Teen Titans – Severing Old Ties – Sibling Rivalries –
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Chapter 11: Hunt you Down
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Slade knew how to cut through jungle vines from his army days; his hunting days, as a mercenary. Dick stayed behind the man, wishing his wit with Starfire was anything but tediuous as the group made their way deeper to the center of a bleeping source.
A live one, as Slade didn't cease his cutting and weed whacking to watch and wait.
They were not alone.
"Careful." Slade paused before another cut could be made.
"We're being followed."
Dick cocked a brow and Kori gawked. "Are, you the certain?"
"Who?"
"Dunno…" Slade squinted and saw the reeds shift above them. "Whatever this is…"
Starfire was mostly on board, yet the slip of her fears had the reeds become a bay for the enemy to attack through – she was gripped and taken by surprise before she could even scream.
"Starfire!"
"Hush! We're being –
The battle began, as Lightening, Pantha and Psimon had appeared. With a wicked smirk, the good doctor had his group, attack the two as Slade went low, dragging Dick through the reeds as if he were a paper sack.
"What is going on??"
"Mind control." Slade huffed as they evaded capture. "No more Brother Blood, so the Tweedle Dee and Dumber got wise; how else were they going to get back at us both?"
"They're your kids –
"Hah!"
Lightening tried to break up the truce as Slade dropped Robin, both landing in a crouch to save their own skins.
"We have to tag in."
"I'm not helping you betray us again." Dick had fought with Slade for Raven, Jericho and even his team in the past. Here, he was keeping his word but was Slade going to trick the boy wonder and leave him behind after he'd verbally assaulted the older man?
"I'm not. Trust me."
Dick gritted his fists and pulled out a second weapon to give to Slade.
He took the escrima, while Slade had the staff in hand.
"Remember what you said." Dick said as Slade nodded.
"That goes same for your Titans, kid."
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Starfire pulled against what seemed to be a trap, until the face that greeted her was not at all as she'd expected.
"The -
" Shh….!" Timmy and his siblings and a GIANT teddy all put up their fingers for Kori to not make a peep.
"Come on, we don't have much time." The blonde eldest pulled her family along as Kori bobbed her head. They were still ok…she would let Raven know once they were out of danger.
The Titans were still going plenty strong!
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Raven and Eli were both within range when a sharp sound cut through the air, telepathically knocking the wind out of them.
" Agh!" Gar covered his two-pointed ears as Cy shouted as well.
" Raven!" She wasn't waking up; Eli was still stunned too…
"Mate! Are you, alright?" Jenny tried to keep Eli up on his toes, while Jericho just was…unfazed by the pain.
~That's her…~ He said in a whispered telepathic thought. ~ Rose is crying out for help! ~
Joey ran ahead, not understanding that it could be a trap as Argent also went on to stop the pretty boy from mucking things up –
"You can't go and bloody, be cap –
A few words were lost as a cry rang out.
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Grant hummed an old tune his dad used to, when he was a simple man, while Rose set the bait and closed the trap while thinking that…she didn't like this game as much as she'd helped to plan it.
"Are we in sight of Deathstroke?" She communicated back to her half-brother, while he was too busy grinning through his sniper's scope on the other end of the island's jungle.
"Psimon has em' cornered, so let's see if the two "amigos" can dance their way outta this one…"
He carefully applied a bit of pressure to the trigger, timing it just right.
"One more step…. ah, theere we are…come back to stop us, pops?"
A tap on the shoulder had Grant edgily sneer at –
Toddlers?
"You had better not do anything mean, mister."
Starfire went and the gun melted by her energy, the grin on Ravager's face now fading as he pulled out a blade. Not a sound as the face of reason had left.
It was time to start the Titan hunt.
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Rose tapped her fingers against the device in her ear, then growled and groaned out with a fist to the keys.
"I'll fix this. Grant was just a lackey anyway…" By whatever Grant had done to Rose's not so fragile mind, she was on a war path of her own; defeat her father AND the Titans, and put her half-brothers in their place.
A call rang out as Rose alerted her Hive allies in yellow armor to disperse and collect to capture.
"Then, it's time to start those Glad – games, old foes and daddy!" She grinned and set the button.
"All hands on deck! Your Hive QUEEN commands it!!"
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The ground shook just as Dick had gotten Lightening under control. He gave Slade a look, but the man was as puzzled as his frenemies.
"What's going on??"
"The island queen is displeased!" Lightening broke free as Dick held his scorched gloved fingers and pulled away.
"You will all be sorry, and end up as soldiers to the Queen of the Glorious Hive!!"
"Rose!" Slade pulled Psimon to his and had his hand in a killing blow move to the neck. Dick gasped and was afraid that Slade was resorting to his old territory as a monster.
"Stop! This isn't the way we do things…put Psimon –
"I'm going to only ask this once, sparks. Where is your queen, and what is her plan??"
"You will not sway a loyal servant, mercenary!" Lightening snapped his fingers as Pantha jumped onto Robin's arm, pulling him in and in a hold as Slade let Psimon stay in his, he wouldn't do it! Dick was –
"Pantha! It's me –
" Anng !"
Pantha was mucho strong, and she could hold back at times - but not to kill! Dick started to sweat, his fingers clutching her arm, but it was no use…
"Will you lose your comrade, Deathstroke? We know what it is you are after, and maybe our queen will remedy your condition…. if you let go of our comrade…"
Slade paused on the thought, not taking his eye off of Lightening and his posse.
"You'll let us both go." Slade said, his eye now reaching dick as if to warn him of another backstabbing attack.
"You have our word as loyal subjects to the queen herself; she'd be happy to address your concerns."
"Are –
"Shut it." Slade snapped at the boy wonder. "We'll go. But I want to see her." He nodded to Dick, who was sure that sounded like…
Another way out for HIM.
"Robin can go to his team –
"Slade!"
"Oh, shut up." Slade rolled his eyes like some coded word. "You knew I wanted to go it alone. If they can't get to me, then Rose being put away first is your way out as –
"She's a Titan!" Dick spat. "You can't go, I demand to be there –
"You really are a pest." Slade snorted and turned back to Lightening. "Take him. But I get to see the queen. That's our exchange."
Dick's growling intensified as Pantha held him down. "Silencio, muchacho. We're doing business."
He just had to act like…this was another act, right?
Dick saw the two exchange one more glance as Psimon took to raising an arm –
"Not so quick to challenge me, doctor??"
Slade snapped the man's arm as he yowled in pain. "I didn't say to make him a zombie. Can't you tell when I'm bluffing." Lightening acted tough, yet Pantha's shock had Dick force out his cry to get HER down and ties up with shocking bolas.
"Darn! I won't –
Slade whacked the lights out of Lightening as the rumbling resumed, while Psimon cackled and began to vanish by his psychic powers.
Lightening and Pantha were left behind, while the evil doc easily escaped capture with his abilities.
"Sto –
"We did enough, kid."
Dick swerved round with his escrima and hit Slade on the side of his face.
The mask was harder this time, so it only rattled his skull like a knight's helmet.
"What was that ?? You tried to sell me off??"
"I lowered their guard, didn't I…. nice hit by the way." Slade rubbed his right side as Dick sighed, both irritated, and went to tie up the two brainwashed and ko'd heroes.
"Were you really going to do it? Go to Rose and –
"Never…She's a victim, too. It's Grant I want to punch in the face."
" Right." Scoffed the boy wonder. "I'm going to wake up Ligh –
"We should just leave them." Slade tried to negotiate. "If he gets free, I'm not going to be the dealer of this racket again."
"You wanted me to be bait, I swear to god…" Dick gripped his scalp and bit his lip. "If we leave them, Psimon may come back for them."
"They'd be set free once we stop both of my kids, anyway." Slade took the kink out of his neck with a crack, making Dick think of a Hell- spawn Slade in the time of Trigon.
It still had him too nervous, that the man could drop and rise up, even without a magic curse with the devil.
"We're both seeing Rose." Dick stated. "I'm not letting you try and corrupt her again."
"She was already pretty messed up before that." Slade shrugged and started on their –
"Rumbling, again??" Slade's boots were halted.
Slade and Robin looked up to see birds disturbed on the island as well.
"What…. the ground!" Dick noticed that a giant Hive air ship was lowering over an opening in the ground.
"That's it…" Dick flew after the message; the one Rose had left in lee of her proclaimed rise to power.
"The Titans are there! Jericho knows… I have to –
Slade appeared before the hero, his arms crossed as Dick was reminded of the bear and the True master in China.
"Let me –
"NO." Slade was seriously acting too pushy; he was just trying to –
"If you were to run in blindly, you'd be dead." Slade shot at the hero, who…. felt as if Slade were making a good point.
"Whatever." Dick stopped running and brought up his best fighting stance.
The ground, again started to rumble, while neither bothered to budge.
"Hey, kid?" Slade's eye widened almost as one would to their dog during fetch.
"Feel like playing, dead?"
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