Chapter 7: Deal With the Devil
"…Breaking News, Titans Tower has come under attack from a mysterious band of assailants. Bobby Telewieger is live at the scene."
"Thanks Linda. As you can see from our vantage point in the helicopter, the remaining Titans appear to have gathered on the roof, but have been followed by several of the men. We can't get any closer, as these men are armed and dangerous, but it's clear the situation is grim."
The Titans stared, horrified, in the shop window at one of the televisions, watching the dispassionate report of the invasion of their home.
"Beast Boy, we must do something! Our friends-"
"Have been captured."
Jericho tensed. He knew that voice. No, not now, not here…
Beast Boy snarled as he turned to face the owner of the voice. "Slade…"
Not him.
However, the visage that greeted them was unfamiliar. Beast Boy found himself staring at a man in his mid fifties, with a shock of shoulder-length white hair and a neat goatee, which combined with an eyepatch to make him look quite dashing. He wore a sombre, dark grey suit that failed to mask his powerful physique. "None other."
"What have you done with our friends?" Starfire's eyes began to glow menacingly, as the other Titans began to take up battle stances.
"Now, now, don't jump to conclusions. Besides, I, as far as the civilian population know, am just an innocent bystander. How would it look if I was suddenly attacked by four gallant heroes?" Slade smirked as he said this.
"He's got a point." Killowat admitted grudgingly. "So what do you want?"
"Your friends have been taken by a mercenary known as the Jackal. He will almost certainly be coming after you next. If you want to survive, I suggest you listen closely. He will take your friends to his base of operations. I can guide you to it, on the condition that you leave the Jackal to me."
Beast Boy looked conflicted. "Team meeting?" The Titans huddled together.
"Well, what do you think? Star?"
"I think he is a bad man, and we would be foolish to trust him. However, if we do not, then I see no way to rescue our friends."
"She's got a point. I say we do it, just so long as we keep an eye on him. What you say, Jer, Kil'?"
Jericho shrugged, far too nonchalantly to be convincing, while Killowat reluctantly nodded.
"Okay, then, that's what we'll do."
"Friend, we need to determine who will lead us on this mission."
Jericho immediately pointed at Beast Boy.
"You wish for Beast Boy to lead? Beast Boy, will you accept this role?"
"…Okay, I guess." He broke apart from the group, and turned to Slade. "We'll accept your offer."
"Excellent."
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"Would anyone like a cup of tea?"
Beast Boy shook his head. This had to be one of the most surreal situations he had ever been in. Slade had led them back to one of his many lairs and disappeared, ostensibly to change, but had left them in the care of his butler, who was standing before them, offering them tea. Unbelievable.
"So, what can you do?" Beast Boy sidled over to a nervous Killowat, who was engrossed in eying the shadows.
"Don't you know already?"
"Kinda, but if there's anything specific, if might help."
"Well, I can manipulate lightning, and I can drain it out of electrical appliances."
"Neat." Said Beast Boy, filing this away for later. He looked over at the other members of his band. Jericho looked uneasy, and Beast Boy couldn't really blame him. He was a bundle of nerves himself. Starfire, however, was pacing up and down, muttering to herself in Tameranean, and Beast Boy was fairly sure he knew what was on her mind. Heaven help the Jackal if Robin was found in anything less than pristine condition…
"How long is this guy gonna be? We've been here, like, twenty minutes."
"The master wishes to be fully prepared. It is not my place to say, but he and the Jackal have something of a history." Wintergreen drawled. Raven could have taken lessons in deadpan from him. Suddenly, a masked figure appeared from the shadows behind him.
"It's time to go, Titans."
Beast Boy shuddered. How the hell did he do that?
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"…Coming to." Raven clutched at her temple, where a large bruise was forming. What had happened? The tower had been attacked, but where was she now? And why hadn't her healing powers kicked in?
"What happened?" She tried to sit up too quickly, and was rewarded with a rush of dizziness.
"Take it easy. You took a nasty knock to the head." That voice. It had to be Cyborg.
"Cyborg, what happened?" Raven focussed her eyes on her friend. He did not look happy.
"We got taken down."
"Who by?"
"Some guy calling himself the Jackal. Had a lot of guys, too. They broke through and beat us, and now…" He waved a huge hand around, Raven's eyes following.
They were in a small cage. Outside she could see two others, each containing two Titans. Hot Spot and Robin. Herald and Argent. The room they were in was pitch black, the only illuminated areas being the cages themselves. Nonetheless, Raven got the sense of enormous space. It seemed that the cages were in a hall of some kind.
"Where are the others?"
"They were out in the city, remember? We can only hope that they can find us."
"And so do I, my dear boy." Cyborg was cut off by a bombastic voice, and he turned to see their captor.
He was a large man, not exactly fat, but he didn't have a bodybuilder's physique either. The effect reminded Raven, in her still-dazed state, of a shaved bear. He had a shock of black hair, and a scruffy, full beard. He was slightly smirking. Raven didn't like that smirk.
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!!" Raven shot a hand towards the man, concentrating on sending him flying. And that's exactly what didn't happen. In fact, the only discernable effect was that his smirk widened by several centimetres, and he tapped the middle of his forehead. Raven imitated his action, to find a small electrical device covering her chakra. The Jackal chuckled at her obvious fury, and swaggered out of the side door he had entered by, leaving his captives alone with their despair.
