OMG, I am sosososososo sorry! I haven't updated for over a month, after I promised to update quicker…
I meant to update for Halloween, and I didn't, and… wow, I have no real excuse, because Remember the Titans is all completely written, in its entirety…
Ugh. I apologise. Please don't hate me for screwing about over in the Death Note section instead… I promise I haven't forsaken you or Teen Titans!
Anyway! Thankyou to: LoopyLouise123 (yes, RTT has been going for well over a year now, actually… It probably could have been finished 6 months ago if I would just update quicker…); Narroch (yeah, well, you fail at life, so I'm not talking to you…); Someone (no, they won't be able to hide it for long – and Cyborg begins to get suspicious this chapter!); Dragonprincess1988 (and here the next chapter is! Finally!); Amara-chan (Robin/Slade face-off is the last segment, but it's also the longest! As for Raven… yeah, you'll figure out why she's being such a ditz. Eventually.); Guardian of Azarath (did you update your fic in the end? Should have been quicker than my update was! And Buffy-bot is hilarious – not as funny as Cordelia, though!); Quinn and His Quill (yes, Quinn – yes there is. How are you, by the way?); dlsky (the whole Slade and Robin thing? You'll have to wait and see for their reactions, but yeah, you're right, it's all kind of confusing at the moment…You summarised all the angst up rather nicely!); The Fate of an Amaryllis (you see, all your pen-names are always so great! Mine is so… fangirlish… AND makes no sense over in the Death Note section… Yeah, it's kinda RobinxStarfire… I'm sorry…); YamiTai (yes, two years… it's been a loooong time, and I'm just so slow at updating… It's not like I even have to write the chapters between updates…); TheFallenAngel67 (oh, I'm glad that you're better! You must be by now, surely, since I haven't updated for like a month…); Chanceless (yes, yes, I'm very sorry – I'm so bad… Chucked out of AI – how are you doing in that, BTW? – and over hanging with the DN peeps… Don't worry about Static, he'll be back for a brief cameo, I promise! Pinkeye…? I swear we don't have that over here… Oh, and… I guess I'm one of those authors who sits in front of a computer all day doing nothing else, but I'm also one of those bitches that everyone hates who can stay really skinny without lifting a finger…:D); and Simmie (sorry for the late update! More shame on me, methinks! Yeah, Robin's life sucks – it's just gonna get worse, you know…).
Yay!
Armageddon
Robin paused on a rooftop, flipping open his communicator and eying the coordinates once more to be perfectly sure of where he was headed.
He gripped his staff in his hand, his knuckles white beneath the green of his glove.
His mouth was a firm, determined little line.
They were going to win.
It was war.
Armageddon.
And they were going to win.
—
Two green entities arced high above Jump City, visible against the cloudless blue sky.
Like a comet – made of emerald, or jade, or even kryptonite – Starfire soared through the heavens, her long red hair whipping behind her as she cut through the air like a bladeknife. Beast Boy wasn't far behind her; a majestic albatross that glided on wide wings.
In the distance – but coming ever closer to them – the "T" that was their destination stood out starkly against the sky too.
Starfire paused just above the coastline of the city, looking out across the water at Titans Tower; squinting for a sign of Terra. Beast Boy halted beside her, flapping his wings; she extended an arm and he transformed back to his human form, whereupon she caught him before he fell.
"You think she's in there?" He asked softly.
"I do not know," Starfire replied quietly. "I suppose that we must go and look for ourselves."
"I… don't wanna hurt her, Star," Beast Boy said desperately.
Starfire was quiet for a few moments.
"Neither do I," she replied finally, her voice soft. "But there may still be hope, Beast Boy. Terra has good in her; perhaps she may even be reasoned with."
Beast Boy nodded and shifted again, this time taking the smaller form of an eagle, and the two Titans soared across the water to their home.
They knew nothing of what had gone on in that present that Robin and Raven had now altered, but the tower was perfectly restored, exactly as it should have been.
Landing on the tiny island – kicking up a cloud of dry dust – Starfire and Beast Boy looked up at Titans Tower, standing almighty like a god itself, towering above all else.
"No sign," Beast Boy acknowledged, looking around. "If she was here, the door would be smashed in by a boulder or something…"
Starfire nodded.
"Yes… but perhaps the back?"
Beast Boy nodded in reply.
"Alright, I'll check it out…" He transformed into a cheetah and dashed off. While he was gone, Starfire found a patch of long grass near the front door and hid the Clock of Eternity, wondering why Robin had even had it. He surely had not had it with him when the fray had begun, but…
"Nothing at the back either."
Beast Boy was back. Starfire looked upwards.
"The roof, then?"
"What if she's not here?"
"Then we will call Robin and tell him," Starfire said decisively.
"Okay…" Beast Boy sounded defeated, but he changed to a green peregrine falcon and followed her up to the roof.
The trapdoor leading down into the tower's interior was smashed in.
"She's here," Beast Boy said jadedly, changing back as they landed.
Starfire put her hand to her friend's shoulder.
"Beast Boy, I do not wish to fight Terra either," she said softly. "But please, be more optimistic. Perhaps this is our chance to make her see that she was wrong to leave us for Slade; perhaps we may take her back… I do not believe that she is evil, Beast Boy; I truly do not."
Beast Boy smiled at the alien princess – wise, for all her naïveté.
"Let's do this…"
Starfire smiled in return and leapt down the smashed-in stairwell, landing on the boulder Terra had used to make her entrance. She swung off it, landing in a crouch in the top-floor corridor of the tower. A green bat fluttered down beside her and morphed into Beast Boy. The alien girl and the shape-shifter stood back to back, looking and listening for some sign of the blonde earthmover.
Their estranged, corrupted friend.
"Although we would cover more ground if we were to split up, I believe it would be best if we were to stick together," Starfire said after a few moments. "Terra is quite formidable."
Beast Boy nodded.
"Okay, good idea…"
Together, they started down the corridor. The top floor was simply closets and cupboards; making their way down the staircase – cautious all the time in case Terra was waiting to ambush them – Beast Boy and Starfire came to the corridor in which were the doors to all of the bedrooms.
No sign of her here either. No smashed-in doors, no muddy trail on the carpet…
"Where do you think she could be?" Starfire whispered.
"I'm not sure. I…" Beast Boy trailed off, his long pointed ears twitching as they picked up on something.
A very tiny, muffled sound.
"What is it, Beast Boy?" Starfire asked, her fists glowing green.
Beast Boy said nothing, motioning to her to follow him as he started down the corridor. She floated after him as he picked his way down the hall, following the sound he could hear. It was so quiet that even her enhanced Tamaranean hearing could not catch it, but he could hear something.
Beast Boy stopped first outside Robin's room; but then he moved on, shaking his head. He passed Raven's and Cyborg's, and Starfire's own room too, without stopping. He came to his own, stopped a while longer, but moved on again.
The last room had been Terra's.
"Beast Boy…" Starfire sounded shocked. "She is…?"
Beast Boy took a deep breath and slowly and quietly pushed down the handle, swinging the door open.
Starfire and Beast Boy stepped into the doorway together, silent and sorrowful.
Terra was sitting on the small couch in the middle of the room; her face in her hands, her sheet of corn-coloured hair over her face. The silver heart-shaped box Beast Boy had made and given to her as a gift the night she had betrayed them was in her lap.
Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.
Bringing the T-car to a screeching halt outside Diamonds Are Forever – because they just loved to rip off James Bond – Cyborg turned off the ignition, turning to look at Raven.
She caught his eye and beamed at him. Obediently, she had not taken down her hood, nor allowed her cloak to fall back from her body.
Secrets were fun, after all.
Cyborg frowned at her.
"Uh, Ray… it's nice to see you so happy and all, but… are you sure you're okay?" He asked warily.
Raven smiled and nodded.
"Fine and dandy, Cyborg!" Her smile broadened. "I like you. You're my friend."
"Yeah…" Cyborg looked out of the car window; both the huge front windows of the jewelry store was smashed and empty, and from inside Cyborg could hear the Amazing Mumbo's trademark shrieks of "Mumbo Jumbo!" and "Abra Cadabra!".
A fluffy white rabbit hopped up onto the shattered window display, paused, looked around, and then leapt down and made off down the street.
"C'mon, Ray," Cyborg muttered. "Let's get this show on the road so we can get back to Robin. I don't like the thought of him facing that madman alone, not after what he did to him last time…"
"Robin got raped," Raven put in, unstrapping herself.
"We know, Raven," Cyborg replied coolly. "And Robin certainly knows, so don't go saying that in front of him, okay?"
Raven's eyes glittered excitedly.
"Is it a secret?" She asked, as though she hardly dared believe it.
"No, it's just a real sensitive topic," Cyborg snapped, turning on her. "Yeez, Ray, what is wrong with you? You're acting so… not-like-you… It's really creeping me out."
"I'm sorry." Raven hung her head.
Cyborg sighed.
"Look, it's okay, just stop being so weird, okay? Just be… normal. Which for you is creepy, but… not really creepy, because it's normal. What I'm saying is that this behaviour is creepy because it's not your normal kind of creepy…"
Raven looked blankly at him and Cyborg gave up, getting out of the car.
"C'mon, let's just go put Mumbo's act on ice… And by ice, I do not mean the kind he's stealing…"
Raven followed him out of the car and in through the broken window of Diamonds Are Forever. Firing up his proton cannon, Cyborg stopped and looked around. The first department of the shop was dark and empty; the lights had been blown out and both staff and customers had all fled in the time it had taken Cyborg and Raven to arrive at the scene. On the floor was a mess of stray rings, necklaces and earrings; coloured silk scarves pulled from Mumbo's top hat; at least three packets-worth of playing cards scattered around; and a few more rabbits.
"Ooh, a bunny!" Raven cried, reaching down and scooping one up as it sniffed at her feet. "I love bunnies!"
"No, you don't, Raven," Cyborg snapped, thoroughly wigged out by her behaviour now; he grabbed the rabbit out of her arms and set it down again unceremoniously. "You hate anything cute and fluffy. Starfire loves "bunnies"; you loathe them."
Raven looked confused.
"I do?"
"Yes." Cyborg gripped her wrist and pulled at her. "Now come on. Mumbo's on the move."
They moved through the first abandoned department, Cyborg practically dragging Raven, who was waving goodbye to the "bunnies". Cyborg paused, listening for some trace of Mumbo; he got his wish when a shrill scream drew them towards the third department.
White Gold and Diamonds.
Cyborg stepped over the broken sign that was on the floor instead of the wall, Raven following him like an obedient pony.
There was the Amazing Mumbo, standing atop the checkout desk, his hat in one hand with a whirlwind coming from it, sucking all of the surrounding glittering jewelry from its cases into the black endless interior of it. He shrieked with laughter as terrified shoppers screamed and ducked under counters and display cases. The checkout girl was bound and gagged on the floor, wrapped in more coloured silk scarves.
Cyborg stepped into the room, his cannon raised, Raven just behind him.
"Hey there, Mumbo," he greeted the villainous magician pleasantly. "Sorry we missed most of the show. Good thing we got here just in time for the finale…"
Mumbo's face fell for a moment; and he paused in his greedy raid of the white gold/diamond department of the store.
"Sorry, folks," he said cheerfully in his high-pitched nasally voice, pulling himself together again and whipping his hat back onto his head. "This show's a complete sell-out. No tickets left!"
He grinned, bowed and fled.
Cyborg groaned and pulled at Raven's wrist.
"Come on, this might take a while…"
Looking at her blank expression, he only sighed more deeply.
"Absolutely surrounded…"
Shielding his face from the blast, Robin waved away the smoke created by his explosive disks and popped a side kick at the wooden doors; with the chain that had been holding them together dealt with, they swung open with a bang and the Boy Wonder entered the forbidden section of the mine.
The diamond mines (and how ironic that Robin had the world's only blood-red diamond around his neck). How like Slade to come back here.
Well, he obviously didn't want the Titans showing up at his lair.
That; and he just liked to open old wounds time and time again.
This was where they had fought his minions the day that they met Terra; and where Robin had fought her those few weeks ago, just days before Slade had that arrow shot into his chest, putting that demon into him, yada-yada…
He was grimly surprised that Slade wasn't lurking in Arkham Asylum, actually. If choosing hiding places that hurt his adversaries, then why not?
The diamond mines would hurt Beast Boy more.
As for Arkham… Robin was never going near that place again.
Never.
But Slade was here; and Robin wasn't about to complain. It simply made his job easier – on both the head and the heart. He was surprised that Slade had chosen to make it easy for him.
And yes; this was easy. A little too easy; a little too quiet.
There were no robotic minions waiting in the shadows for him; no snipers flinging explosive projectiles; no earth tremors caused by hidden mines.
Slade was either completely oblivious that Robin was coming for him; or he wanted Robin to find him.
A shiver crawled down the Boy Wonder's spine; why did he get that uncanny feeling that it was the second option?
Oh, please; this was Slade…
Was Robin afraid of him? Afraid of facing him? He hadn't seen him since…
That night.
Arkham Asylum.
Oh, he had seen Slade. A Slade fifteen years older; a Slade that was mad – dangerous all the same, but truly mad.
Hell, he had killed that Slade. Murdered him in… hot blood. And that same crimson liquid had spattered up his face as he had pulled the trigger.
He was a murderer.
The Boy Killer, not the Boy Wonder.
But not this Slade. Not the Slade that had tormented him all these months; not the Slade that had blackmailed him, beaten him, lied to him, taunted him, tricked him, raped him.
Oh, the Slade he had murdered had done all those things as well; and to him.
But not him exactly.
To an older him; to the boy who had grown up to be Nightwing.
To the boy – man – he had eventually murdered in front of his mentor.
To Robin – but not to Robin personally.
It barely made sense, but he knew it to be true. And maybe that was why the guilt of shooting the madman had faded somewhat; because it felt like a dream to him. Like a videogame, or a movie he was somehow a part of.
It didn't feel real – and that was because he knew that somewhere in this mine, Slade was still waiting for him. In this world – in his world – Slade still lived, and he still tormented.
And so it was not over.
It was never over.
Robin came to another door and dispatched it in the same fashion as the first; and stepped into a dark room, smoke swirling around his feet and legs as though obedient, protecting of him.
He found himself on a balcony – metal, with an iron rail along the rim to stop miners from falling off it – which overlooked the rest of the room. And it was indeed a room – an ops centre, by the looks of it. Two digging machines were in the corner, there was a rack of protective orange coats, hard hats and plastic goggles along one wall, and a tall bulky metal-cased computer – shut down – with a comm. speaker unit. Wooden support beams ran along the stone ceiling, and from the floor upwards to keep the rocky ceiling secure.
Robin went to the edge of the balcony and looked down, leaning over it. He saw nothing, but got a grip on the rail and flipped himself over it, dropping to the ops room below and landing lightly. He straightened up and flicked his cape back from his shoulders, the Blood Diamond glittering against his crimson shirt.
He paused, cocking his head, and—
As usual, Slade was too quick and quiet for him.
"Ah, Robin. So nice of you to… drop in," the lunatic purred; oh, and what a lethal lunatic he was…
There was a knife against Robin's throat.
Robin actually laughed, putting his head back a little.
"You're going to kill me already?"
Slade chuckled softly.
"Your arrogance never ceases to amuse me…"
But his "arrogance" appeared to have saved him; Slade removed the knife and kicked him in the back, pitching him to the ground.
"No, I believe we should have a little sport first, hmm?" Slade went on, his voice a near-whisper. "For old time's sake? After all… you aren't leaving this mine alive."
Another smile stole across Robin's pale face at that; as he and Slade began to circle each other on a wide compass.
"Oh yes, your precious prophecy…" He raised his chin, still smirking; this time he was the one baiting Slade, and it was an occurrence so rare – a first, in fact – that he could not help but relish it.
He knew he appeared arrogant; but that was the point.
That was the act.
Oh, he knew a thing or two about taunting himself...
Because this Slade… still thought the "prophecy" was real.
"How's it going?" Robin cocked his head. "Unlocked that power yet?"
"You don't know what you're talking about, boy," Slade snarled at him, low under his breath.
"Oh, but I do… You have to kill me, get a key… It's a whole big made-up bedtime story fairytale-type thing…"
Robin smiled.
"Here's a newsflash for you… it's not real."
Slade's eye did widen slightly.
And then it narrowed again.
"I suppose you fancy yourself as amusing, Robin?" He laughed sarcastically. "Learning of things you know nothing about, and then lying about them to me? You know nothing. All you are to me—"
"I am nothing," Robin cut in. "I am not the "Avenger", and you are not one of a "Chosen Few", Slade. It's all made-up; all a lie. Killing me won't bring you power; I'm not a warrior born to save the world. Your "seer" made it all up to—"
"Be silent!" Slade screamed at him. "I don't know how you have learned of these things, but you know nothing. Your death will bring me power beyond belief, and I intend to have that power. You will not stand in my way, Robin, and you will not wriggle away as you have done so many times before. I am unsure how I will do it. Perhaps I will beat you to death, perhaps I will snap your neck, perhaps I will disembowel you with your own sharpened weapons, but know this; today, Robin, you will die, and it will be by my hand."
Robin's smile faded away on those words. Slade could not be reasoned with; would not listen, would not believe that his "seer" had lied to him and used him.
Well, perhaps it was a little complicated to start explaining to his arch-nemesis – a man who wanted him dead.
It left him with one option to end this; otherwise Slade would just keep on and on trying to assassinate him, regardless of the fact that it was obvious – to Robin at least – that the "seer" was not going to be showing up again, since "she" was dead.
Seth Elliott had been destroyed by Raven's hidden power.
And so Robin had to destroy the Orb of Azarath all over again.
The one of this time.
And there it was; Slade had been stupid enough (and Slade being so foolish was a rarity in itself) to bring it with him and put it on top of the metal computer in the corner, nestled in its platinum cradle.
If he destroyed it, Slade would believe it to be over; that he could not have that power, and it wouldn't even matter that he had never believed that it had all been a lie.
It was the only plan he had.
"I'm not going to let you kill me," he spat.
"Oh, I've no doubt that you won't let me kill you," Slade agreed, "but I'm going to kill you all the same. In fact, I rather think that if you simply stood still and allowed me to break your spine, it wouldn't be nearly as fun. Please, do struggle and attempt to escape. The thought of it makes me want to kill you all the more."
"You're sick," Robin hissed.
Slade lazily put his head to one side.
"I know."
And then he lunged.
Robin dived low to avoid the knife-like blow that had been coming at his head, tumbling between Slade's legs and scraping to a halt behind him. In an instant he was back on his feet, snapping a switch kick at Slade's spine; but Slade was there, already facing him, and he parried Robin's foot and caught his ankle, throwing him aside like a rag doll.
Robin righted himself in midair, twisting over and landing in a crouch, from which he dived upwards and swung his whole body around into a flying roundhouse kick. This time his heel caught Slade full in the chest, sending him backwards; Robin landed and sprung upwards again, spinning into a dragonfly kick that sent Slade to the ground. And as Slade hit the ground on his back, Robin was already leaping at him again, jabbing his elbow downwards.
He didn't care where it connected with Slade; throat, chest, stomach, crotch…
It didn't connect with him at all; Slade swung his legs up and kicked Robin aside, catching the side of his ribcage. Robin felt a dull cracking somewhere and hit the ground; lifting his head with a groan, clutching at his ribs. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, adrenaline numbing the pain as he got to his knees, and then his feet.
He faced Slade, defiantly taking his hand from his ribcage even though it ached like…
…hell.
Slade's eye flashed.
"As determined as ever." He laughed, his voice like velvet. "I'm glad to see it… I'd hate for our last ever face-off to be a letdown, wouldn't you?"
"You're the one who's in for a letdown," Robin snapped. "You aren't getting that power."
"That's what you think…"
That's what I know…
Robin shifted his weight, spreading his legs a little; and then, remembering that kick to the crotch he had received from the other Slade, he made a mental note not to leave them that way.
He snapped his staff from his belt and shot it out, gripping it in both hands as Slade came at him again; using it like a bar, he stopped Slade's hammer blow and shoved upwards against it with all of his strength, pushing Slade's hands up and leaving his chest and midsection vulnerable. He cracked a scissor kick straight out at Slade's stomach, driving him backwards, and then spun into a reverse kick.
Slade caught his foot and allowed him to lose his balance, falling backwards; but Slade didn't let his foot go, dragging him upwards by his ankle so that he had him dangling upside-down.
And then he dropped his arm so that Robin banged his head on the stone floor.
The Boy Wonder hung limply in his grip as he raised his arm again, nearly knocked out.
Slade flung him across the room.
Robin smacked into the opposite wall and crumpled, practically unconscious. His head pounded – absolute agony – and he could feel blood trickling through his hair and down one side of his face. Lifting his head – it felt as though Slade had split it open – he watched the villain approach him through hazy vision.
At least this Slade didn't have a gun…
Again, Robin crawled to his knees; and used the wall to drag himself to his feet.
This was Arkham Asylum all over again…
But his staff was still in his hand; and his determination still in his heart.
He only hoped it would be enough.
Slade came at him again – merciless – and Robin pushed away from the wall up into an axe kick, bringing his heel down hard on Slade's shoulder; and it only hit Slade's shoulder because Slade had moved his head. Robin landed in a crouch and twisted his body into a rear sweep, intending to hook Slade's feet out from under him; Slade backflipped out of his reach and Robin paused on his knees for a split-second, biting his lip against the cracking pain in his skull. The blood was running into his left eye and down his left cheek.
Standing up, he gripped his staff and steadied himself; blocking the next blow to his face on his forearm and twisting his hand to grip Slade's wrist. He used his grasp to get some leverage, swung his left leg up and cracked it outwards.
The dull pop he heard was rewarding and he smiled, letting go of Slade and dropping to a crouch as the madman staggered aside, hissing in agony.
Slade didn't scream.
But Robin had dislocated his arm.
Slade somehow regained control over the agony and wheeled on Robin, the punch full-on and powerful. Robin had no time to block and the blow hit him straight in the face; his nose broke and began to stream blood down into his mouth. He staggered backwards and collapsed, tripping over himself. His vision went black and he was only dimly away of the heavy saltiness that was consuming his senses…
Seeing that the boy had blacked out, Slade ignored him and crossed to one of the support beams going from floor to ceiling to stop it from caving in. He managed to wrap both arms around it and put his strong hand over the dislocated arm to hold it in place; and then pushed up and in against it. Despite the awkward angle, there was enough force behind it to snap it back into its joint.
Slade hissed again; but did not scream.
Damn that boy…
He exhaled deeply and flexed his arm experimentally. It still ached, but he had fixed it.
And now…
Slade was in fact impressed that Robin had managed to dislocate his arm; almost proud of him.
But pain… It was a thing that Slade liked to inflict on others; not something he liked to feel himself. Pain reminded him that he was human; vulnerable.
It pissed him off.
He crossed to Robin. The teenager was on his back, unconscious, his face bloody; he gave a little gurgling cough and Slade smirked.
He was drowning in his own blood.
It would have been easy to leave him that way and let him die. But Slade did not want to; not because he pitied him.
No, because he wanted to kill him. Breaking his nose and letting him drown was boring.
Slade reached down and kicked Robin onto his front, then hauled him to his feet by his cape. One well-placed jerk under his ribcage was enough to force the blood out of his lungs and make him cough himself awake.
He gave Robin a hard push in the back that sent him staggering forwards; barely conscious, it was all Robin could do not to keel over again. He stumbled away and righted himself, moaning under his breath.
His head screamed. His nose screamed. His ribcage screamed. The rest of him wasn't faring too great either.
Why did he always insist that he fight Slade alone? First in Arkham, where he had cut off all means of communication; and now this, where he had sent the rest for the team off to fight other threats.
Terra and Mumbo.
He heard Slade behind him again and rallied his strength, swinging his staff around; Slade caught it and reversed the blow, pitching Robin onto his back. The villain raised his foot to stomp Robin's head into the stone floor and the Boy Wonder rolled aside, standing and backflipping.
It was not graceful or acrobatic; in fact, the state he was in barely allowed for it at all. But he had got away from Slade again, and that was what mattered. He whipped a birdarang from his belt and rushed Slade again, almost blinded by blood; once more, Slade caught his kick and pushed it away, spinning Robin to the floor.
Robin twisted, landed in a crouch, and swung his birdarang upwards.
It sank into Slade's thigh.
Slade didn't utter a sound as a spray of blood accompanied the sharp pain in his leg; and still with it sunk into him, he kicked Robin in the stomach, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and lifted him up. Robin twisted feebly in his grip, tears of agony running down his face and sluicing clear tracks through the blood. Slade extracted the staff from his hand and swung it backwards against one of the support beams.
The staff snapped and Slade dropped the part he still held (the bottom two thirds), while the top third flew across the room and hit the stone wall with a clink.
Slade's strong hand moved to the front of Robin's throat, choking him, as the boy kicked and writhed weakly in his cruel grasp. He squeezed and Robin gasped and clawed at his hand; but Slade only smiled.
He didn't want to kill Robin this way.
He waited until Robin was almost completely out of it, and then lowered him and draped him over one knee, the curve of his thigh finding the small of the Boy Wonder's back. The hand at Robin's throat moved to his upper chest, the other going across his lower thighs.
With another smile, Slade began to push downwards agonizingly slowly.
The pain shooting up his spine woke Robin right up; he coughed again as blood began to pool at the back of his throat and in his nasal cavity.
He realized that Slade was going to break his back.
He groaned with the strain of it on his spine as Slade pushed down ever so slowly; and then gave a choking scream as an excruciating pain shot up the length of it like an electric shock.
He was going to die unless he—
He flailed out wildly, gritting his teeth, choking on his own blood, and his hand found the birdarang that was still embedded in Slade's thigh.
Mercilessly, he rammed the flat of his hand against it, forcing the whole of one wing right into Slade's leg; cutting right through to the bone and beyond…
Slade gave a little cry of pain and let go of Robin; the boy kicked away from him but Slade lashed at him again, catching the front of his shirt.
"NO!" Robin twisted away desperately, wrenching his shirt out of Slade's hand and tumbling backwards.
The chain of the Blood Diamond broke and the glittering scarlet jewel came away in Slade's fist.
Slade wrenched the birdarang out of his thigh and angrily threw it aside – it hit the far wall and shattered.
And then he opened his palm and looked at the diamond.
His gaze flickered up to Robin, who was dabbing at his broken nose with his cape; and then went back to the necklace again.
And it came upon him like the sun rising.
"This," he said lazily, swinging the glimmering jewel by its snapped chain, "is the key to the Orb of Azarath."
"No, it isn't," Robin lied weakly, his voice desperate. "It's just some stupid necklace I—"
"It's the key, you lying little son-of-a-bitch!" Slade interrupted him furiously.
Robin flinched at that remark; the jibe at his dead mother.
And he got up because of it.
"Let's be honest, Robin," Slade hissed; "Necklaces aren't your kind of thing, especially anything this gaudy…"
The necklace glittered as he swung it to and fro; as though attempting to hypnotise the boy before him.
"I would ask why you have it," he murmured, turning away. "But it hardly matters. I have it now, and you… you will now die!"
He whipped around to face Robin, his one eye crazed, promising a bloody and painful death—
Robin was gone.
Slade started; he had truly been expecting…
He turned again and found Robin across the room scrambling upwards, using the ancient computer's keyboard as a foothold to reach up towards the Orb of Azarath—
Moving like lightning, Slade snatched up the longer part of the broken staff; and the end of it had snapped at a sharp angle, so that it was like a stake or a javelin.
He came to the computer. He grabbed Robin by his hair and dragged him downwards. He turned him around and slammed him against the black screen.
And then he thrust the staff through his stomach.
It burst right through him in a shower of bloody rain, piercing the screen and going right inside the dead computer, pinning the Boy Wonder in place like a butterfly on a collector's display board.
Robin screamed.
Tune in next time for the conclusion of each battle (or, in the case of BB and Star vs Terra, the beginning of the battle)!
Poor, poor Robin… :)
I promise I will update sooner! I proooooooomise!
Thankyou so much for being so patient!
- RobinRocks
xXx