How Did We Get Here?
Batman was unfazed by the looks of surprise on the teenagers' faces. He was aware each and every one of them had some special power or ability, and no matter which one it was, they all had the same response to his presence.
Starfire, however, was quick to recover, and despite her current physical state, she practically flew up to him, the toes of her boots barely grazing the floor. A second wind, one born from hope; it was something he understood all too well.
"Greetings, Mr. Batman! I am most overjoyed at your presence!"
There was a twitching of the arms, as if the Tamaranean wanted to embrace him but was holding herself back. He was grateful at the restraint; he wasn't the most affectionate of people.
Trying to track down these Titans had been more of a chore than he had anticipated, but the convergence in this area had simplified things. There were different faces here than what he was used to, but that did not mean he did not know who they were.
Based on descriptions in the Justice League's files, he could see the survivors of at least Titans South and Titans East. Starfire counted for West. Three individuals he could not place, the ones in particular being the twelve year old with the English accent and the twin Hispanics. They were new to him.
Putting that aside, getting an update on the recent happenings was warranted.
"Bring me up to date on everything," he stated, the focus of his gaze on Starfire. Out of all of the assembled Titans, she was the one he had the most dealings with and so she would be the least intimidated. His assumption was not far off as Starfire began to speak.
He learned about the multiple encounters with each of the Titans, compiling them and comparing the details to what he knew so far. Everything in common was the sudden attack by the Terminator, either lying in wait or emerging from a distraction, gaining access to the Towers, and of course the bodies left in the killer's wake.
The only outward sign of what he felt about it was the clenching of his fists, but due to his cape, that was hidden. The only times he spoke were to ask for more details and he allowed the adolescents to speak. They were clearly distressed and traumatized, and that they were still here and wanting to continue fighting was a testament to their resilience.
Deathstroke had proven it would take more than that to bring him down. As his questioning came to an end, ideas on how to resolve the situation began to form. At the same time, he noticed the gaps in their knowledge. Added to what the League had found out, there were still missing pieces from the puzzle.
He could only guess what was motivating Deathstroke. A paid contract was the default theory, but the actions against so many Titans, especially ones that had not been around long enough to make enemies had his attention. Those who were a part of the Titans West were more likely to have done so, but why make a contract for three new branches that were only recently established?
Even taking into account the location of Titans South, and it still left a suspension of disbelief for Titans North and East. Plus, any and all contracts had been looked into, only a handful would meet Deathstroke's minimum price, and the majority of those were defunct since they could be traced back to H.I.V.E. Everyone else was too low and no high price contract vanished from the black market during the period of time of these attacks.
None of these Titans had found the answer to that. More digging would be needed.
This left figuring out how to bring this rampage to an end. According to Starfire, Deathstroke's actions had escalated with each and every encounter. The man was dead set on finding them. The most recent encounter had resulted in a detonation over Louisiana, and he had plenty more questions about that particular segment.
It would have to wait. By now, the assembled Titans here were looking to him for leadership.
"Until we learn more, the first course of action is to ensure your safety. Many of you still retain injuries that need to be taken care of before you can return to the field. That is non-negotiable." He already recognized the signs of defiance; a flashing of the eyes that he had been able to see in his own children's eyes when they did not agree with one of his decisions. "Until then I want you to turn off all of your communication devices until further notice."
"Why is that?" The girl with the bee theme, Bumblebee, had been the first to finally question him.
Without hesitation, "How do you think I found you?"
Connections were being made in the girl's mind, and the realization dawned in her eyes.
"Oh yeah, that's how we were able to follow you," the Titan called Bunker remarked, the teen looking at Starfire. "Oh. Oh, you don't think…?"
"One of your devices was taken by Deathstroke and used to enter your Towers. Your system is compromised and will allow Deathstroke to continue tracking you. Turn them off."
More than one Titan responded to the order and soon enough, each device was deactivated. Good, they could at least respond quickly.
"What do we do next?" Starfire asked. "Will we be able to reach my friends before our foe finds them?"
Before he could answer, he received a call. Oracle was trying to reach him. Now was not a good time, yet there were few times that Oracle went out of her way to contact him. The majority of her communications were for the Network. He received intel from her at his request.
"One minute," he told the Tamaranean before he answered the call. "Oracle."
"I hope you're not busy. I have Red Robin on the line and he has a story to tell you. "
His eyes flickered to the waiting teens before he answered, "You don't say."
It never got easier standing in front of this man and enduring his gaze. It was surprising how quickly Batman had reached his location, and while there had been a sense of relief, there had also been dread.
Every action and every decision he had made now felt like heavy weights around his neck and on his shoulders, weighing him down. For what felt like an eternity, he wondered what was coming for him. Condemnation? Reprimands? The confirmation to give this life up once and for all? Disappointment?
Then he arrived in his dark glory, and there was no more time for worry.
He broke down, and told the man who had inspired him from the beginning everything. From the rally, the Tower, the streets, Belle Reve, the Titans lost along the way, everything. Now was not the time to hold back. He told everything.
Including what Waller had told him, everything about Ravager, H.I.V.E., Deathstroke's connection; running and hiding while using the Justice League and A.R.G.U.S. to hide; leading the Teen Titans from one danger to another.
At this point, why bother hiding anything? If there was one thing he had learned, hiding any detail could mean a world of difference. That one detail, no matter how small or how insignificant, could mean everything.
Batman stood there and listened. The only times he spoke were to ask questions and Red Robin in return answered anything and everything. He was tired of running, of hiding, and whatever came his way, he would accept it.
Finally, when the briefing ended, the former Gotham native and now Jump City citizen waited for judgment and what was to happen to him.
You could never read anything from those white eyes. The lack of even a tic created one of the best unnerving poker faces you could ever meet. There was no telling what would emerge from the man's mouth, so he waited.
"Starfire is alive."
That…he hadn't expected.
"W-what?" he stuttered, eyes widening. He couldn't dare to hold but…Kori was still alive? Really?
"She needs rest and medical attention, but as far as I know, she'll live. The rest of your team, will they stay put?" Batman continued.
"I told them to go underground and hide. Wait until word got back that it was over," Red Robin admitted. He still felt tense, waiting for that guillotine blade to fall.
"So long as they remain put, we can address Deathstroke without further complication," Batman stated. We, so he was still including him? He wasn't going to question or bring attention to it. The Dark Knight was here to finish things, one way or another, and Red Robin would accept what he would be told to do. "He won't stop until he eliminates everyone in the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative. Instead of waiting for him to appear, we'll draw him out to a location of our choosing and force a confrontation."
Alright, okay. There was one option they could use to do that. "If he still has Molecule's communicator, I can send a message through that."
Batman nodded. "Next is where to lure him. It can't be Gotham; he'll expect my interference and he will prepare just as he did with the League."
So it had to be somewhere else. "If I pick just any place, he might suspect a trap," the teen vigilante pointed out.
"He'll suspect a trap regardless. It will need to be a place where you will feel comfortable, but far enough away to limit his suspicions."
Because Jump City was off limits, right? Well, after coming all this way, heading east, what would be the reasoning for returning west? It played more into the pattern of continuing to move east. However, choosing a place like Metropolis or Gateway was out of the question. Going onto someone else's turf like that and with Justice League status? It wouldn't just be the good guys, but the bad guys too. Some could be territorial.
"Once we decide where to go, you'll have to act as bait. I can't be seen or it will tip him off. There is a strong possibility you may have to fight him. Will you accept these terms?" Still nothing from those eyes. Batman was not mincing words either.
This was a plan. Or it was the making of one. No matter what, Red Robin would have to not only play a role, but a central one. Live bait might be more accurate. Yet, if it was between risking his life and those of the other Titans, there wasn't a choice at all.
In the end, it was decided on Blüdhaven. Nightwing would have to be pulled into the loop, and finding an isolated part of the city was on the list of things to do, but a decision was made.
Putting it into action…
Blüdhaven was far enough from Gotham that anticipating any interference from him was minimal, at the same time the city was close enough that one could argue that a certain Titan was attempting to draw in a local vigilante. It was rare for him to leave his city, and when he did it had to be something big.
Batman landed on his feet, rising up as his cape draped over his body. Ahead of him was Deathstroke the Terminator standing above Red Robin, formerly in a position to kill but now disarmed. That did not mean the assassin was any less dangerous, but a quick kill was now off the table.
What remained next was to further provoke a confrontation and give the killer a new target.
"I'll give you one chance to leave," Deathstroke growled. "This does not concern you."
"It concerns me when a man like you butchers children," the Dark Knight retorted. Narrowing his eyes, he added, "I expected better of you."
"You think this is the first?" A snort. "I didn't take you for the naive sort. Should I point a finger at you? That you allow children to fight in your name? Do they not also suffer fatal consequences because of your inaction? Don't go trying to make this moral. Turn around while you still can. You know I won't back down."
A jab, one that needed to be ignored. If he wasn't using a weapon, Deathstroke was using his words to slice deep. Let this serve as a reminder that this wasn't the usual type of threat that he dealt with. There was no mental illness to be found here, just a man who made a living by killing others. He didn't care, a job was a job, and he was always moving on to the next one.
No sympathy. In light of what Red Robin had told him, there was none to be found for this man.
From his belt, he slipped a shuriken out and then allowed it to be seen by moving it out from under his cape. In a hard tone, "Does it look like I'll turn around?"
The assassin glared, his body tensing in front of the vigilante and giving away that the killer was bracing himself for action. The stance remained the same, and so did the man's position over the prone Teen Titan.
The dual-colored masked head lowered. "What's one more obstacle. It seems the whole world is determined to get in my way."
"Perhaps you should listen to it," Batman retorted.
"I should have known you'd be trouble. Should have known you'd poke your nose into this eventually. Let me remind you, the last time we met, it wasn't going well for you. Had Shiva not arrived, you wouldn't be here." The assassin's head rose once more. "Tell me, is there someone else? A pupil? Another interloper? Someone who will save your hide? That seems to be the hand I keep being dealt, so answer me. Who did you bring with you?"
"No one. It's just you and me. This time, I'm taking you down. You're not facing the same man you did." There was truth to that statement. When he had first engaged with Deathstroke, he was newly recovered from a broken back, planning and executing strategy to take back his city from every threat imaginable. He hadn't been at his best, far from it.
This time, this time it was different. There was no hesitation, no question if he could handle the matter. The trauma of crushing defeat no longer held him back. His recovery had been true, he had taken back Gotham, and he had taken the leap once more. So many more threats had followed, each with their own challenge and struggle. Mind, body, and spirit had had to be sharpened and strengthened to meet each and every one.
This, however, was different. This was a fight to save innocent lives. It could not get any simpler than that. A one-on-one fight with one of the deadliest men on the planet with the lives of children in the balance.
Let's finish this.
The vigilante already knew that he wouldn't hit anything as he threw the shuriken. The bat-shaped projectile spun as it sliced its way to the killer and this was the cue that Deathstroke used to dash towards his sword in the hopes of retrieving it.
That was the plan. Get Deathstroke away from Red Robin and take control from the get go. Batman raced after the assassin but brought himself to a stop as soon as he had placed himself between the Titan and his opponent. By then, Deathstroke had avoided the shuriken, knocked off the one embedded in the sword handle, and retrieved the blade.
Without taking his eyes off his enemy, Batman spoke to Red Robin, "Go. Disarm the bombs. I'll handle this."
Let it not be said he hadn't been listening in.
To the boy's credit, there was no argument. Red Robin was quick to get back onto his feet and take off. The sound of running footsteps quieted, and all that remained was the here and now. Deathstroke was brandishing his sword, already taking on a stance. The Dark Knight reciprocated, his stance more defensive.
"You're not my prey," the assassin growled. "If you won't get out of my way, then I won't lose any sleep killing you here and now."
The vigilante narrowed his eyes and quipped, "You can try."
Words would be of no further use here. With no other option presented, Deathstroke moved into a charge, going on the attack. It was telling that he hadn't produced the method of detonator he was using for the bomb, probably anticipating that to do so would be to remove that option entirely. He would be waiting until the right time or if he felt that the fleeing Titan was going to escape.
Keeping the assassin distracted would buy time and so Batman readied himself as the sword thrust out at him.
He had to take the long way around, but as the sounds of a struggle began, Red Robin had reached the gangplank that allowed the ship's crew easy passage onto dry land, or in this case the port. He would have used his cape to shorten the time, but with his harness damaged and the electric current needed to harden it now deprived from him, the masked teen had to rely on his legs to get around.
Batman may be handling the situation, but the danger was far from over. Bombs planted throughout the city port meant this place could be annihilated at any time. He had no idea what canidite was, but the fact that Deathstroke went out of his way to mention it implied that it wasn't good stuff.
Find the bombs. Defuse them. Take one more weapon away from the assassin. Easier said than done. Who knew what the triggering mechanism was. Was it a timer, a manual detonator, what?
At least he wasn't on his own.
He had barely taken several steps away from the cargo ship's gangplank when a worried Tamaranean caught up with him. Her hands were on his shoulders, and he knew she would have caught him in an embrace but was holding back. While she could forget her strength at times, she seemed to remember this time.
"You are not too injured, are you my friend?" Starfire questioned. "I do not like the trial that your mentor forced you to undertake."
Around them, the rest of the Titans that Batman had tracked down began to converge. From riding on the purple-colored psionic bricks that Bunker used, appearing out of nowhere due to superspeed like those twins did, who flying in much like Starfire had, the small ensemble regrouped as Red Robin answered, "It was necessary to draw Deathstroke in. We have something important to take care of."
You might have thought that it would have been insisted that these Teen Titans would remain in hiding. Not everyone, even in this group, were at full strength. No, it had been decided they would be backup, a last resort. If Batman couldn't take Deathstroke down, he would at least try to weaken the assassin down to the point that even exhausted and in bad shape, these remaining Titans would be able to finish the fight.
Scattered around the port and kept hidden, they were to wait until they received a sign. Apparently, a lone Red Robin running off the ship was that sign.
"Deathstroke managed to sneak some bombs here. Assume they are armed and ready to blow. He mentioned this material, canidite, and implied he'd blow the whole port up if he had to. We need to find and disarm those bombs before he can. If Batman can hold his attention long enough, there's a chance he'll delay or destroy any manual detonator. We can't take the chance, regardless."
"When did he have the time to do that?" Bumblebee asked. "Batman had us staking this place out for hours."
"And he snuck around us still and planted those bombs. There's no sense in sweating the details," the newly transformed Ridge cut in, arms crossed. "A better question is where we can find them."
Red Robin gave a nod at this. Indeed, there was no point crying over spilt milk. They were dealing with a very crafty man who had been able to do a great number of things. It was kinda like dealing with an evil Batman—may such a thing never exist.
Now, with that nasty thought out of the way, to business. He had an idea, one that might save them some time. However, before he could speak it, lights flashed onto him and the assembled Titans. Now was not a good time for someone showing up because…insert some relevant reason here. For all he knew, this was one of the port workers who might have left something behind and came back late to retrieve it. Hell of a time to do that.
Rolling tires came to a crunching stop, the car gave a short surge forward before it came to a rest, and those headlights did not go anywhere. Multiple car doors opened, and Red Robin held up a hand to try and shield his eyes. More than one person? Who was this? They did not need to be here.
"Oh. I see how it is! You gotta find yourself a new team of Titans! I am offended you thought you could replace us that easily, but guess what. We're not that easily replaced!"
There was a part of Red Robin that felt a little relieved, because not only did he recognize the voice, he knew that he was being ribbed. Another part was…disgruntled if only because once, just once, he wished these people would listen to him. One more part was happy to see them one more time.
Cyborg stood there, his only operational hand planted on his hip. Wonder Girl placed herself in front of one of the headlights with her arms crossed. Raven hadn't fully moved around an opened car door, but she remained as passive as ever. If they were here, then that had to mean Beast Boy and Kid Flash were here too, most likely still in the car.
Obviously, Cyborg was the one doing the ribbing. Oh, there were going to be words later, but any hard feelings would be put to a side for a common enemy.
"So, did he show up?" Wonder Girl asked. "Is Deathstroke…wait, is that?" Blue eyes narrowed, then widened. "Kori?"
Leaving Red Robin's side, Starfire glided over to their fellow teammates. "It is I, my friends, very much intact and living. Please, we do not have a large amount of time as a situation exists that needs to be addressed before we are all possibly killed."
Red Robin took a chance to get a look at the others. Cyborg's only human eye was bulging out of its socket. Raven genuinely looked surprised and could not hide it. She was somewhat pushed when a certain green shapeshifter wormed his way around her and was also getting a good look at the Tamaranean. Hm, his right eye was still covered; was that injury still there?
"Awesome! Starfire's still alive!" That crow of celebration came from Kid Flash who was partially out of the car and using his arms to keep himself hanging off the roof of the car. "We so thought that you didn't make it!"
"And that might change if we continue standing here, we have bombs to take care of," Red Robin interrupted. The shock of seeing a friend they had thought dead must be overwhelming them, but that couldn't afford that right now. It needed to wait until the situation was dealt with.
At this point, he turned his gaze onto the two twin boys that Bunker and Pantha had picked up from somewhere. Mas y Menos, he had been introduced to. Seeing Kid Flash had only reinforced to him that this might be the quickest way to go about it.
Bending his legs and lowering himself to the twins, Red Robin said, "Necesito que revises por todos lados y veas si no puedes encontrar dónde Deathstroke escondió sus bombas. Sé que eres rápido para que puedas buscar en el puerto de manera más eficiente que nosotros. ¿Harás esto?"
He was getting looks. He knew he was. He had established with Bunker earlier that the twins didn't know a word of English and their native tongue was Spanish. Giving a look of his own back, Red Robin simply said, "I've been taking classes."
Learning a foreign language was something the T.I.T.A.N. Initiative also offered. So what if he had taken up that offer? After their little adventures with Bunker, he figured expanding his language skills wasn't a bad idea.
The two boys looked uncertain. The one on the left…was that Mas or Menos? Did they even differentiate themselves like that? Questions for later. The one on the left asked with hesitance, "No sé si podremos, Senor Red Robin."
"¿Qué buscaríamos?" the twin on the right picked up.
They were new to this, he got that. It was a hell of a time to express uncertainty, but they needed to get past that now. So, "Estás buscando aquello que no pertenece aquí. Puede que esté oculto, pero no será imposible encontrarlo. Podrás comprobar todo el puerto en menos tiempo del que nos llevaría a todos hacerlo. Creo que puedes hacer esto. ¿Al menos lo intentarás? Mi amigo Kid Flash no puede hacerlo ahora o le preguntaría. De esto se trata ser un Teen Titan. Entonces, ¿qué será?"
Once more, the twins shared looks between one another, and Red Robin must have said something right, because both gained looks of determination and turned back at him. They clasped their hands together and said simultaneously, "Si podemos!"
And they were gone, barely leaving behind white-colored streaks in their wake.
This seemed to get Kid Flash's attention, because the injured speedster's head perked up at the sight. "They can use the Speed Force too?"
Hmm. Odd. Kid Flash sounded a bit worried. Later. Everything needed to be addressed later. The bombs needed to be found now.
Turning to Cyborg, "When they get back, either use a translator program or work with Bunker or Pantha to translate, get a description of the bomb, and find the instructions on how to defuse them. We'll be spreading out to defuse them as fast as we can so…everyone, turn your communicators back on. Keep them on until you get the instructions from Cyborg. Turn them back off when we get all the bombs defused."
"And what about Deathstroke?" Wonder Girl pressed.
Making eye contact with her, Red Robin answered, "Batman is handling him."
That seemed to be answer enough. No further pressing of that matter. The things one person's reputation could achieve.
But reputation only went so far. "Pair up everyone, just in case. I wouldn't put it past Deathstroke to have something lying in wait as a nasty surprise. If he does manage to get around Batman, someone will have to engage with him while the other defuses the bomb. Make your choices quickly. We'll need to move fast."
There was some shuffling of the feet, people moving physically to whoever was closest. No one was doing any dibs. Alright, now to wait for Mas y Menos to return. That took a little longer than Red Robin would have wished. Seconds seemed to move so slowly.
Sometimes he would catch a white blur out of the corner of his eyes, and he would wonder if that was the twin speedsters. Of course, confirmation could not be made because something moving that fast was nigh impossible to do unless you had superspeed yourself. Speaking of, Kid Flash would turn his head periodically, seemingly facing a random direction.
In fact, watching Kid Flash helped with figuring out when Mas y Menos came back. One second they weren't there, the next they were. Immediately, rapidly Spanish was spoken and from the twins' excitement, they were speaking too quickly for Red Robin to keep up.
They had to be calmed down first before any useful information could be obtained.
Nodding his head, "Right, we have at least eight confirmed bombs. Bunker, get together with Mas y Menos and get the exact locations figured. Everyone else, get ready to move. Every second counts."
Author's Note: I know, I know, you were all expecting the big showdown for this chapter. Don't worry, it's next chapter. Promise.