It wasn't often Solor dreamed… or at least remembered. But this one… this was so vivid, it'd be impossible for him to forget.
His dream involved the rest of the team. They were interacting as normal, with Robin spurring them all on for combat practice. Cyborg was at the controls, Raven was meditating, Beast Boy was running on the treadmill, and Starfire was cheering Solor on as he lifted weights. Thanks to the equipment they had, the weights kept getting heavier and heavier, but the mighty dragon was strong enough. Soon, it was as heavy as it could get, and it took everything for him to hold it up. He sighed. "Alright, that is enough", he called out to Cyborg. "I am spent; raise the weights." Instead of feeling the weight lessen, however, all of a sudden it became greater. The dragon was brought to his knees, startled. "W-What in the name of the Circle are you doing?! Cyborg!"
But when he looked, it wasn't Cyborg at the helm of the controls. It was Robin. And something was very off. As he looked, he noticed that the air of leadership was gone. Instead, it was a very familiar feeling of maliciousness and hatred. "Robin! What are you doing? I cannot hold anymore!"
"I know", said the Titan, as he was joined by the others. "This is for the good of the city. Without you, the Titans can now defend the people without a flight risk of a teammate."
Solor grunted angrily, and attempted to lift himself up higher so that he could slip out from under the weight. "You would dare betray me?! After everything I have done to help you and your precious city?!"
"You almost destroyed us", Cyborg countered. "You let yourself get hypnotized by Mad Mod, and nearly killed us."
"Should we allow someone who has such a weak willpower fight alongside us?" Raven snapped, her voice dripping with venom. "Should we wait until you break and attempt to do us in again?"
"Plus, you're totally not cool", Beast Boy added. "You don't trust us, either. Why should we trust you?"
Solor couldn't believe it. After all he had done, all he had sacrificed and put aside for the better of Jump City, this was how they repaid him? "You would sacrifice your friend for one mistake? Treat me like nothing but a monster?!"
It was at that point Starfire finally approached. He could see the gentleness in her eyes, the pity she felt. And for a moment, he thought he was saved. But then she sneered, and kicked him hard in the gut, forcing him to bend over. "But Solor… you are a monster." And just like that, she struck out again, this time with a Starbolt pointed right at his left eye. "And just like all monsters, it is time for the Titans to put you down."
Solor could only stare in horror as all of his teammates approached, their weapons ready. "No…" he pleaded, looking down. "Please… my friends…"
And with that, they struck, forcing the weights to collapse on top of his now broken form.
That was when the dragon awoke. His body was covered in a cold sweat, and his breathing was ragged, and he could feel his gut aching. It took a moment for him to calm down, and even then, he couldn't believe how real it felt. The bite of the attacks, the ache of the weights… even the sting that their words had upon him. It made him wonder… what did they really think about him? Did they truly fear him? Or was it all unnecessary worry that filled his heart? He had doubts, and couldn't help but feel that his new family didn't see him the same way. Granted, he didn't actually show that he cared; he was very isolated from them. Hell, the only one that he tolerated was Starfire, and even then, she didn't know how much he cared.
His thoughts were interrupted by Cyborg entering his room, looking very serious. "Solor, we need you in the living room."
The dragon looked surprised by the sudden intrusion, but made no comments. It must be serious if the human didn't knock on his door, and reluctantly, he followed after the half metal man. And to his surprise, they stopped to collect the rest of the team, including a groggy Starfire and Beast Boy. As soon as they all gathered, they arrived at the center of the tower, and immediately, the main problem was apparent.
Slade was waiting for them.
"Hello, Titans", he said, his voice cold as ice and his eye calculating them all. "I hope I didn't wake you up."
In response, Beast Boy yawned, showing off his sharp fangs. "Dude, what are you, an insomniac? Who makes a call at 5 o'clock in the morn-" Of course, the changeling was once again shooting his mouth off, and it was Raven who managed to silence him with a gentle nudge to the arm.
Solor, meanwhile, was glaring nonstop. After all, he hadn't told the other Titans, but he had almost been tricked into becoming Slade's apprentice. Now there was the man that they had been searching for, and they still had no idea what his plans were or what he wanted.
Speaking of which… "What do you want?" Robin growled, glaring at the screen. Out of all of them, Robin probably had the biggest vendetta against Slade. Thanks to the Red X escapade, one thing was blindingly clear; Slade was interested in the boy, but for reasons unknown to the team.
"Well that's precisely what you want to find out, isn't it? Yet despite all of your efforts, you're still in the dark to my plans." Slade shook his head, as if he was looking down to small children who had misbehaved. "Disappointing. I expected better from you, Robin."
The Boy Wonder looked away, as if ashamed, then glared back at Slade. "Like I care what you-"
"But since you are unable to discover my plans, I suppose I'll have to reveal it myself." With a wave of his hand, the camera turned from Slade to a couple of his robotic minions, who pulled down a blanket and revealed to the team a strange, grey, cylindrical object. "I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of a chronoton detonator."
Most of the responses were collectively negative from the Titans. Cyborg clenched his fists, crying out "No!", while Starfire gasped and Robin grit his teeth. Even the usually emotionless Raven looked slightly panicked, uttering an "Uh oh" of her own.
"What is a chronoton detonator?" Beast Boy and Solor asked at the exact same time, both directed towards the alien in their group. And while she attempted to explain, they both were still confused, until Raven piped up.
"It stops time - permanently."
Needless to say, both Beast Boy and Solor were concerned with that, with the dragon even more so than the former. "WHAT?! YOU MEAN YOU MORTALS MANAGED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO STOP TIME?!"
"If he triggers that downtown, it'll freeze-frame the entire city!" Cyborg declared, ignoring Solor's outburst. Robin growled angrily, and demanded to know where the detonator was.
"You're a clever boy, Robin", Slade said, smirking under his mask while Robin only scowled. "I'm sure you and your little friends will figure it out. However, since I control the detonation", he continued, lifting a small remote, "time is not on your side." And with that, the transmission ended with a frame of static before turning back into the view of Jump City.
Robin growled angrily, slamming his hand onto the console. "Fan out. Find it. Shut it down", he commanded angrily, starting to head out of the tower. But just like that, Cyborg and Beast Boy quickly got in the way, preventing him from leaving their sights.
"Hey, um… maybe you should stay here and coordinate the search", Beast Boy lamely countered.
"… What?"
"Man, when it comes to Slade, you got issues", Cyborg explained, while the green teen nodded in agreement. "It might be better for the team if you sit this one out."
"No", Robin denied, brushing past his friends. "There's too much at stake for me to-"
"Robin", Starfire began, interrupting the boy wonder's statement. "We have not forgotten the last time that you faced-"
"I made a mistake, Starfire", Robin said, stopping Starfire from finishing what he didn't want to hear. After all, last time he faced Slade… he almost died. "It won't happen again. I can handle it. I promise."
"Would you at least like to know where to look?" Raven monotoned, startling everyone. While the rest of the team was trying to keep Robin from leaving the tower, she and Solor had gotten to work. While his sharp eyes were looking for details that could help them, Raven was typing away at the keyboard.
"Slade gave us more information than he realized", Solor stated, pointing to the screen. "The reflection on the detonator…" And sure enough, there it was. It was blurred, so it wasn't too obvious what it said. But thanks to Raven's skill with the computer, she was able to zoom in and flip the reflection.
"Ooh, squiggly lines", Beast Boy deadpanned, twirling his finger. "Way informative."
That was when the blur faded away, revealing the words that it said and effectively shutting up the green teen.
"Pier 41!" Starfire exclaimed.
"The docks", Solor confirmed. "We must depart immediately."
XxXxX
Thanks to the time that Slade woke them up, it was still dark by the time they arrived at the docks. Every Titan took their position by the door at Pier 41, and made sure to stay out of the way for Cyborg to shoot the door down. In the erupting smoke, they quickly burst in, getting into fighting positions. Too bad it was all for naught.
"Empty?!" Starfire cried out, startled by the lack of a chronoton detonator.
"Aw, man!" Cyborg exclaimed, disappointed as he lowered his sonic cannon.
"I don't believe this", Robin stated, just before they were suddenly surrounded. Solor immediately recognized them; they were the same robots that had been sent to collect him on his night off.
"Great, what do we do now?" Beast Boy asked, although the answer was obvious.
"Simple; we battle", Solor told him, flaring his wings as he cracked his neck.
"TITANS, GO!"
And with that, they were off, taking on their own enemies… at least, until Robin suddenly rushed in, taking out every single robot. Even Solor was forced to stand down as Robin took the entire battle into his own hands. One after another, the robots fell against his fury, and the rest of the Titans could only stare and watch as he viciously tore into the ranks of Slade's minions. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the last robot was on the ground, deactivated, and the boy wonder was pounding into what used to be it's head with his bo-staff repeatedly.
"Um.. Robin, I think you got him", Cyborg pointed out.
"Yes, please. You may stop now", Starfire told him, walking over and forcefully stopping him from continuing to beat the dead horse… or in this case, dead robot. "We are victorious." Hopefully, this would be enough to satiate Robin's rage. But as he stood, it was obvious that he was still furious.
"Slade's got his finger on the button, and we have nothing. Does that sound like a victory to you?" he asked, putting his weapon away before turning and leaving the storage building.
Solor could only stare after Robin. Something wasn't right. Slade, the past few times that they had faced him, had seemed to specifically target Robin for one reason or another. What was with the sudden interest? The detonator must have been some sort of ploy for another, more dastardly plot. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the others trying to think of a way to track the detonator.
"FREEZE!" Robin suddenly cried out, and began chasing after a dock worker. The rest of the team stared in shock, as if it was so surreal to see their leader chasing down an innocent bystander in all of this. After a few seconds, they all soon chased after him, and Raven used her powers to pull him away from the poor, frightened civilian.
"You better be on your way", Solor said, looking a little apologetic. "Our leader is just a little… jumpy at the moment. I apologize for his behavior." With a nod the worker hurriedly left, while Solor turned to Robin. Just as he was about to give him a piece of his mind, Beast Boy probably said the dumbest thing he could have said possible.
"Just because we're looking for Slade doesn't mean you have to act like him."
A cold silence filled the air, and for a second, it looked like Robin was about to explode. He suddenly turned around, a vicious snarl on his face. "Don't you ever compare me to him", he said softly. The rage was in his voice, it was just being held back, and there was no telling when it would explode. "He's trying to destroy the city! I'm trying to save it!"
"Ah-CHOO!"
A sudden explosion filled the air, and just like that, all the anger in the air dissipated. Everyone was smoking from the force of the sneeze, and the only one that seemed unfazed was Starfire, the perpetrator. "Gesundheit", Raven said dryly, still a bit dazed from the energy.
Starfire sniffled and blushed, obviously embarrassed. "Forgive me. I am allergic to Metallic Chronium. There must be a source near-" With another loud sneeze and explosion, the team scattered, regrouping once it was safe to be near her.
Cyborg approached, looking at his sensors as he got near the Tamaranean. "Interesting."
"Not really", Starfire sniffled, wiping her nose. "In my world, chromium-allergy is quite common."
"No", Cyborg said, indicating what he really meant. "The key component of a chronoton detonator is a metallic-chromium core. Which means…"
"Starfire can track it?" Solor finished, looking at their friend, who didn't seem too happy at the prospect of being the detonator detector. He couldn't help but chuckle a bit, as he approached Starfire. "I am sorry, my friend… but you just never seem to cease the surprises."
Despite her current miserable mood, Starfire couldn't help but blush and smile.
XxXxX
"Ah-CHOO!" After the umpteenth sneeze and sniffle, Starfire pointed deeper into the sewer that she had lead them to. "I believe it is this way." As she walked, the only one that seemed to be able to be near her was Solor, who had a natural resistance to energy attacks. All the others were stuck walking a good distance behind her, having to shield themselves from every sneeze. Solor couldn't help but smirk; being able to support Starfire made him feel happy, although he didn't know why.
"Listen… about earlier", Robin began, feeling sheepish.
Unfortunately, Raven interrupted him. "It'll have to wait", she said, pointing ahead of their teammates. There was a red speedboat, a Slade bot, and the same cylindrical device, the detonator that they had seen in the video feed. As soon as they were spotted, the robot began to start the boat, taking the detonator deeper into the sewers. Robin began to give chase, but was suddenly grabbed by a stony hand. When the others caught up to him, they saw that their leader was being attacked by Cinderblock. How he had gotten out of jail was unknown, but they had to stop him.
"Get the detonator!" Robin cried out. Reluctantly, the team left him behind, even Starfire. All except for Solor, who soon struck the golem from behind and caused him to fall off balance. "I told you to get the detonator!" the leader exclaimed, staring at his teammate with exasperated, but grateful eyes.
"The others are able to handle the device", Solor said, growling at their enemy. "Besides, four fists are better than two, correct?"
Robin grinned, and turned to Cinderblock, who was getting up angrily. "I have to warn you… you caught me on a bad day."
With that, the two Titans charged, ultimately decimating Cinderblock with their combos. When Robin kicked the monster one way, Solor would tackle him another, landing blow after blow. Eventually, they managed to tire out their opponent, and with a couple of well placed kicks, managed to ultimately defeat the escaped convict. It was then revealed that Cinderblock was holding a GPS that would lead them right to Slade.
"Something is not right", Solor said, his scales crawling. "There is no way that it should be this easy… it is obviously a trap."
"Doesn't matter", Robin said. "Slade is still in possession of the trigger. We have to stop him, no matter what." With that, the Teen Titan began following the coordinates. "Do what you want… I'm going after him."
Solor stared after his leader for a little longer, before he flared his wings, suddenly flying into the air and turning. "You handle Slade. I shall regroup with our friends and assist with the deactivation of the detonator." With that, he took off, looking for his friends. Of course, it wasn't too hard to figure it out. He was able to smell his friends' trails, and followed them despite the nasty smell of sewer water filling his nostrils. Plus, Starfire's sneeze was loud enough to hear throughout the whole sewer. He was able to locate them just as the device fell apart, rendering it completely useless.
"Um… why aren't we frozen in tim forever?" Beast Boy asked, getting over a panic attack.
"Because this wasn't a chronoton detonator. It's a fake!" Cyborg exclaimed, analyzing the whole wreck of the… whatever it was. It was then the dragon heard the internal mechanizations, and saw some sort of weapon come from within the boat. Following his instincts, Solor flew in front of it, and took the whole brunt of the blast. With a loud roar of pain, he managed to break the weapon before falling over, groaning in pain.
"Solor!" Starfire cried, suddenly flying up to him. "Oh, Solor, please tell us that you are not injured!"
Solor growled, and murmured out "Just peachy, Starfire."
"So… other than having the snot scared out of me, I think we're okay" Beast Boy said, smiling a bit. Solor glared a bit, as Cyborg scanned the dragon with his sensors.
"My sensors indicate that everything's okay", he said. "Whatever that beam was supposed to do…"
"It didn't do it", Raven said. "I can't sense anything off about him either."
"Then… we are victorious?" Starfire asked?
XxXxX
"Nanoscopic probes", Slade said, motioning to the screens. They all were showing the insides of the dragon. "Each filled with pure adrenaline and hallucinogens. Enough to drive an entire herd of elephants insane." He turned back to Robin, smirking under his mask. "The chronoton detonator was bait for a much larger trap. You see, with a push of a button, I will cause your friend to lose his mind. And he will annihilate your friends."
"He will never work for you", Robin declared. "If there's one thing I know about Solor, is that he is loyal to a fault, and would never do anything for you."
"This isn't about him", Slade countered. "It's about you. It's always been about you. Sending trouble your way… leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel… I was testing you. For some time now, I have been searching for an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps. And Robin… I've chosen you. Congratulations."
"No way would I ever work for-" Whatever Robin was about to say… it was cut off at the sight of the button in Slade's hand. With a simple push… Solor wouldn't be who they knew anymore. He'd be another monster. One without the fear of death, or the knowledge of friend or foe.
"If you join me… if you serve me… if you never speak to your friends again… I will allow them to live. But if you deny even the smallest request… I will have your pet destroy them. And I will make you watch.
"So… do we have a deal?"