These Black Eyes

by P0ST

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

237. A Hard Act to Follow part 22 final

237. A Hard Act to Follow part 22 Final

December 1, 2004.

Gotham City.

3:57 pm

Streets.

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

"I'm typing as fast as I can, Noir! This is some real high-tech stuff here, but it's operating system is new to me!" Cyborg murmured as he hurriedly typed and twisted away at the controls to the Batmobile's onboard computer. "If I had a little more of my working parts in order, I might be able to plug myself in and get some interface going so that I could run a legitimate scan…"

I panted, staring up at the billowing flames of the two-story building that stabbed my black eyes. I gulped and nervously glanced back at the open Batmobile where a haggard Cyborg and a shivering Jericho sat.

I hand-signed: 'Whatever you can do, do it quick!'

"I'm trying!" Cyborg growled. "This stuff is almost too high-tech for me to handle!"

Just then, Jericho gently shoved Cyborg back in the driver's seat.

Cyborg scrunched, his human eye darting. "H-Huh?"

Jericho leaned over him. He tongued his own cheek while typing smoothly with expert, hacker-hands across the interface of the Batmobile's computer. A few consoles swiftly came to life, followed by a radar-like diagram that flickered to wakefulness in the center of the array. Green strobes highlighted the hot, burning mass looming before us…and a scattering of chaos beyond.

"Nice fingers, squirt," Cyborg patted Jericho's shoulder with one good hand. "But I get the feeling this thing isn't gonna do us much good."

I leaned in, all but shoving Jericho out of the way: 'What do you mean that it will not do us good?'

Cyborg bit hi lip. "Erm….that place is a collapsed building, Noir. The sonar can't tell what's burning debris from burning bodies….heaven forbid."

I clenched my black and flesh fists. I snarled mutely and twirled to face the burning spire.

The Hell with scans……

CHIIIIING!

Jericho gasped.

Cyborg vainly reached a hand outward: "Noir! Don't—"

SWOOOOOSH!

I murked up the buildingside. Once I reached the calamitous second floor of the burning building, I struggled in searching along the ledges and balcony pieces and fire escapes for an entrance of sort that would take me inside. But all I met was flickering fire that bubbled out to devour me. I panted, rubbed my brow of sweat, and kept…kept……kept….

Searching.

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

"RAAAUGHCCKKK!"

SLASSSSH!

Red Aviary's red sword burned through the room.

Robin gasped and swung his body back at an inhuman angle.

The two-edged blade ate at the air and nearly clipped off the Boy Wonder's nose.

Robin gasped, shot his staff out, caught it in between Slade's ankles, and used the 'grip' to yank himself back up and slam an elbow into the reaper's face.

THWACK!

Deathstroke's head jerked aside. "………" It slowly turned back, glaring at Robin. The single eyeslight pulsing RED

Robin's jaw dropped.

THUD! Red Aviary headbutted him.

"Nnngh!" Robin stumbled back.

Slade spun with a kick aimed high.

WH-WHAP!

Robin stumbled backwards across the burning domain.

Deathstroke whipped out a magnum from his side.

Robin steadied himself and raised his staff at the last second.

Red Aviary spun the magnum, half-crouched, aimed, and fired. BLAM!

The bullet sang down at Robin's upper thigh.

The Boy Wonder tilted one end of his staff down and blocked the magnum round with the metal tip.

CLANG!

The bullet slammed into the ground.

The heavy impact of the caliber to the Boy Wonder's bludgeon forced the bo-staff to jerk in Robin's grasp. The Titan leader gasped and reeled forward.

Slade had his blade ready in a red-murking downswing.

SWISSSSSH!

Robin held his breath, rolled forward completely, and barely twirled out of the way of the plummeting blade to the ground.

CRKKKK! Tile flew with the splash of red Destruction.

Slade momentarily had all his weight on his blade.

Robin leapt up, spun, and swung his staff towards the back of Slade's cranium.

The man blocked with the base of his sword brought back around behind his shoulders.

CL-CLANK!

Sparks flew.

Slade then spun around, growling and swinging the length of his two-edged blade at full force. "Hrrrghhkkkkt!"

SWIIIIIIIIISSSSSSH!

Robin ducked, losing a few strands of black hair from the fiery weapon.

Deathstroke followed his heavy swing with a wrist aimed at the base of Robin's feet.

FW-FWOOSH! A pulse of red murk pulsed out of his palm and exploded beneath the two, directing its outer intensity at Robin and tossing the Boy Wonder back across the burning building's interior.

SWOOOOOOOSH! THRACK! Robin landed hard through a smoldering table that had already nearly melted through.

Soon he was lying down, his aching head planted against the floor, ear-first.

There was a heavy stomping sound. Robin jerked and looked up just in time to see Slade coming at him with his sword on the cutting path.

SLLLLLNKKKKKKT! The tile divided and swam an upside down shark trail straight for the Titan leader's head.

Robin swiftly dashed a hand to his utility belt, produced a grappling hook, and fired at somewhere---anywhere—across the room. POW! CLANK!

Stomp-Stomp-Stomp-Stomp!

Slade came onto him.

Robin slammed his gloved finger over the trigger device of the grappling hook.

He retracted, and the cord fiercely dragged him out of the way of the Reaper's Red blade. Robin zig-zagged his way around burning chairs and under a smoldering table or two. When he could finally get up to his feet, he did so in a bounding reverse jump that ended in a twirling raised staff just in time—

SWOOOOSH! CRACK! Slade's two-edged sword forced down on Robin's bo-staff.

Robin fought and struggled to push up against the tall and furious Deathstroke's pressure.

A coldness overcame Robin that eased the heated suffering of the room, but at the same time drew him into some cold merciless place far away from the crumbling walls of inferno surrounding them.

Cold vapor in red aura. Heat waves in the amber air.

Something inside of Robin twitched first, and before Slade could pull forth a secret counter move that would successfully have pinned the Boy Wonder to the wall by his guts, Robin swiftly kicked the ankles of Slade, forced him into a vicious split, and simply shoved the length of his bo-staff up, clipping the cowled jaw of Red Aviary. THW-WHAP!

Deathstroke barely stumbled back from the blast, but it was that very same half-stumble which Robin was secretly praying for from the get go. "Nnnngh!" he shouted and spun an entire three-sixty with his staff slamming into Red Aviary's side and adding a good, double-impact to the reaper's skull for measure. TH-THUD!

Deathstroke teetered backwards.

Robin shouted and jabbed his staff forward. "Raugh!"

THUD! The Boy Wonder pressed the end of his bo-staff squarely into the small of Slade's throat and forced the wheezing assassin into a standalone position, pinned against a wall.

As Red Aviary twitched and jolted in his imprisoned state, Robin reached into his own utility belt and managed to produce a birdarang of glistening sharpness. "Pfft…you're not Dearth Incarnate…," Robin frowned. "You're just dying."

Deathstroke hissed and wheezed. Red vapors wafted out of his cowl's slits and he hissed: "Cllllkk….hick-clik-clik-CLICK! Yessss…..have the grrrrand tourrr." He reached a hand back behind him and somehow brought it back with his pump-action shotgun gripped. He twirled and the weapon it at once before planting the barrel of the shotgun firmly against the Boy Wonder's skull. "On the house……"

Robin stared down the barrel of Death's boomstick.

Slade fingered the trigger.

Robin immediately let go of Slade, cartwheeled backward, and used his backflipping feet to soar straight up and knock the shotgun out of Slade's hand.

CL-CLAK!

The weapon twirled in the air and came down just as Robin came down.

BLAM!

The random spray of lead shot flew across the room and sailed into the bottom of a support beam. Weakened already by the flames, the ceiling started to collapse.

But Robin wasn't done. He flew plummeted in a suicidal, backwards dive. And in mid-air—practically horizontal—he flung the birdarang down past his feet so that it sailed beyond him, across the burning room, and stuck itself bloodily into Red Aviary's unearthly chest.

TH-THUNK!

Deathstroke absorbed the skewering. He lumbered back, all but falling down. He rested on his double-edged sword for support and barely grunted at the painful piercing stabbing its way into his sternum. He merely wheezed and exhaled more chaotic vapors of cold, seething red.

And then the support beam gave way. An avalanche of fiberglass, twisted metal, and burning ceiling fixtures oozed downward and filled the interior between Robin and Slade….blocking them from each other.

CRASSSSSSH!

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

Robin stood up….panting.

He sweated on his side of the room and found himself more trapped by the fallen, burning ashes than ever before.

He coughed and wheezed before ducking below the smoke and nervously hobbling his way across the room.

Looking for an exit.

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

On Slade's side, Deathstroke stood in place.

Quivering.

Bleeding from the Birdarang embedded in his chest.

"Hckkkk-clik…clik…clik…cl-clik…"

He reached a metal-and-flesh hand up, cascaded with red smoke.

He gripped the birdarang's outer wing.

He clutched it tightly.

He leaned his cowled head back.

The two velvety tails of red behind his mask danced and twirled in the firelight.

"Rrrrghhhhh!"

He slowly…agonizingly pulled the sharp birdarang out of his bleeding wound.

"RAAAAAAAAUGHKKKKK-SNKKKKTTT!"

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

Robin could hear Slade.

Across from him.

Just on the other side of the collapsed, bruning debris.

Robin shuddered.

He crept along, his bo-staff at ready.

Testing the weaknesses of the walls.

Trying to find a place to burst through and…

Run free from Death.

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

Deathstroke shuddered.

He absorbed the pain.

He drank it in from the inside out.

He dropped the birdarang to the floor.

Cl-Clang!

SWOOOSH! CRCKKKK! The sword flew down and shattered the birdarang instantly.

"HSsskkkkk…clik…clik…clik-clik-CLIKsnkkt!"

Red Aviary heaved. Spilling red smoke in the air everywhere. He icily tilted his head up, red eye flashing. Strobing. He glared through the wall of debris towards where Robin had to have been….

"You and I arrre-hckk—such identically nasssssty miraclessss, Robin…..hckk-clik-clik-clik!"

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

Robin shuddered.

Head tilted to the side.

Ear pricked as he walked along his side of the burning debris wall.

"…snkkkt—clkkk! Both you andddd I don'tttt know how to sssstay deaddd….clik-clik-HCKKK!"

Robin gritted his teeth. "We're not alike Slade! Not in the least!"

"Kckkk….ohhh…..but that was tttttrue once….was it nottttt?"

"………….," Robin frowned. Shaking. Gripping his staff tightly.

"Ssssso hardcorrrre….snkkkt! So vengefullllll. Jusssstice was jussssttt a carddd-HCCKK—for you, Robinnnn…"

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

Slade paced slowly across the fiery interior.

His every footstep oozily 'splashed' up sprays of red vapors.

The fire backdrafting over the ceiling above him parted as if from a CO2 blast with each forward movement the Reaper made, strafing alongside the burning debris wall.

"You ssssshould neverrrrr have denied your ttttrue self, Robin….Hckkk-clik-clik-clik! Alwaysss taking it ssssso hardddd on the enemyyyyy. HCkkk-Snkkkt! Ssssso bent on doing what you feltttt like…..that you even took it out on yourrrrrrr worthless-SNCKKT—PATHETICKKKK FRIENDSSsknnktTTT! Hckk! I know….I knnnow the wrrrrath that ressssides within you. And whatttt a pity that you did not wake up frrrrom oblivion to discover it—SNKKKT!—likkke I DID!"

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

Robin growled.

"I was reborn only because there are people in this world who saw your half-ass return and thought it best to save me from the murder list! I'm not some wrathful demigod arisen from the ashes. I'm a human being, Slade. I live life now to live life. Not extinguish it! You're just a damned murderer! You've always have been! With or without the god damn smoke and mirrors!"

"Hckkkk-Snkkt! SSSSsssuch passsssssion, Robinnn..hckkkt! You practically GLOW with it! Your friend Noir gave me-clik-clik-clik-such an impressssive window into the worlddddd of his Spectrum. And I cannnnn senssssse the destruction within you…..the need….the need to BLEED!"

"You know nothing about me…," Robin shuddered. Perhaps from the smoke. Perhaps from the cold.

Perhaps from the truth.

"Hckkkt!….Is that so?"

"Get out of my life, Slade…," Robin shook. "Leave me alone…once and for all!"

"Snkkct—clik-clik-cl-clikkkt……Tell me, Tim…..did you crrrry when you found out that Two-Facccce killed your fatherrr?"

Robin winced. He gripped his bo-staff tightly for a moment, then pressed on.

"Shut up, Slade…."

"I bet you crrrried for only half an hourrrr….Because all yourrrr life you've been ccccrying insssstead for yourrrr mother. Do you sssssincerely still believe that yourrrrr mother—snkkkt—DIED when you were young?"

"I said…..Shut. Up."

"How long will itttt be till you trrrruly grow up, Tim? What doessss it take to rrrrrealize that your motherrrr left you?"

"SHUT UP!" Tim slammed the wall in random places with his bo-staff. CLAK! CRACK! THWACK! He didn't break the surface, but merely made the ceiling rain down ashes. He coughed from the fumes…and something else. He leaned forward on his staff and sweated. His eyemask was thin. His whole face contorted in a thick…thick pain….

"Thatttt sssshe couldn'ttt stand such a deadbeattt-snkkkt!—of a husband?"

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

Deathstroke's glowing eye squinted and practically pulsed forth a laser sight through the crimson vapors as he walked over to the wall and fingered it like an artist examining the coats of paint on a canvass.

"Clkksnkttt…..And….Oh…What…A…Worthlesssss….RAGGGGEDY……SON!.!.!.!.!" He hissed and jerked his head from side to side. "So sssssmall…..so frrrrail…..even frrrom birrrrth. He would neverrrr have the chanccce to prrrrrotect his motherrrrr in the sssslums where he grewww up. Snkkktt—Ckkk! So what would be the pointttt? It was so easssssy for her to jusssst strangle him in the crrrrib….but inssstead she leftttt. She left him to live on hissss own. That isn't a life, Tim. That-snnkkktt—is a decaddde and a half of exquisite torrrrrture…."

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

Robin was panting.

Kneeling.

Resting his head against his staff.

His blue eyes were clenched shut beneath his eyemask.

And as his face tensed and the heat vapors rose hellishly around him.

Moisture started to line the edges of his disguise….

And from the other side of the burning wreckage:

"You arrrrre a beinggg of hatttte, Robin. The only ssssstep you've everrrr had to becoming ME….hassss been to embraccce the ESSENCE of hate. HCkkk-Clik-Clik-Clik! But insttttead….you've trrrried to equalize it…with notionssss of JUSTICE….and GOOD….and PURITTTTY! It was neverrrrr a noble hearrrt that made you so synthetically 'strrrrong', Tim. It wassss a pacifying billionaire with a dissociativvvve complexxx…."

Robin looked up.

Seething.

Frowning.

With each further word that echoed through the divide, his breath grew shorter. More ragged. More heated.

And his muscles tensed on the breaking point in cadence with a clenched jaw….

"….no wonderrrrr you've collapssssed so much! Hagan neverrrrr stole anything frrrrrom you but a wet drrrrream…."

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

"Whatttt wassss her name? Hcckk-Clik-Clik-Clik!"

Slade jerked.

Slade twitched.

Slade said….

"'Annie'? Hckkk—SNKKKT! A name that you made yourrrrself. It tookkkk you so much-HCKK—and so little to realize that life is trrrrrivial before—HCKKK—the willssss of Death! When that mud girrrrrl disappeared on you….did you lose ttttouch with your motherrrr again, Tim? HCkkkkk!"

Slade stomped towards the burning wall.

He leaned towards it.

Pulsing red all over.

He hissed…

"Snkkkt—Clik-Clik-Clik-Clik! Yourrrr mother hasssss 'died' to you everrrry day of the Boy Wonderrrr's life. Hassssn't she? Ssshe died when Annie did. And she died…..snkkkt—CLIK-CLIK-CLKKK! She died again when you mettt Starfirrrrre….didn'ttttt she?"

Silence….

Cold.

Absolute.

"'No'?" Deathstroke's head turned to the side. "HCkkkktt! Well, Tim…..I asssssure you…..your Mother will 'catch up' with Starfirrrre soon enough. HCkkk-Clik-Clik-Clik-Snkkkt! I…..snkkt….I will see….to……..it……."

Swooosh-Clamp!

Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-BEEEEEEEEEEP!

POWWWWW!

The debris wall exploded from the other side.

"HRSNKKKT!" Deathstroke stumbled back, gripping his sword.

Robin came charging through the burning hole in the debris. He held his bo-staff over his head. And he was screaming.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

THWOOSH-THWOOSH-THWOOSH-THWOOSH-SMACK! The bo-staff spun and slammed across Slade's neck, snapping two or three things in the process.

"HCKKKSnnnBLLLNKKT!"

"RAAAH!" Robin stomped forward and uppercutted Slade. "YAAAAUGH!" Followed by a rib-breaking whallop to the ribs. THWOOSH-THWOOSH-THWOOSH! And then a spinning blow to the legs. ""NNNGH!" THWACK! CRKKKK!

Deathstroke stumbled back, spitting up blood and red vapors. He was a wet, soggy mess of curdling death.

Robin seethed. Robin howled. Robin ran and performed a flying thunder-kick into the square of Deathstroke's pierced sternum.

SWOOOOOOSH-WHAM!

Slade flew back and collapsed into a billowing pile of flames. FWOOOOMB!

Robin came down from his drop. SNKKKT! He produced an explosive birdarang in either glove. Teeth clenched and furiously exposed.

Writhing and smoking, Deathstroke stood up in the center of the flames.

"GET…OUT….OF….MY………...LIFE!" Robin screamed and flung the birdarangs with all his might. "HAAAAAUGH!"

The birdarangs flew through the air. SW-SW-SW-SW-SW-SWISSSSH! They criss-crossed like kamikaze boomerangs. They were already beeping a good half a second before they finally twirled their last air lengths into the midst of Slade's burning shadow. TH-THUNK!

KAAAABLAAAAAM!

Robin shielded his masked face from the outward wave of dust, ash, and fire billowing from the impact.

FWOOOOOOOOSH! A backblast of fire and plasma ate across the room, hugging the already smoldering ceiling.

Robin panted…panted…..panted……panted……panted…..

He swallowed.

Panted…..panted…..panted…..panted….

He gulped.

He stood up….sweating….numb….pale….

His breaths—still intense—were becoming more and more drawn out. He was wheezing then. Struggling to stand up. On the verge of collapse. He kept his eyemask trained on the spot where Slade exploded. He rested his gloved hand against his forehead, totally sapped out. He shuddered. His lips murmured.

"I-I am not a reaper….."

Crackling noises.

Shimmering walls and ceiling pieces….

"I am n-not a c-crook….."

Scattering ashes.

Dancing embers.

Robin's face scrunched up and the voice came out of him like half a whine. "I-I've only t-tried to be good, Starfire….that's the only s-s-super thing I ever did…." He shuddered. He dropped his hand and gazed at the smoldering mess before him. Wet trails were squeezing out of his eyemask and down his cheeks. His lips quivered. "….that's the only thing I….ever meant to do…..and it was enough for you. And it w-was enough for the Titans. But it was n-never enough for me…."

He gulped. Hiccuped. And clenched his fists.

A hiss escaped him.

"I wasn't good enough! I wasn't strong enough! I had to prove it and now…..," he took a deep breath. He shut his blue eyes under his mask. He shook. He mumbled: "……now it's proven. I can be more than the torture I already am. I can be a pain to you, Starfire. I died on you when I promised you I wouldn't. I let the team down when I promised I wouldn't…."

Silence…….

His optics reopened.

A frown crossed his face. "I was just like Slade. But not anymore. Not if I can help it…….I'm so sorry for everything, Starfire. Everything…but one."

He took two steps forward and spat into the fire.

Seething…

"Burn in Hell, Slade!"

"……………………………I intenddd to…."

Robin gasped. "!"

Rrrrrumble! The fiery debris before him shifted.

Robin's eyemask went wide. He stepped back—

CRKKKK!The debris pile exploded. A fire-trailing, red murking body leapt out and slammed into Robin.

WH-WHAM!

Robin fell back and slid on his rear across the burning interior. He gasped and looked up…shivering.

Deathstroke loomed above him. His very insides were on fire. And yet, flesh merged unnaturally with turning and creaking gears inside the half-human corpse of a living thing. Slade was as alive as he was dead. The fire merely melted the rustiness from his wet, red muscle. His black and red outfit was singed here and there and the bottom tips of his cowl's tails spewed ashes. But his posture was the same. His jerking movements were the same. And his one eye glistened and strobed red, unphased.

"HcckkKKKCLIK-CLIk-CLIK-CLIK-SNKKKKTkkkkttt!"

"N-No! Sl-Slade…," Robin scrunched backwards. Panting. "But I—"

"Killed me? Yessss….." SWOOOOSH!GRIP! Deathstroke clutched the Boy Wonder by the neck and leaned his vapor-spewing face into his. "Keep doingggg it, Robin. It excitesssss me…..HRAAAUCHKTT!" And he spun and flung Robin up across the room.

"Yaaaugh!" Robin flailed and slammed sideways into a support pillar, crunching it. CRKKK! He slumped to the ground amidst a blizzard of ashes and embers.

"RAAAAAUCHKKTT!" Deathstroke leapt up high and came down with a red-murking drop kick.

Robin panted and spun to the side.

SLAM!

The impact shook Robin and made the Boy Wonder stumble….

"HCRKKKT!" Slade jumped up with a literally burning uppercut.

FWPOW!

Robin stumbled back.

Red Aviary laid into him with a roundhouse punch, a kick to the abdomen, and yet another uppercut to the Titan Leader's cranium.

WHAM! TH-THWAP! CRACK!

Robin fell back, sputtered, and curled up on the ground. Gasping bloodily for air.

"Hckkkt-clik-clik….you'rrrre running out of steam….BOY…."

Robin winced in pain as he reached for a birdarang to toss at the fiend—

SWOOOSH!

Deastroke blurred over and slammed his foot into Robin's ribcage.

THUD!

"Nnngh!" Robin shook.

"Alwayssss—snkkt!-SO PASSIONATTTE!" Slade grabbed Robin by the leg, spun him, and tossed him across the burning room.

Robin slammed through a burning desk, collapsed through a chair, and ragdolled up against an ash-laden piece of collapsed ceiling. He spat blood and wheezed amidst the smoke and gore.

"Hckk-Clik-CLIK!" Slade marched towards him. Picking up his redsword icily from the ground. CHIIIIING! "The only time you ever….EVER……….…SHOWED…" He raised his foot and pressed it into Robin's gut. THAP! "A SINGLE OUNCE….hckkkKKK-OF STRENGTH!" CHIIIIIING! Deathstroke planted the tip of his two edge-sword against Robin's heart. "Was when you WERE…..MY…….APPRENTICCCCE!"

Robin shudderingly looked up at Red Aviary. His breath deathly. His eyemask thin.

"I was never yours, Slade…..n-not in mind…..n-not in thought…..a-a-and sure as Hell not….i-in the heart…."

"Until now, boyyy….," Deathstroke hissed. He gripped tighter to the hilt of his sword and prepared to thrust. "….for now….you shall have the pleasssure—Snkkktickkk…..of being….my prrreyyyy…."

Robin let out a last breath.

Deathstroke's metal and flesh forearms tensed—

SMASH!

The ceiling above exploded.

Robin looked up.

So did Deathstroke, billowing red. "HCKKKKT?"

FWOOOOSH! Snarling, I murked with Myrkblade in a heavy down-stroke.

SLASSSSSH-THWACK!

Deathstroke flew back from Robin and tumbled against a clump of burning furniture.

Robin murmured: "N-Noir…"

Pl-Plant! CHIIIIING! I stood before Robin.

"Nnkkkt-Ckkkk!" Deathstroke fought to stand upright again. "The deliverer of hatred returnssss…."

I glared at him.

That's the 'Equalizer', you ruby-assed son of a bitch.

Robin reached a shaking hand up to me. "Jordan….n-no….we need to get out of h-here…."

FWOOOOSH! I blurred at Deathstroke, Swinging Myrkblade.

A mute scream.

SLASSSSH-THWACK!

Again, he wheeled from the blow.

I raised Myrkblade up to swing again.

He snarled and slashed his sword straight at me in a red-clouded spike.

FL-FLASH! I teleported.

FLASH! I solidified behind him.

I spun and slapped Myrkblade against the back of his skull.

WHACK!

He stumbled forward.

I knelt and jabbed at his legs.

He blocked low in reverse and twirled with a snarl and his two-edged sword singing at my head.

I backflipped, hopped above the swing of the blade, twirled in the air, planted my feet against a mound of rubble, pulsed murk, and propelled myself at him like a horizontal missile.

I gritted my teeth and repetitively slashed, hacked, and jabbed at him with as much rapid-fire agility as my Balance's Blackness could afford me.

SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SLASH-SL-SL-SL-SL-SLASSSSH!

CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CLANG! He deflected. He shot forward with his elbow ramming me.

WHAM!

I jolted back.

He snarled and flung his arms to the floor. A concussion wave of red smoke icily exploded around him. The entire room shook and quivered. More support beams and chunks of ceiling gave away. Ashes and debris fell.

"HRAAAAAUCHKKKKKKTTT!"

CRUMMMMMBLEEEE!

I pulsed a shield of black around me, weathering the red. Teeth gritting. My black eyes twitching under my shades.

His one red eye pulsed and glared at me.

Robin panted and dove across the interior as more and more beams and pieces of debris fell over him. "Noir! We need to run! He's too much for us both!"

I ignored him..

I meditated. I pierced Deathstroke's Red waves with my Black solidarity.

This isn't Red, Ana.

This may be Slade.

This may be Red Aviary.

But he isn't……RED.

He is a punk.

You and I have dealt with punks……

"RAAAAAACHKKKKTTTTT!" he charged forward with a splash of red extended from his clicking wrist.

POW!

I summoned extra murk and merely slid back from the blow.

A flash of red momentarily blinded me.

I convulsed.

I blinked and saw a glinting slash of red metal careening at my skull.

"Noir! Look out!"

I breathed a scream and shot my black arm out.

SLNNKKKTTT!I palmed the length of the red blade. The billowing metal ripped and tore and ate its way down the center of my prosthetic's palm. If it were a flesh hand, it'd reach the bone by now. Hell, it would eat THROUGH the bone and snap my arm in half with the Power of Destruction.

ZZZZZT!

My black prosthetic sparked all over from the lacerating punishment.

But with back-up smoke warping up the limb, I braved the punishment, ignored the chilling snapping of synapses and electrical-to-neurological resquencings in my body and gripped my black fingers icily around the tip of his sword.

GRIP!

Deathstroke was caught in my grasp.

"……..," my black eyes widened. A sudden, momentary FLASH of white and—

CHIIIIIIIIING!

SWOOOOSH-SLIIIIIIIIINK!

I raised Myrkblade and stabbed a good half of its length straight through Red Aviary's chest.

"HRSKKKKKTTT-TTTT-TTTKKTT!"

Nnnnngh!

I lurched forward.

He lurched forward.

Smoking shades besides a red-breathing mouth.

But his voice and body was seemingly unaffected by my skewering him as I heard him hiss:

"Hcrkkkkttt!…..Brrrringssss back memoriesssss….doesssssn't it, 'apprenticccce'….."

I thought of Joey.

Then of Ana.

Then of someone else in between.

No.

Not him.

The Titans……

Always……for the Titans.

You were right, Kara.

SLASSSSSH!

I pulsed smoke intensely through Myrkblade while he was still skewered with it.

The result…Red Aviary shot off my blade like a missile and collapsed like a corpse into the pile of burning embers in the corner of the desolated interior.

CRKKK!

"Hraaughht..snkkt!"

I took a deep, fuming breath.

Zzzzt! My black arm sparked.

SW-SW-SW-SWOOSH! My right arm twirled Myrkblade.

FWOOOOSH! I shot both arms down in a glaring stance….a carpet of murk cascading around me as I glared at Slade's battered body.

……………………………burn.

Red Aviary stirred. Hissing…growling….both, he struggled to get up.

Suddenly, three explosive birdarangs—

SW-SW-SW-SW-SW-SW-SW-SWISH! CLANK!

Slade was pinned to the rubble. He took one look at the explosives all over them and shook with all the more red-smoking fury.

"Noir!"

I looked over my shadow.

A batter Robin stood on his feet, a grappling hook in hand. He aimed for the whole in the burning building's rooftop. "We're leaving!"

Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep!

I clenched my flesh and black fists. I glared at Red Aviary, seething.

"NOW! That's an order!" POW! SWOOOOSH-CLANK! Robin soared up.

I took a shuddering breath.

Just as Red Aviary started—struggling—to pop the explosive projectiles out from around his person one by one….I turned around, sheathed Myrkblade—Chiiing!—and murked swiftly after Robin. I hopped from debris pile to debris pile and…

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

…..landed on the crumbling rooftop beneath the red Gotham Sky.

Robin motioned and ran towards the building edge. "Come, Noir! Hurry!"

I wasn't about to argue with that.

Together, the Boy Wonder and I ran to the edge of the building. We took a leap of faith, drifted across the street, and landed atop a building top built below us besides an L-Train track.

PHOOOOOMB!

The building behind us shattered, shook, and imploded in a ball of rising flame that consumed it. A plume of destruction rose up from the site right next to Gotham Labs' burning visage.

Robin and I finished tumbling across our new rooftop position across the way. We panted and stood up. Gazing across the street at the fiery scene.

I clenched my teeth. Jaw tight.

I know he survived that, Ana.

I know he survived……

"Th-Thank you, Noir….," Robin said. He gulped and looked at me. "Slade….he knows so much about me. He…..He almost consumed me in there. I-I thought for a moment that I was—" His words stopped. He squinted at my, head leaning to the side.

"……," I had my black prosthetic hand lifted up. From the tear in the palm where Deathstroke's two-edged sword had sliced into the synthetic skin, a plume of red flickered and danced.

We both stared at it.

But not so intently as I…..

The wind was soft.

The growing sounds of sirens fell numb in the distance.

A cold, wintry breeze struck my long locks of hair…but the red murk remained the same.

Ever dancing.

Ever alive.

In this Black Adept's grip……

"…………….."

I took a deep breath.

I flexed my black 'fingers'.

I concentrated…..

I made the red murk stretch and squish and dance and shrink.

What is it, Ana?

What is it about the side of the spectrum that you and I never touched?

The part that was attributed to him.

All the passion.

All the emotion.

Deathstroke's vendetta.

Dagger's greed.

Triangular's treachery and the villainous underground's bloodletting.

November Fourth, Las Vegas, Metropolis, Gotham City.

So much death and suffering.

So much worry and chaos.

All because of this tiny red flame.

This embodiment of destruction…………

Why, Ana?

Why is it obsessed over so?

Whatever happened to homo sapiens to………

To make us forget the White?

"Is it…..Is it alive, Noir?" Robin quietly asked. He too was mesmerized by the piece of Red Aviary in my grasp. "Does it breathe and bleed?"

"……..," I gazed sideways at him. I mouthed: 'Do you?'

"……….."

I looked back at it.

I thinned my black eyes.

I concentrated.

My fingers curled.

An outline of thick black trails traced the dancing edges of the red.

The obsidian compressed on it.

Equalized.

And—

FL-FLASH!

The red burst into white steam. Like a tornado, the ivory fumes twirled towards the sky, evaporated into the Gotham night, and was gone.

And all we could see—either of us—was the overwhelming bath of red across this oversized bird cage we rattled in.

Red Aviary………

It's already real.

Not just a nightmare.

"Noir…..," Robin murmured. "We have to get out of here."

"…….," I look at Robin.

"We have to get out of this Town…," Robin murmured. "We have to get away from Red Aviary." He looked at me. Weakly. Sincerely. "Deathstroke will stop at nothing to consume me…..and you. And as long as we're in my home turf…it's his home turf. We must draw him out. And we must get to the bottom of Triangular as well."

I slowly nodded.

Robin glanced at the burning building through the corner of his mask. His face grew tight. He glared at me. "We move….now!"

He ran.

I took a breath and blurred alongside him.

In mid-stride, Robin pulled out his communicator.

He shouted as we jumped onto another rooftop:

"Cyborg! Report!"

"Huh? Me report? Where the Hell were you, man! We were all worried to death!"

"I'm fine! F-For now! Where are you?"

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

VRMMMMMM!

Cyborg drove the speeding Batmobile through the night streets of Gotham. Jericho was scrunched in the passenger seat beside him.

Cyborg spoke: "On any other occasion, this would be the most orgasmically wonderful experience in my life. But seeing that my friends are constantly being chomped at by some red-farting yahoo, I'm only half drooling at the moment."

"What?"

Cyborg simpered. "I'm driving the Batmobile, Robin. It would be nice to know where you are, that way we can rendezvous and—"

"Good! Cuz we're getting out of this City as quickly as possible!"

"I thought as much….," Cyborg's metal and flesh brow furrowed. "We ARE….going back to the Tower to kick that muddy freeloader out and reunite with the Titans, right?"

"One thing at a time. Can you meet us by the L?"

"The L?"

"The Gotham City Elevated Locomotive Transit!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

"What's so damn funny?"

"Nothing, Robin. Good to be working with you again is all….," Cyborg smirked.

"Press the yellow button to the top left of the dashboard monitor display. It will initiate the tracking device in my utility belt. Follow that till I stop. Noir and I will hop down and we'll get the Hell out of Dresden!"

"Dodge."

"What?"

"Ahem…," Cyborg glanced aside at the little blonde. He simpered: "You'd better press the button Robin talked about, dawg. It's hard enough as it is driving one handed…."

Jericho nodded. He reached over and tapped the console.

"And for Allah's sake!" Cyborg cackled. "Put your seatbelt on! I know you're used to riding the bodies of people, but a car's a little more suicidal!"

Jericho winced, nodded with a nervous smile, and did as Cyborg said.

"Yeah…after all we're DRIVING IN THE BATMOBILE! WOOOOO-HOOO! BOO-YA!" Cyborg all but exploded. He smiled and swung the steering wheel euphorically, in spite of his many mechanical injuries. "Wait till I tell B.B. and the rest about this!"

VRMMMMMMM!

Jericho shivered. He reached a little hand up and subconsciously held tightly to the Jesus bar….

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

"We're almost there, Robin! Just stay in one piece till we rendezvous!"

Robin panted and nodded in mid-run. "Righto!" He glanced right as we hopped a street and landed on another rooftop. "Cyborg!"

"Yeah, Robbie?"

"The Metropolitan Highway starts here in Gotham! Take it South! It'll run parallel to the L-Train track! We'll jump onto the train and then leap onto the highway bridge! You can pick us up there—"

"—and then we'll have a clear ticket home! Good idea. We're on it. Hang on, Joey!"

Robin and I could hear a throttling noise in the distance. The Batmobile and its illustrious android pilot were drawing closer.

I took a deep breath, smoke trailing from my shaded eyes and torso as Robin and I leapt from building top to building top, approaching our destination. I glanced at Robin and smirked slightly.

"I hope whatever it is that the Messenger's hypothesizing about the vials leads us somewhere," Robin spoke as we ran. Almost breathless. "Once w-we're out on the road, we won't have much to run an analysis with. I want to catch up with Triangular and all…but getting Red Aviary off our tail is the first priority."

I nodded. 'The Titans', I nodded.

Robin swallowed. "If all we found out about Triangular is true….and Jericho's paranoia leads somewhere….then our City may still be in trouble after all."

I thought about that.

My mind straining.

But……how?

We have the vials.

Both the ones in the vault……

As well as the 'muddy' ones that the Messenger found at Gotham Labs.

Triangular has been stopped dead in this City……

Hasn't he?

I mean, if Dagger and Company had gone to our Town as he apparently planned, then Red Aviary would be there too, right? Or has the Parasite—for once—decided to stay behind to go after a bigger target than the manhandling of Triangular?

It doesn't make sense.

All I know is……

Everyone and everything is in trouble.

What's going on here?

"There!" Robin pointed, panting.

Our sprint slowed down.

We came to two four-story buildings connected by a walkway bridge stretching between them. We jumped onto the roof of the right structure and approached the gap between the two buildings. The bridge stretched over the compact L-Train track. Railroad tracks two-stories from the street floor passed between the two buildings and stretched up in the distance to run side-by-side with the Metropolitan Highway's north-bound lane. Up ahead on the tracks, there was a spot that we could easily jump from one platform to another. Crossing the highway lane would be a challenge—slight for Titans like us—and after that we would be home free.

"I suggest we beat Cyborg to the punch," Robin gulped and looked at me. Smiling. "What do you say?"

I smirked. I nodded, flexed my limbs, and prepared to drop down onto the tracks.

A rumbling sound--

Robin gasped and threw his arm out, keeping me on the rooftop. "Noir! Wait!"

I gasped.

SWISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!

A long, six-car, aluminum subway train soared beneath us on the L-Track…..where I would have been squished had I indeed jumped.

Holy crap, Ana………

I shuddered. I leaned back, gulped, and looked breathlessly at Robin. I simpered and gave him a shaking thumb's up. 'Thanks,' I mouthed.

He winked an eyemask at me. "We don't need two dead swordsmen in this City, pal…."

Heheheh……y-yeah……

"HCKKKKKKTT!"

………!

Robin and I gasped.

We spun.

"HRAAAACUHGHTTTTT!" Deathstroke dove down at us from a taller building in a red smoking trail of Destruction.

CHIIIIIING! I raised Myrkblade up to strike at him—

WHAM! He slammed his blurred shoulder into me.

I went ragdolling across the rooftop.

"HCkkkk-Clik-Clickkkkstt!" Slade's one eye strobed red under his cowl as he glared over at Robin. He raised his two-edged sword up like a javelin and flung it at the Boy Wonder.

THWOOOOOOSH!

Robin gasped and raised his bo-staff over his head to block at the last second—

CLACK!

Sparks and red vapor flew.

Robin and the two-edged sword flew off the platform and onto the top of the moving train below.

Deathstroke dove after them—

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

WH-WHUMP!

Robin landed roughly on his back. Wincing.

TH-TH-TH-THWISH!

The reaper's blade twirled and descended towards him.

Robin gasped and rolled sideways atop the speeding train.

CLANGGGG! The sword stuck into the aluminum roof, barely missing the Boy Wonder's skull.

Robin jumped back into a squat.

TH-THWAP! Deathstroke landed on red-billowing feet. "…………….," he glanced up. His red eye flickered. Vapors trailed out of his mouth piece as he slowly….icily stood up. Joints cracking. Smoldering costume parts and body parts stretching thin. He turned his masked face about, cracking and popping joints. His flesh and metal fingers flexed as he reached over and picked his sword up by the hilt. CHIIIIIING! TH-THWISH! THWOOOSH! He faced off against Robin atop the speeding train, posed to land a heavy, red blow.

Robin glared at him. His cape blew against his body as his back was to the front of the train. Cold wind and freezing air currents numbed him, but he didn't shiver one bit. He gripped tightly to his bo-staff and posed at ready.

A moment of Gotham-streaking ambiance…

Then Red Aviary spoke:

"Snkkt….you rely too much on yourrrr friends—clickkkkctt!—Robin…."

"At least I have some," the Boy Wonder spat back.

"HCkktkkk! Afterrrr tonight…..not forrrr long…HRAAAUCHKKT!" Deathstroke ran across the train top.

Robin posed at ready.

Red Aviary came down on him.

SWIIIISH! The sword sang down.

"Nnnghh!" Robin's staff thrusted up.

CL-CLANG!

They met in the center of the speeding aluminum with a splash of red and sparks.

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

In the meantime—back on the rooftop—I stood up.

Wincing.

I rubbed my neck with a black hand.

Blinking.

I'm……I'm still alive?

"………"

I craned my neck.

I heard the distant roar of the L-Train.

Robin………

I jumped up to my feet with a pulsing wave of murk.

I blurred over to the building's edge.

I looked over, panting.

The train was an incalculable distance away.

A commuter vehicle.

And on the middle of the six car rooftops—almost too far away for my black eyes to see—was the clash of red blade to bo-staff.

Shitness almighty!

I snarled.

Heaven help us if we get out of this damn City alive!

VRMMMM!

I took a breath.

I craned my ear.

The Batmobile……

I glanced westward towards the highway bridge. I glanced at the distant train. I made my decision.

CHIIIING!

I sheathed Myrkblade, turned, and blurred towards the bridge as fast as I could.

Running, I concentrated my metaphysical sprint in my blurring legs and shakily managed to click a morse code message to Cyborg in the Dark Knight's vehicle.

'--C-Y-B-O-R-G—R-O-B-I-N—A-N-D—S-L-A-D-E—A-R-E—B-A-T-T-L-I-N-G—O-N—T-H-E—S-O-U-T-H-B-O-U-N-D—L—T-R-A-I-N—'

T-T-T-T-T-

'—I—C-A-N-N-O-T—L-E-A-V-E—H-I-M—A-L-O-N-E—T-O—F-A-C-E—H-I-M—'

Jericho blinked. He looked over at Cyborg. He hand-signed: 'We should be really close to them now.'

Cyborg took a deep breath. Gripping the wheel with his one left hand, he spoke loudly onto the communicator: "What do you want us to do, Noir?"

'—P-R-O-C-E-E-D—T-O—T-H-E—H-I-G-H-W-A-Y—'

"And then what?"

'—I—W-I-L-L—M-E-E-T—Y-O-U—T-H-E-R-E—'

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

He gripped tighter to the wheel.

"Hang tight, squirt."

Jericho gulped.

SCREEEECH!

VRMMMM!

And the Batmobile burned its way up an onramp and onto the Highway's southbound lane.

Weaving in and around traffic.

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

"HCkkkkt—RAAAUGH!" Slade charged and uppercutted with his blade. SLASSSH!

Robin hopped back, teetering atop the speeding train. He gasped, regained balance, and twirled his bo-staff in time to meet Deathstroke's second swing.

CLANG!

Sparks fell from the contacting metal, littering and bouncing off the smooth aluminum roof of the train cars beneath them.

Robin struggled against Deathstroke.

Deathstroke pressed the weight his blade down against the Boy Wonder.

Shoving…Shoving…grating….

"Nnngh!" Robin pushed hard.

Slade stumbled one step back.

Robin lunged forward with a bo-staff end to Slade's chest.

WH-WHAP!

Deathstroke stumbled back.

Robin charged, swinging his bo-staff high.

"NRAAGHKKT!" Slade lifted his knee at the last second.

WHUMP!

Robin was caught in the abdomen. He wheezed and leaned over.

Slade spun around completely, his cowl's tales dancing in the rushing air. He twirled, hissed, and slashed his sword down in a curved arc straight towards the Boy Wonder's skull

SLASSSSSSH!

Robin gasped and ducked even lower. The red blade barely missed the back of Robin's head.

But Deathstroke's boot didn't miss.

WHACK!

He slammed Robin straight in the forehead with the tip of his foot.

Robin flopped back and tumbled across the slippery train rooftop.

Slade jumped up with a pulse of red murk, soared down, and jabbed the sword below his descending figure. SWIIIIIISH!

Robin somersaulted backwards.

CHNKKKKK! Slade's blade stuck into the train roof.

The reaper hissed, grunted, and struggled to yank his weapon free.

Robin got back up to his feet, twirled his blade, and ran at Red Aviary. The weapon swinging high from above. "Raaaugh!"

Deathstroke tilted his head up. He abandoned his sword completely, shot his arms forward, and gripped the flung length of Robin's bo-staff.

The Boy Wonder gasped.

"HCkkkk-CLLKK!" Deathstroke flung Robin over him by the staff.

The Boy Wonder flailed above Slade, soared towards the rear car of the train, and landed hard. He tumbled and nearly rolled off the caboose. His legs dangled. He gasped and gripped the rooftop with one glove and the jabbing end of his staff to keep from falling and grinding into meet along the bumpety train tracks behind him.

"HCkkkkktt!" Deathstroke finally yanked his sword out. SNKKTT! With red smoke cascading around his figure, he turned and menacingly stomped towards the dangling Titans Leader. "Trrrrying to returrrrrn home, Tim? Notttt a good idea, if I werrrre you. I musssst say….you're tempttting me. You're tempting me sssssso badlyyyy…."

Robin hissed and panted, struggling to climb back up onto the train's roof. "Nnngh….if you so much as l-lay a finger on them…I'll—"

"Do what? Snkkkt—Clik-Clik-Clik….have I been the one truly hurtttting them all this ttttime?"

"…….."

Deathstroke brushed his wind-dancing cowl tails aside and raised his sword overhead. "One way orrrr anotherrr…snkkt….you will learrrrrn to humble yourrrrself beforrrre what I've beccccome!"

Robin frowned. "Save for someone who'd care to listen, Slade…" He stealthily positioned his legs so that his boots were flat against the rear caboose of the train. "I will not have you dictate to me!"

"HCkkkk! I didn't come herrrrre to dictate, Robin. I came herrrrre—snkkkt—to kill. Killll……YOU." He raised the billowing blade over head.

Robin tensed.

Slade slammed the sword down.

SWIIIISSH!

Robin snarled, kicked with his legs, and propelled his body from the lower part up into an upwards flip.

CL-CLACK!! The sword slammed into the train's rooftop just where Robin was.

In the meantime, the Boy Wonder's body was airborne. He flipped up in the air nimbly, hugging his body. He expertly stretched out as he came down. CL-CLANK! His metal boots landed on the sloped length of the blade. He stabbed his bo-staff down, supported himself, shoved, and slid his body up the blade by the metal boots so that his elbow slammed mercilessly into Slade's masked face.

WHAM!

"Snckkktt!" Slade fell backwards a few feet.

Robin grunted, cartwheeled off the blade, reached a hand out, and pulled the red reaper's sword out of the train car's roof by the hilt. SNKKKT! He frowned. "Slade, I wish you had as good a talent for staying dead as you do for stating the obvious…"

"Hckkk—clik-clik-clik…." Slade icily stood up. "Time is ticccking, Rrrrobin…." He flexed his upper muscles. Throbbing with red smoke. "The further you fightttt me….snkkkkttt…..the deeperrr the Parrrasite swims…."

Robin seethed. He re-gripped the red blade like a javelin. "I won't have anything more to do with you…."

"Telllll thatttt to the Titan'ssss gravesss….Robin….."

The Boy Wonder shuddered. His breath panted between dry lips.

Deathstroke seemed to glow a brighter red as he further hissed: "I will have you, Robinnnn—Hcckktt!—No mattttterrrr how many people I have ttttto rip through firrssst…."

Robin snarled. "Bite your tongue, you…Bastard!" He snarled and flung the blade with all his might.

SWISSSSSSSSSH! The blade swam over the train cars in the direction of the L-Track. It sang its way towards the stock-still Deathstroke's torso.

Robin watched, his hidden blue eyes twitching.

At the last second, Deathstroke's hands rose up together.

CLAP!

TWNGGGG! The blade's hit shook, as its metal body was well captured by the two palms of Red Aviary just an inch and a half from ripping Slade's head off for good.

His one glowing eye of red narrowed.

Robin shivered. He stepped back and held his bo-staff high.

"……….," a glaring Slade re-gripped the sword and twirled it at a striking pose. "Hckkk-clkkk! So what will it be, Robin? Your life? The Titans'? Hckkk—clik-clik-clinkktt……or both……?"

"………….."

"Hrmmm….silenccccce……alwayssss the crimson touch…."

Robin winced at that.

Deathstroke hissed and came at him: "Time to end thissss….end YOU!"

"Nnngh!" Robin braced himself, bo-staff raised.

CL-CL-CLANGGGG!

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

VRMMMMMM!

In the meantime, the Batomobile sped north along the Metropolitan Highway.

Cyborg gripped the wheel tightly with one hand. He looked about. His lips parted. Squinting….

Jericho too kept his green eyes peeled. But all he could see was the traffic honking and swerving aside all around them. He looked at Cyborg. Breathlessly, he hand-signed: 'Where is he?'

"I dunno…," Cyborg gulped. "He said he was gonna meet us here somehow, but I haven't heard a thing from him---"

WH-WHUMP!

Jericho gasped.

Cyborg's human eye widened and he nearly lost grip of the steering wheel. "Wh-Whoah!"

"…….," I was perched outside on the hood of the Batmobile. I squatted and looked in through the sliding window of the vehicle's cockpit. I hand-signed: 'Get me closer to the train!' I then pointed eastward.

Jericho bit his lip.

Cyborg winced. He spoke into the communicator: "Uhhh….Noir? That would mean going against incoming traffic and—"

"……..," I glared. Smoke dancing out from my shades. I icily….jabbed a pointing finger eastward again.

Cyborg shuddered. "All right…All right….gotta save Robin, I know…," he gripped the wheel tightly and sighed. "And to think I'm supposed to be Robin's second in command…."

Jericho shrugged.

"Ahem….hope you're a church-goer…" And he jerked left on the wheel.

SCREEEEEEECH!

Jericho winced and covered his eyes.

VRMMMM!

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

I braced myself on the hood of the Batmobile.

My body tightened as we swerved left across five lanes of south bound traffic.

And….

SM-SMASSSSH! Straight through the guardrail of the highway divide.

The whole vehicle shook.

I struggled to hold on.

VRMMMMMMMM!

And then we were doing it. We were driving head-on into northbound traffic.

Cars. Trucks. Semis. They all honked and swerved madly out of the way.

The expertly driving Cyborg weaved his way leftward…leftward…leftward….towards the Eastern edge of the elevated highway. Parallel to the L-Track right beside us.

I took a deep breath.

CHIIIIING!

I stood up. Gripping Myrkblade. Practically 'surfing' the Batmobile straight into aluminum waters.

Screeching.

Honking.

The cold, frosty air of red Gotham all the time.

At one point a pickup truck swerved madly and its crane rig broke loose, swinging towards me. SWOOOSH!

I gasped and ducked low.

THWOOOSH-CRACK! The crane skimmed over me and snapped off one of the Batmobile's rear 'fins'.

The vehicle swerved a bit, but regained control.

"Hold on, Noir!" Cyborg's voice said.

I shuddered, and stood back up. Murking. Concentrating. Gripping tightly to Myrkblade.

VRMMMM! HONKK! HONK! VROOOOOOM! A semi or two careened past us. We finally emerged into the leftmost lane.

I could see the speeding L-Train. It drew closer and closer. The red-murking Deathstroke was going toe-to-toe with Robin. I could almost taste them…..

VRMMMMMMM!

The Batmobile gunned it. Inching into the roadside. Gravel kicked up and rained on my ankles. The Batmobile's hood and paint job got horribly scuffed up. I could smell rubber and aluminum burning.

"It's now or never!" Cyborg said.

Somehow, I didn't feel close enough to the train…

Screw it.

I clenched my teeth. I pulsed murk throughout my body. My legs coiled, flexed once….twice…and sprang.

FWOOOOSH!

With a pulse of murk I leapt, barreled over the edge of the highway, soared towards the aluminum worm of a speeding train….

….and missed by the last car.

I gasped.

Shit!

I jabbed my black hand forward.

GRIP!

I gripped the rear door frame of the caboose.

A split second later…I encased my torso and lower legs in shielding murk….

SCCCCCCCRRRRRAAAAAPEEEE!

My ragdoll body dragged violently along the tracks. Rattling. Shaking.

I strained, wincing all over. If it weren't for the impromptu shield of murk covering my extremities, I would have been ground into a pulp by then. I somehow managed to kick, pulse, and murk my way into a half leap so that I stabbed Myrkblade into the rear of the train and gripped tight to it thusly.

CRKKKK!

I gasped…panted…panted…and hung off the rear of the last train car. Perched in the doorframe. I took a deep breath.

All right.

Now to go about this………the 'hard' way.

I yanked Myrkblade out, covered it with serrated smoke, and sliced mercilessly into the door of the train's rear.

SLLLLLNKKKTTT!

I slowly…carved my way into the speeding train.

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

SLASSSSH!

Red Aviary's blade murked through the air.

Robin jumped back. He footed himself firmly atop the train roof, snarled, and slashed up with his bo-staff.

THWACK!

Slade stumbled back.

Robin charged at him, growling. He twirled his bo-staff up above him and swung a downstroke at the fiend.

Slade gripped it with his hand. He yanked Robin towards him by the Boy Wonder's own staff and flew his knee up into Robin's chest. WH-WHAP!

"Ooof!" Robin exhaled sharply.

"HCkkkk!" Slade snarled and back-handed Robin fiercely across the cheek.

SLAP!

Robin fell back. At the last second he gasped and fell over the left side of the train. He held by one gloved hand, using the other to grip loosely to his bo-staff. The southbound cars were making a right turn southwesterly around a curve, and as a result, Robin's lower body was forced outward so that he hung nearly in a horizontal position. He gritted his teeth and struggled to climb up as the train curved back and narrowed along a double L-track straightaway. A female passenger inside the train turned, saw the Boy Wonder outside, and gasped right before collapsing in shock.

"Snkkt….clik-clik-clik-clik….," Deathstroke walked over and leered above the Boy Wonder. Dragging his sword. He raised his foot…and brought it murkingly down over Robin's gloved wrist. CL-CLAMP!

"Aaaaugh!" Robin shouted, wincing all over.

"Nskkktt….tell me, Rrrobin…..,"Slade half-crouched. His one eye pulsing. "Do you feel painnn?"

"……..," Robin panted. Glaring.

Slade's red-strobing optic narrowed. "How I do ssssso missss it……" He stood up, arms folded. Blade dangling. "Soonerrrr than noughtttt….you and I will relattte….."

HONKKKK! HONKKKKK!I

The train horn echoed through the air. It was a foreign train horn. Robin realized the terrible scenario as soon as his dangling, caped body started to light up. He looked along the length of cars and saw a northbound train heading straight for him on the double L-Track. It was gliding at an equal speed to the oppositely traveling train he was on. Which meant that his body would be torn about twice as intensely when the criss-crossing vehicles grinded him to a pulp.

HONNNNNNK!

Robin dangled helplessly. Blinded. Red Aviary pressed his weight further and further into his wrists. Agony….pain….

Robin snarled. SNkkkt! He dexterously pocketed away his retracted bo-staff and reached into his utility belt. As the northbound train bore down on him, he whipped out a sparkling taser, snarled, and swung it up to the car roof level with all his might. "Come on, Slade! Tell me if you feel this pain!" SWOOOSH-TH-THUNK!

ZZZZZZZT!

Sparks convulsed hotly all throughout Slade's leg. The man shook and convulsed as the energy overtook him. Red vapor shout everywhere. Robin himself suffered from rogue sparks for a good half a second before Slade inevitably stumbled back and took the pressure of his foot off him.

Robin grunted, gripped the two roof's edge with two gloves, kicked against the windows, and swung his body up vertically-

HONKKKK! SW-SW-SW-SW-SW-SWOOOOOOOOSH! The opposite train blew by just where Robin was previously dangling.

Now the Boy Wonder 'stood' on his hands, legs in the air.

A stumbling Red Aviary overcame the taser's shocks and refocused his attention on Robin.

The Boy Wonder held his breath, nimbly twisted his wrists, twirled his vertical body, and helicopter-kicked the man in the cowled face. WHAP!-WHAP!-WHAP!-WHAP!-WHAPPP!

Slade jolted-jolted-jolted and stumbled towards the edge of the train.

Robin cartwheeled down, stood up right, marched one step towards Slade and swung a fist into his face. "Nnngh!"

WHAM!

Red Aviary teetered. Arms flailing. Dangerously close to falling off the cars….

Robin prepared a finishing high-kick—

CLUTCH! A red-vaporing hand grabbed Robin's boot. "Hckkkk!" He twisted.

Crkkk!

"Aaaaugh!" Robin howled.

"RAAAUHKKTT!" Slade tossed Robin fiercely off the train and out into the urban red yonder…

Robin's body flailed. He gasped. Before he could start falling, he reached into his utility belt, grabbed a grappling hook, aimed at the train, and fired. POW!

Swooooooooosh!

CL-CLANK! The grappling hook stuck its claws into the aluminum ceiling just beneath Slade.

TWNNNG! The cord pulled taut.

Robing gripped the handle with two gloved hands. He angled his body out. He swung a downward arc towards the rear of the train.

SWOOOOOSH!

He winced his teeth and straightened his body. He zoomed over the top of the rear cars, his rear end barely grazing the aluminum surface.

Slade pivoted, watching.

SWOOOOOSH! Robin swung down below the train level on the left and out towards the urban landscape. The vehicle zoomed past a brick building. Robin expertly kicked his legs, 'ran up' the building face in a diagonal line while gripping the cord….."Nnngh!" Kicked off. Soared up in the air, swung towards the front of the train, pulled at the cord's slack, and flung himself from the forward end of the cars straight down in a diving kick into Slade's chest.

WH-WHAP!

"HCkkk-snkktt!" Red Aviary hissed.

Robin backflipped from the contact and landed in a squat.

Slade stumbled and stopped above the grappling hook's impact point.

Robin wound a slack of cord around his forearm, gritted his teeth, and pulled at the length with a mighty, snarling tug. "Nnnrrrgh!"

CRKKK! The hook yanked out of the car roof along the cord. It slapped the inner thigh of Slade while retracting toward's Robin. THWAP!

Slade grunted and fell down to one knee.

Robin jerked the cord towards the front of the train, held his breath, spun half the length directly over head in the train-speeding air, and flung it back with slack straight at Slade's body.

TH-THWP!

Slade looked up just as the hook soared around his neck and wrapped around…pulling tight with the cord. SNAG! "SNkkktttk-Hrkkk!"

Robin jumped up to a straight stance and yanked towards him with all his might. "Raaaaugh!"

YANKKKKK! Slade soared limply at Robin on the end of the cord.

Robin coiled his entire body up, clenched his fist, and—once Slade flew into him—propelled his upper weight up with a deathly uppercut to the piñata Deathstroke's cranium.

WHAM!

Slade flew back a good fifteen-feet, propelled by the speeding air above the train. He rolled over and stirred….numbed by the heavy strike.

Robin tossed the cords away with a shrug of his shoulders. Teeth gritting, he produced his bo-staff again. Snrkkkt! He extended it, paced, ran towards Slade, and swung. "Yaaaaugh!"

Slade stood up just at the wrong time—

SMACK! THWACK! WHAM! POW! Robin drilled into him repeatedly, one swing of his bo-staff at a time.

"Raaaaaaaugh!"

As the train sped….

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

…and meanwhile, inside….

"And so the judge revoked my license for another two weeks!"

"Jeez. You've gotta be kidding me. Poor you."

"Eh….I'm in good spirits though. The train and the bus system? Man…I don't know why I never used it earlier. Life on the highway—I tell you what—it's nothing but murder compared to this."

CRACCCKK!

The rear door of the train shredded open from a murking sword.

The two patrons gasped and ran—panicked—from the fresh, air ventilating hole.

I leapt in, panting.

I glanced down the lit, claustrophobic interior of the train. Citizens looked at me nervously…fearfully.

"……….." I shrugged my shoulders, straightened my shades, and marched firmly down the length of the train.

People backed off from me….and my sword. Smoke trailed my figure as I reached a black hand out and felt…felt….felt…

The train.

The structure.

The frame work.

The ceiling.

Red………

Where are you………Red?

You're somewhere above me, Slade. Fighting Robin.

Just……where exactly?

I marched forward. One train car after another. Concentrating. Sensing….

"Hey!" a sparsely shaved citizen stood up, smiled drunkenly, and pointed at me: "Ain't you that Atlantis Titan? Ya know…the gay one---"

WHAP! I bitch-slapped him without looking. Someone gasped. The man slumped to the ground as I kept marching on, focusing.

"……………."

I came to a stop in the middle of one car.

"………….."

I looked up.

I gripped Myrkblade tighter.

Smoke started to coarse all around me…

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

"Yaaaugh!" Robin shouted and slammed the full length of his staff across Deathstroke's torso two more times. WHAM! SMACK!

Slade stumbled back. 'Bleeding' red fumes all over. He shook…quivered….jerked…. "Hckk….Clik-clik-clik-Clik-CLIK-CLIKKKSTTT!"

"Be…QUIET already!" Robin shouted and prepared the skull-crushing coup de grace down into Slade's skull.

Deathstroke jerked his head to the left at the last second and hooked his right forearm up to catch the end of the bo-staff. GRPPPP!

Robin gritted his teeth and tried to yank the staff back. No avail.

Slade twitched and twirled his head. Neck joints and jaw parts crackled. He spat blood and smoke through his cowl slits before narrowing his red strobing eye and hissing. "There is no 'besssst you can do' againsssst death, Robinnn…" He lifted his leg and mightily shoved it down the length of the bo-staff into Robin's torso.

WHAP!

"Augh!" Robin stumbled back. Somehow, it took half a second later for Red Aviary to blur over and land his fist into Robin's gut.

WHUMPPPP!

"Snkkkkttt!" Robin spit and wheezed.

Slade converted his low blow into an uppercut. WHACK!

Robin teetered back.

And Red Aviary finished with a flying knee to the chin.

WHAM!

Robin landed on his back. Twitching in pain. Bruised all over.

"Hckkkkk-clik-clik-clik….being 'dead' yourrrrrself couldn'tttt do any good for your Titan friendssss…," Deathstroke sneered. CHIIIIIING! He picked his sword back up and dragged it till he stood over Robin. "In factttt……being bornnnn was a mistake in and of itsssself….."

"Oh y-yeah?" Robin wheezed, coughing up some bloody saliva. He hissed: "If that was true, you'd be having a pretty lousy time tonight…."

"I wantttt you only to end you, Robin….."

"Then do it….," Robin growled. The rushing wind blew at his hair and cape. He half-sat up. Sneering above the noise. "Do it! If you could end Bane in the blink of an eye and clear out an entire laboratory of Lex's scientists without taking a second breath….surely you can cleave me in two and have done with it!"

"……….."

"What are you waiting for? Having second thoughts, Slade?" Robin clenched his fists. Heaving. "Not willing to off your 'apprentice'? You know what I think? I'm the son you always wanted to have….and never wanted to have. And you want to torture me for not coming from your loins as much as you want to end me for giving you a glimpse at progeny! Death only weakened you, Slade! Be a man for once and make a god damn decision!"

"HCkkkk….my childrrrren….."

Robin panted. Staring exhaustedly at Slade.

"……….," Deathstroke slowly raised the blade over head to strike. "……hckkkk-clik-clik-clik….my children arrrre dead to me……"

"But they haven't given up on you, Slade. Not like you have on them."

"HCkkk….good bye…Robin…," and the sword descended.

Robin shouted: "Jericho's here, Slade!"

The blade stopped barely an inch from Robin's head.

The Boy Wonder couldn't help but wince.

For but a moment, the vaporous red glow dimmed around the corpse of Deathstroke's figure. "Hckkkkk-CLIKKSNKTT….hckk…..," he exhaled. He leaned his one-eyed head to the side. "Joseph?"

"…….."

Red Aviary…the Parasite….Deathstroke gazed off towards the urban chaos speeding past him. "Joeeey….snkkkktt……I cccan…..sensssse you……."

"…………"

"………….," Red Aviary stirred. He gasped a raspy breath and looked down suddenly as if surprised by something—

SNRKKKKTTT! Myrkblade suddenly tore up from beneath the train car's roof and skewered straight through Deathstroke's foot. CHNKKK!

Blood and red smoke spurted out of the ankle and sprayed along the rear cars of the train.

"HRrCKKKK-HRAAAAAAUCHKKKK!" Slade screamed and pulled, twisted, yanked at his ripped foot. He struggled and strained to pry himself loose, but the black-smoking blade piercing through his boot and leftover flesh anchored him down.

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

Inside the car, I gripped the hilt and lower length of Myrkblade with the whole of my black prosthetic and right fingers. I gritted my teeth and pulsed murk through my body, tightening my hold on the weapon. Rising murk met with dripping blood and settling red vapors.

Shocked and disgusted patrons ran north and south along the train cars…anything to get away from the grotesque scene.

I held my post, keeping Deathstroke from breaking free. Gritting my teeth, struggling, and shakily staring up through the wobbling ceiling of the speeding car.

Now, Robin!

Do your worst!

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

Snkkt!

Robin gripped his bo-staff and charged towards Slade.

Deathstroke yanked and pulled and jerked at his own foot. Eventually he gave Robin a helpless look and raised his sword at the last second. CHIIIING!

Robin effortlessly blocked it away and pummeled….pummeled……pummeled Red Aviary mercilessly.

SMACK! THWACK! P-POW! WHAM! SLAP!

Deathstroke's upper body jolted, bobbed, convulsed, wobbled, and jerked with every thunderous impact.

CRACK! THWAP! BAM!

Robin snarled—"Raaaugh!"—jumped up high and slammed hard into the top of Deathstroke's skull.

CRKKKK!

Slade fell to his one good knee. Wheezing out carpets of red smoke.

Robin leaned breathlessly on his staff before him. Panting. He shuddered.

"Hckk….snkkktt….."

Robin sneered. "Why….won't…..you…….just……..collapse?"

"Snkkkkt-Clikkk…..If you know my sssssson……then maybe you'll undersssstand….Robin…." FL-FLASH! The brightest glow of red yet pulsed from Slade's one eye as he looked up and throbbed all over with descending, crimson smoke. Blood dripped out of his cowl slits and he spoke through the liquid, colored trickle. "Invulnerrrrabilittttty runssss in the family." He flexed his upper arms and stood up on his skewered leg. "And….n-now…Dessstructttttionnnnn! NnnnngRAAAAAUCHKKKTT!"

Robin gasped. He prepared to strike Slade's head clean off.

FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FW-FWOOOOSH! Pure waves of red smoke warbled outward from the Parasite.

Robin found himself choking as if a poison had filled the air. And iciness coated his throat and he limped back with his bo-staff, gasping for air.

Slade's whole body twisted…contorted….and tensed. "HAACHKTT!"

POW!

A ring of red shot down his body.

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

The redness shot down into Myrkblade and pulsed into me.

FLASSSH!

I gasped. I screamed mutely…mentally. My black orbs strobed white under my shades and—

CRKKKKK!

A gaping hole in the ceiling blew open and I fell back.

The entire train car groaned.

The inside lights flickered.

Ice coated and fogged the inner windows.

I struggled for breath as if invisible, red hands were choking me.

My black arm twitched as I fought to get my strength back…

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

"Hrckkkt…..Hrckkkt….Hrckkkt…." Red Aviary heaved. His whole body twitching and jerking. He twisted his muscles down to his ankles. There was a series of sickening pops and snapping sounds. He proceeded to step forward on the bloodied, skewered limb and march towards Robin. "Snkkkkkkkt-Clik-Clik-Clikkkk…."I

Robin stood up. His jaw dropped at the bleeding menace walking 'alive' before him. He raised his staff for good measure.

"HCKKK!" Slade merely snatched it from the Boy Wonder's grasp. He shoved Robin towards the front of the train.

Robin—disarmed—hobbled a few reverse steps and reached into his utility belt. He retrieved two long-bladed birdarangs which he twirled independently in two gloved hands. Pacing across from Deathstroke. Eyeing him through his mask….cautious…

"Snkkkkt!" Deathstroke's eye pulsed a bright, laser red. "Stop…..brrrreathing…." He raised both the staff and the sword to slice down at Robin.

FW-FWOOOSH! My murking body leapt up out of the fresh hole in the train car's rooftop.

"Hrckkkt?" Deathstroke's head turned back and looked at me. Wide-eyed.

I snarled, came sailing down in a murking trail, and slashed Myrkblade down at him.

CLANGG! He jerked his sword arm back and deflected me.

THWP! I backflipped and stood a few feet from him. CHIIIING! Myrkblade was at ready.

"Snkkkt!" Deathstroke jerked his head to the other side.

Robin was ready with two birdarangs. He took a breath and craned his neck to look at me behind Slade's shoulder.

He nodded.

I nodded.

"Now!" Robin rushed forward.

I rushed forward.

"Nnnnghrrckt…HRAAUCHKKT!" Slade twirled both the bo-staff and the red, double-edged sword at both of us.

Robin attacked from the south side.

I attacked from the north.

Him with his two birdarangs twirling and slicing.

Me with Myrkblade jabbing and blurring.

And Deathstroke twirled between us atop the speeding train, Parrying and counter-attacking. A bo-staff for every pair of birdarangs. A sword for every Myrkblade. Then exchanging. Reversing. Spinning.

Smoke and vapors and cape and murk and red and gloves and—

CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CLANG!

At one point, Robin and I both charged at him simultaneously.

Deathstroke kicked me back, spun, grabbed Robin by the cape, and flung him off the train side.

"Yaaugh!"

I dove sideways, stabbed Myrkblade into the roof of the cars, spun the rest of my body out while gripping the hilt, stuck out a free hand, gripped Robin's forearm, spun on my grip of the sword, and flung the Boy Wonder at Deathstroke. Robin soared in with a flying kick.

Deathstroke crossed his bo-staff and sword in a block to absorb the blow.

TH-THWOMP! Robin nimbly vaulted in a backflip from the impact. I blurred twice as nimbly below him and teleported so that I solidified behind Deathstroke in a horizontal swipe of Myrkblade.

THWACK!

Deathstroke was batted across the width of the train-car.

Robin fell on his back, lifted his arms and legs, and judo-flipped Slade off to the side.

Red Aviary twirled in mid-air, summoned red vapor, flipped about, planted his feet against the glass windows of a passing office building, pulsed red, and shattered a crater into the surface as he shot back towards us with both weapons slashing.

SW-SWISSH!

Robin swiftly rolled out of the way.

I braced myself.

CLANGGG! Deathstroke slammed into me.

I absorbed the blow with Myrkblade, but nevertheless teetered back to the left side edge.

Deathstroke raised his blades to crush my skull in from opposite sides.

Robin swung his foot out and tripped him from underneath.

TH-THWAP! Deathstroke fell down hard.

I regained my balanced and blurred at him, Myrkblade stabbing down.

"HCKKK!"he kicked up with his bloody feet.

THWAP!

I was propelled up into the air. As I came down, I gasped…for the train car was blurring under a series of criss-crossing telephone lines connecting poles on either side of the L-Track. I swiftly blurred my body and hopped, hand-planted, skipped, and bounced from thin wire to thin wire with my limbs smoking….

FWP-FWP-FWP-FWP-FWP!

All the while beneath the blurring wires, Robin pounced on Deathstroke. They wrestled for each other's weapons, rolled across the width of the train, and ended when Deathstroke head-butted Robin—WHAP!—and forced him to dangle precariously on the car's side.

FWP-FWP-FWP!

And then the criss-crossing wires ended…and I came sailing down with a drop kick.

Deathstroke was barely standing up—WHAM! I slammed into him and slid him towards the front of the train.

I reached hand down, hoisted Robin up, and side by side we twirled our weapons and charged Deathstroke. St-Stomp-St-Stomp-St-Stomp-St-Stomp!

Deathstroke discarded Robin's bo-staff, twirled his sword at ready, aimed it high, and slashed directly down and towards us with the biggest charge of Red Destruction I had ever seen. "HRAAAAAUCKHTTTT!"

FLASSSSSSH!

The red divide plowed Robin and I helplessly off our feet so that we ragdolled down the length of the cars towards the rear vehicle. Tears in the aluminum fabric of the cars started to form as red Destruction vapor laced the framework.

Deathstroke panted…panted…panted….red vapors dancing from his cowl. He limped towards us. Dragging his red blade. Chiiiii-iiiii-iiii-iiiing!"

Robin and I exhaustedly twitched on the rooftop. We weakly looked up at Deathstroke. Weak. On the verge of defeat.

"HCkkkt……letttt it enddd, Robinnn……embrace death…yourrrr true death….the Titanssss will taste of it one way or another….whether or not you'rrrrre gone…."

Robin hissed, trying to sit up. "You're….not….g-going to lay a bloody finger on them…."

"Snkkkt…clik-clik-clik….oh but I will……," Deathstroke leaned over. He gripped Robin by the front of his uniform.

I winced…struggling to get up….fighting with Myrkblade….

Robin shivered as Slade reached a hand up, gripped his eyemask, and peeled it off. Soon, Tim's blue eyes were widening in fear at Slade's proximity. Red vapors hissed out against the boy's face as Deathstroke uttered: "I have no morrrre time to wassste. Letttt me jussst look at fearrr for one lasssst time. I have Triangularrrr to beatttt to your Cittttty….I'll be surrrre to teach the Titanssss…..of this….very…….fear…."

Robin's breath left him.

And then…the communicator on his belt crackled:

"Just all we needed to know."

Both my leader and I gasped.

The Messenger's voice.

"Hckkkt?"

ZAAAT!

The Messenger appeared on the speeding train car directly behind Deathstroke. He clenched his teeth, hopped once, and brought his other foot up and slammed it between Red Aviary's legs.

WHUMP!

"SNKKKkkskttt!" Deathstroke rolled numbly to the side.

The Messenger grinned. "Well…looks like not all of him is undead."

My jaw dropped.

"M-Messenger?" Robin breathed.

"Yup….I have to ruin everything," he winked….then grabbed Robin by the cape. "Keep cool, man…"

"What are you doi—WAAAAH!" Robin shouted as he was flung clear off the side of the train.

I gasped…until I craned my neck, looked over, and realized why the Messenger had done so.

The Batmobile was speeding down the road just beneath us. The top was open, and Cyborg expertly drove the vehicle so that Robin landed softly in the back-seat cushions. "Ugh!" Cyborg let out a whoop and Jericho clapped his hands.

I blinked.

………huh.

Grip!

The Messenger held my shoulders from behind and hoisted the two of us on our feet.

"Atta boy!" the asian Teen said as he faced us towards the front of the train. I did a double-take as I saw what loomed before the first cars. "When Robin says it's time to get the heck out of Dresden, the heck out of Dresden we go!"

"Hckkktt!" Red Aviary sprung to his feet, gripping his blade and snarling. "I shall GUTTTT YOUR THRRRROAT!"

"Yeah…sure…," my teleporting friend winked. "Maybe next time, handsome." He waved.

I smirked nervously and also waved.

ZAAAT!

The Messenger zapped us out of there.

"?.?.?.?.?" Deathstroke spun around. A shadow loomed above him.

The train was soaring straight into a tight, dark tunnel.

SWOOOOOOSH!

"……………………," his red eye pulsed. "………well donnne….."

SMACCCCCKKKK!

SCRKKKKKKKAAAPPPEEEE!

THW-THW-THWP-THNKKKKKK!

Silence…..

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

ZAAAT!

The Messenger appeared in the backseat besides Robin and I.

"Heh…," he smirked and folded his arms behind his back. "…riding in cars with meta-boys…"

Jericho giggled breathily.

"Hah hah hah!" Cyborg cackled. "Sweet! Boo-ya! Oh my GOD did we show that red-farting rust bucketron!"

I smirked, wiping my brow. Exhaling.

The Messenger smirked. "A speedy exit would be nice right about now…."

Clik. "Way ahead of ya." Whurrrrrr-Chting! The top of the Batmobile closed shut. Sealing us in the air-conditioned goodness. "Man…if you hadn't dropped in, pal, they would have been mince meat!"

"I'm a freelance vegetarian myself," the Messenger gestured. "The right mood. The right time. Less red, more green. Like Christmas in inverted monochrome."

"Yeah, whatever," Cyborg shrugged his scuffed shoulders. He turned and looked over his shoulder while driving one handed. "Besides a few pissed-off motorists and burning buildings….erm….I-I think we did this rather unscathed! Don't you think so, Robin?"

"………….."

Cyborg's human eye rounded. "R-Robin?"

I looked over. Concerned. "……….?"

Tim was hugging himself. Still maskless. Shuddering……

My lips parted.

"Robbie….T-Tim….you okay?"

"…..we have to make l-like the wind, Vic….," Tim stammered. "I shouldn't have survived that!"

The Messenger was instantly deadpan.

"What are you talking about, man?" Cyborg exclaimed. "Listen, dawg, I'm not gonna let you go all self-sacrificial on us—"

"I'm doing everything I can to fight Red Aviary and live," Tim said firmly. "Don't get me wrong about that."

"……."

Tim shuddered. "He'll be going to the City now. Just like Triangular must be. Somehow. For some reason. Dagger's going to take the City….and Deathstroke's going to take the Titans….." He shuddered, closed his blue eyes, and ran a hand over his face and hair. "St-Starfire……"

"……..," I swallowed a lump down my throat.

Jericho looked concerned. He glanced aside at Cyborg and gestured.

Cyborg turned his head. "Yo….the squirt here says he's got….'friends' who can help us get quick passage if need be."

"We've got the Batmobile for that."

"Good thing too," the Messenger added. He produced one of the mud-filled vials. "We should run a test on this as soon as possible. If my guess is right….there's something crucial about it."

"Crucial in what way?" Tim murmured. His blue eyes thin and exhausted. "'Crucial' describes this whole damn month."

"Allright. 'Crucial' and 'SEXY'."

"…….yeah….I-I can buy that…."

"Heh heh heh…," Cyborg put the car into higher gear and took us towards the exit that would bring us south of Gotham City limits.

"Avoid the Metropolitan Highway….Dagger might be looking for us there…"

"Understood, Rob—er, I mean Tim. You get some shuteye or something…."

The Titan Leader hugged himself again and stared worriedly out the window. "Suddenly….I feel like I can sleep forever….."

"…….," I sheathed Myrkblade across my lap. CHIIIING! I placed the sheathe down by my feet and leaned back. Sighing. Still sweaty. "………" I glanced past the Messenger towards the front passenger seat.

Jericho was staring at me. Silent. Gentle. A tiny smile appeared to form on his lips.

Was he proud of me?

Curious?

What?

I then realized….

I bit my lip for but a moment, then braved a half-fake smile and mouthed: 'He remembers you, Jericho. Your father……he remembers……'

"………," Jericho nodded. He sighed and gestured: 'That scares me somehow……'

I had nothing to say to that.

We burned out way out of the red sky of Gotham.

Good frickin' riddance.

I closed my black eyes to the City that nearly killed me ten times over. I dazed off like Robin did…

But somehow I felt that even though Gotham City was an afterthought…

The red sky….

It was following us…..

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

A train tunnel.

A black, shadowy mouth yawning forth the L-Train track.

Cold winds.

Red starlight.

"……..hckkkkt…scrkkkktt……."

Deathstroke limped out of the shadows.

Every move he made, a joint pomped.

His insides whirred and rotated.

Smoke billowed out of every tear in his black and red costume.

Crimson vapors.

Smoke and mirrors.

Dragging his sword, he came to a stop just outside the mouth of the track.

He twirled his neck one last time, making cracking sounds.

He stared….red eye glinting….southward.

In silence.

"………………."

He flexed his muscles and red murk strobed across the surrounding air.

"You mightttt outrrrrrun death…..buttttt your friendsss can't, Hckkk—Tim….."

CHIIIING!

Deathstroke started walking.

Moving.

Marching.

"Beforrrrr-Snkkt-clik-clik-clik….before longgg….you will have no choiccce but to run…..straight…..into IT!"

And Deathstroke jogged.

And Deathstroke sprinted.

And Deathstroke blurred.

FWOOOOOOOOOSSSSSH!

A red blur directly south.

Parallel to the coastline.

Faster than any Batmobile could go.

And with far colder trails of murderous exhaust….

Something in the air, like a giant, invisible cage…bent and stretched and morphed to trail behind him like a celestial, crimson cape.

And he was gone.