Teen Titans Presents Robin; Torn Legacy of a Prodigal Son –
/
Chapter 59: Avalanche in Sight
/
Serious about having this become quite long, but do let me know – and, on we go!
/
The snow was drifting down, down. Doctor Light's cackle was still as creepy as the heroes remembered. Terra had brought a large rock from below the tanks to crumble, people were underground as Red Star watched it all from his niche in the safe room of that abandoned factory. The princess of fire from another planet was unconscious, he had to do something…but, who was that boy walking to the man holding her captive?
/
Raven was in a stasis that allowed her to search for Joey, who was busy making the men hurt and bruise each other as a stall. As well as Robin, her boy wonder and ex – leader. He was holding a few weapons that looked difficult for a crime fighter to use, yet Slade watched not too far away as Dick made his move and ran, his body not affected by the snow. "I'm going to smoke out the target." He told the man through his comm in the boy's ears. Raven gasped and came to her body, power flooding free as Slade was forced to look at her, all of her. "No. You're fighting me, not them." She boomed, her magic trapping Light into a ball as he banged on it in frantic desperation to see the sun again.
"You're upset." Slade cocked his head, also not touched by the cold as she ignored the itch to shiver from it. Demons burned, so did she half – way. "Dick isn't a criminal. He'll never belong to you. How can you be so –
"Why ask me?" The man pulled out a small gun as she watched him shoot it. Terra dodged as th shot was supposed to miss. The one he shot however, wasn't her.
"JOEY!!"
"Still, your team isn't equipped to handle the big leagues." Slade scoffed and moved to work for his gun to point at Raven. "A nullifying ray. Won't kill them, but I could make them suffer." He hissed. "Now, move out of the way."
"No." Raven raised her arms and made sure they all saw. She was leading this unit; it was her job. Kori was out cold, Dick was…was trying to fight, right?
"He's not on your side, anymore." Slade told the empath. "You miscalculated, witch."
"I never forget a face, Slade." She let her magic begin to wax. "AZARATH..."
"Try harder, before I shoot." Slade threatened to; his eye on her gaze as she smirked. "I never had to use it anyway." His eye, just grew wider as her demons came out to play.
~ Red suits you, mercenary…you've made a mess of my home…now…you'll all pay!!~
/
Dick made his way as the fighting raged. He saw Joey scale the wall and return to his body. He'd saved it close by, the shot all but keeping him bound to it if he tried to leave. He had to heal, but Dick wanted to send his message.
"Hi."
Insight turned and found his mouth gagged of sound; his body dragged away as Terra shoveled the General's men into a ditch to rot. "And stay out! You are just as bad as the men we're trying to stop. I have diplomatic authority over you…tell your associates…." She lifted a rock to move below, the men quite spooked by the girl's new control over her geo – moving powers. "That he's going away for life!! For the Genocide of Markovia's people !!"
Terra watched the men drive away, Doctor Light cowering as Terra spotted Raven in a heated brawl with a rather peeved mercenary. "Raven! You're going to –
She bit her lip. That was him, that man deserved her wrath, but…
She groaned and looked to the side –
"Joe? Joseph??" She panicked and had to choose. "Joey has Red Star, right? Raven –
"I…."
Starfire groaned and rose from her fated hit to the noggin. Slade squinted at her and the beam was not needed. "I shall stop you from accomplishing your task."
"You're….too….late…"
Slade cackled and pulled out a rather small batch of explosives. Rounded, like Robin was –
"It's a trick! Run!"
The electrocution was far worse in the cold. The two heroes saw stars as the fell down. Slade going over to Light as he was freed, and hopefully sane again. "Watch and contain these captives. I'm going after my apprentice and his target."
Terra fled inside and shut the door, barring it with anything she could move. "Red STAR!!"
"Nice to see you again, Tara."
She turned to see the masked ex – hero in the rafters with Joey dangling over the side in a pair of strange goggles. "Raven…you weren't going to distract –
"A feint." Dick shrugged. "We came here for him. Red Star." Dick jumped down without a scratch. She shook her head, fists balled at the actor playing assassin. "He's not here. He left." She dropped her gloves. "If you want anyone, you'll have to go through me."
"Just you?" Scoffed the other teen. "You're tough, but your mind is too weak to finish the job."
"And you can't kill." Terra snorted, arms over her chest. "Which one of us is the lucky one here, you or me? Let's find out."
"I won't bother if it's not to finish the job." Dick left Joey in his poorest sight as the other psychic was trying to sign something. Terra saw it and kept Dick from seeing her expression. "Slade told you he'd kill us. But some of us aren't afraid to die twice."
That was right. Terra had been troubled enough to be suicidal before. This was just to test if Dick felt the same. "You're a coward, Robin. You can't BE a renegade if you won't strike back."
"You're wasting my time." Dick sniffed. His staff came out as Terra let her body start to glow gold. "I'm not, actually. I'm your new challenger. Slade wanted all of his protégés dead, so you could have his crown?" She added. "Well, this is a fight you HAVE to finish. Kill me, prove you can keep them alive –
"Terra…"
"No, I'm Tara. You know me." She patted her own chest. "Robin saved me from going too far, he got me out by sacrificing himself. Now, can't I do that? Prove that someone else should have that choice –
"I'm serious, I won't –
"You will."
Slade stood in the window; the glass cut through as the two had bickered. "I'd like to see her mop the floor with you Renegade, if she has the guts to drench herself in your blood."
/
Dick's movements weren't his own as his whole body was shocked to fall to its knees. Terra snarled up at the man as his punished protégé had to learn to take initiative. "Red Star is gone now, apprentice. She waited until there was only one way out and he took the chance to keep you out in the cold. Tara, you're very right my dear."
"What, that Dick should push you off your throne? No, he should." Tara snorted to the merc. "I'm just an obstacle for your wind up toy, a danm domino he has to push."
"Interesting analogy, child."
"Whatever, so?" She got her powers up again, Richard's eyes were strained in question. "Mas –
"You'll fight her, prove that you can put your loyalty to the test." Slade's fingers hovered over something else as he scaled the catwalk of the facility. "I'll be the ref, you'll just fight until one of you fails."
"Good enough." Terra's skills had improved as well, her fighting style was similar to Rose's it looked. Dick wondered since he had not beaten her, if Tara was at the same level as Slade's third child.
" Fight."
/
He was enjoying this as Slade put his arms over the railing to observe from above. "Keep your form, Renegade. She means business."
Tara ignored the ref; Dick was already reluctant in his steps to kill a former ally. She'd trained harder in those months, gotten stronger. She didn't just depend on her powers to keep her in top shape, all of her in fact…
Was weaponized, thanks to Rose's hard-core methods and tactics.
Dick was forced to walk the wall as he noticed how his new abilities were…super human at best. She dragged him out as he saw how she could mold metal (borrowed from air bender) ore as it tried to cut and bind around his legs.
"I'm not even sure you want to save anybody, if he's up there shouting at you…then I still have a shot!"
Starting with the pipes, they blinded Dick as he coughed, his body disoriented while Terra landed a kick to his torso. Sliding across the floor, Dick forced himself to get up. To keep fighting. "Because of what your morals are now, Star and Raven are both in danger. No one is safe, you'd give us up to save us? What kind of hero kills to save lives??"
"That…. the same as those men?" Dick growled and sent his staff to launch him in a vault over Tara's head, toppling her as he dragged her to the ground. "You're still as out of control and dangerous as I remember!" He wrenched her head back even as she'd chopped off her length to remain shorter. "We should BOTH be locked up…I wish I could stop…. But you so don't get what's going on here!" He brought his fist to her face and rose. She spat out a cup bloody lick of saliva-tinged pink, her nose had started to bleed. Then, her power kicked in. An iron girder launched itself any Dick's shoulder as he cried out. The man above had moved in secret, his steps unheard. Dick knew he was plotting. Doing his best to read the room my ass!
"You've got to finish me, but you won't." Terra rose and was coated in a golden aura. "My powers can put your back to the wall. I'll see you for your crimes, like HIM!"
Slade however didn't like how Dick was refusing to go all out. He pressed a button and in mere moments he was in pain. Pain, by the probes. Terra gasped and her energy was released. She ran to him, his body too hot and far to broken the…. wait….
"I…. hate this…too…" Dick coughed. Then, she thought back to when they'd said he wasn't even real, that he could transcend it. Pain. She couldn't get away as his grip made her stay put. "Let…. go….freak!"
"I'm…going to win…." Slade nodded as he let the probes' light vanish with a press. "Because we all wanted to live!!"
/
Terra was a pulp with a broken rib or two, a fractured arm as he legs started to twitch. The boy wonder leaving her hear as Slade was clapping. Applauding the win. "Very, good. Now." Slade pulled out a device from his pocket. Nullifying ray. Terra seethed as Dick just looked blankly at the device. "Our employer wants the Markov child alive. Take it, use this to keep her powerless."
Terra gasped and dragged her body to see if Joey would hear her. "Get help!! No….i'm not a prize…I –
"You're a hero." Slade smirked. "And don't all heroes sacrifice themselves for others, Terra?"
Dick was holding the power in his hands; he could not use it on Slade since he was still far too strong. Dick had only incapacitated her. This was never about killing anyone. But capturing the metas for this merc to go home, wealthy.
"I think she's right." Slade looked at Dick, the boy tensing as he tried to speak, to show Terra that this was still his plan. "That I was the exception, sir."
Slade made a gruff sound as Dick sighed and the gun was set off. Joey heard it and, in his haste, he sent a link rather painfully to a Titan that could correctly sense his presence.
The soundless scream Insight gave had Slade look up and for once, interact with his own flesh and blood. "You all brought this onto yourselves. This isn't your risk to take, neither was it hers. Markovia is thriving just fine, the General isn't even our concern once we're back to the base…Apprentice?" Slade directed Dick to secure the captive two. He nodded, getting to work without another sound. "If you'd followed the rules, maybe we wouldn't be here to begin with." Slade shook his head at the two heroes; made by his blood and aide, both traitors to the legacy of the name, Deathstroke.
/
To the average bear, humans had made a capture of their own kind. To a mad scientist Red Star believed…. they had done far worse than catch a critter in the forest, but a meta cluster. Of heroes.
As he used his only means; a snowmobile he'd built in his free time, the man held his temples as an incoming message had the soldier swerve to the side and hide by some trees. ~ Red Star! We aren't well, you have to contact the Titans. The Titans in…California, we were taken by the enemy – the same one coming after you….so, you must, somehow connect…Robin, the leader of the Titans under Deathstroke's control… lied. My father tricked us. He is manipulating his captive apprentice…you must get help. We are… ~
Red Star revved up and looked to the next town, the village where the monster was laid to rest by Kori's good heart. He had to help, even if there was not much he could do as a convict from the law in his home country.
"I must find a way to save my comrades, even if it means showing my face to everyone…" He backed up and headed off over drifts to a place where he could send any signal. Hoping that if any, the general he'd once worked under could have a heart this season. Just once, and only then…then, he might learn to trust in others like before the accident.
/
Had the general above that ONE not been replaced with a carbon copy – that was what the two, apprentice and master made sure to come to him for the last time to collect their payment. He, his.
"I heard that you caught all but the objective."
"We can work something out, stay longer." Slade brought up as he shut the door while Richard was the last to come inside the room. "My apprentice needs the experience; he pummeled that Markov child. We could always add 'ransom' to that intricate list of yours, General Alexikov."
"Smooth words for a former man of his station. You were told to bring the one thing and it fell through. That boy could have done no better. Yet, by far he could work in this office. Act on seeing that this dilemma is…remedied."
Slade put his arm out to stop Dick from retaliating. "We know about your little pardon; my apprentice is loyal to only me."
"I don't think he ever was, were you."
Dick was quick, his arm went in a snap as he dragged out a blade he'd been passed by the guards coming in. This was his way out. His way into getting Slade away from him as soon….
Slade fell to one knee by the wedge of the blade into his knee, the pain was a different kind a Dick looked it over, then at the off general offering his assistance. "Poison? He wasn't supposed to –
"How else could you wound this lowly animal, child?" She revealed her sharpened eyes and smile, Dick's blade discarded as he was taken at both sides of the room by her operatives. "Allow me to introduce myself." The lady laced her fingers round the kid's chin to have him look up as Slade's serum was busy busting the toxin in the next hour or so. "I am called Madame Rogue, and the Light's associates would l just love for the chance to meet the, former boy wonder and the infamous mercenary." She purred, Dick growling as he was led away and turned into a captive of some bigger ploy. "Slade. He fell for our plan, but you?" Rouge made sure the boy was taken while she took the pleasure of talking old times with this general of a sort. "We had a good run, have you forgotten Alexikov's love of conquest?"
"Do you still look up to that failed science project, Rouge?" He sneered through the pain. She ignored not the insult to her, but the Brain. That, was a crime. She backhanded him with her lengthy arm and its stringy power to slap some sense into his dense skull. "I will have you know that the light values you as well, if only you'd consider halting your minor jobs to see this as an opportunity."
"Renegade needs competant teachers, not hacks out of grad school." Slade chuckled. "I'm done with interviews and you only want to go large scale. That is not what I'm teaching my apprentice just yet."
"What happened, death? Did your last plan fail and leave holes in that ego of yours." Scoffed the temptress. "The boy will have our protection, our gratitude and…." She lifted his mask off as he allowed it. " He will have had the chance to change for good. You won't need to let the old Robin poke out its beak at you. I -
"Brainwashing is a hack, and I told your leader this a decade ago." Slade sniffed. "I don't DO shortcuts in my plans. You flaunt everything as if it will last, but I see below your vanities, my dear…. Still as ugly and twisted as ever, and careless."
"Your boy will serve us with you or we'll take him. Use him as our prettied soldier for combat."
"Over my dead –
"Death…" An injector gun appeared as the vein was found in his neck, just poking through. " Never suited you very well, darling…. amour."
/
Dick was shuffled to a convoy that had possibly taken his friends for the ride, just before he'd decided to bite down and contact Raven, before everything else became a blank. So, soon he was up again... Only because of WHAT was in the vehicle with him did he stay awake.
A large mountain gorilla with a beret and quite a poor sense of humor. He walked over and soon; he spoke as well in a French accent to the troubled teenager. Deep in timbre, Dick looked up and imagined Gorilla Grod in this thing's place.
"The assassin had children to draw with his mighty blade, how interesting and very cruel a tactic. You must be patient. Ah, I am Monsieur Mallah, how rude of me." The gorilla probably thought that he was a child. The serum had the effect to freeze his aging process. "When we arrive at the main headquarters, I'd only ask that you remain silent unless spoken to."
"Why."
Still, he was a teen. Still, he had reason to clock the monkey and jump the tracks. Tracks…. wait…
"You believed that you were in fact not awake this entire time?" Chuckled the warring ape. "Pity that your teacher could not arrive in time to save you. He will be joining the next –
"She promised to free me from him, but what's this about joining your organization. You know who I am, and I have to guess. She's part of a secret group of villains that was active in the cold war. That was why Slade and Alexikov were targets, but I –
"You were abducted, and we will honor that request from the earlier call by enabling you to fight him, as promised. Deathstroke, has a –
"The serum, I know."
The gorilla frowned with a grumble. "Then, did the informant tell you that we can possibly even remove the healing factor and its effects from you, little assassin?"
/
"How are you so sure that it's even possible." Dick sat cross legged as the ape enlightened him while still keeping the organization's face a secret. "We have scientists that were responsible for what made the Markov girl a meta – gene initiate. As well as Red Star whom you'd failed to apprehend."
"He got away; Terra was the distraction."
"It matters, but later."
"One more question."
Dick had the ape look into his masked vison as Renegade took a breath. "What do they want with me without a factor like him? What good could I be if I'm not so valuable. None of –
"When we do arrive." Mallah cut him off. "You may engage in asking our leader what you wish to. He knows all of what you think you do."
The ape left him alone as Dick wondered why the thing had bothered to blather so much. It had to be that his age was the reason. That this group could hide its face, yet it's motives were still as clear as it all was in his mind.
They were capturing heroes for some nefarious purpose. Dick sighed and tried to let his eyes match his thoughts.
And right now, he and Slade were being added to that same list. He'd just sold out everyone because he'd not gone off script.
/
It was days too late, this had to come to a halt.
Cy was in the middle of trying to get in touch with Titans Europe on a few missing persons' cases. Bb was devastated as he turned into a dog and pace the floor with a whimper inside the main room of the tower. Speedy and Jade had left to see about another factor, an open one regarding the scarab that Jade and Artie had seen at Cadmus. She wondered if Superboy had some DNA matching the past data they'd taken before that, if he even wanted to wail on Luthor since. "I still think this thing with capturing metas and how Grant was incarcerated was because of the Light's doing." Artie was atop the same building for hours watching Lex move while Green Arrow made sure her head was clear. Jade was there too, her eyes as sharp but his bow twice as wicked a shot. "Wait, should she –
"I'm sure breaking and entering by high rise is our way of a housewarming, lil sis." Commed back Jade, her mask staying on as Luthor was looking to his left before entering for a conference on one of the floors. "They have an all – villain's exclusive and we have to make sure no rich dudes get a DWI."
Groaned a rather bored Roy Harper. "Arrow, we have an option here to infiltrate."
"We also can't be spotted if Cadmus' G- Nomes are the guests of honor." Ollie told his ex-partner. "If Lex is getting his name up there with the Light, we can pull a plug or two later. Right now, status report."
"The few people inside aren't a part of the crowd. The party has started, but Lex…." Jade saw him leave to get to the elevator. "He's off, I'm going in."
"Jade!"
"Ditto." Roy hopped over and took to the fresh pressed suit below his uniform. "See you back out, partner."
Ollie face planted and Artie did the same. "Too impulsive...they are a perfect…. Couple?"
"Couple of kids." Grumbled Oliver. "They're going to blow it." Ollie pulled off his uniform to stash it as a wig was handed to Artie.
"We said this was a bad idea, right?" She seethed at the color and style of the wig he'd picked out for her.
"It's the only idea that will get us closer to the truth." Ollie held out a hand as Artemis got into character.
"Lead the way, until you step on my foot. Then. It's back of the line. All night." She chuckled back to the girl's JLA superior. (NOT A PAIRING, THEY ARE JUST CLOSE AND GETTING INTO CHARACTER.)
/
"How goes, it?" BB looked to see Speedy with Blue Beetle as Jaime right now, and Conner Kent. "I want to know where they took our team." Con responded to the Titan senior. "He's the cause, you know Slade is to blame."
"What did he not do to you guys?"
"To Terra…" Bb grunted. "I should have been there!"
"We needed you here –
"She's…. she's a princess with meta powers…the jerks working for him in Russia…." BB growled and kicked the floor. "I'm going out –
"Chaperone!" Wally sped up as Gar raised a brow at the clown. "What for?"
"You're venting…on the furniture, for one." Conner told the green hero, pointing to a scratched up pillow of the sofa.
"And at us, don't forget about us. Amigo." Nodded Jaime.
"Shoot, fine." BB rolled his eyes at them, hands in his pockets as Wally slowed down to match the hero's steps. "We'll be back when you need us!" Wally signed an ok as the screen of the main room soon fizzled to life.
"Wa –
"Wait! S….-
~ Titans, if this is your tower…we are in dire need of your assistance. The location of your companions has been found. It is…underneath the Eifel tower. Directly located in, Paris…France. ~
"Red Star did it! Yo, this is –
"Jaime, that's not…. How…this works, right. Too easy?" Connor scratched his head at the info being so timely.
Cy shook his head. "I think we need more info."
"No, he's right." BB's eyes got wider. Fueled by a new level of determination, he started towards the door. "Gotta make a call! Don't wait up for me."
"B!"
The speedster did tag along, as BB got to the computer in his room and hooked up his unit. The screen changed over to a video chat. A man with brown hair and a set of lab goggles complete with a white lab coat was working on something. Beside him was, a woman…
Wally's eyes did a cartoon stare, complete with hearts. "Whoa…she's –
~ Excuse me? This frequency is for –
The man stopped; his goggles lifted up over his eyes, as the woman also revealed her face.
~ Garfield? ~
"Hi, Rita. Steve." Bb took in a breath as he started on, "I…. need you guys to tell me. When was the last time you two fought The Brotherhood of Evil."
/
There it is. Next is the faces behind the Light, and about Grant and Jason's experiences as guests in someone else's…. base. Stay tuned!
