According to Slade I was no longer useful and I spent my time in a cage or hospital bed being ripped apart. I didn't care.
I was the master of death. I couldn't die. And after what felt like an eternity which could've only been a few days I could no longer feel pain either. This time the numbness did not leave.
"How does it feel?" Slade asked every single night as I was dumped into the rusted metal cage. My injuries would either be improperly bandaged or not at all. And very night I would say the same thing.
"You can't kill me that easily."
He would snarl and go off to devise a new plan.
I watched as he ripped open my chest and pulled out a small metal device. Hadn't Cyborg put that in there when I'd first gotten here? It had helped with my first air breather. But, because of my upgrades it no longer held any use. Slade didn't know that though.
The next day my arm was opened and the tracker removed. I couldn't feel my fingers.
The day after that I ingested a horrible blue liquid. It came up several hours later, along with copious amounts of blood. My body couldn't take much more. But I couldn't find the energy to care.
After the next small eternity of numbness I woke as Slade's words deviated from his normal ones.
"Does it feel horrible to know that you're missing all the snow?"
"Snow?" I croaked. "Really?"
"Yes, my boy," he smiled. "It's winter now."
"Isn't that something," I closed my eyes, ready to sleep.
I woke up the next morning with a new visitor.
Two blurry figures stood over me.
"Good morning," Slade greeted. "Today is going to be a bit different than normal."
"Oh?" I inquired, not bothering to care.
"Yes," a different voice shook me, filled my numbness and lifted bile to my throat. "Deathstroke?"
How was it Deathstroke. He was dead. I'd killed him.
"Grim Reaper," he spoke. "How nice to see you."
"How..." My voice died.
"The one you killed was a robot," Slade explained. "Didn't you wonder why there was no blood?"
"You're supposed to be a detective." Deathstroke scoffed.
"So I didn't kill anyone?"
"Not a soul," Slade sounded almost disappointed.
The numbness began to fall away for the first time in months. My head felt clear again, a weight lifting from my shoulders.
I started to think, my detective instincts kicking back on. "Then where have you been," I tried to sound hallow and uncaring.
"Back in your dimension." Deathstroke sighed with exasperation. "The justice league and it's smaller counterpart has been very busy in my absence."
They were alive? The team was alive.
"How'd you get there?" I looked up, my shoulders still slumped forward. "This." Deathstroke held up a small device, no larger than a cell phone. It had several knobs. If I could only get my hands on it.
"But no matter," Slade stepped in front of Deathstroke before I could even reach for it. "You've proven yourself this last month Grim."
"In what way?"
"So talkative," his dark grin could be heard clearly. "I've decided to give you a chance. Another chance to end the titans."
"I see."
"But," he growled. "You will have a tight leash. I will always be seconds away from you. If you slip up I will be able to end you."
"They won't trust me," I chose my words carefully. "Now they know I'm a traitor."
"And that is why I will be in tune with your vital signs. Everything. You will be the killer in the night. If you make even one mistake you will pass out and you will not wake up."
I shook with fear, not needing to pretend. "H-How?"
"All those tests on your blood and you still never think..." He sighed. "You have lost your edge."
I nodded. "So you've discovered a way to make your pain potion work?"
"No, in fact." He held up what looked like a clicker or an automatic lock to a car. "I have this."
"EMP." I didn't even have to ask.
"Your blood will boil within ten minutes. Not enough to get three hundred miles away."
"Understood." I stood at attention, flinching, waiting for the slap or punch that would always come.
"Tomorrow," Deathstroke grabbed Slade's arm. "He's dead on his feet. He may be your slave. But you want a quality job don't you?"
Slade nodded. "Fine. Tomorrow you have a job Grim Reaper."
I nodded.
The next morning I was driven in a taxi down town. Even with tinted windows my eyes burned.
I tried not to feel like a small child as gentle snowflakes fell from the sky.
"What month is it?" I asked, attempting to sound uninterested.
"December," Slade said from beside me.
The driver in the front looked around. "Dude what's wrong wit'chu? It's Christmas Eve."
"Oh yes," my heart clenched. "I forgot."
The taxi driver shook his head. "Crazy people. What's with the dark costumes anyway?" He glanced at our clothes.
"Gonna crash a friend's party," I grinned.
He laughed aloud. "With that get up you'll get him. How'd you get the blood to look so real?"
I glanced down at myself and hid a wince. Stick thin, gaunt and sliced to bits I looked like death itself.
"Makeup has it's perks," I lied.
"You could go pro," the driver nodded.
"Yes," Slade interrupted. "When will reach our destination."
"We're here," he pulled up at a dinky bar/hotel and I opened the door, holding it for Slade.
He walked around and pulled open the back. From the trunk he took a bread case. To any unsuspecting person it was a normal case. My lungs shriveled at the thought. I had an EMP somewhere in me that would kill me at a moment's notice with the press of a button.
"Good luck with the scare," the taxi driver smiled. "You'll kill with that outfit."
My knees trembled. 'I sure hope not' I thought. But I couldn't really get out of it either.
When it came down to it however, would I be able to keep them safe? Or would I crumble?
"You should get going my boy," Slade glared at me although I could not see his eyes.
"I'll leave a trail," I stayed straight faced. "You forget one member of the team is part animal."
"Fine," he snarled. "You may clean yourself."
I never knew a three minute freezing cold shower would ever feel so good. My lungs wouldn't let me take any longer and I scrambled back to my mask. The air wasn't as clear as it had once been. Soon, very soon, it would stop working entirely. But that didn't matter. If all went to plan I would never need that again.
The torn uniform was warm and clean, meaning Slade had taken some of my warning to heart.
I stepped inside the uniform. It could use some stitching, the places where it was cut making my skin sting. I could hardly stand this exposed air.
Walking out of the restroom, feeling better and, my will power stronger I faced my boss. He and Deathstroke sat in the corner table, quietly discussing something. "Grim Reaper," Slade looked up. "Your mission is simple. I will have their heads by tomorrow morning. No second chances this time."
"Yes sir," I looked at my toes. There wouldn't be any second chances. But ten seconds could be enough time to tell them why I had to. Couldn't it?
Before I left my eyes lingered on the dimensional transporter on Deathstroke's belt.
I walked to the window, scythe securely strapped to my side. Early morning and the white snow was not good camouflage.
Vowing I'd somehow pay them back I took a coat from a small shop, dumping my ruined cape.
At least I would be warm for my last few hours.
The trip to the tower was slow, numb fingers and toes unwilling to walk. My uniform was not built for cold. But, once there I was able to sneak in through the roof.
For a team of superheroes their security sucked.
And for what felt like the dozenth time I crawled into the air ducts. I didn't have an excuse for time this time around. I knew exactly where I was going. The duct over the home room was wide and clear.
I didn't know how long I'd have to wait for an opportunity but I cherished those last moments. I ran over my speech a million times in my head, dirtier mined to keep my heart rate normal. If Slade caught any skipped beat, any speeding up he'd kill me faster than I could sneeze.
'What are you waiting for...?' I could hear his velvet voice hissing at me. My heart rate grew. No. No, it couldn't happen now. I needed to remain calm.
Looking down into the room I examined every detail of the room and it's inhabitants.
In the kitchen Starfire and Beast Boy were cooking. They both looked relatively relaxed and happy. I couldn't interrupt them. Those who are calm now would react poorly to a surprise.
Moving my gaze to the other side of the room I saw Raven, meditating. She would need to be conscious of her surroundings as well. If I interrupted her now she would blow me sky high; like before. Flinching I looked to Cyborg. He was relaxing with Rob, sharing a bag of Christmas cookies and watching television.
All to calm. I needed to wait for something else...
A flash of light caught my eye and on the far side of the room, next to the door. A swirling mass of energy. I knew that. It was bright blue and whirring past quickly. The zeta tubes...?
I watched, my heart stopping, preparing to pounce. Slade would notice now. I would have to move.
Then two figures stepped from the tube and I think my heart stopped.
"What!" Beast Boy leapt back at the sight of them.
Raven looked up, falling not so gracefully from her meditation.
"Robin...!" Starfire called. "Were we expecting guests?"
"Robin?" The smaller figure ran forward. It was a red head, yellow suited figure. My voice caught. I was frozen.
"Kid Flash," a deep voice came from the shadows. "Control yourself."
But he was trembling a little himself.
Robin stepped forward. "My name is Robin," his face was just as grim as the other man's.
"No you're not," Kid Flash put his hands on his hips. "We're looking for him."
"Kid Flash," the man growled.
"Who are you?" Cyborg asked, pressing the charge on his sonic cannon.
"This is Kid Flash." The man spoke. "And I am Batman"
I could hardly breathe. This couldn't be happening. Not now. I couldn't watch their hearts be broken. They couldn't see me now.
Below Robin crossed his arms. "Who are you looking for?"
"We told you," Kid Flash tried to speak slowly but I could see his excitement, clear as day. "We're looking for Robin."
"You have found him," Starfire places a hand on her leader's shoulder.
"Alternate dimension," Batman slowed KF down. "This is the DNA match that our Robin was sent here after."
"What do you mean?" Cyborg's sonic whirred down.
"The boy sent here a little over five months ago would have called himself Robin. He was sent here by a malfunction of our zeta tubes."
"Are they talking about...?" Beast Boy turned to Robin.
"The boy you are talking about isn't here." The short boy growled.
"Then you've seen him!" Kid Flash began to shake, molecules vibrating like he does when he's excited.
"Yes," Raven was the only one to look up. Everyone else lowered their gazes to the floor.
"Is he dead?" To anyone else Batman will have sounded like business as usual but even after half a year I could hear the concealed emotion. I waited for the answers from the others.
"To me he is as good as," Robin turned and sat back on the couch. Starfire followed him, trying to talk to him. But he wouldn't listen.
"What happened?" Kid Flash was trembling now.
"He joined our team when he first arrived," Cyborg explained.
"But we didn't call him Robin." Beast Boy took up. "He called himself Grim Reaper."
"Just like him," Kid Flash's smile was shakey. "Always so dramatic."
:) Robin's back and he's not a murderer. yay!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The story is almost over