"What do you want?"
"To set you free"
"I doubt that"
"Of course you do"
"You're going to use me"
"Perhaps"
"What are you planning?"
"You'll see"
"Show me"
Slade pushed a button on the remote he held and the screens turned on; the five screens combined showed a giant "T" on an island. Abel raised an eyebrow.
"A giant "T" on an island? I think you're losing your touch"
"Perhaps," he pushed another button and the screens showed separate images, five teenagers bustling around cleaning the inside in what looked like Halloween costumes.
"It's not October is it?"
"No. These are the Teen Titans. Robin, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire"
"Oh, those guys," Abel said in a mock tone of realization, he of course knew who the Titans were; he'd been searching for them for two years. Slade did not know this, or he did but gave no hint of it, "What about them?"
"I want you to destroy them," Slade said with a hint malice in his eye.
'He must have one hell of a grudge'
"Any means necessary?"
"As long as it gets done," Slade then pushed the button on the remote and the screens clicked off.
"I do this… and I'm free?"
"We'll see," he responded; and punched Abel in the face, sending him flying across the room.
"What the-"
"I know you have no intention of killing them; I know you've been searching for them for years. You thought you could fool me? Outsmart me? Dear boy, you're clever, but not that clever," he stated with a slight hint of anger.
"How did you know?" Abel asked, he knew it wasn't impossible; Slade was a genius after all.
"You talk in your sleep"
"Son of a-"
"Now, now, that's not necessary, dear boy."
"Whatever; just kill me now."
"I'm not going to kill you. No, I still have use for you"
"What?" Abel was hefted up from behind by one of Slade's many robotic minions. Slade wordlessly produced a gun, Abel recognized it as the pistols his droids always carried; any snide remark he had was unuttered, as Slade shot him with the pistol set to stun. Abel blacked out, and Slade smiled under his mask.
"Take him to the quarry," as the robot turned to leave he added, "Make a big scene," with that Slade turned around and watched the blank screen intently.
TT
The car was barreling recklessly down the street, but it wasn't a problem. Not when the police recognized the steel blue paint job. In the driver's seat was Cyborg, of course. He would never let anyone drive his "baby". Next to him was Raven, who always sat in front, because she helped Cyborg build the car. If, If, Cyborg were going to trust anyone else with his "baby" it would be her. Behind Raven sat Robin, who was scanning the GPS from the backseat. Beast Boy was next to him, with Starfire on the opposite side of the car; she was staring out with amazement at the enormous skyscrapers of Jump City, which cowered before the Tower, but amazed her none the less. Beast Boy was engaged in a video game Cyborg installed in the backseat.
"Where are we going?" Raven asked; getting tired of only hearing the beeps from Beast Boy's game.
"The rock quarry, we got reports of Slade's droids running amuck," Robin answered, relieved at the change in soundtrack, especially since it was Raven. Robin shook his head slightly, catching himself doing that a lot lately, "We also have reports of a possible hostage."
"Slade must be losing his touch, if that's all he's got," Beast Boy said getting bored of losing fifty times in a row. Raven was barely paying attention, she was thinking about that slight surge of emotion she felt from Robin when she asked where they were going. It was a little like the warm, fuzzy feeling she had. She considered this awhile when she remembered the fact that she had two new emotions. Love and Lust. She doubted lust produce a warm, fuzzy feeling. She considered love; it is true she loved her friends on different levels. Cyborg was like a brother to her. Beast Boy, well he was tolerable.
Starfire was her best friend. And Robin, he was her leader, and gave her privacy. The fuzzy feeling always seemed strongest around him… and it hit her like so many bricks.
The feeling was always strongest around him! Could she be in love with Wonder Boy?
Or maybe it was just one of her emotions? They did tend to show signs of individuality, but they were only apparitions. Maybe she was just disoriented from the breaking of her routine.
'Yes, that's exactly what it is, I'm just disoriented. I just need to meditate and everything will be fine!' she thought, hardly convinced, 'I'm not in love with Robin. Everybody knows he has a thing for Starfire!' this last thought saddened her a little, but she wasn't sure why. Then Robin's voice broke her reverie.
"We're here. Care to join us?"
She wordlessly got out of the car.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine, just need to meditate later," she couldn't help but sense the concern in his tone, "Let's go," Robin hesitated, examining her with his masked eyes, but simply nodded and ran to catch up with the others. Raven followed, when she got to the edge, she took in the scene. There, amongst the rock and machinery were almost thirty of Slade's "orange-spot-in-the-middle-of-their-faces" droids. They were scattered out at random, except for one group, who surrounded the limp form of a long-haired boy, laying face-down in the dirt. He was still alive; she could sense his heart beating in his chest. He had on khakis and a white shirt, and a lot of belts. There was also something familiar about the boy but she couldn't place it. Starfire must have noticed the same thing, because she tilted her head the way she does when she sees something familiar and didn't expect to see on earth. Once again she was brought out of her trance by a voice.
"Dude! Is there, like, a website or something?" Beast Boy asked. Starfire almost answered, when she realized it was rhetorical question. Robin told them the battle plan and was about to utter that famous command, when the boy suddenly sprang from the ground and engaged the droids surrounding him in combat.
Robin regained his composure and ordered the Titans forward.
"Titans, Go!"