The next afternoon …
Kid Flash zoomed into the hastily repaired Tower Lobby, carrying his girlfriend and fellow honorary Titan Jinx bridal style, putting her down as he slid to a stop in front of Robin, who was standing behind a table with box full of manila envelopes. He rummaged through the box, finding two envelopes that had their names on them. He handed the first one to the speedster and the second one to the pink haired witch. Robin briefly locked eyes with her, as if sizing her up. Before Jinx could react Robin said. "Thanks for coming on such short notice, please have a seat. There's a refreshments table over there … and Wally … leave some snacks for everyone else."
The upholstered chairs that had formerly lined the room were destroyed and had not yet been replaced. The room, which did not display any of the previous day's battle scars, was filled with folding chairs, which were already filling up with the extended Titans family.
Soon everyone had arrived. The Fab Five along with Titans East sat on folding chairs on a stage at the end of the room, with the Titans logo, printed on a huge banner hanging from the ceiling behind them. After handing out the last envelope Robin stepped onto the stage and stood behind the podium. He turned on the microphone, tapping it to make sure that it was alive. He cleared his throat and began his speech.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice. As you all know, we suffered a security breach here yesterday and it was almost fatal for us. Slade somehow managed to get his hands on our access codes and was able to shutdown the Tower's entire security grid. It was by sheer luck that we detected this breach, just as we were being attacked, otherwise we wouldn't be here today."
"Because of these breach I've asked Cyborg to redesign the Tower's security system. These changes will also be made at the Titans East and at the safe houses we've set up around the world. These changes are being made for the safe of the extended Titans family … and now, Cyborg will explain what is changing."
Robin took his seat and the Cybernetic Titan stepped up to the podium.
"Ya'll can go ahead and open your envelopes now. They should contain two of these new security cards."
Cyborg raised one over his head and waved it at the crowd.
"From now on, you'll need to use one of these cards, a palm reader and a pass code to gain access to any Titans facility around the world."
A series of groans and cat calls echoed in the large room.
"Yes, I know, it's a pain, but that's what it's gonna take to keep the Towers safe and secure."
"Screw that!" A male voice shouted from the rear of the hall. "I got enough crap to carry on me. I'm not lugging any stupid cards. You made us come here for this? "
"That's your choice. If that's what you want to do, then return your envelope to me at the end of the meeting! Just know that if you do so you will need another Titan to escort you if you wish to enter an official Titan facility!"
About a dozen honorary Titans stood up and approached the stage, tossing their envelopes at Cyborg and they stormed out of the hall, cursing their displeasure. Robin watched them, stone faced and without displaying any reaction. Those ones were not the spies. As they angrily charged out he visually scanned those who remained seated. No one seemed to visually stand out as perturbed by this change in protocol. Robin also had Cyborg rig the hall with sensors. They were measuring things like pulse, body temperature, blood pressure, sweat patterns and even eye dilation. He would study the readings later to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. For now, he would have to wait.
Cyborg collected the abandoned envelopes and proceeded to continue with his presentation, which concluded ten minutes later. Robin resumed his position at the podium.
"Thanks everyone. We'll break for lunch now, which is being catered into this hall. After that we'll have a session on what we've learned about the new Mark IV Slade-bots. Please stay for that as they're different from and more dangerous than the Mark III's that we've learned to know and love. Thanks for coming."
-( scene break )-
Two weeks later…
It was late and the rest of the team had called it a night. Robin, as usual, was up alone, late at night, alone in his office. He was reviewing the biometric data collected at the meeting for the umpteenth time, and just like all the other times he had reviewed it, he found that it was inconclusive. There was nothing out of the ordinary with anyone in the crowd.
Robin groaned as he rubbed his forehead, in a vain attempt to shoo away the migraine that was beginning to form inside his skull.
What he and Cyborg told no one was that if either of the security cards were to become separated from its owner, the Titan's communicator belonging to their owner would "phone home", informing Robin that one or both cards had fallen into someone else's hands.
So far, everyone had behaved very well, protecting their cards carefully, not wishing to suffer Robin's ire by losing them. The Teen Wonder looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was already past 2 AM and it was time for him to get some sleep. Robin began to tidy up his desk before leaving when he finally heard it: the security card alarm. Someone had given his or her cards to Slade. Finally!
Robin leaped up to the mission console he kept in his office and began to type furiously. He stopped and waited for the information to appear on the screen. After what felt like an eternity the data began to scroll and he read it, becoming wide eyed as he read the results.
"No! It can't be … that's impossible." He murmured to himself.
But the computer did not lie nor did it play favorites. Robin memorized the street address where the cards where and ran out of his office.
-( scene break )–
The R-Cycle flew down the empty streets at speeds approaching 150 mph. A lone police cruiser gave Robin a wide berth as the motorcycle zoomed by, heading towards the warehouse district.
Robin switched the R-Cycle to stealth mode, a new feature which made the bike and its rider both nearly invisible and silent. He pulled into the parking lot of an old mattress warehouse and stopped. Two Slade-bots were standing guard at the building's entrance. Robin popped the clutched and charged the R-Cycle, which was still in stealth mode, towards the two guards. He leaped off the bike and with twin spinning kicks he took them out.
Landing on his feet he entered the building. The main office was a battered and abandoned mess of rotting furniture. He ran towards a flight of stairs and firing his grappling gun he flew up to the second level.
That is where the exchange had taken place. The spy was there and appeared to be in a trance, as Slade's voice projected from on one of the droids, giving the mole a new set of cryptic commands to carry out. Robin was in the shadows and had not yet been seen.
No, it can't be. It's impossible.
Slade completed giving his instructions from his remote location. As he finished a trio of enhanced bird-a-rangs flew and decapitated the droids, which fell to the ground with a dull thud. The mole remained still, not having yet been released from the hypnotic trance state that consumed her.
It was Raven.
Robin grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her, but she did not respond. He slapped her, but with no results. Finally, he spoke her mantra:
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos"
Raven jerked and became limp. Robin caught her before she fell.
"Raven! Can you hear me?"
She moaned softly and finally regained consciousness. She looked up into her leader's face.
"R-Robin? Where are we?" She asked, still clearly in a daze.
As she became more lucid she looked around. "What are we doing here?"
She then noticed a destroyed Slade-bot, which was still clutching one of her security cards in its hand. Her eyes widened as the reality of the situation became self evident.
"I'm the mole?" She asked, already knowing the answer.
Robin produced a power cancelling collar from his utility belt. He raised it to her neck. She did not resist.
"I'm so sorry, Raven."
She began to tremble and wrapped her arms around Robin.
"Me too." She sobbed as she began to weep.
"It's not your fault. I knew Slade did something to you, I should have known this had happened. Let's go home."
"What am I going to do?" She sobbed.
"We're gonna help you. I know someone who can clean you up and remove whatever Slade did to you. You're going to be fine, Raven. Don't worry, it's over, we're going home."
-( scene break )-
Raven has been alone in the infirmary with J'onn J'onzz, the Martian telepath from the Justice League for almost 4 hours while her teammates waited nervously outside. Robin paced back and forth like an expectant father waiting to hear of his firstborn's arrival. Starfire sat on a chair in the hallway, her arms crossed as she nervously rocked herself. The changeling was an absolute wreck and Cyborg was consoling him the best he could.
"You'll see, B. J'onn will purge everything Slade programmed into her. She's gonna be fine."
The changeling looked up at his friend. His face was tear stained and he looked utterly destroyed.
"But Cy … what if she only liked me because … because Slade programmed her?"
"Don't be silly, green bean, of course she loves you. Remember what you told me? That when she realized that she might never see you again … that's what changed her mind."
"But … what if it wasn't that? What if Slade planted that in her mind?"
"Why would he do that?" Cyborg retorted.
"I don't know … to screw me … like he screwed me with Terra."
"Hey! Don't talk like that! Raven ain't Terra, so get that nonsense out of your green head right now."
The infirmary's sliding door opened, revealing the Martian's imposing green figure. His alien face betrayed no humanly recognizable expression. He walked out and handed the power cancellation collar to Robin.
"Miss Raven no longer requires this collar. She is now free from any hypnotic and subconscious programming performed by Slade and no longer poses a threat to anyone, including herself. I located a removed fifty seven programs placed by Slade into her mind."
The Martian stepped aside and Raven emerged from the infirmary. She looked very tired and somewhat shaken, with a somewhat blank look on her face. Beast Boy carefully approached her, visibly looking unsure with what might happen next.
Raven locked eyes with him before lunging at him. She wrapped her arms around him. He kissed her on her cheek and she returned his tender gesture. Their three teammates heaved a huge collective sigh of relief.
"Raven, how about you and Beast Boy spend some private time together?" Robin suggested.
"I think that would be a good idea. Now, I must take my leave, I am needed elsewhere on Justice League business."
The sorceress turned to the Martian.
"Thank you, Mr. J'onzz."
"It was my pleasure, Miss Raven. And please, call me J'onn."
The Martian tapped his earpiece. "Martian Manhunter to Watchtower. One to teleport."
They watched as he disappeared in a fountain of shimmering lights.
Robin smiled.
"OK team, this was a harrowing night, but it's done. Everyone get some rest." He heaved a huge sigh. "The nightmare is over."
-( scene break )-
I know what you're wondering … that the nightmare isn't really over, not yet. Well, you're right.
Stay tuned.