupted from her eyes and she could not continue as sobs shook her body.
The screen suddenly lit up and Robin reached out for the remote to accept the call. He had a pretty good idea who it was.
As Slade's face, now of course masked, turned up on the screen, the room erupted with yells and curses. Not from Robin, though, who only leaned back in the couch, crossing his arms over his chest and enjoyed the show.
NOW you'll see how easy it is to talk this team into something they don't want to do… he thought, slightly amused. Slade only patiently waited until the worst of the profanities had died down. Glancing at Robin he caught the boy's eyes and Robin rolled his slightly, making the man chuckle.
"Are you quite finished?" Slade asked, causing another demonstration of bad language… in quite a few languages, actually… "Having trouble controlling your team, Robin? Maybe you should come back to me immediately." That statement made the teens quiet down at last.
"We are not yet finished with our discussion." Robin told Slade firmly.
"That is quite all right." Slade said to Robin's surprise "I just called to inform Cyborg that he can find the instructions for our private communication link in the mainframe of the Titans Tower's central computer. I imagine he will be able to install it properly. I expect a call from you when it's finished."
"The what, now?" Cyborg asked stunned.
"I haven't had time to get down to the specifics yet, sorry." Robin said, oblivious to the stunned looks he got from his teammates. Had their leader just apologized to SLADE?!
"Well, get on with it." Slade urged. "Either your team accepts my conditions or I will have you back here by tomorrow. Understood?"
Robin nodded shortly and the connection was cut of.
"All right… let's get down to these specifics" Cy growled. "And I don't care what you say, I will kick Slade's butt for messing with my computer!"
"Be my guest." Robin smirked, "He actually encourages us to try and stop him committing crimes. You might get your opportunity then."
You don't stand a chance in hell, my friend... Slade will be able to sell you for scrap metal in a couple of minutes…
More discussing, arguing, crazy plan-making (on Beast Boy's part… involving a UFO-abduction, a wildebeest stampede, a Robin-dummy, a time-machine and for some reason no one could understand, a small potted plant) and crying later, the team finally looked around at each other grimfaced.
"We don't really have a choice right now, do we?" Raven sighed.
"Unless someone comes up with a Slade-repellant!" Beast Boy suggested, ears drooping when nobody seemed to do.
"I'll go install that blasted link" Cyborg muttered, getting to his feet.
"There is still one thing we need to discuss." Robin said, a bit of fear rising again in his chest. As his friends looked at him quizzically he continued "The question about who will be the new leader."
"What?"
"Please,
I do not understand?"
"Explain."
"Dude?"
Robin sighed. "Do you still want me as leader? I will be Slade's student after all, and I thought… maybe…"
"Man!" Cyborg exclaimed. "We trust you with our lives!"
"We will find a way out of this. Together." Raven assertive low voice joined in.
"We most certainly will!" Starfire added.
"Yeah, dude, we're behind you!" Beast Boy said, and then added, grinning;" But if Slade shows up, don't move, ok?"
Robin felt a lump in his throat. "Thank you" he humbly whispered as his friends gathered around him, hugging him, and expressing their love and confidence in him as their friend and as their leader.
It's a pity you're not sure that you won't let them down…
To be continued…
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A/N:
Sooo… first attempt at writing the rest of the Titans… No
character-probing there, it is still a Robin/Slade story, but I was
going for recognition at least… maybe I was a tiny bit
unfair to Beast Boy… I love the little green dude to bits, though,
so BB-lovers: don't hate me too much!
I know that the deal, the
whole situation, is kind of strange and frustrating. But relax. It
will only get worse. If you feel the need to scream at me, please do!
For this chapter I would especially appreciate feedback about the
other characters, so I have time to do some revising before adding
the next chapter… which is written (working on number 6 now!) but
not edited… so there is still time! Do it! Or I'll set a Swedish
curse on you! You will wake up tall and blond with a craving for
meatballs… and not the naughty kind! Don't go there! God! You are
as bad as I am, aren't you?
