Slade stared at him, genuinely astonished that he has been outmanoeuvred. He could not believe it. He considered for a brief moment, but he was forced to concede. He dropped the trigger to the ground and the glowing ceased immediately. The probes have stopped their painful work, but Slade was not through with the teens. Robin was still prone before him. Slade raised one steel toed boot to stomp that spiky head flat, but before he could come down with a crushing blow, Robin had his hands up to grab it. He stood, smirked, and Slade's eyes widened as the former apprentice sent a devastating blow crashing into his face. It propelled the older man down across the floor.
"Titans! Go!" Robin shouted, punching the air in exhilaration. They charged together. Beastboy, now a green tiger, swiped at Slade's armour, leaving claw tracks as Starfire and Cyborg moved in from either side. Starbolts to the left of him, Sonic blasts from the right. Slade fell back; Raven chanted her spell, binding their enemy's feet, causing him to fall. Now, Robin joined the fray, with a flying kick to Slade's head. There was an almighty crash as Slade's mask split down the crack already present. The arch-villain clapped his hands up to cover his exposed flesh. He fled into the darkness, pausing only to call back:
"Another day, Robin." He hit a self destruct for the lair. "Another day."
Gears started falling down around them. The building shook. Robin had to run to avoid the falling machinery. He is lifted from harms way by his loving Starfire. Raven towed Beastboy to safety and Cyborg blasted any falling rubble that dared to threaten him. They got to the door; a rectangle of pure white against the darkness.
"Let's go home." Robin smiled, and they exited the building. He stopped in surprise, seeing the 3 figures before him. "How…?" he ran over, leaving the others behind him. He stopped in front of the tall costumed figure in the middle. "You came." His shock was clear.
"Master Robin," Alfred said in his stoic, British tone. Robin flung his arms about the staunch butler, tightly, surprising the teen onlookers.
"Alfred!" he grinned as he slowly released the man. "Batgirl!" he went down into a crouch to embrace the chair-bound girl.
"Please, its Oracle now, bird-boy!" she replied, then gently kissed his cheek. Now, he was back before Batman. He expected a lecture on what happened because he was off on his own.
"I'm glad you're not hurt." Bruce said instead.
"I'm surprised you showed. You made it pretty clear where we stood last time." Robin replied, examining the ground.
"Just because we argued, doesn't mean we aren't family." Bats answered, holding out his right hand. Robin took it slowly, an incredulous smile growing on his face. "Maybe…maybe I was a little hasty before." He told his former sidekick. "You can take care of yourself, and your team."
"Thanks, but they take care of me." Robin replied. Batman nodded as though expecting this answer,
"Bruce Wayne is holding a fundraiser next week. It's to help the 'Children of Gotham' orphanage. Will he see his youthful ward, Dick Grayson, there?" Batman asks. (Dick? Beastboy mouthed with an incredulous smile).
"Dick Grayson may come, if there are invites for his friends." He motioned to the team behind him.
"Of course. Then we shall see you all there. I know that Commissioner Gordon's daughter shall be eager to see you."
"Bruce!" Barbara blushed scarlet.
The guests had left and the Teen Titans returned to their Tower. Beastboy was again wired to the computer. They're searching for any remaining evidence of their harrowing ordeal.
"Am I done yet?" He asked, annoyed. Robin was back in his rightful uniform, and he watched his team with a warm glow (a glow that had absolutely nothing to do with evil probes). Cyborg typed for a few seconds and the screen filled with Beastboy's red blood cells. Not a probe in sight.
"That's it y'all. The Teen Titans are officially probe free!" Cyborg grinned. Beastboy leaped from the chair, laughing and started to do an impromptu victory dance, dragging the equipment behind him.
"Go Beastboy! You're probeless! No Probes now! Go Beastboy! Get funky!" He moon-walked across the room, shedding the wires as he went.
"Errrrm… I know this isn't my style, but… we just kicked Slade's butt. Shouldn't we be celebrating or something?" Raven asked. The others all stared at her. Beastboy, now free of the wires, jumped up onto Cyborg's shoulders.
"Yeah!" he said.
"All you can eat…" Cyborg started.
"Free form…" BB continued.
"Breakfast explosion!" they finished together, and dashed off to the kitchen, dragging Raven behind them.
"Sorry I asked." She said dryly. Robin and Starfire are left alone, her seated, him standing.
"Everything okay?" He asked nervously, sitting beside her.
"I am sorry." She replied, eyes downcast.
"You're sorry? For what?" he asked, confused.
"When things were bad, there was a moment when I truly believed that you were like Slade. I doubted you. For that I am sorry."
"I doubted myself, Star. Focused, serious, determined… as much as I hate to admit it, he and I are kind of alike. But there's one big difference between me and Slade." He smiled and ducked his head to meet her gaze, taking her hand in his. "He doesn't have any friends."