These Black Eyes

by P0ST

The ongoing adventures and experiences of the Teen Titans, as witnessed through the eyes of a silent newcomer.

236. A Hard Act to Follow part 21

236. A Hard Act to Follow part 21

December 1, 2004.

Gotham City.

3:21 am

Gotham Labs.

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Jericho sat aside on a laboratory counter top far away from the cold mist of the sleeping capsules.

I stood in a corner of the fogged-up basement, still numb.

Cyborg sat raggedly on the side of his capsule. As Robin and the Boy Wonder's tools treated some of the broken joints in Cyborg's titanium shell, the android Titan spoke:

"It all clicked for me at the last second. Absolute…positively…made sense. When Uncle Simon was reduced to android parts while employed with Anderson, his basic intelligence and construct was remanufactured by those in alliance with Slade and Dagger. Simon may have redeemed himself in some aspects…and—yes—my Uncle's personality still exists in the digital realm, but he's still a puppet to the evil powers that be. All the time Simon was situated at Phaser Labs, he was under the influence of Dagger. When he merged his digital consciousness with the laboratory mainframe at the Labs, he gave Dagger first-hand access to our City. Dagger was 'inside our midst' long before the first bullet or drop of Dragonflare ever exploded in the City Streets. During that time, Simon was moved towards doing things in Dagger's favor. He brought Rachel Mendez and Jean-Luc Blair to our neck of the woods. He made up an excuse for all of us to drag Terra's statue into Phaser Labs. And—ulitimately on the day of blood—he triggered an overload in the Phaser Labs mainframe using Simon Stone's artificial intelligence as a synaptic bridge. The overload sent shockwaves into Rachel and Jean-Luc, powering up the dormant dark halves of their cybernetic circuitry and effectively resurrecting Reload and Slug. They then carted my worthless metal carcass away along with Terra's statue and had Phaser Labs blown up from the inside at the same time."

Robin nodded, running a sparking tool across the cracked seams in Cyborg's good left shoulder. "And Two-Face, who was in league with Dagger the whole time, had Matt Hagan there and ready to replace you once the switch was ready. How else could you so easily have survived that explosion in Phaser Labs?"

"I saw Clayface when they were trucking me out of there…," Cyborg clenched his teeth and turned his one hand into a fist. "I knew then and there what they were going to do. I didn't know why or for what reason…but when I saw my 'replacement' and when I saw Terra being hauled out…..I pretty much lost it. I started to activate the self-destruct mechanism of my energy core…"

Robin's eyemask widened some.

I bit my lip.

"….They…Th-They deactivated me before I had a chance to. Simon…h-he had the access codes to my energy core. There was nothing I could do, Robin….," Cyborg hung his head. "Nothing…."

Robin placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, Cyborg. We just…W-We just need to think things out now. This changes everything. It's obvious Dagger has been one step ahead in the game…"

"Nnnghh!" Cyborg batted Robin's hand away and leaned forward, growling: "Well he shouldn't be! Where the Hell did we go wrong, man? Now they've got Terra and the Titans all in trouble—"

"Cyborg, Terra's alive."

"………"

"And she's resurrected," Robin said with a breath. "She's in the flesh. Safe with Supergirl. In secrecy….."

"………..," Cyborg's lips parted. "But…h-how?"

Robin gestured back in my direction. "Noir's been….a busy bee as of late. We owe a lot to him."

"Do we ever not?"

I simpered.

"After saving Terra from Dagger's men in Area 51--"

"Area 51?.?.?.?"

Robin ignored Cyborg's outburst and went on: "—he came here and assisted Batman, Nightwing, Batgirl and I. Recently, we performed a major blow against Triangular that may very well have defeated the Luthor and Two-Face support of Dagger, but we lost Batgirl in the process. She's in critical condition as we speak."

"And what about the Titans, dawg?"

"They….," Robin winced. "….th-they might be in big trouble with this new development…."

"Well, what in God's name are we waiting for, man?" Cyborg exclaimed loudly. He gestured his one arm: "If you and I are both here, then the rest of the Titans are hanging out in a City that Dagger still owns! As long as Simon's influencing the City through the Labs and Clayface is dancing around as me, then any second now our home could go to shit!"

"Cyborg, you have to understand, we didn't know tha—"

"And just what are you doing here anyways?" Cyborg frowned. "I thought you were the leader of the Titans, Robin! Don't you worry about what's gonna happen to our friends back at the ranch?"

Robin gritted his teeth: "Yes, Cyborg. I. CARE."

"Then why aren't you with the ones who need you?"

"Because I've been 'dead' for a month, Cyborg!" Robin shouted. "And as far as the Titans know, I still am dead!"

Cyborg blinked. His lips parted. "…..wh-what?"

Robin exhaled and glanced aside. "Once it looked like the worse had happened to me, it was necessary to keep below the radar. After all, Slade purposed my death as much as he purposed Terra's and Noir's. If I really let him find me and kill me, that could set in motion a fatal chain of events--"

"Wait wait wait wait wait…," Cyborg waved his left arm. He leaned forward, blinking. "Did you say….Slade?"

"Yes, Cyborg. Slade is after me—but now, I think that he may be after the Titans just as well."

"Uh uh. No way! Slade's dead, man!" Cyborg panted. He swallowed and pointed: "N-Noir killed the asshole, remember?"

I sighed depressingly and gazed aside.

Jericho squirmed nervously where he sat.

"Perhaps he did, Cyborg," Robin spoke. "But Slade's back. And he's Deathstroke now. And Deathstroke is ten times as powerful and a hundred times as deadly. Destruction incarnate, Cyborg. Deathstroke is Red Aviary."

"……..," Cyborg all but collapsed back in the chamber within which he was frozen for a month. "I think my neural net is melting…"

"I can't expect you to understand everything overnight, Cyborg…," Robin said. "But please….Please believe me. I'm trying to get to the bottom of this. I want to save the Titans but only if I can stop Triangular and Deathstroke as well in one fatal swoop."

"Why, man? Why do we have to be so damn secretive?"

"Because if all we ever do is simply save our asses, Cyborg…," Robin growled with a clenched fist, "…then we're never—EVER—going to break the circle we're freakin' stuck in!"

"Raven….," Cyborg murmured. He looked worriedly at the Boy Wonder. "Please, Robin. Tell me she's all right…."

"I wish I could, Cyborg…"

"You don't get it!" Cyborg swallowed and panted: "Cl-Clayface is pretending to be me! And with all that Raven's been through with Mortuana and crap…her emotions are boiling at the surface! This is absolutely the WORST time for some ugly-ass doppelganger to replace me of all people!"

"I know, Cyborg. I know," Robin glared. "Do you think it pleases me every damn second of the day to imagine Starfire back at the Tower sighing from the death of her best friend?"

"…………."

Robin ran a shaking hand through her hair. "Cyborg…..th-this whole nightmare has been hard. But it's going to be even harder….on th-the ones that we love."

Cyborg nodded. "I'm beginning to understand you, Robin…."

"Tim."

"……..h-huh?"

Robin took his eyemask off.

Cyborg about had a heart-attack.

"Tim. Timothy Drake…," the blue-eyed youth said. "Before things get worse, Vic….let us not lose the chance to miss out on a first-name basis."

I smiled, arms folded.

"……," Victor blinked. "Heh….now I've seen everything."

Tim nodded. "There'll be time for us to get to know each other. All of us…." He slipped his mask back on. "But we need to take care of a few things first….so that way all of us—the Titans—will get back together again."

"Shit, you're really young, aren't you?"

"That'll be enough, Cyborg," Robin frowned. "Deathstroke is out to ruin everything in my 'life'. That wouldn't bother me so much if it didn't mean the homicidal reaper targeting people I care about. I've seen what he's done to Batgirl. I'm not ready to see what he'll do to the rest of the Titans."

"Then what's next, man?"

"Hopefully the Messenger found something upstairs," Robin said, pulling out a communicator. "Cuz I think we found enough as it is down here."

"Wait…you mean that nutty asian kid from a month ago?"

"Yes. The same moron."

"Can we trust him, man?"

"He saved my life from a virtual inferno and assisted Batman's team in ways I can't begin to describe," Robin glanced at Cyborg. "So….make that a 'yes'."

"Heh….I wonder what Decker would say if he heard you now."

"The Commissioner's dead, Cyborg."

"…………"

"A lot of people are dead. I'm sorry we had to wake you up."

"I dunno….," Cyborg ran a shaky left hand over his human half of a head. "….I'm starting to think I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Hold that thought." Clik. "Messenger? Messenger, how's it going? Do you need backup?"

T-T-T-T-T-T-

"There was something of extreme importance down here. We had to let Noir show us."

"All's well that greases well, Timmy-Boy!" the asian teen finished typing on the numberpad of a security bypass device. A beeping sound, and he pulled open a drawer on the far side of the laboratory that concealed metal racks of beakers, test tubes, and glass encasements. "I think I'm circling myself warmer towards the center."

"Whatever that means. Answer me this, Messenger."

"Sure thing, grasshopper."

"Did you know anything about Cyborg being replaced by Clayface as a doppelganger?"

"…….," the teenager's almond eyes blinked. "Hrmm….now that's genius."

"You mean you were clueless about that?"

"I would have told you if I knew, Robin." The Messenger kept fishing through the racks. "Yes, I kept secrets deliberately from Noir, but that was in the best interest of you and the whole counter-Red-Aviary schtick. But I would most definitely have told you about Clayface if I knew anything legitimate about his role in the Triangular affair. Much the same…I would have told you about Barbara's vulnerability if I had just….known." A slight sigh. "I did give it the old college try. And seeing that I've never been to college, that says a little something. It's hard going to college as an asian youth, these days. All the professors just assume you waste the homework hours away on DDR or Starcraft…."

"Whatever. Look, Messenger, I think I'll be sending Noir up to assist you in your search. I have to figure out a way down here to get Cyborg to safety."

"Don't bother."

"………..huh?"

"What I mean to say is….," the Messenger reached into the rack and produced two glasses of brown material. All—save for the color—was identical to the goods acquired in the Wayne Corp. vaults ambush. "I believe I've struck paydirt. About six cases of them. All the colors of your favorite doppelganger."

"What good will those do us?"

"Plenty….cuz I have a nutty theory, Robin," the Messenger spoke. "And it's quickly starting to look like peanut butter."

"Get to the point."

"It's go time. I think we can safely get our post-adolescent asses most definitely out of here. And as for Jericho's fanny…well…that's Noir's department."

'S-C-R-E-W—Y-O-U'

"Hehehehe."

T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Great….," Robin pocketed his communicator away and grumbled. "The sooner we're out of this crudhole the better."

Cyborg nodded. "You're telling me."

I hand-signed to Robin: 'How about I help you get Cyborg out?'

Robin looked at the android Titan. "Can you walk?"

"I can hop, dawg. But I seriously doubt you want a bunny going home with you."

"Cute. But we're not going to the manor."

"The manor?"

"'Home'."

"Huh?"

"Let's just go already!" Robin grumbled. "Here, Cyborg…" He walked over and gently took the shattered right limb of the android. "Lean on me. I've got us some transport outside. We'll get out of here, conduct some tests on what the Messenger just found--"

"And then what?"

"Give Batman and the Titans a heads' up. Dagger's been meaning to somehow get dangerous energy samples from Terra's body to our City. If Simon's being programmed by evil conspirators as much as you insinuate, this could mean very bad news for our Town in times to come."

"And since when could you read what Noir hand-signs, man?"

"I've had some free time on my hand. Noir? Let's get going!"

I nodded. I turned and gestured at Jericho: 'Stay close to us.'

The blonde boy nodded. 'I will, Noir.'

I walked over and hoisted up Cyborg's other shoulder.

"Yo…who's the munchkin?" Cyborg motioned with his head.

"……," I glanced across at Robin.

Robin shrugged and heaved as we helped Cyborg hop across the misty, lower tier of the basement. "Nnnngh….a little….online f-friend of ours…."

"Huh?"

"A certain benevolent hackjob."

"'J'?" Cyborg made a face. "You mean that little squirt is 'J'?"

"That little squirt is Jericho. And he's Deathstroke's son."

"………..," Cyborg's eye narrowed.

Joey bit his lip, smiling nervously as we hobbled past him.

"Hrmm…..I'll call him 'sir' as far as I'm concerned."

"Whatever. Just…be friends. Ahem," Robin looked at me. "Want to send a morse code to the Messenger to meet us at the entrance?"

Want to cut me some slack?

Cyborg leaned against Robin more. "There ya go, buddy…"

I nodded. With my black arm free, I clicked a message to everyone's favorite dimension hopper.

"So…'Tim', huh?"

"Yes, Vic."

"……….like the wrestler?"

"…..huh?"

"Er…never mind."

"There isn't a wrestler named--"

"I said NEVER MIND! Damn!"

Jericho giggled breathily.

T-T-T-T-T-T-

'C-A-N—Y-O-U—M-E-E-T—U-S—A-T—T-H-E—E-N-T-R-A-N-C-E'

"Noir, I can meet you at the soda fountain anyday, if you'd just buy me a poodle skirt."

'I—A-M—B-E-I-N-G—S-E-R-I-O-U-S'

"Alas…why I can never pester you enough," the Messenger uttered into a shoulder communicator as he slipped the last of a handful of glass vials and a rack containing them into a small green satchel. "Don't waste the airwaves. I'll blip out and blip in just in time."

'R-O-G-E-R' 'N-O-I-R—O-U-T'

The beeping sounds ended.

"Right then….," the Messenger cracked his neck, turned around, and marched towards the door of the laboratory that led into the hallway. "Time to make like the Carolinas and secede."

But he stopped in his tracks.

A half-dozen human-shaped shadows appeared at the crack in between the door and the floor from the other side. There were sounds of muffled voices and guns cocking.

"Whoopsies!" the Messenger stepped backwards. A half-smile. "The slumber party's a little early today…"

CL-CLACK!

The doors were kicked open and a cluster of blue-suited thugs burst in with pistols raised.

"Freeze!"

"Stop where you are!"

"You're dead meat, shitface!"

"Gentlemen…please…," the Messenger curtsied. "Using vulgar words as you try to apprehend me? There's no way in Incan Hell now that I'd expect you all to be working for Triangular or nothing…"

"That's it!"

"Waste 'em!"

"Don't bother," and the Messenger ran into a sprint, aimed directly at the gunmen. "Cannonballlllll!"

They gasped and fired.

BLAM! BLAM!

B-BANG!

He dove into them and disappeared in a bright burst of green before the bullets could impact his body.

ZAAAAAT!

"Dah!"

"Jeez!"

Overcome by the bolts of flashing green, the gunmen stumbled back and collapsed over each other.

TH-THWAP!

THUD!

"Ooof!"

Entangled limbs.

Growling voices and struggling muscles in the highway.

"Great…a 'porter!"

"Call in the rest of the men…," one pointed to an entangled thug on the sidelines. "….we've got some metaphysical punks trying to sniff Gotham Labs out!"

A man nodded, struggled up to his feet, ran across the hallway, and slammed a fist over an emergency console.

WRIII! WRIII! WRIII!

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin and I were halfway up the basement stairs with Cyborg when the alarm went off above us.

We looked all around, hightlighted by a red-flashing strobe.

Jericho gasped, shaking nervously.

Cyborg uttered: "Did our friend upstairs mess up?"

"The Messenger?" Robin blinked under his mask. "If all Hell's breaking loose, that usually means he did something right."

"How interesting. Can we go now?"

I nodded and urged us along.

The three of us hobbled up the stairs and towards the glass-encased elevator doors of the basement.

"We'll just call down a car and make a run for it on the main floor!"

"Wait a second, dawg," Cyborg blinked. "Why do we have to call a car to begin with?"

I gulped.

"Didn't you guys come down here last to meet me?"

Robin stopped and so did the rest of us.

Jericho hand-signed: 'That is a good point.'

Right then and there, an elevator car packed with twelve gun-toting thugs swiftly lowered down the glassy, transparent length of the shaft.

"Megacrud!" someone gasped. I couldn't narrow it down to figure out whether it was Robin or Cyborg. But it was Robin who next said: "Back! BACK! GET BACK!"

We threw Cyborg behind a computer console.

Robin dove beside him.

I blurred across the room, squatted low, scooped up Jericho's gasping body, and dove the two of us behind another console across the way just in the nick of time--

Ding!

The elevator doors opened and all twelve men in blue stormed out, machine guns and magnums blazing. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

BLAM!

BL-BLAM!

P-P-P-P-PING!

Sparks and shrapnel flew around us.

I winced and held Jericho close to me.

The boy covered his ears and clenched his eyes shut, shivering.

In the meantime, Cyborg winced and Robin panted…producing a fan full of birdarangs.

P-P-PING!

"Cyborg!" Robins shouted. "Does your sonic cannon work?"

"That left with my right arm. My left one works a little…but it might explode if I tried it!"

CL-CLANK!

"Great…."

"I've got other things that work, but it's best we kept this in your capable gloves, I think."

"Yeah….it tends to fall that way, doesn't it?"

P-P-P-PING!

Robin winced, ducking his head to avoid a falling shard of bullet-heated shrapnel. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Feels like yesterday to me, man."

"Remind me to give you a Titans Infraction for sleeping in all month."

"Heh….yeah, okay."

Snrkkt! Robin extended his bo staff in one hand and gripped his birdarangs in another. "Wish me luck…"

Cyborg's human eye widened. "Whoah! Robin, don't—!"

"YEAAAAAUGH!" Robin dove out. He rolled along the ground. Bullets splashed and hit all around him. P-P-Ping! He jumped up and unleashed a fan of sharp projectiles.

TH-TH-TH-TH-TH-TH-THWISH! THUNK!

The ankles of three gunmen were pierced by the birdarans. They fell down with their guns, bleeding and screaming.

Cyborg winced.

Even I did too.

Robin immediately jumped up and twirled his birdarang as he ran across the open space. TH-TH-THWISH!

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

CL-CL-CL-CL-CLANG! Robin deflected the bullets, leapt up, hoisted an arm out, and grabbed the support beam of a huge air unit hanging from the metallic top of the domain.

Every single one of the nine remaining crooks aimed up at him and fired. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

The bullets slammed into the unit, snapping the supports apart and turning the structure into Swiss Cheese.

Robin held his breath and backflipped off of it with a kick as the thing fell. Thus, it propelled its heavy self in the direction of the thick cluster of thugs.

SWOOOOOSH!

"Aaaah!"

"Look out!"

"Run---!"

CLAAA-AAAAANG!

The ground shook. The concussion threw two thugs hard and unconscious against the nearby wall of the basement labs. TH-THWACK! SMACK! "Ughhh…"

I put Jericho aside. He looked at me. He started as I brought Myrkblade out. CHIIIIING!

In the meantime, Robin struggled up to his feet and looked aside.

"YAAAUGH!" a thug ran at him, swinging the butt of his rifle.

Robin pivoted his metal bo-staff upwards and deflected the blow. He gritted his teeth and swung his elbow out, smashing in the thug's jaws. CRACK!

"Nnnkktt!" the guard stumbled back.

Robin grabbed the barrel of the fiend's shotgun and yanked it out, pivoting.

TH-THWAP! The butt of the weapon clipped the jaw of its own user.

As the man stumbled back, two marched at Robin from a distant. Magnums pointed out.

Robin knelt low, gripping his staff. His eyemask narrowing.

The guards cocked their revolvers and pulled at the triggers—

SWOOOOOOOOSH! I blurred in with a murking swipe of Myrkblade.

CR-CRACK!

The magnums exploded in the men's grasp.

The gasped and stumbled back, gripping their wrists.

Robin stood up straight as I skidded into view. I slid on a layer of murk, twirled my sword, regained friction, and charged heatedly into the stumbling crowd of seven.

Two men fired machine guns straight at me. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT!

I morphed my upper body into smoke form.

The bullets flew through me.

Robin ran behind me, twirling his bo-staff and deflecting the bullets—now layered in murk—back at the feet of the gunmen.

CL-CL-CL-CLANG!

P-P-POW! P-PING! POW!

The ground exploded from the smoke-charged projectiles. Two thugs were knocked off their feet. They rose in the air from the concussion just in time for me to reach their piñata bodies and punish them with a high-swinging Myrkblade.

THWACK!

TH-THWACK!

Two bodies flew back and landed hard against the glass shaft of the elevator. CRKKK! Hairline fractures formed.

"YAAAUGH!" A guard with a taser charged at me, swinging. ZZZZTTT!

I ducked low, elbowed him in the chest with a black arm, and vaulted him up and over my shoulders.

He flailed over me and into the waiting high-kick of Robin.

TH-THWACK!

Followed by a staff to the spinning ribcage.

WHANG!

The man was down for the count.

Robin panted and spun about.

Two of the last five guards were aiming at him with shotguns.

BL-BLAM!

BLAM!

Robin deflected with his staff. Th-Th-Thwish! CL-CLANG! He knelt down and flung a bolo out with a snarl. "Nnngh!"

SWISSSSSH-SWP!-SWP!-SWP!-SWP! The guards gasped as the weighted cords wrapped around their torsos and forced them into a a sideways 'hug'. Cl-Clack! Their shotguns fell to the floor and they struggled against each other in the mutual bonds…

FWOOSH! I teleported behind them, stabbed Myrkblade reversely into the wall, and kicked the men squarely in their back.

WHUMP!

They gasped and stumbled together like potato sack racers.

Robin was waiting with a swinging staff that clipped both of their skulls in line.

WH-WHACK!

They flattened on the ground beside the Boy Wonder.

Robin took a breath.

From behind……

CL-CLICK!

Robin looked over his shoulder.

A guard stood behind him, a magnum to the Boy Wonder's upper vertebrae. "Heads off, punk!"

I whistled.

Robin looked at me.

I held Myrkblade up like a javelin.

Robin backflipped—

BLAM!

The bullet flew through the air where Robin was and traced towards me.

I snarled and flung a smoking Myrkblade straight forward.

My sword sang through the air like a missile—SWISSSSSSH!—smashed through the bullet head-on—CRKK!—and embedded its very tip into the barrel of the magnum still in the guard's grasp. CLUNK!

The man gasped, for at the same time Robin had flipped over him, planted his hands into the thug's shoulders, and come down with his knees slamming mercilessly by his weighted grip into the man's kidneys.

WH-WHUMP!

"Augh!" the man dropped his revolver. The gun and Myrkblade stuck in the barrel slid towards me.

Robin jumped down, held his arms up like a crane, and mightily kicked the man in the pelvis.

THWUMP! He stumbled towards me.

In the meantime, I kicked the sword-and-gun up with my foot. CLPP! It twirled. I caught it with a twist by Myrkblade's hilt, held my black forearm out, aimed, and slapped Myrkblade down over my synthetic wrist with the stuck revolver aimed at the careening thug.

BLAM! The gun fired, propelling it off the tip of Myrkblade and slamming into the gut of the guard, butt first.

WHUMP!

"Oooof!" the man wheezed and fell to his knees.

Robin twirled his staff.

I twirled my sword.

Back-to-back.

We looked around.

"…….."

"………"

All but one of the twelve guards were lying on the ground….groaning…stirring.

All but one?

"Where is—?" Robin began.

"Nobody move!"

The Boy Wonder and I spun about. We gasped.

My jaw dropped and my insides froze.

A crook had Jericho held from behind, an arm fiercely hooked around the boy's chin. He held a machine gun to the boy's head at point blanc and frowned at us. "Party's over, kids. Now…if you lay so much as another finger on my pals and I…this laboratory gets a new paintjob…."

"…….," I frowned.

Robin hissed: "Let him go! He wasn't fighting you!"

"Oh give me a break!" the guard cackled. "He's with you. That's good enough reason to eliminate him!"

All around us, half of the beaten guards stirred painfully and struggled up to their feet. They picked up their weapons and formed a circle around Robin and I.

And the standoff continued:

"I mean it," Robin showed his teeth as he seethed. "Let him go! He was only doing what he was told."

"Oh, a brave soldier is he? You're the one waging war, Mr. Titan…"

"If you end any of our lives, so help me, this will not go down well for any of you. Batman will follow your trail down to the very atom and ruin Triangular for what it is once and for all."

"And where is Batman when you need him most? Surely not out in Gotham doing his duty!"

"………"

"The Parasite bit you in the end, didn't he Boy Wonder?" the common thug chuckled. "Guess it was worth it all in the long run!"

I glanced through the corner of my shades. I sensed nothing from behind the console where Cyborg hid. I sweated nervously. I looked back at Jericho.

The Boy shivered in the man's grasp. His green eyes were wide and his face was a sheen of nervous sweat.

I bit my lip….

"You know all about the ambush at the vaults, don't you?" Robin hissed. "Why was Dagger so willing to give up the vials he went to so many lengths to acquire? TELL US!"

"Heheheheh….," the man smiled. "Boy Wonder….what makes you think he lost the vials at all to begin with?"

Robin's lips parted some.

In the meantime, I noticed something. Something about Jericho. Yes, he was scared. And yes, he was trembling. But he was looking in my direction. Steadily. With eyes….pleading?

No.

Entreating……

His eyes were wide. Like mirrors. Reflecting.

Reflecting!

I took a breath. I glanced left and right with darting black eyes at the villains on either side of me. I then tilted my head forward….slightly…..slightly….slightly….

Jericho mouthed: 'Your left a bit.'

I tilted my head left.

'Now up some.'

I did so.

And slowly…gradually—I assumed—I gave the body-jumper a good reflection of the eyes of the captor holding him.

In my black shades….

"What do you mean?" Robin demanded. "The vials are in police custody! Dagger couldn't possibly own them anymore unless he 'owned' the police!"

"Heh…hardly….not anything that easy!"

I bit my lip. 'Now?'

Jericho nodded.

"But who are you to care?" the thug hissed and cocked the gun held to Jericho's forehead. "And who are you to have friends with their heads in tact?"

Robin gasped and jerked to reach to his utility belt.

Men all around us fingered their triggers.

I mouthed: 'Do it!'

Jericho clenched his jaw. His eyes flared a hot emerald fire.

FL-FLASH!

I gasped, feeling as if a heated comet of green was soaring at me, only to bounce off my shades at the last second and streak in astral fury deep within the body of the man holding the boy's vanished body—

CONTACT.

FLASH!

The man jolted….blinked…and all but dropped his machine gun as he murmured: "What in the blue fuzz—"

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT! He was suddenly and inexplicably firing his machine gun at the feet of those guards standing around him. "WAAAAAAH!"

"Dah!"

"Jeez!"

"Carlson, watch it!"

"What the—"

"I…I-I can't stop! Someone help me—" 'Carlson' suddenly stopped firing, pulled the clip out of his gun, and tossed the steaming ammo container into the face of another crook. TH-THWACK!

"Nnngh!" the man fell under a fountain of hot, spilling bullets.

The panting, frightened man then spun and slammed the butt of his gun into another crook's chin.

THWACK!

"Carlson! Cut it out!"

"I….c-can't!" the man tossed his gun away and charged another man, punching him hard in the ribcage and hip. TH-THWAP! WHAM!

"Ooof!" the guard stumbled back.

A man ran to 'Carlson's back. "Knock…it…OFF!"

Carlson spun around. His green eyes strobed. CONTACT. FL-FLASH! WHAM! He fell from the fist. But the man who slammed Carlson's face in lingered, blinked, and then spun with a pistol firing at his teammates. BLAM! BLAM! B-BANG! "Ah jeez! What gives?"

P-PING! CL-CLANG!

The guns were deflected out of the hands of those around us.

Thugs gasped and stumbled about, grasping their wrists.

"………"

"………"

Robin and I exchanged glances.

"………………………"

We both smiled.

We twirled our staff and sword and dove at random enemies aiming their weapons into the confusing, body-jumping fray.

SMACK! WH-WHAP! SLAP!

Robin plowed men to the ground with his bo-staff.

Myrkblade grazed shoulders and severed weapons apart.

Robin jump-kicked thug after thug, growling and spinning his way through the madness.

I uppercutted a crook or two with my black limb and slammed another unsuspecting full to the ground with Myrkblade's broadside contacting first.

All around the Boy Wonder and I, there were strobes of green light as the astral projection of Jericho leapt mercilessly into one 'body' after another. Thugs were fighting thugs in the massive confusion, and the detritus of which were being cleaned up by Robin and I.

Robin uppercutted a man and slapped his body to the ground with a staff.

I kicked my way through a thug and grazed his skin bloodily with Myrkblade.

Robin snarled and high-kicked a man across the chin before elbowing him hard to a nearby wall.

I slapped a guard fiercely away with Myrkblade, spun about, and kneed a tall thug hard in the chest. WHUMP! I snarled mutely and raised my black fist to the crook's face.

'J', he gestured shakily with a hand, the rest of his body teetering.

"……."

'J'.

I winced. I mouthed: 'S-Sorry….'

The unconscious 'thug' shrugged, gripped my shoulders, vaulted over me via Jericho's control, and flew with feet sailing mightily towards an unsuspecting crook's chest.

TH-THAP!

I spun about and joined the meaty part of the fray, slamming the last few guards unconscious that I could.

In the meantime, Robin spun and smashed his elbow into a gunman's chin. He pivoted his arm, slapped the man in the gut, and then spun with a kicking leg hooked out to body-slam the henchman to the floor of the basement laboratory. WHAM!

CL-CLAK!

"…..!" Robin spun.

A bruised thug leaning against a wall had a shotgun barrel aimed squarely at the Boy Wonder's forehead. "Let's see how many lives you've got up your sleeve!"

POW!

Robin winced---but the shotgun hadn't gone off. Instead, something from the far side of the upper tier and behind a computer console had fired…

SWISSSSSSH-CLAMP! The metal 'hand' of Cyborg at the end of a tense, titanium cord palmed the thug's face and slammed his cranium mercilessly against the wall, pinning it there. CL-CLANGGGGG! The man groaned…out cold.

"……," Robin exhaled. He turned and shakily glanced aside.

Cyborg half-stood from behind the console, his one good arm extended with a cord slacking forth from it….following the ejector grappling arm. Cyborg held his long-distance fingers squeezing titaniumesque around the man's skull before mumbling: "Boo-ya….."

Robin exhaled, sweaty. "Parts of you work yet!"

Cyborg managed a smirk. "I couldn't sit out the entire time, could I?"

I looked over shoulder in mid-battle and half-smiled amidst the heated madness.

Now THAT'S the Cyborg I know……!

I held my breath and dove murkingly back into the mayhem with a randomly Jerichoed thug fighting alongside me here and there.

SM-SMACK!

THWACK!

In the meantime, Robin looked around at the thinning, indoor battlefield. He looked towards the elevator shaft. He ran over, grabbed Cyborg, hoisted him by the shoulder, and hobbled towards the elevator. "Noir! Jericho! Let's split!"

TH-THWACK! I slapped Myrkblade across the cheek of a thug and grounded him. Panting, I turned my head and saw the Boy Wonder and Cyborg limping into the elevator.

"Come on! Let's get out of here! Let's go!"

That makes the four of us.

I punched one last guard, turned around, and murked towards the door.

Robin and Cyborg were already in.

I leapt inside.

Robin jammed his finger over the 'ground level' button.

The glass doors began to close.

I panted…catching my breath.

Then Cyborg said: "Hey…where's the squirt?"

"……..!" I gasped.

Joey!

"Jerhicho!" Robin shouted through the glass shaft.

Thugs were fighting each other in madness and confusion. I couldn't judge anything out of thick chaos of them.

"Jericho! Hurry up! Let's go!"

Then we saw a thug running our way. His eyes were shut, but he seemed to know where he was going. Panting the whole time.

Ding!

The doors of the elevator closed.

I pressed myself against the glass, sweating.

The thug ran, jumped, and slammed against the glass…pressing up against it. Two eyes strobed open.

FL-FLASH!

And the elevator car rose, abandoning the continuing fight downstairs.

"………..," all three of us stood, stock still.

I bit my lip.

Robin shuddered…and murmured: "J-Jericho?"

Silence.

"…….are you here?"

Suddenly….Cyborg's left hand shot up.

"Whoah! What in God's name?"

Cyborg's metal hand formed the 'J' symbol.

"…….," Robin glanced at the android Titan. "You doing that, Cyborg?"

"Uhm….I-I don't know…," he nervously murmured.

"……," I smiled. My heart cooled and went at ease. I hand-signed: 'You are a stinker.'

"Why am I a stinker, Noir?" Cyborg asked.

His hand suddenly gave a thumb's up.

"Daah! There it goes again!"

I let out a breathy chuckle of relief.

Robin hissed: "Shhh….at ease everyone. We're getting the Heck out of here…"

"And what do you suppose that creep meant about the 'vials' being in Dagger's possession and what not?"

Robin took a deep breath. "A long story, Cyborg. But basically…."

"………."

"……….we're screwed."

"As usual."

"Don't worry. The Messenger got away with some good stuff."

"If you say so."

I hand-signed: 'Hey Joey! What would Cyborg do if he saw a Macintosh?'

Cyborg's left thumb pressed against his nose while his fingers danced in the air.

"Man! Stop doing that!"

Hahahahaha……

T-T-T-T-T-T-

SCHWISSSH!

On the first floor of the Gotham Labs, Cyborg, Robin, Jericho and I marched out of the elevator and onto the main floor. Robin and I were supporting Cyborg by his shoulders. Jericho stepped ahead of us and scouted the area ahead…carefully. Sneakily.

"Say what?" Cyborg murmured. "You got the BATMOBILE outside?"

"Waiting to escort us out of here…," Robin murmured.

"Where exactly to, dawg?"

"Maybe with what we and the Messenger found, we can convince Batman to work with us on reanalyzing the defeat of Triangular and getting the drop on Dagger and Red Aviary for once."

Cyborg did a double-take. "You would show me the Batcave?" A beat. He blinked. "You'd l-let me meet Batman?"

I simpered.

Robin took a breath. "Get ready to learn a lot of….new things, Vic."

"Heh….yeah. Whatever you say, Tim."

"Don't wear it out…."

I snickered some…..then shivered.

I jolted where I walked, and thus froze in my tracks. I took a shuddering breath. I raised a hand and looked at my limb up close. Seeing how the murk danced out of the digits of my fingers.

The Spectrum's going crazy………

I bit my lip.

I gulped….and slowly looked up.

We're not alone………

I glanced to my left.

Jericho was looking at me. A pair of worried, wet green eyes.

Did he feel it too?

"Let's keep moving!" Robin said, hobbling with Cyborg forward.

I assisted.

We rounded a corner…..and froze.

Lined across the atrium with guns armed were twenty guards. They didn't have the uniforms of blue like the 'security' we battled in the bowels of Gotham Labs just minutes before. These creeps weren't about to hide the fact that they were Dagger's bosom buddies. They aimed uzzis and grenade launchers at us. Every face a frown. Every eye a glare.

"……..," Cyborg blinked. "Well, alright."

Jericho trembled.

"Hokaaay…," Robin sweated. "Any chance your sonic cannon could enjoy a miracle and suddenly start working again? Like….right now?"

"We're better off farting them to death, Robbie."

"Fine…," Robin re-gripped his staff while I clutched to Myrkblade's hilt. "Good thing we got some extra exercise downstairs…"

"No time to tango this time, Titans!" one loud-mouthed thug smirked and pointed at the walls. "Before you consider bringing down the house….what say the house brings down you?"

"The fudge?" Cyborg raised an eyebrow.

SLIIIIDE! SLIIIIDE! Two panels whirred open on opposite walls of the hallway leading into the atrium. A high-tech, mounted laser rifle appeared out from inside the walls, pivoted on metal joints, and aimed at us.

WHURRRRRRRR-CH-CHTANG!

CH-CHTANG!

My companions and I froze in place.

"You were saying something about exercise?"

"Screw it…," Robin grunted.

One of the thugs motioned towards a security camera.

ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!

ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP-ZAP!

Hot streams of orange energy surged at us.

I jumped in front of the group and madly twirled Myrkblade, deflecting the first wave of laser bolts with great strain. CL-CL-CL-CLANG!

Cyborg hobbled backwards with an added shove from Robin. The Boy Wonder slid towards my side and tossed a handful of smoke pellets from behind my shielding twirl of my sword.

"Nnngh!"

THWOOOSH!

POW! FWOOOFFF!

The thugs grunted, coughed, and stumbled backwards. The security cameras whirred and attempted to find clarity through the smoke cloud. In the meantime, the laser turrets continued to fire in insane full-spreads throughout the hallway. Robin and I dashed back along with Jericho and found a spot behind a metal container to hide with Cyborg. Laser bolts impacted the walls and floor around us, heating up the hazy interior with an orange fury.

ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!

"Could have scouted out this place a little more, ya know!" Cyborg hissed.

"I didn't think Triangular would have the Blue-Collar Regiment as backup!" Robin yelled back over the impact noise. "We're trapped here until we can think of a distraction or something!"

"Hang on!" Cyborg motioned towards me. "Noir! See if you can open the compartment in my left shoulder!"

I nodded. I reached through the haze and fingered a button along his titanium hull.

ZZZZTTT!

"DAAH!" Cyborg shook as parts of his circuitry frizzled out.

I jerked my hand back, wincing.

"Okay…then again…"

ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!-ZAP!

Hot metal ash littered our shoulders.

The metal container began to melt.

Machine gun fire from the thugs joined the fray from the turrets.

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

Robin produced a fan of explosive birdarangs beneath the carnage. "I have the notion to send this night straight back to Hell…"

Jericho gasped and swiftly hand-signed: 'No! Do not! Please wait!'

Robin looked at him. "What for? If we wait here any longer, we'll hallway hash browns!"

The young blonde gestured: 'Have you forgotten that we have one ally still on the outside?'

"………..," I smirked.

Robin shifted nervously. "Well…he's sure taking his sweet time."

He'll do that……

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Inside a security station of the Gotham Labs building…

Two henchmen in uniform huddled at an electronics station that housed an array of monitors with camera feeds to the separate sections of the structure. Two monitor stations in particular were acting simultaneously as security feeds and remote sentry gun controls. The two men operated the laser rifles with joysticks and knobs. On the black and white feed, the hot arsenal of the lasers they manned was eating its way through the metal container behind which the hapless Titans hid.

"Dammit! Work with me! Work with me!"

"I'm….tr-trying!"

"Concentrate our fire on that canister! They won't last a minute longer!"

"I still think we should unleash the electromagnetic pulse. That cybernetic creep could be dangerous…"

"He's falling apart! It's the damn sidekick of Batman I'm worried about!"

"Keep at it!"

ZAAT! "I wonder which one of you leads a slow dance."

The two men blinked and turned around in their seats to look….

"Huh?"

TH-THWACK! The Messenger slammed his foot into one man's face and then spun to slap a wrist across the shoulder of another. WHAP!

"Augh!"

"Nnnngh!"

The asian teen then gripped both of them by a forearm each, fell backwards, and vaulted the pair of miscreants over his body in swift acrobatics.

The two men slammed into a wall on the opposite side and fell down cold.

"And let that be a lesson…," the Messenger smirked and stood up, dusting himself off. "Centripetal force doesn't like you. And neither does God." He walked over to the station, sat down, and gripped the turret controls in place of the guards. Whistling 'rain drops keep falling on my head', he turned a few knobs and pivoted the joysticks simultaneously to the side as the security feed twirled. He smirked. "God, how I love screwing things up…."

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin and I peaked around the metal container's side in response to the silence.

And I smirked.

The turrets were rotating around with a mechanical drone. They soon aimed in the direction of the thick phalanx of thugs lining the front of the laboratory atrium.

The crooks lowered their machine guns and gazed forlornly at their very own laser rifles turning against them.

"…………huh….," the one loudmouth blinked. "….well that's not right."

The twin lasers pivoted upwards…and fired at the ceiling.

ZAP!

ZAP!

ZAP!-ZAP!

Burning potholes formed above the thugs. Half a second later, fiery debris rained down and blanketed them with a monumental concussion. The thugs all gasped and grunted and shouted in painful impact as they all had the breath slammed out of them. The room was cleared of all conscious interference. And soon the laser rifles retracted back into the walls and disappeared into the smooth contours of the Gotham Labs interior.

"Snckkkkt!" the communicator on Robin's utility belt crackled. "Guns don't save the day! Asian dudes with guns save the day!"

"Alright, Messenger!" Robin smirked. "We were just talking about you!"

"Save it for a rainy day. Don't we have to skedaddle somewhere?"

"You beat us to it…"

Cyborg squinted his human eye and whispered to the Boy Wonder: "Is it just me, or is he a little too flamboyant sounding?"

"I heard that!"

"I know you did! Shut up, you schizophrenic fruitcake!"

"Ha ha ha…Noir, kick the refrigerator for me."

I took a deep breath.

Later...

I hand-signed to Robin: 'It is now or never.'

He nodded. "Messenger! Meet us outside! Cyborg…Joey….let's get out of here!"

T-T-T-T-T-T-

The Messenger shook his head, smiling.

"A Robin is a Robin is a Robin…."

He prepared to get up…but stopped when he noticed something. The security feeds were blacking out one by one, starting with the exterior camera positions.

"………………………….?" He turned and looked at one monitor in particular. His almond eyes squinting.

A shot of the parking lot outside revealed a dark mist of sorts streaking across the pavement. A beat. And then, a cowl appeared. A mask with a single, flaring eye. Vapors splashed over the camera lens and a two-edged sword flew into direct sight…..turning everything to hissing static.

The Messenger took a deep breath, his face long.

ZZzzzt!

Everything around him flickered at once. The power to the security room drained.

He tilted his head up and in all somberness murmured with a low voice: "Ah no….."

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Robin, Cyborg, Jericho and I were running over debris and bodies towards the front entrance of the atrium.

"What about that Batmobile again, Robin?"

"I'm getting the remote autopilot system now…," Robin reached into his belt for the handheld device in mid-stride. "In no time flat, we'll be far away from h—"

Just then, the lights of the place flickered.

The humming noise of the living, breathing Gotham Labs dwindled into cold silence around us while the emergency lights snapped on in dim brown glory.

Jericho panted, looking all around.

"Looks like our battles finally wiped out the heart of this place," Cyborg uttered while hobbling. "Or maybe the Messenger tripped a fuse for shits and giggles?"

"It doesn't matter," Robin nearly reached the doors. "We're gone—"

I gasped. I skidded to a stop and shot my black arm out, halting Robin.

He braked, nearly tumbling. Cyborg and Jericho lingered behind us.

"N-Noir? What is it?" Robin panted. "What's wrong?"

I felt numb all over. A sudden, cold fear. Without my old prosthetic, I could only feel the sensation of death when it was upon me. Like a falling chandelier made of ice crystals and positioned directly overhead. My black eyes widened under my shades….twitched…..and FLASHed white for half a second. I gritted my teeth, grabbed Robin's forearm strongly, and hoisted us both back.

"Ow-OW! Noir? What—"

'Shhhh!' I breathed with a black finger raised before my lips. I crept all four of us backwards. We watched nervously as what appeared to be a dark cloud of crimson descended onto the parking lot scene just outside the doors. There was an iciness that doubled the frost of the wintry world outside. White crystals formed on the glass frame of the doors…then turned crimson with a mirrored refraction of red….red…red……

Jericho's green eyes were wide. He stood close by me. Perhaps just as numb.

Robin gulped.

"What in God's name…..," Cyborg murmured in a low voice. "….what are we dealing with, Robin?"

"That is Deathstroke….," Robin said.

I nodded.

"……Red Aviary….death incarnate…."

"Slade?" Cyborg hissed.

Robin's eyemask narrowed. "He's found us. For all we know, he was probably following us all night."

"………………," Jericho breathed deeply. His emerald eyes thinned, and something possessed him almost magically to take a bold step towards the crimson tinted doors.

My hand immediately flew over and gripped his shoulder.

Almost with a gasp, he stopped. He no longer moved forward. He merely froze in place.

I glanced nervously down at the boy.

Now's not a good time to have a reunion with your father.

Now's not a good time for any of us……

"So…Robin….," Cyborg's left hand flexed its titanium fingers. "….what do we do when we encounter Deathstroke anyhow…?"

"…………," Robin took a deep, heaving breath. He growled: "We run…."

Cyborg and I both looked at him.

He turned around and shouted: "Run!"

We did.

We most certainly did.

Robin dashed ahead, leading the pack.

I shoved Jericho along, who breathlessly gasped and jerked his little body into a full sprint away from his 'daddy'.

Cyborg I tugged by his one good arm and helped him hobble as quickly as he could out of the atrium and towards the distant stairwell that Robin was ascending.

CLANG!

Something banged against the windowed doors behind us.

CLANG! CL-CLANG!

"Hckkkkk! Clik-Clik-Clik-Clik-CLIK!"

CLAA-AAANG!

"Shit….I don't like the sound of that…," Cyborg hissed.

I gritted my teeth and hoisted him up the stairs alongside me.

Welcome to the real night.

CRASSSSSH!

The hallways echoed the shattering sound of glass and metal shrapnel flying.

A red aura chased after our footsteps as a cold, all-permeating iciness howled its way in after us like the singing breaths of a sickle.

We didn't dare look back…

T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Robin! Noir! Guys! He's in the building. Red Aviary is……IN……THE BUILDING! Get out of there now!"

"We're way ahead of you, Messenger!" Robin grunted into the communicator as he kicked open the exit door of the stairwell's second story. CLACK! He stood like a human doorstop and motioned Jericho through. "Teleport away, do you hear me?"

"You'll need help!"

"You'll help us by taking those vials somewhere safe! That's your mission. You like the Titans so much, huh? Well think like one and do what I frickin' say!" Robin helped Cyborg and I hobble through the door. "Robin out!"

Blip!

"The room temperature is lowering by about twenty-five degrees!" Cyborg murmured, breath vapors showing. He limped out into the second floor hallway besides Jericho. "What in the Hell happened to Slade to make him do this sort of shit?"

Robin gritted his teeth. "Death doesn't do resumes…"

I leapt into the hallway.

A red glow illuminated the stairwell behind us.

A crimson mist.

An echo reverberating up….up….up…

"Snkkkkt—Clik-Clik-HCKKK!"

SLAM! Robin closed the stairwell door and pressed his weight against it. "Noir!" he shouted to me. "Help me brace this thing!"

I nodded. I rushed over and picked up a metal, cylindrical trash can. I tore the lid off and pressed the edge of it up against the door knob. I then ran over and grabbed a water cooler—liquid and all—and laid it against the door.

Cyborg made himself useful by using his then-awkward titanium strength to pick an entire cart of microscope equipment up and slide it over to me.

Robin and I grunted and shoved it against the metal stairwell door. Red light was beaming out of the cracks in the doorframe. The air became an icy chill, and our vapors fogged up the walls and metal surfaces.

Jericho shivered down the length of the hallway. Standing alone. Wringing his hands….

In the meantime, I motioned to Robin to stand back. I raised Myrkblade and stabbed at the doorknob to the stairwell. SMACK! SMACK! CLANK! I dented it at an unusable angle.

"Okay man…that's enough!" Cyborg panted and shuffled limpingly down the hallway. "Let's move!"

"Wait!" Robin breathed, leaning against the doorframe. "Let's first think of how we can get out of this building! All exits are on the bottom floor!"

"Yo, this is your town! Don't ask me!"

I looked at Robin. I pointed up, mouthed 'roof', and shakily gestured a 'running man jumping'.

Robin nodded. "There's an office building just next to Gotham Labs. Same height. If we could find a window large enough or something—"

SLIIIIINK! CRACK! A red blade protruded out of the doorframe barely an inch from Robin's face.

The Boy Wonder gasped.

I blurred, grabbed him, and hoisted him hurriedly down the hallway.

Dragged backwards, Robin gasped at what he saw.

The barricaded door slowly peeled apart from the other side as the red, murking sword carved and cut and carved and cut at everything in its way. The entire frame of metal started to dent and buckle outwards. The 'barricade' we made crumbled and began to gradually fall apart under a layer of red-tainted frost.

"Hckkkkkk…snkkktt!"

"Move!" Cyborg hustled. "Move…Move…MOVE!"

"This way!" Robin gathered his footing and dashed ahead. "We'll shortcut through these labs! There should be a lounge beyond them with a stretch of windows…"

T-T-T-T-T-T-

SLIIICE!

SLICE!

SLIIIIIIICE!

WHANG! I kicked the door open after shredding it apart with Myrkblade. With the power shortage, it was pitch black inside. I stepped in, lowered my shades, and saw piles of shrouded objects that looked like equipment piled about the room. There was a horrific stench about the place. I immediately thought chemicals. But also immediately…I didn't care…

"Where's that magical lounge of yours, Robin?" Cyborg growled….

"Keep going! Through that door!" Robin pointed.

I stood at the doorway, making sure everyone got through.

Jericho hobbled through last.

I looked after him.

I then heard scraping noises and felt a further chill in the air.

Breathing misty vapors, I squinted my black eyes and stared down the hallway from which we came.

The barricaded door bulged and bulged and bulged and—

SMASH!

Objects and debris shattered everywhere.

A red burst of light exploded out from the distant stairwell.

Along the thin, dark corridor a flickering blob of crimson soared straight at me. 'Tentacles' of red vapor clung to the walls and pulled the spidery Deathstroke towards us. And I could see his black nucleus of a body. An infinitesimal, obsidian thing. And that one red eye on the side of his cowl pulsing…pulsing…pulsing……with every well-timed air-slash of his hungry, two-edged sword.

"Noir! Close it! Now!"

I snapped out of my stupid numbness and slammed the door shut.

"He'll snap through that in an instant!" Robin shouted. "Move it!"

"No wait!" Cyborg waved his good hand. "This is a gas laboratory! There should be titanium seals to that door!"

"And they're automatically controlled! The power's out, remember?"

"There should be a manual override!"

I looked all over the doorframe. I looked to the left. I saw a metal plate with a little door. "!" I punched my black prosthetic into it. CRACK! I smashed it open and found a lever. I gritted my teeth and gripped it with my strong, synthetic arm.

CLNNG! I pulled at it strongly.

THWKKK! The door dinted in once.

I gasped and pumped the lever again. CLNNGG! The seals started to squeeze…

THWKKKKK! The door cracked down the middle. Red vapor hissed through. "HCKKKKK-CLIK-CLIK-CLIKK!" The glinting red sheen of a sword directly on the other side….

Swoosh! Robin slid across the cold metal floor and joined me, grabbing the lever with both hands and pulling as I pulled with my prosthetic one last time.

CLNGGG-CLANG! The seals closed. The door was tightened, turning the crack into a hairline fracture.

Thonk! Th-Thonk! Slade rammed and rammed at the door from the other side, but to no avail.

Robin and I both shuddered. Too cold to sweat. To exhausted to shiver. "That'll hold him….for—what—a minute and a half?"

Thonk! Thonk!

I shuddered.

I wonder, Ana……

Was TRUE Red ever this powerful?

I heard a shriek from the other side of the room. A shriek that only I could hear….because it had no sound save for a sharp, shuddering breath. It was the trademark attempt of a young mute soul trying to scream. I knew it.

I spun around, heart racing.

'Joey?'

I saw the little blonde tripped onto his rear. His foot had caught on one of the shrouds of the place, tripping him. But when he tried to get up, he pulled at the sheet…unveiling the table. And what he saw forced his green eyes wide and made him crab-walk fearfully into Cyborg's precarious ankles.

"What is it?" Robin asked. He looked. His eyemask widened for a moment, then thinned as he hissed: "Ah jeez…."

I crept forward and saw one of many exposed bodies. Dead bodies. Half-decayed and hiding under the shroud.

"………."

I turned to another table.

I lifted the shroud over it part way.

And instead of laboratory equipment, more dead bodies resided.

I frowned.

"Guess we know now what Triangular did with the real workers of Gotham Labs…," Cyborg muttered. He looked at the Boy Wonder who stood by the sealed doors. "Robin…exactly who is the Big Bad Guy of all this?"

Thonk! Th-Thonk!

Robin gazed forlornly at the red-strewn door. He exhaled: "I don't know anymore, Vic…."

"…………"

Robin gulped and marched forward. "Come on. Let's jump this ship…."

"You and me both, pal…"

By that time, Jericho was standing up. The fear had left, and in its place a certain numbness took over as he gently regarded the dead bodies on the table nearest to them…and gently, reverently covered them back up with the shroud.

There was a hand on his shoulder.

He looked up.

I gave him a half-hearted smile. Vapor escaped from my nostrils as I mouthed: 'Let us keep moving, Joey……'

"………..," he gazed back at the shrouds. A sigh escaped his lips. Something sad. Something defeated. He moved briskly along with me as we followed Robin and Cyborg through the door and into the next room….

T-T-T-T-T-T-

We were nearly blinded.

Blinded by the night.

The red sky of Gotham scared us at first. It made us think we had accidentally gone backwards into Red Aviary's jaws. But instead, we were staring out of a window that immediately faced a brick building with a balcony on the far side.

"That it?" Cyborg asked.

"That's it…..," Robin nodded. He marched over towards the window and planted a sonic disc against it.

Thonk!

Thonk!

I glanced back towards the laboratory room. The metaphysical red aura was increasing. The temperature dropping even further. I looked back Robin's way and mouthed: 'Hurry'.

"I got it….," Robin said as he keyed in a number on the digital pad of the disc. He dashed away from the window frame and flattened himself against the lounge wall. "Stand back!"

Cyborg hobbled into the corners.

I took Jericho by the shoulder and dragged us both to the side.

VrrrmmmmmmVROMMMMMM!

The sonic disc pulsed

The entire window pane shattered.

CRASSSSSSSSH!

Shards littered the streets below. It was a thin alleyway full of junk. The detritus of scientific experiments and urban garbage. Hardly sanitary and NOT the sort of cushion we heroes would have liked to jump into.

"We'll make it for the balcony…," Robin breathlessly said. "Noir! Jericho! You two first!"

I motioned to Jericho.

He looked up at me.

I took my shades off, pointed at him, and pointed into my eyes.

He nodded. He squinted.

I braced myself.

His emerald eyes pulsed.

CONTACT.

FLASH!

I winced, overcame the dizzy sensation, and shook it off.

I turned and faced the window.

Hang tight……

I ran, blurred, and jumped across the alley.

I gripped the balcony and climbed up onto it.

I glanced aside.

All right. There you go……

FL-FLASH!

Jericho appeared besides me as if teleporting out of a leap. He landed and stood back as I gazed across the alleyway and motioned along.

THONK! THKKK!

Red poured into the deathly laboratory/morgue. The door began to buckle in heavily. The seals bent and broke one by one.

Robin turned. "Cyborg. You next."

"Nuh uh, man! I don't think I can make the jump on my own! Besides…that creep wants you more than the rest of us I think—"

"In case you've forgotten, I'm still the Titans' Leader!" Robin frowned and shouted in an authoritative voice. "Now MOVE!"

"Nnnghh….," Cyborg frowned and approached the window. "How'm I supposed to make it with all my parts mangled up?"

I looked at my position. At the balcony. CHIIIING! I slid Myrkblade up, straddled the balcony's edge, and stuck my sword hard into the brick foundation of the structure. CRKKK! I gripped the handle and anchored myself to the stuck-sword. Taking a deep breath, I stretched a black hand out and motioned Cyborg along.

He sighed: "I hope you know what you're doing, dawg…."

I merely motioned him along further.

"Go, Cyborg."

"Alley-oop….," Cyborg flexed his scarred, charred legs…..and jumped.

I jabbed my hand out.

I grabbed his flailing left limb.

Cyborg's weight fell, he gasped and clawed at the buildingside with his partially melted feet.

THWOMP!

He dangled, half pressed against the balcony.

I hissed and tensed my face in pain as I felt myself being pulled apart between the hilt of Myrkblade and my new prosthetic's grip on Cyborg's hand…supporting at least three fourths of his weight.

"Take it easy, N-Noir!" Cyborg gasped. "D-Don't strain yourself!"

Too l-late……

"Hang on!" Robin shouted. He stood back, flexed his limbs, and ran out of the cold lounge. Jumping. Cape twirling. Th-Thwap! He landed on the balcony edge more gracefully than the rest of us. Immediately he bent over, wrapped a grappling hook cable around Cyborg's shoulder, and hoisted upwards with all his might. "Nnnnngh!"

I strained and pulled along with him.

The two of us slowly dragged the dangling Cyborg up the balcony face and onto level ground.

THONK! CRACKKKK!

Jericho gasped and pointed at the labs. Over our shoulders.

Robin squinted through his mask while hauling.

Cyborg turned his head and looked behind him.

Red flooded the death-filled laboratory and oozed into the lounge.

Cold air.

Vapors.

"HCKKKKK-Clik-Clik-CLIK!"

"Sh-Shit….anytime now would be nice, guys!"

"Noir…count of three. One…two…three….HEAVE!"

I put the Spectrum into it, tensing my muscles with billowing smurk and pulsing my joints so as to jerk Cyborg up and onto the platform. With Robin's help, we landed the android.

THWOMP!

Before any of us had a chance to pull Cyborg up to his feet….

And before Robin had a chance to yell us to dash into the office building…

"R-Robin…," Cyborg sat up and winced. "My right shoulder…detach it!"

"What?"

"You heard me!"

"But th-there's barely anything left of it—"

"Just trust me!"

Robin nodded. Hurriedly he knelt down and gripped the joints of Cyborg's metal limb.

The red billowed out and filled the lounge.

Jericho hopped nervously.

I bit my lip.

CLIK! Hissssss………

Cyborg's shattered upper limb was now free from his shoulder joint.

"Now wh-what?" Robin murmured.

"Turn the knob of the inner circuitry two twists to the right," Cyborg panted. He swallowed: "Th-Then press the red button!"

Snkkk……Snkkk. Clik!

"Done!"

Beep-Beep-Beep-Wriiiiii!

The whole chunk of titanium limb started pulsing all over.

I did a double-take.

Robin's eyemask widened as he nervously juggled the Cyborg-piece in his gloves. "Shit, Cyborg! Your arm's a bomb!"

"Yeah! I know!"

"What are yo—?"

"Toss it into the Labs! Quick!"

"Raaaugh!" Robin shouted for good measure.

THWOOOOOSH! The Boy Wonder tossed the twirling limb into the red interior across the alleyway.

And right as a black and red, crimson billowing swordsman limped ghostlike into view….

CL-CLINK!

"Getting down would be nice…," Cyborg murmured from the floor.

Robin, Jericho, and I dove down.

BLAMMMMMMMM!

Fire and hot blue plasma enveloped the air.

I felt my black eyes stabbed on all sides.

I winced.

I looked up—panting—and stared at the burning blue sight.

Is that it?

Is he cooked?

"Now's a good time for a head start, Robin…," Cyborg murmured.

"You're telling me…," Robin got up and hoisted the one-armed Cyborg to his feet. "Let's make like the wind!"

Jericho and I got up.

I rushed ahead and kicked the balcony doors open.

CL-CLAK!

I guided the way for the other three to move in, and we made our escape through the office building.

T-T-T-T-T-T-

We ran…sprinted…blurred down hallways of abandoned office space.

Cubicles and stacks of paper folders and other data entry disarray lined the interior around us.

After a good two minutes, we emerged on the other side of the two-story building where a window with a fire escape loomed above a street side.

Robin slid the window open and stuck his head out into the refreshing winter coolness.

He took a deep breath and pulled out the remote device. "Allright….this may be our ticket out of here…"

"I haven't seen one-eye chasing us any since we bolted through here," Cyborg uttered. He glanced my way. "Anyone else?"

I shook my head.

I don't sense a thing.

Was Deathstroke burned to oblivion?

Jericho hand-signed: 'Somebody needs to know about what happened in Gotham labs.'

"Oh, they'll know all right," Robin said, operating the device. "If random explosions in the middle of the Gotham night doesn't clue the GCPD in, I don't know what will…."

"Thanks to yours truly…," Cyborg smirked.

Jericho looked Robin's way. He blinked. He gestured: 'What are you doing?'

"You don't remember? I'm getting us a ride…," Robin managed a smile. He twisted a knob on the control once more and tapped a button.

VRMMMMMMM!

SCREEEECH!

And beneath us, the Batmobile screeched to an anxious stop. Its motor hummed and its driver's compartment door slid open at ready.

Cyborg's human eye opened wide. "Da-da-da-da-dat…that…th-that's what I th-think it is?"

"Don't drool right now, Cyborg," Robin glanced anxiously back down the hallway from which we came. "It might turn to ice before it has the chance to leave your chin."

"Man, what are we waiting for? Let's drive away….provided I get to do the driving…"

"Somebody will…I don't care….just go down already!"

"Right…come on, squirt…"

Jericho and Cyborg hurried down the fire escape, making good time.

I was about to follow them, when I lingered and realized Robin was still standing there. I gazed at him and hand-signed: 'Robin? What is it?'

"………..," the Boy Wonder was gazing more-or-less in the 'direction' of the burning Gotham Labs. He glanced back at me with his eyemask thin and said: "I wonder if I should face him, Noir…."

My jaw dropped.

"If I face him….maybe he won't go after the rest of us? Maybe more people like Barbara won't be hurt…"

I was almost in his face, gesturing like mad: 'No! No, Robin! You will die if you face him!'

"I'm not thinking of doing something suicidal. I'm wondering if I'm going about this all wrong. The more I let him chase me, the more people Deathstroke will rip through to get at me…"

'Fighting him is exactly what he wants. Do you not see that? He will rip you apart, Robin. And we will be helpless,' I frowned and pointed at myself. 'I will be helpless. Then Terra. Then every other sacred thing of the Balance of Morals in tow……'

"……………..," Robin sighed. Running a hand through his hair. "It's all just a waste…"

I slowly nodded.

Silence.

Cold.

Extra cold.

"………," I blinked. There was something about the vapors that left his lips and mine. Something…..tainted red.

My heart skipped…

Swoosh!

Cl-Cl-Clink!

Three brown spheres rolled to a stop beneath us.

Blinking.

Beep-Beep-Beep-Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

"Carbonite!" Robin shouted.

I gasped.

The Boy Wonder jerked aside and shoved me. "Noir! Jump!"

I suddenly found myself flailing about in mid-air and soaring desperately over the fire escape as—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A good half of the office building turned into a virtual inferno.

I fell. The world twirled blindingly around me. And….

SWOOOSH-CLANGGG! I slammed hard against the hood of the Batmobile and rolled off.

Jericho and Cyborg were already there. They gasped and looked up.

I winced and struggled to my knees. Bruised and aching all over. I took one look at the burning platform where my leader and I once were and wished I could scream.

TIM!

T-T-T-T-T-T-

Fire.

Crackling blazes.

Red and red and red and…

Billowing.

"………………………….."

Robin lay on the floor.

Limp.

Still.

"…………………………..nnngh…."

He stirred.

He sat up.

Wincing all over, he managed to get onto his feet and hobbled teeteringly.

"Nngh…N-Noir….Cyborg…..where….," he looked around. His eyemask widened at the flames eating up the shattered building's interior all around him. "The c-carbonite!" CRASH! A ceiling beam landed to his side. "Augh!" he teetered sideways, panting. Coughing from the smoke. "Gotta….g-get out….," he murmured. He stumbled blindly through the soot and flame. "Nnngh….I….I…."

"HCkkkkkk……Clik-Clik-Clik-Clik-Clik……"

Robin froze.

"……………"

The sound wheezed and echoed from all round him.

"Snkkktt……clik-clik-clik……"

Robin took a deep breath.

He stealthily stretched his hand aside.

Snkkkt!

His bo-staff extended.

His eyemask narrowed as he frowned.

"Slade….."

"SSSSSlade…….Sladddde is dead…hckkk…..Robin……,"the voice hoarsely tripped across the room. "Or sssssshould I sssssay……Timmm……"

Robin gripped his staff in two hands and paced past the flames, slowly turning around in a mindful circle. "What do you want, Slade? To torture me? To make me suffer before my life is ended?"

"Hckkkkk-KKK-Clik-Clik…..YYYYYou, Tim…..I only wantttt you….."

"Yeah….you think I don't frickin' know that?" Robin huffed and puffed. "What's the game, Slade? What is it you want from me? What the God Damn Hell have you ever wanted from me?"

"Snkkkt……did she everrrr call you by your rrrreal name, Tim?"

Robin was breathless. He swallowed. He murmured: "Wh-Who….?"

"Snnnnkkkttt……you knnnnow who...…….."

"………………."

"Maybe it'ssss-snkkktkt—becausssssse sssshe neverrrrr wanted to-HCKKKK-admit how WEAK…snkktk….and how HUMAN….you arrrrre……"

"I was always more than human for the Titans…," Robin murmured. He winced…struggled….but finally managed to say: "….and now….now I regret that."

"HCKKK!" the voice shook the flaming interior. "Rrrregret? You REGRET—Snkkkttt—Your one…fleeting….STRENGTH, Rrrrobin? Hckkk-Clik-Clik-Clik!'

The voice sounded like it was circling closer and closer like a marble down a whirlpool. Robin huddled against a wall and gripped his staff, shaking. Glaring at all flickering ends of the blazing room. Waiting…..

"Snkkkkt-clik-clik-CLIK! I thinkkkkk I mighttt end you quickkkkly afterrrr all……there issss no FUN—snkkktt—in beatttting the skull in of a corpsssse!"

Robingrowled: "You're the only corpse here, shitface."

"Correction, Robin," the voice uttered with hideous clarity. Something akin to the coldly deranged maniac who beat a boy in an apprentice outfit senseless within the lonely, dark confines of a sewer lair. "I'm the only strong person here."

Robin looked up.

He gasped.

Deathstroke perched. A sword in one hand. A magnum in the other. His red eye flared and his cowl slits billowed red vapor as the unearthly gears and motors in his torn body clicked and turned and squealed in ravenous hunger.

"You failedddd at Life…..SnkkkKKT! Now….let me makkke you complete with DEATH!"

SWOOOOOSH! He pounced with a billowing pulse of red.

Robin gritted his teeth and raised his bo-staff to block up against him. "Nnnngh!"

And Red Aviary landed on Robin, his two-edged sword slicing billowingly crimson towards the Boy Wonder's forehead.

SLAAAAAASSSSSSSSH!