Back at the mountain M'gann looked up from her cup of coco.
"Do you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?" Kaldur questioned.
"The zeta tubes," Superboy stood. "The zeta tubes are working."
"Robin!" M'gann jumped up and flew to the transporter.
'Kid Flash B03'
Wally walked out with a sheepish smile. "Hi guys."
"Oh..." M'gann trembled. "I thought you were someone else."
"I know." Wally looked to the ground.
"What is it?" asked Artemis, catching his depressed glance.
"You may want to sit down for this."
After he relayed the information everyone sat, stalk still.
"So..." Kaldur paused. "There is nothing else we can do?"
"I don't think so."
When I woke my lungs felt like they'd been caught on fire. My skin was burning but I could breathe and when I tried to sit up I could move.
Had I just been knocked out? Had this just been some strange dream?
"Robin!" Starfire's voice was joyful and I felt her arms around my neck.
"Gentle Star," the other Robin spoke.
It hadn't been a dream.
I tried to open my eyes and found a slight darkness around the edges. Blinking hard I saw that I was wearing a mask. It was like my normal mask but the fabric cored the rest of my face, my hair sticking out of the top in a messy mop.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice sounding more normal than before. I stood, my legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Careful," Raven's voice cautioned, her hands touched my shoulders, begging me to sit down. I pushed her off and looked to the window next to me.
I was wearing dark fabric, sewn over every inch of my body. The fabric had once been my cape. I was wearing a pair of steel toed boots. Red Kevlar had been painted a darker shade, obviously some kind of covering. But what caught my attention most was the foreboding mask over my face with large tubes connecting to a metal device hung over my shoulders.
"Cyborg?" I turned to him, noticing his touch on the outfit.
"The mask we have you was temporary. This one is more permanent."
"How permanent?" I asked, my hand moving to my stabbing chest.
"We had to sew a device in your lungs. The mask on your face can be taken off for things such as eating." He shook his head sadly.
"It was scary," Beast boy shuddered in the corner. "I thought you were going die."
"Me?" I smiled at him. "Never. I'm master of death."
He smiled back tremulously.
"What are you going to do now?" Robin asked, crossing his arms across his chest.
"I'd like to stay here if that's alright with you," I admitted. "At least until we get the dimensional transport fixed."
"That should be a while." Cyborg reminded me.
I nodded. "So?" I looked to Robin. "Can I stay?"
"Please," Beast boy added.
"Oh yes!" Starfire begged.
I looked to Raven who strained to smile. Cyborg held his hands up.
"You all know where I stand on this. It's nice to have someone who understands machines."
Robin nodded. "Alright you can stay. On one condition."
"What would that be?"
"We can't both be Robin. If you're going to be part of the team you need a new name."
"How about..." I remembered my shadow before I'd hit doctor light and how I'd called myself master of death. "Raccoon?" Beast boy chuckled. "Your mask looks like it."
"No," I shook my head. "How about... Grim Reaper?"
"It makes you sound like a villain," Raven raised an eyebrow.
"I don't mind," I smiled. "I am master of death aren't I?"
"Will this mean you use a scythe?" Cyborg asked.
"Why not?" I shrugged.
I pulled off the mask for a second and pulled up my neck line to cover my lower face. Then re positioned the mask.
"What do you think?"
"I think you'll need a new cape," Robin chuckled.
"Not on your life," I groaned.
It was late, the moon was high and I was running for my life. My breaths came in sharp gasps, regulated by the mask on my face.
I glanced back, clambering up a fence.
Behind me I saw the green eyes staring through the darkness and I heard the huffing growls of a massive animal. It was gaining on me.
As I flew down the alley way I saw a figure in a dark cape on the other side of the building. On the far side one red eye turned to me.
I looked up at the walls ahead. I was trapped... unless... I reached into my tool belt and pulled out a grappling hook. Shooting up to the top I began hopping from building to building.
Above me I heard two pairs of wings.
They were gaining.
"You should stop running Grim Reaper," the green eyes figure landed in front of me, her hands lit green as well.
"What's the fun of that?" I grinned.
"You might stay in one piece." A deeper voice spoke behind me. Four other figures landed behind me and from my belt I pulled a double sided scythe.
"Like you could beat me?"
The shortest one with spiky hair aimed a boomerang at me. "Let's test that theory Reaper."
I grinned, the movement hidden under my face mask that reached above my nose.
The sleek metal suit had been scuffed at the edges and the roughly sewn fabric was now a skin tight black suit with red accents on the stomach, elbows and knees. The steel toed boots of before were replaced with a black metal and thick leather.
I glanced around my attackers and lashed at the smallest one.
Beast Boy gasped and jumped aside, crashing into Starfire who squeaked and toppled over. Raven attacked next but I managed to get her in the stomach with the blunt end of my blade. She gasped and, from either side of me Robin and Cyborg advanced. I jumped, kicking them both in the head.
They grabbed their new bruises, moaning and I stood on the edge of the building, elevated above them. They were injured but not down and they stood, a new vengeance in their eyes.
"Is that all you've got?" I smirked, leaning on my long scythe.
"Not by a long shot," Cyborg charged up his sonic cannon.
"You wouldn't do that," I eyed his cannon, slightly nervously.
"Try me." It began to whir.
I lifted my scythe slowly, again assessing my position.
Starfire' hands were no longer lit and I flipped over Cyborg's head, kicking her in the back. She fell forward again lighting up her hands.
She shot and I ducked, the blast shooting Raven backward. Beast Boy snarled and pounced on my, batting my mask. It fell from my face and I punched him in the throat, winding him. Jumping on his back I ran across Cyborg's head and flipped twice before landing behind Robin. He was prepared for my kick and threw me by the leg. This time I maneuvered my flight and hit Cyborg who fell over, landing on the recovering Starfire.
Beast boy was on me, defending the still dazed Raven. He transformed from the lion into a smaller animal, maybe a wolf. But before he could I threw a smoke bomb in front of him. He changed back to human, coughing.
Robin advanced through the smoke and I was ready for him with I quick jab to his eye.
As the smoke cleared I looked at the dazed, befuddled and coughing team.
"Are you really going to keep this up?" I asked, pulling my mask back on to guard from to he crisp thin air. "You know I'll win... again."
"Alright," Beast Boy fell to the ground. "You win!"
"Yes!" I jumped up. "That makes sixteen to three."
"Four," Raven amended.
"Three." I rolled my eyes. "The one at the house doesn't count."
"You are very good at this game," Starfire pouted. "It is simply not fair."
"Not fair!" I laughed. "It's five against one."
"You have more experience." Robin nodded. "Maybe you do have the advantage."
I shrugged. "I thought you said you'd been doing it since the same age I had."
"Yea," he nodded. "But you're older."
I choked. "Guys, I'm thirteen."
"You're kidding," Cyborg gaped.
"You didn't know?"
"The age it hard to discern behind a mask," Starfire's brow furrowed.
I pulled the air mask off and tugged down the fabric. The cold air bit my exposed skin but I laughed. "I didn't think this thing was that bad? It's growing on me. It's only been what, a week?"
"A month." Beast boy looked at me. "It's been a month."
"Oh," I frowned. "Time moves fast."
"Do not despair!" Starfire cried gleefully. "We shall go and get the ice cream to celebrate your victory!"
"Sure Star," I smiled pulling the air mask back on.
I clipped my scythe to my back and jumped from the bounding down to the fire escape, the team close behind.
"Where are we going to go?" Beast Boy asked.
"Isn't there that new frozen yogurt place downtown?" Raven suggested.
"Yogurt?' Beast Boy winced before taking bird form and flying next to me.
"I'm sure they have lactose free BB," Cyborg said, leaping to the ground next to me.
Robin smiled. "And if not I know for a fact they have fruit salads."
"Always the health freak," Raven rolled her eyes.
Starfire giggled and something caught my eye.
"Did you see that?" I asked, looking up at the figure now dashing away.
"See what?" Star asked.
"I'm not sure," I shot my grappling hook to the corner if the building and flew up, the team close behind.
I always could've slunk away, told them to get get yogurt and waited for me but since receiving the heavy metal it was harder to sneak and I didn't like to. I'd learned not to run off from my last team.
I watched, wobbling on the edge of the building. The figure had vanished.
"Did you see them?" Beast Boy asked.
"I must've imagined it," I tried to shake away my feeling of nervousness.
"Come on ya'll," Cyborg grinned. "That yogurt isn't gonna order itself."
We ran down to the shop but for some reason I couldn't shake away my nervousness.
The yogurt was good and I finished mine in a few minutes.
Making our way back to the tower my eyes caught sight of the CD on the main table.
"Guys..." I poked it in the player. "There's smoothing wrong."
"What is it?" Cyborg asked, tossing his double ice cream bowl.
"Hello Titans..." a dark voice chuckled. "It's so nice to see you."
The whole team gasped and I was left confused to wait for an explanation.
"Slade..." Robin growled.
"You may be wondering why, or even how I'm still alive." He stepped out of the darkness and it was my turn to gasp.
"Deathstroke!"
"Who?" Beast Boy asked.
"I can assure you I've been happily living in an alternate dimension," Slade continued. "When I escaped you'll be happy to know I met the alternate me. We... how do you say struck a chord."
Another man stepped forward and my fists curled. "That one," I growled. "That's death stroke. He's from my demension."
"But..." Cyborg trailed off. "How?"
I shook my head.
"We have a new trick for you," Slade said. "But this isn't for an apprentice. This one is for something else..." He snarled. "Revenge."
"I'm looking forward to that," Robin smirked.
"I believe you have a new team mate," Slade continued talking, Deathstroke held completely still. "I'd like to meet him. Come to the old park outside city limits. No tricks, no backstabbing from me. Just a fair fight."
The screen flickered off and when I looked to Robin who I thought might burst. "Let's go." He turned on his heal, cape falling around his shoulders.
"Wait," I grabbed Robin's shoulder.
"Never!" He shook me off.
I caught up to him. "You don't know Deathstroke like I do." I argued.
"It doesn't matter." His eyes had become slits. "I'm going to out Slade back where he belongs."
"Just slow down." I stopped in front of him, holding my scythe out.
"Why?" He glared at me.
Glancing at the other titans for help I tried to think of a plausible argument. But they looked just as mad.
"Because," I took a deep breath, "Deathstroke isn't just some villian. He is an assassin."
"And the difference being?" Beast boy backed Robin.
"I was once his target," my eyes narrowed. "Go if you must but Deathstroke is mine. I don't want any of you dying."
Beast boy paused. "Dying?"
"What part of assassin didn't you get?" I let a furious Robin pass.
"But..." Cyborg took the front seat of the T car, "if this Death guy–"
"Deathstroke."
"Yea him. If he traveled here from you dimension."
"Which might not be the case."
"Then he can traverse dimensions. We could get you home!"
"Oh Rynir!" Starfire gasped. "You could see your friends again!"
I smiled at the Tameranian word. 'Little mask' (our personal joke)
"Yea," my brows furrowed.
"Don't you want to go back?" Beast Boy asked.
"Of course I do..."
"Are you sure?" Raven asked, leaning forward.
"No, maybe, I don't know," I put my hands to my temples. "Just... don't bother me about it."
The team sent me strange looks, all except Robin who still looked like he was mentally prepping to kill someone.
Maybe I didn't want to go home. This team was so simple, so caring. It was easier here.
But I didn't have time to think about it more as Cyborg slowed the car and said grim faced, "we're here."
reviews make chapters come faster. and sorry this one took so long. the holidays are nuts