Author's Notes: I got a beta! Kudos to Shadowy Flip Flops of DOOM for all her advice on my OCs and ideas for future chapters/stories!
—Chapter Ten A: Reville's Issues Exposed—
Dinner was quite enjoyable. Cyborg, Ray, and Robin tried desperately not to laugh their heads off as Starfire and Beastboy relayed their adventure to Nancy's for Lore's clothes. Lore, completely oblivious to the admiring gaze from Starfire, the surprised look of approval from Artemis, and the widening of Raven's eyes at his new appearance, and also oblivious to quite how much his appearance had changed, acted quite normal as he contributed to the story. The other boys exchanged glances, swallowed giggles, and kept it a secret from him that he was wearing eyeliner.
The dinner itself was absolutely delicious. Artemis was a brilliant chef, and every slice of bread or sip of soup had people licking their lips and reaching for more. Beastboy raved about the salads and tried to get Artemis to agree to make something tofu-related, which she did not agree to but was willing to sample if he prepared it. Cyborg and Ray, who turned out to have more than they thought in common, devoured everything in sight, but there seemed to constantly be more. When the conversation turned, they started a rather impressive discussion on the dynamics of electricity, the thermal properties of various types of metals, and the true nature of light, quite changing everyone's first impression of Ray not being that smart.
Reville was quiet throughout the whole meal, and only Raven noticed. Everyone else was too busy enjoying the food and the lively conversations. Raven was also quiet, but then that was just Raven. Only she noticed Reville's mental flinch when Robin and Artemis started to discuss their sparring, but not a trace showed on his face or in his body language. Thus, Raven was unsurprised when he cleared his throat and asked to be excused, saying he'd like to do some research, if that was okay. Robin allowed him to go, after giving him directions to the library and the guest rooms.
Reville left and the conversation picked up again. Raven quietly excused herself, and the others just nodded.
Raven had no problem catching up to Reville, who's mental and emotional state was like a beacon at the moment. The anger was back, though nearly buried under the self-disgust and jealousy, swirling around a muddle of depression. If he did not calm down or find some type of outlet, he would begin to affect those around him whether he meant to or not. An uncomfortable fact about empathic and telepathic powers was the two-way nature of it. Most times the ability user could keep the road strictly one-way, but whenever the user was overwhelmed, either by themselves or another, the results could get very nasty very fast.
The black-haired empath hadn't gotten that far down the hall, and Raven was willing to bet he didn't even know where he was going, but was just walking for the sake of moving. She swept in front of him and blocked his way.
"I wish to speak with you," she said, in her usual cold monotone.
"I don't. I already have said more than I want to."
"Your emotions are not unusual for one who has been disabled. Let us talk about it."
Reville rounded on her, black eyes glittering with pent-up emotion. "Does the word 'personal' mean anything to you?" he demanded angrily. "Don't you dare start acting like you understand me!"
Raven glared coolly back at him. "I do not understand, and I will not pretend to. That would be an insult to you. But the fact is the way you are now is dangerous. You said you cannot lie. If you truly believe you are not a threat, that you would never hurt another, tell me now."
"I…" He stopped and groaned. A hand came up to hide his face. A wave of shame and embarrassment flowed through him.
"Tell me you have never hurt someone else by losing your emotions. You are no threat, correct?" It came out harsh, but then it was actually meant to.
He didn't answer. Couldn't answer. Didn't even try.
"You can't. Because this is not the first time. You have hurt someone before, haven't you? The guilt of forcefully breaking into, maybe even breaking, another's mind is not one that fades easily. Thus your statement that you had no desire to hurt others. And you have physically fought before you lost the use of your leg. What else would explain your emotional state after watching their sparring session? Maybe you were excused from combat, as you stated to Robin and Artemis, but you were most certainly trained."
"You…" he couldn't continue. It was just an excuse. A lie. She did understand, she did want to help, and everything she said was true.
He lowered his hand and glared at her. Raven was unsurprised to see his eyes red and hot with unshed tears. "This is not fair," he said. "Please, just leave me alone."
"I will. After you come with me and let me look into your mind."
"That is an extreme violation of my privacy!"
"And a necessary one. I will not tell anyone what I see, but it is essential for me to help you deal with this. If you are to be staying at Titans' Tower for any length of time, you are to be in a state in which I judge you as safe to be here."
Reville was silent.
"I can and will force you if you do not comply," said Raven, narrowing her eyes.
She meant it. Reville could sense it. She completely meant it.
He looked away. "I will show you what you need to understand my state, but no more."
"We will see," said Raven, sweeping past him. "My room is this way."
—Chapter Ten B: Two Brats and a Mastermind—
"Children, you are very lost," said a deep, and extremely smooth voice that seemed to echo around them. "Far from your homes, in a world you cannot possibly be accepted in."
The thief and engineer subconsciously stepped closer together and moved so they covered each other's backs.
A man in a strange orange and black outfit, his face hidden by a mask divided by the same colors, stepped out from the darkness into their small patch of light.
"There is no need to fear me, young ones. I can help you, if you but let me."
"Who are you?" demanded Key. The expression on Matt's face obviously mirrored the suspicion in the girl's words.
"I am called Slade."
"Never heard of you," said Key dismissively. "And what's this about being in a world that won't accept us?"
"You were not aware that you are in a different world?"
Matt spoke up before Key admitted anything, all the while glaring at the man. "Figured that out long time ago, old man. The question is how you know anything."
Key's face brightened, showing full approval at this show of defiance from the small boy she'd just met.
Slade frowned. He had expected disrespect from the feisty dark-skinned redhead, not the baby-faced blonde. But there was no mistaking the fierce look in the boy's large blue eyes.
The man in the mask frowned, then held out a remote of some sort. He clicked a button on it, and the warehouse was flooded with light, revealing nothing but blank walls, abandoned crates, and a concrete floor.
"Come with me," he said simply, turning on his heel and walking off between a row of crates.
The twosome exchanged a look. Key shrugged and turned to follow Slade, but Matt grabbed her arm and held her back.
"I don't like him," whispered Matt, his blue eyes dark with suspicion and a trace of fear. "He wants something."
"Everyone wants something," responded Key, patting the blond boy's head as one would a child's. "Who's to say it won't be in our favor?"
"He thinks he can manipulate us. I know that look in his eyes."
"Eye. He only had one."
Matt angrily swiped at her hand, which had started playing with his soft hair. "You know what I mean! Those types can't be trusted!"
Key laughed. "Oh, chill, Matty-boy. No one can really be trusted." Then she smirked. "You just gotta make sure you come out on top. Now, c'mon, let's see what the dude wants."
She grabbed the boy's arm and practically dragged him with her as she followed Slade.
The masked man was waiting for them in front of a large metal door. When they caught up, he casually swung it open and went inside.
Matt and Key followed, and were instantly in awe at the sight. Key let out a low whistle; Matt just stared, eyes wide and happy.
It was some sort of command center, at least that was Matt's conclusion. Rows upon rows of monitors, showing all views of the city, and even the insides of buildings, filled the entire wall to their left. A huge computer monitor, plus banks upon banks of controls beneath it, faced them. And to their right were tables of laboratory and workshop equipment and tools, enough to make any inventor happy. Even seeing that all the technology was substantially behind what Matt was used to, he couldn't help the peaceful smile that swept over his face at the familiarity of mechanical company.
"SWEET set-up ya got here," said Key approvingly. "You some kinda mafia kingpin? Where's the family?"
"I'm afraid I work along, young miss."
"So who are ya anyway? 'Cause, just ta tell you, we ain't sayin' anything until you fess up."
"Slade, just Slade. A master thief, probably the best in this world. If anyone ever figured out everything I was up to, of course. As it is, most believe my activities are limited to Jump City."
"Jump City?" asked Key, and surprisingly her question was directed at Matt, not Slade.
"Here," answered Matt, frowning at her with a look of puzzlement in his eyes. Surely that should have been obvious?
"What about you children?"
"So," interrupted Matt, walking up to the banks of controls beneath the computer. "This is how you knew about us." Before Slade could stop him, his hands fluttered over the controls effortlessly, like a pianist's over a keyboard. His eyes on the keys, buttons, and switches were calm and confident.
Matt and Key turned their attention to the wall of monitors, now showing one scene, though from many different views. Their escape from the bank. It was quite impressive, seeing it from an outsider's view.
"Those blasted cameras," growled Matt beneath his breath, wishing he had trashed them anyway, if only to annoy Slade and the bank people. "None in the safe, though."
"Oh, not too bad, then," said Key cheerfully. "That means everything that happened in the safe is still private."
"Are there feeds on every camera in the city?" Matt wondered, again turned his attention to the controls. His expression was excited, all wariness forgotten. His hands again flew over the controls, and this time Slade did reach over and snatch the boy away, but not before each monitor broke into dozens of different views, most of the city. More than half of them were of or around a giant T-shaped tower on an island just off the coast, and several others were of rather strange places, such as one whose primary focus seemed to be a pizzeria.
Matt slipped out of Slade's hold and back to Key's side. "Not bad, old man," he said, grinning at the large computer and not even glancing towards Robin's infamous arch-foe. "That baby seriously could read every camera within 5000 miles, whether on a closed or open network. I bet I could make her sing."
Key laughed and ruffled Matt's hair again. "You know, Matty, you talk different when it's about computers. Sounds like you're complimenting the man's date or something."
Matt ducked her hand and stepped away, folding his arms in annoyance and not replying to her taunt.
Slade was beginning to get irritated. Where had all the guarded suspicion gone?
As if to confirm that he was being played with by children, Key and Matt started whispering together, gesturing at the monitors, specifically the ones targeting the tower. They even giggled!
"Who ya spying on?" asked Key. "A lover who spurned you? Ex-wife's happy new family? Fiancé with a few years to go yet? Pedigree puppy you want for yourself?"
"I'll be getting to that. If we could move on to introductions?" he said, tensely, not even wanting to think about why all of her 'guesses' had such negative connotations.
"Sure, mister super- thief," replied Key cockily, pulling over and plopping into a large chair that was obviously Slade's when he was using this room, seeing as it had been facing the bank of controls. She leaned back and steepled her fingers in the classic 'all-knowing' gesture. "My name is Key. And I believe I shall be taking that 'best of' title from you."
"So you are a thief," said Slade, his voice with a smile in it, though to Key's annoyance he completely disregarded her threat to his claim of being the best.
"Absolutely. The Key to any lock, the combination to any safe. Just point me the way."
"How come you exited empty-handed from the vault?"
"Only garbage in there. Paper money, would you believe it?"
Matt understood the instant Slade closed his eye and looked upwards. He could just imagine the 'oh, god, she's an idiot,' expression on his face behind the mask.
"I have a feeling, Key, that in this world paper money is actually worth something."
Key froze, then her eyes narrowed in anger. "Oh. Just shoot me now. Bang. If that was straight up good cash, we could've had some serious fun with it."
Slade shook his head, then turned to look at the blond boy.
"They really should digitize everything," mumbled Matt to himself, then shrugged. "Not that I really understand the concept of 'money', having never used any." He noticed Slade's gaze on him, and his eyes instantly narrowed. Slade smiled to himself as he actually saw the guards go back up, clearly shown by the child's expression and the way he straightened his posture.
"Matt. I'm an engineer, from a world that makes yours look primitive. We're currently ruled by a tyrant, so if you're planning any 'take-over-the-world' nonsense, expect me to make your life a living nightmare."
"At ease," said Slade, shrugging. "I am a thief only, and have no interest in ruling anything. Though the power does sound like fun, I'm sure actual governance would be more of a nightmare then anything a child can come up with."
Matt smirked at the challenge. "Oh, if I could show you some of the devices I've pulled."
"Back on subject, children. You are interested in going back to your respective homes, yes? Seeing as I can safely assume something brought you here against your will?"
"Not really," said Key, quite upsetting Slade's plans. "My world's a step from dead anyway. Everything I value came with me."
Though that sounded like an awfully haughty statement, seeing as she had come alone, Slade frowned when she fixed that absurd green top hat, a smirk full of secrets on her face.
"I'm sure I can solve our problem without your archaic level of knowledge," replied Matt, again not in line with what Slade was expecting from two children from apparently dubious backgrounds who appeared out of nowhere. "I can build my own instantaneous inter-world molecular transport device, even in this world."
Okay, being a computer geek was one thing. Insisting he could build something to take him to another planet was quite something else. Slade's eye narrowed at the complete confidence the boy was brimming with, looking for any cracks in what had to be a mask.
"Hey, I wouldn't mind coming with you," said Key, getting excited, her attention on Matt. "I could help you, ya know, steal the stuff you need to build whatever. And you're part of a rebel group, right? I would totally love to join in and kick some tyrant butt!"
"You'll still need information," interrupted Slade, his voice clear and thoughtful. The children turned back to look at him appraisingly. "Where to procure your materials, who to avoid, geographical information, et cetera."
"Oh, are you suggesting yourself?" asked Key, grinning jauntily.
"This set-up is yours, on one condition."
"Which is?" asked Matt suspiciously.
"I do require some… assistance with a matter. It won't take more than a week of your time."
Matt did some quick calculations, then met Key's eyes. "It will take me about two weeks to put everything together, and that's after we manage to collect everything. And we have no way of knowing how long that will take."
"An amount of time our new friend could substantially reduce," said Key, tipping her green top hat to Slade. "Thank you for your most gracious offer, dear sir," she said in a fake pompous voice. "If we may discuss the details over tea?"
"Tea?" asked Matt, a look of disbelief on his face. "Yuck!"
"Well, I'd prefer cola myself. Ya got something similar in this world?" she asked Slade eagerly. "Oh, and I noticed you have pizza too!" She gestured at the monitor with the pizzeria. "Get us a couple, then we'll talk."
Slade smirked. "Splendid," he said. "I'll even throw in ice cream."
"Ah, an old man who speaks our language," laughed Key, cheerfully stealing Matt's way of referring to Slade, and giving the masked man a bad feeling that 'old man' would soon be their regular term of reference to him.
Author's Note: Next chapter will probably be Reville's backstory. I already have it written, so it shouldn't take more than a couple days to for me to finishing editing and post it. Please review and let me know of any OOC moments, OCs turning into Mary Sues, ideas for future chapters, and/or questions and comments. Thank you!