Chapter 28. Double.
The cave had an underground entrance, with a canning factory under construction for a decoy so any kind of noise, rumble or even explosions would go unnoticed and without suspicion. It was in the middle of an open rocky terrain, big enough to pass as a small desert with a mountain in the background at least two miles away.
Robin was assessing the area with high tech binoculars that Cyborg had designed. The telescope reach was up to five miles with digital readings able to calculate distances in between objects, speed, temperature and even weather conditions. Also they could identify makes and nature of any possible artillery that came in view, along with night vision, camera and radar.
"It even tells time" Cyborg had said with a big smile the first time he presented the prototype to the rest of the Titans a few months ago.
This was one of Cyborg's favorite and most proud of inventions. It was the same technology he was built with, times five hundred. And it came in handy as they were spying on Slade's new hideout from almost three miles away because the place was infested with new generation Slade-bots, armed with laser guns, machine guns and heat seeking missiles.
Robin had come up with a plan after a couple of hours of deliberating about the location. He had managed to attach a tracking device on Slade during their earlier encounter. He had to admit that although a thief, Red X had had a brilliant idea about tagging their opponent with a tracking device rather than their friends while being captured and taken hostage.
After a few debates they decided to use Cyborg's new toy and that's when they discovered the amount of robots surrounding the area. Without Raven's dark magic to phase them thru without being noticed, they risk the chance of being discovered before getting anywhere near the entrance. So they needed a diversion and also infiltrate with the least amount of force as they didn't want to risk their friend's safety inside.
Garfield said that he and Meliah could turn into rodents and get past their security guards without much trouble.
"B, the only flaw with your plan, is that they're programmed to shoot and destroy whatever moves near them, even if is an animal" Said Cyborg applying the last few touches on his new arm. A new sonic canon that could intensify the blast's range and when used to the max, could disintegrate anything in its path.
"hmmm, hey Rob, what about Kid Flash. The dude is fast and can take BB and Meliah closer to the entrance"
"Good idea Cyborg, he can get pass them without being detected by their radars. I'll call him right now" and he walked to the nearest computer to locate kid Flash while Cyborg went to the garage and prepare the T-ship.
It had been more than two hours since they arrived and the wait was making him restless, Garfield had been pacing back and forth for a few minutes now, with a frown and lost in thought, he stopped in front of the window not really looking at anything in particular but wondering why was taking Robin and Cyborg so long to get ready to leave.
Meliah came to stand next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder and said softly "Gar, don't worry, we'll get there on time'' He nodded once without looking away from the glass.
A few minutes later, Robin was giving the "Titans, Go!" after letting them know Kid Flash would meet them two miles away from Slade's lair and get their plan in motion.
They arrived a few minutes after Kid Flash did. He was waiting leaning against a tree, when he heard the engine of the T-ship hover around the area.
"About time you got here, I was getting tired of waiting" he joked to the others when they got off the vehicle then made a double take when Meliah came into view. She was wearing one of Beast Boy's Doom Patrol uniforms since none of her clothes were shape shifter friendly.
Garfield noticed Kid Flash staring flat out at Meliah's every move and knew it bothered her because of her scars. So, while Robin assed the area, he walked over to the speedster.
"Dude, don't do that, it makes her uncomfortable" Garfield said quietly.
"Sorry dude, but she's just so pretty. Who is she? I've never seen her before"
"A friend of mine, her name is Meliah…" but before he was finished, he rushed towards the girl to introduce himself.
"Hi there, I'm Wally, You're pretty" this caught Meliah by surprise. The young man in front of her was almost as tall as her, red hair and deep blue eyes, playful with a sparkle and a sweet smile to go with it.
"Nice to meet you… thanks?…" she averted her eyes were Garfield was smiling, shaking his head in surprise and disbelief before Robin Called everyone.
"Alright Titans, you know what to do. Slade has the girls trapped in a force field that annuls their powers and Red X's belt was damage during the earlier fight. Kid Flash, as soon as the diversion is accomplished, get inside help rescue the girls"
"What about Red X?, a thought the guy was a thief"'
"He is, but in this particular circumstance we have come to an understanding and right now is as helpless as the girls are without their powers" Robin said in a tone that allowed no more argument. He didn't feel comfortable discussing the fact that he was working alongside a thief.
"Titans, Go!" Yelled Robin, while simultaneously Beast boy and Meliah turned into mice , Kid Flash picked them up and run so fast, his trail was a yellow and red blur. He run right in between the robots who were walking around with laser guns in hand. He dropped them off inside right before a door closed and got out to run around their machine guns.
Finally the robots caught sight of him on the radar and started to shoot at him. He managed to kick the guns off their hands and tried to knock them out, but almost broke his hand in the process. He changed his tactic, and instead, used their own radar to target himself and when the robots released the heat seeking missile, he redirected it to the other cannon. A loud earth shaking explosion was heard from the inside.
Meanwhile, Garfield and Meliah had turned into snakes and slither their way along the edge of the wall towards the next chamber. They saw Slade and Blackfire inside of what it seemed a control room but couldn't hear what were they discussing.
Garfield looked around and turned into a fly followed by Meliah and tried to find a minuscule entrance into that chamber but there was none to be found but towards the ceiling, was a vent that lead to the next chamber. They followed the small tunnel and that's when the explosion was heard. Dust and small rocks fell around them when they finally reached the exit and saw the three bubbles of energy containing the girls and the thief.
Garfield was so happy to see Raven he flew straight towards her and transformed back human.
"Rae, are you ok?!"
"Beast Boy! How did you find us?" she said as she straighten up her legs.
"Robin got the idea from Red X to attach a tracking device on Slade" he said while looking around the console a way to deactivate the force field.
"What was that explosion?" she asked, curious as to what he was looking for exactly.
"A diversion. Kid Flash is helping out.. Say… do you know where the off switch thingy is?" he said looking at her in the eyes for the first time since he arrived.
"On Slade's left arm" she said simply. His ears dropped a little. Then a clank was heard and Starfire yelled in excitement "YES!" when her shackles broke apart from her hands.
"I thought Robin said the bubbles cancel your powers" said Meliah, speaking for the first time since they arrived. Raven hadn't seen her but when she did, she noticed her attire. One of Beast boy's Doom Patrol uniforms outline her every curve. This didn't set well with the sorceress and answer her with narrowed eyes and an almost menacing monotone.
" It doesn't cancel them, just repels them. Trust me, otherwise I would be using them right about now"
"Beast Boy, there should be a panel right above the console that makes the bubbles hover over it. Pull all the cables off, it should cancel the link to Slade's remote control and the capacity of the force field, that way, the girls can get out" said Red X.
Garfield complied and sure enough, the panel right below Raven's bubble was at his mercy. He pulled the cables and a humming noise they had not notice before was slowing down to a stop at the same time the force field descended slowly to rest on the console.
With a flick of her wrist, Raven used a small amount of energy to slash the bubble, careful in case the repelling consistency was still active but instead, it cracked a little, so she used a stronger amount of her dark energy to encase the bubble and break it into pieces.
Starfire did the same with hers as soon as Meliah was was done with the wires of her force field and with two massive star bolts, her bubble fractured into rubble and landed next to the girl.
"Meliah, you look different and most peculiar in that attire" Starfire said after inspecting the girl closely.
" My clothes was burned in a fire in Africa, Garfield let me use one of his uniforms to allow me to shape shift at any time without destroying my clothes.
"That was nice of you" said Raven to Garfield a moment later while she was trying to get the thief free but another explosion bent over the metal doors and dozens of Slade-bots flowed in, guns at the ready, surrounding the four heroes.
Slade walked in, hands behind his back assessing his surroundings. "I see the lovers are back, how was your trip to Africa?"
"You have some nerve to come back Slade. Thanks to you many innocent people was seriously injured in that village and many others lost their homes" yelled Garfield with disgust and anger his hands into fists.
"Pity… I meant for the entire village to be destroyed"
This enraged the changeling who leaped and charged towards the villain and turned into a tiger midair, paws ready, but a white star bolt knocked him out and Blackfire descended next to Slade.
Raven was getting ready to attack when one of the robots held Garfield's limp body with one hand and a laser gun pointed at his head with the other one.
"Now, now Raven, you wouldn't want him to get hurt anymore, would you?"
At that moment, the clang of metal, followed by a small explosion, destroyed the head of the robot holding Beast Boy and out of the shadows of the cavernous ceiling, Robin swung his way down and landed in front of Slade with his bo staff ready.
"Its over Slade!"
"I'm impressed Robin. You have managed to find me. But look around you, its far from over. Besides, I have a surprise for you" and with the press of a button, the force field that contained Red X send electric shocks inside, electrocuting the thief and paralyzing him in the process. Then walked over to the bubble and with another button, the bubble burst open letting the limp body fall with a thud on the floor.
Slade picked him up by the collar of his suit. "You see Robin, a long time ago, I used to reside in Gotham, Batman however, was always trying to anticipate my every move, which he almost did until that last meeting at Cadmus Lab. Do you remember? You were his brand new addition. A promising apprentice as well"
"What's your point Slade.?"
"That night, you also left with a battle scar which at some point was bleeding…"
"And?…" Robin was growing impatient, grinding his teeth at the thought of what the villain might be implying.
"I'm surprised you haven't figure it out yet Robin. After our encounter, I managed to procure some of that blood and with the help of a willing employee, the subject MKL013 was created. And after some time, this…" he said while he snatched the mask off of the barely conscious thief… "was the result… so what do you think Robin… or should I say… Richard Greyson?"
A collective gasp was heard from the young heroes. Robin was shocked beyond reason, not only because his nemesis had finally figured out his identity but also because he was seeing himself across the room. Pale and speechless, he stare at his double.
"You know, funny thing about clones is that they not only contain the DNA of their host but also retain some of their recent memories, so, after he woke up and found out what he was and that I was behind it, he escaped the lab and disappeared until a few years ago. I'm surprised you didn't realized this sooner when he stole your Red X suit. After all, his biometrics are what allowed him to get passed the Tower's security system."
Robin tried to get passed his shock but another fear rose within. If he knew his identity, he also knew about… "What has been your plan all along Slade?" the villain laughed at this.
"You know Richard, when I found out who was behind that mask, it all fell into place. I should have seen it coming, the great Batman is no other than that stuck up Bruce Wayne. I laughed at the irony of it. I'm sure you're wondering why it took me so long to take advantage of this little tidbit of information. You see, patience is a virtue, and with patience come great rewards. At some point, you will inherit all of Wayne industries, including the weapons arsenal that supplies him and you with your toys. Not mentioning his entire fortune…"
"And what makes you think I'm going to let you get away with it" Robin yelled.
"Oh but I will. You see Richard, the world only knows one Richard Greyson, and that's how it shall remain. He will make the perfect apprentice and ally when the time comes"
"And what makes you think I'm ok with that" said the unmasked thief the moment he used his elbow with all his strength to knock the air out the villain holding him captive however the armor protected him but Slade was distracted enough to let him fall and the thief took advantage of that and swung his leg towards Slade's to make him loose balance.
Garfield had recovered by then and along with Meliah, turned into rhinos and charged to the nearby robots. Robin yelled "Titans, Go!" once more and the rest engaged in a fight of their own.
Starfire launched at her sister who was trying to escape the encounter. "You will not be doing the escaping today sister. This has gone long enough" she said while throwing her star bolts at the other tamarenean who was avoiding them with ease.
"So you say sister dear, but I have always been the better fighter… we'll see who will be victorious." with that, she counter attacked with her own star bolts and eye beams knocking her sister off the air.
Once on the ground, they engaged in hand to hand combat which Starfire was more familiar with now after many combat sessions that Robin had pressed upon the girls to learn throughout the years in case they're powers failed them for one reason or another.
Starfire swirled around low enough to kick her sister's legs and made her loose her balance then jumped on her and punched her in the face repeatedly with all her might.
Robin and the thief attacked Slade together. Robin couldn't help but wonder how he didn't find the similarities before. Even their fighting style. Slade was agile but started to feel overwhelmed with two of them. So the first chance he got, pressed a button on his left arm and more robots appeared from every entrance that surrounded them.
Raven was slashing robot after robot with her dark energy but was growing exhausted. She had not much time meditating earlier and now she was feeling the consequences.
A white saber tooth jumped over her head smashing a robot before it attacked her from the back and a green bull rammed into the other robots in front of her.
Slade made another round of kicks and punches, avoided with ease some of the attacks from his opponents but was not enough, so he pulled a blade from under his sleeve on his left arm and attempted to stab either one. At that moment, a sonic blast wiped out half of the robots in its path followed by a "BOO YAH" and a loud explosion coming from the roof making the entire frame of the cave rumble and massive amounts of dust and rocks fell destroying some more of the robots but also threatening to bury the heroes.
Slade took advantage of the distraction and threw a flying disc from his belt. when the device touched the ground, it started to spin, shooting lasers around aimlessly while he escaped out of the cave. Meliah noticed his direction and followed him outside.
Garfield was fending off the lasers until Cyborg jumped and smashed the device with one of his feet. Then both looked for Starfire who was still fighting her sister. Star bolts flew left and right. Small craters on the ground were around them after one slipped off on time to avoid a mighty punch from the other one. One final blow to the stomach got Starfire thrown against the wall and the moment her sister was ready to throw a final punch, tentacles grabbed surrounded her arms and legs sending electric shocks and disabling her powers.
She was familiar with the treatment as she had tried for years to escape the sentinels. "Blackfire of Tamaran, you are under arrest for treason to the crown, stealing the solar system in the Lunar sector, escaping prison…"
The intergalactic officer kept reading to her all the charges against her while his partner descended with Starfire in his arms and placing her on the ground on her feet.
"Your majesty, we received word of the whereabouts of your sister. Thanks to the Titans now she will be under more secure and proper custody and will not be able to escape and threaten this planet or yours. We also intercepted a small Gordanian fleet ready to enter Earth's atmosphere and admitted that the reason for coming to this planet was to capture you"
"I do not know how to thank you. And please, make sure Blackfire is taken well care of, after all, she's still my sister" she said with pleading eyes to the officer who bowed at her words "As you wish, your majesty" he said before turning to Cyborg and shook hands with him, boarded his small hover vehicle and disappeared thru the open crater above.
"Star, you're incredible. After the way she's treated you, you still want her to be comfortable… why?" asked a familiar voice coming from behind her. She smiled before she turned to face him.
"Because she's my sister, the only family I have l…" she gasped at the sight in front of her. Robin was standing right in front of her with the one who seemed to be wearing Red X's costume.
Cyborg made a double take, Beast Boy's mouth was wide open and Raven kept her stoic expression. The silence was uncomfortable and so, Robin decided to introduce his doppelganger.
"Team, this is what Slade was planning all along. This is…" he stopped, not sure how to proceed.
"You can say it, I'm your clone" said the double not looking up.
"Clone? So that's how you were able to enter the Tower before ?" asked Cyborg still in shock. The double nodded.
"You're not just a clone. You're your own person. Just because you look like Robin, doesn't mean you're him" said Raven from behind the group.
"So, if he looks just like you Robin, does that mean your eyes are…" Starfire looked from one to the other. Robin sighed and took his mask off in front of his friends.
"Yes Star, they're blue… I guess there is no point on wearing this mask when he's got none… now you all know who we are" Starfire was speechless. She had always wanted to see his eyes, his face without that wretched mask that seemed to be part of his skin and now… she saw the shame and disappointment in them.
"Richard, is it?" Starfire said and extended her hand to him "Hi, I'm Koriand'r from Tamaran. It is a pleasure to meet you" Richard looked at her hand then finally into her eyes and her kind and soft smile and took it in his hands "Nice to meet you Koriand'r" and smiled at her.
"Dude! So is your name also Richard?" asked Beast Boy finally able to get over his shock.
"No, my name is Michael… but this cannot get out of this cave. I've been trying for years to stay hidden, it was when I found out about Richard's suit that I venture out and have an identity of my own."
"Wait, so you've known about all this all along? Even about Batman?" asked Robin suddenly when that part of the information dawn on him.
"Yes, and Alfred has been tracking me down all this years… I even think he's the one who let me know about the Red X suit stored in the Tower's vault.
Starfire came in front of Michael, hugged him and pecked him on the cheek "Thank you for being my friend Michael"
"My pleasure gorgeous" he said he let her go and slightly looked over at Robin who was looking somewhere else the entire time.
A rumbling noise was heard coming from outside, Robin and Michael put on their masks the moment Kid Flash entered the cave at full speed.
"Guys, quickly. Meliah is hurt!"
They all run outside looking for the girl. Kid Flash led them where she was laying on the floor, holding her side, a small pool of blood around her.
Garfield run to her side, shocked at the amount of blood, she was barely awake and said "Now… he wont… bother you… anymore" she said in between breaths. It was getting harder and harder for her to breath.
"No M… stay awake!, talk to me… you'll be ok… " he said in between sobs. Then felt her body go limp on his arms. He gasp in horror and turned to the sorceress and with pleading, teary eyes, he said "Raven please! Save her… I cant loose her…"
Raven felt her heart break while she took a deep breath. Without a word she extended her hands over the unconscious girl and started to glow. But after only a few seconds, the black aura faded leaving Raven panting from the exertion.
"I'm sorry Beast Boy, I don't have enough energy left in me. The wound is not too deep but she's lost a lot of blood. Cyborg can help with the rest" she said with some remorse. Then she saw his eyes and against her better judgment at the moment, she added "I can keep trying, but I'm exhausted as it. I doubt any healing will be done with me like this… I'm sorry Beast boy"