A/N: hugs you all Thank you for all the wonderful, awesome reviews!!! As you can tell I had a blast writing that last chapter. But now with it over…I'm like in shock. I have been waiting forever to post it and now that I have…
Oh well, I get to now look forward at other big moments in this story. YAY!!! New goal and everything and I don't need to confuse you all about the two Robins. Anyway, I hope this chapter lives up to the last one or at least a nice little transition.
Ch 17 Aftereffects
Deathstroke entered through the small skylight and crept through the rafters, making his way down slowly to the basement of the abandoned apartment. Sneaking through the narrow crack of the basement door, he peered down over the ledge into the wide, spacious basement.
The spacious cement floor held nothing important except for a pile of dirty clothes and a small table where a backpack was resting. His steel boots making contact with the ground, Slade's gray eye surveyed the area. There was a small hallway to the left of him and in the farthest right hand corner was another room with its door open, the light spilling out.
Making his way to the room, Slade paused in the doorway, his body posture stiff in surprise. Strapped to a metal chair, blood and oil dripping out of cuts and two holes: one in the palm of a hand the other dead center in the forehead. Blue eyes held a glassy look in them as they stared never-ending at floor. His creation was irreparable. Sure, the villain could spend a hefty amount of money rebuilding the perfect robot, but once was enough. Besides, Slade mused as he turned around; his masterpiece was a more rare piece of work and worth all his time and money.
As if hearing his name, the masterpiece stepped out from the small hallway, a towel draped over a bare shoulders. The chest revealed multiple bruises, cuts and a bandage wound halfway down his chest. Sniffing, Robin shook his raven locks, sending water droplets falling onto the floor. Grabbing the end of one towel, he wiped his ear and glanced up at Slade.
"Master."
"Apprentice."
The two regarded each other, an old tension hanging in the air. The villains waited for the other to deal the first blow, a punishment waiting to be dealt. Merely, Slade tilted his eye and regarded the robot once more. "I was picturing something more…incomplete, not so…whole."
Robin walked up to stand beside Slade, eyeing the robot with a frown. "Didn't want to ruin your work." Turning to face the man fully, the younger decided to make the first move, "So what did Lex say?"
In a blink of an eye, Slade pinned Robin against the wall, his large hand clasped over his throat. Hanging there, Robin locked his cold blue eyes against Slade's charcoal one.
"I told you the first lesson, Apprentice, be careful whom you chose to kill." The remark only earned a smirk. Glaring, he shifted his grip.
With his hands dangling by his side, Robin replied, "I am careful." As if reading Slade's mind, he continued, "You can't kill me because I'm finally what you wanted me to be and besides…there is only one Robin left in this world now."
The confident gaze became to waver slightly as Slade tightened his grip. Slade leaned forward, his voice purring through the slits, "I know, boy, but that does not prevent me from taking away more…important things." With that, he pressed his thumb where Robin's voice box was located. A coughing sound emitted from the younger man's throat, his small hands creeping up, wishing to pry off Slade's grip.
"You did well tonight Reaper, but if you wish to further your training, the first thing you need to still learn is respect. For once you learn that, everything else will fall in place." Once again pressing, Slade narrowed his charcoal eye and took in the semi-closing blue eyes that sparked in retaliation and acceptance.
"You think that being my apprentice you deserve respect from other villains, but isn't that the same train of thinking that dissolved your relationship with Batman. Because since you were with him, you were to be feared." Pulling the boy higher, so his feet were dangling, Slade continued, "That might work for the lower villains, but when dealing with more dangerous villains, villains like Lex Luthor you do not flaunt the title of apprentice around. It will only infuriate him and others like him further, especially me. Do I make myself clear?"
Robin blinked slowly. Releasing his grip, Slade watched the boy land hard on his feet. The apprentice touched his throat gently and knew that bruises were going to form there the next day.
"I gave you the respect you've always desired, Seir, I think it's about time you returned the favor."
Robin croaked, his voice box blossoming in pain, "Yes."
"Yes what?"
"Yes, master."
"Good now get dressed, Luthor wants to know of this alternative plan you have."
Robin straightened up and grabbed the towel off the floor. He eyed the robot and Slade one more time before making his way into the main area where the backpack was and pulled out another uniform.
Slade walked up to the robot and looked at each injury on the body, "What are you going to do with the body?"
"Since it's so eerily like me, I thought I would I keep it…for awhile."
"The League and Titans are going to tear the city apart."
"No they won't. Like I said," stepping back into the doorway, Robin was now donned the same black uniform minus the trench coat, a mask dangled from his hand, "I am careful."
Slade eyed the boy. Seir's eyes darkened as he tilted his head, "Plans within plans, right Slade. Another way to control death."
The mastermind didn't reply. His silence was both confusing and delighting the younger boy. He knew that he had hit something, some keynote in his training under Slade. Robin took a step to the side, bowed his head slightly and watched as Slade glided past him before falling a step behind him.
-Gotham City: Batcave-
The fight was on constant replay within her mind. The only villain besides the classics had gotten the best of her. A person whom she thought did not have the capacity to defeat her did. How many times did Batman tell her not to underestimate her opponent?
Too many.
Drifting, the darkness began to form the all-too familiar battlefield, her mind trying to find out where she went wrong. The fight was short but intense.
"You're annoying." With that the dark clad man sprinted at her.
Throwing a right punch, Batgirl dodged only to feel his other fist driving underneath her lungs. Falling forward, she noticed dimly the man stepping back and sending his knee crashing under her chin. Head snapping back, the woman did a scissor kick. The man leapt back and did a roundhouse kick, countering her own kick. Both balancing on one leg, her mind noticed that her opponent was holding back. It looked like he wanted to fight a certain way, more like her in gymnastics, but was holding back. His dark blue eyes gave no hint, emotionless, but his body did.
The man then decided to end the stalemate. Pushing, he made Batgirl yield under and land back to two feet. Raising her left arm, she blocked the punch that was aimed at her shoulder. Gathering her own momentum, she swung her own punch only to have it hit air. The man dodged the punch, pulling her left arm behind her back. With it pinned, it only took a second before she heard a crack and thousands of shards sending a blinding white light of pain. It felt like a supernova had exploded in her wrist. Screaming was cut short as the man drove his right fist into her back. Clenching her teeth, she willed her right hand to reach for her belt. Pulling out a small bat-a-rang she wrenched herself free of the man's hold and drove the rang into his left side.
Limping backwards, she watched the man grab hold of the rang, his body shivering in shock and pain. Seeing her opportunity, Batgirl pulled out an electrical disk and threw it at the man. In record time, he pulled the rang out of his body and with deadly accuracy wiped it right at the disk. The two met in the mid-air and exploded. Batgirl raised her arms to protect her and just in time as the man leapt throw the smoke, his foot making contact at where her wrists met. Her left one exploded once more, and her right groaned under the pressure. Staggering, she watched as the man deliver another power kick at her leg, snapping it in two.
She didn't do anything as he grabbed her cowl and smashed her face into his oncoming knee. Blood dripping out of her mouth and probably broken nose, Batgirl felt her mind begin to drift. Fists drove into her ribs, and cracked under each contact. Her eyes drifted upwards and narrowed in confusion as the man pushed her upright. Wavering there, she took in the cold fire burning in his eyes.
"Just like Dick. What is it with men and being such sore losers," mused Batgirl's mind.
But now, looking back she noticed that behind all those flames of anger was something else…something that seemed to say, "You should have stayed out of this."
Next thing she knew was her head once again snapping back as the kick hit the side of her head. Collapsing onto the ground, Batgirl drifted in and out of consciousness. The man knelt down next to her and fear spiked up her spine.
"No. What now? Please, leave me alone!" In the background, she could hear Batman calling out her name. How long had he been doing that? She couldn't remember.
Darkness encompassed her sight. Her mind pushed back the dark just enough to see the man quickly stitching his wound with floss that he had retrieved from his belt and then tying a makeshift bandage around the injury on his side. Next to him was her bat cowl, the mask ripped open in the center, revealing the microphone and earpiece, Batman's voice calling her name.
The last thing she remembered was the man reaching down and picking up the microphone. Her last thought being, "He knows who I am. He unmasked me."
"No!" Batgirl's hoarse scream echoed in the Cave, forcing a flock of bats to scatter in the crevices.
Hands jumped up and touched her bare face. Her breathing began to become erratic. "He knows. He knows."
She heard the pounding of boots and soon the dark, unmasked face of Batgirl appeared before her. "Calm down Barbara. Everything's fine."
"No, it's not!" shrieked Barbara, "That man…he unmasked me, he knows what I LOOK LIKE, Bruce!"
Bruce saw the pain filled, terrified face of Barbara and felt his heart clench. His hand reached out and began to stroke her head. He had done the action so many times when Dick would wake up from a bad injury or from a nightmare concerning his parents.
Just like Dick, Barbara began to calm down but the fear was still shivering throughout her body.
"Don't worry, Barbara. I arrived before the cops arrived. The only person who knows of your appearance is him."
"Bruce…he was the one wasn't he…the one you told me to keep a look out for?"
"Yes."
Guilt began to seep into her eyes, "I should have listened to you. He was too good for me. He just killed the men, didn't care if he was killed in the process. Who is he?"
Bruce dreaded the question. Thankfully, Batman knew how to answer the question, "His name is Reaper."
"Reaper," repeated Barbara, the name locking in her mind, "Where does he come from? Who does he work for?"
"He-" Eying her battered body, Batman held back. Could she handle Dick's betrayal right now? Could he tell of Deathstroke's involvement without her mind connecting the dots? No. Barbara was a smart woman and given an amount of time, she would make the connection, her mind always in detective mode just like her father. It was one of the many characteristics, Batman loved about her and proud of as she honed the skills. And for Dick, it was one of the many things that made him fall in love with her, or at least start to flirt. Bruce had always wondered if the two would take it further, that there was room for love in this dark business. But now…
"Sir."
Bruce turned as Barbara shifted her eyes to the voice. Alfred stood in the shadows, the glow of the Bat computer darkening his grieved filled face. Right away, Bruce knew something bad had happened. "What?"
"It's the Titans sir. Jump City is under attack by some computer virus. They've gotten most of it under control thankfully."
"But…"
"Robin's missing."
Barbara began to rise, "Robin. We've gotta-"
Batman pushed her down gently, "No, you are in no condition to fight. You will stay here and rest. I'll go to Jump City."
The tone of voice was enough to make Batgirl acknowledge the order. She had already gone against her fair share of orders today and when she was better, she would receive some type of punishment. Lying back down, she watched the Dark Knight disappear into the darkness. A few seconds later, she heard the screeching of the Bat jet zoom out of the cave.
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A/N: Yay! Back to the regular page amount and action. Until next week!
