Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes

by INKblOt32

Dick Grayson's parents fell to the ground. Slade Wilson decided to step in and adopt. However,the man's future heir was promised to a Mr. Billionaire, Bruce Wayne. The kid feels isolated, neglected and knows nothing about his foster parent’s double life. Slade ends up finding in a turn of events, a bit of a rebel in Grayson. He gives him an option he can sleep on...Apprentice arc!

35. Chapter 35

Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes-

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Chapter 35: Deep Six and A Half? – Plus, Aqua Lad

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The reason? We'll tell you!

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Jason sat in the infirmary bed in the bat cave. Slade. Always the reason and this time, Batman had reason to plan ahead and for now, he was slowing down. Jason could tell how it was tearing the vigilante up.

"Tell me again, what did you experience on your mission."

Jason chewed his lip and spoke; he told B about the robots dragging him underground and to a warehouse. He told the man about the boy who'd battled him and the person he'd seen the kid with or speaking to via a comm unit that was labeled with a T. Bruce's unmasked brows burrowed deeper and deeper into his eyes as the man finally stomped over to the bat computer and began to type.

"Slade Wilson. You should know this about him. He's an ex military project that could very well pull off this – but the way it was connected this time to the Titans in Jump City…"

"The dude wears a mask. All metal, two faced and everything. B. He has Dick. I know it was him. It flicked can't happen anymore. Let me go back with you –

"I'm running tests. Bloodwork. From what I know, Slade doesn't just reject his targets amd prey. He's a natural born hunter, Jason. I don't want you doing that again. Black lost his identity legally because that man knew how to take control of the situation. He stole a priceless artifact from San Francisco and the culprit was in Jump City. Look."

The screens of the bat's computer showed now a news clip of a devastating fire that was put out. Trees were downed and parents held their kids up in the forested areas of the city.

~ I'm here live tonight, with the citizens and a Teen Titan who is going to explain the ongoing battle which wiped out an entire clearing or pine trees here in Jump's rural outdoors. With me is their leader, "Cyborg." Tell me, was the enemy your team fought formidable and can we expect a rematch, or are the citizens for today safe. You stopped the bridge from collapsing and unified the two brothers causing these events to escalate. Thoughts about the aftermath for our viewers?" ~

~ Yeah, I do. The brothers are finding every mess they made tonight and righting all if it. With our team's direction and supervision, those harmed during the fights that took place tonight will be compensated through both our sponsors and the Titans will personally take this case with all seriousness to see change happen. ~

~ As the senior Titans' member and their leader, this was confirmed that your team now has a new enemy to combat in the near future. He was supposedly the arsonist that used the brothers to create havoc in these forests tonight. Anything to add to our cause, here? ~

~Not much to comment, but the perpetrator will be found, I can assure…and brought to justice. ~

~ There you have it folks, this is Kathleen Ferrara. Signing over now to Todd, with the weather. Back to you, Todd. ~

/

"B…. that was…I know who did this. You gotta let me go!"

"NO." Bruce jumped down the boy's throat out of fear. "I'm going to monitor the situation and will send myself to that tower to confront Cyborg at the right time. For all we know, Slade has his finger on that trigger he's willing to touch just to prove how he's changed since."

"Since he took Dick away…?"

Rushing out with a mutter, Bruce was in brooding mode, full force. Jason layer down on the medical bed and tried to curl up to sleep a bit longer. He remembered that voice. The same vocal clip that he'd used to start and embark on that dangerous trek. "Hunters always leave their mark, huh?" He yawned and laid back down, somehow feeling very, very, tired. (important!!)

/

The Titans had some cleaning up to do. Beastboy went through his room while Robin held his nose around the stink. He'd been dragged over because Bb was in a word…

A closet geek.

"Bet you never seen the earliest addition Superman video game that was only released for a short time? Well I got every copy of his –

Beastboy. Was a superhero fan boy.

"Oh! OH! Wakamoto Shupon; I have every issue from March that was –

He went on and on as Robin waded through the stink of teen scents that made his hairs raise up. A sock that was certainly collecting…

Robin's eyes shut as he went for the closet. Also bursting with mindless crap –

"DON'T OPEN –

An avalanche of toy plush dolls, comic books in plastic encasing, clothing for casual days off, and food bits of vegan delicacies…all toppled onto the floor.

Robin growled at Bb as he tugged a stray bit of tofu pizza from Robin's head of racdn locks. Spiking up more due to his annoyance.

"Hehe…I was gonna warn you…my bad?"

"Bb-

"Whoa." Raven blinked and frowned at the newly made mess as Bb wined his excuse, "I was gonna say not to look in the closet-

"No time. Distress call. In the pacific. A ship's supply of chemical waste was swiped by something. We've been called in investigate."

"The s.o.s. was from the city. You'd better come along or we're leaving you in…this." Raven sighed under her breath.

"Getting up!" Bb was able to dog himself out, before Cy grunted and jabbed his metal thumb at the garbage.

"Ah…right. Hehe…"

He showed Robin from the room wkth the others as cow ls moved and construction yard sounds confused his friends. A jackhammer buzzing lastly, the boy wiped a sweat drop from his face and grinned goofing at his team through the now opened door.

"I'm ready. So, where is the ship, again?"

"It sunk. We have to go find it." Raven deadpanned, seeing Bb's determination fumble. It brought a smile to her face, somewhat.

"UNDER WATER." She finished.

/

(Changing this as a search mission that is more triangle Robin, Aqualad and Bb. You'll see.)

Slade paced the floor as Robin took an early toilet break before their time to face the unknown, blessedly arrived.

~ They want to do this, so you should take every effort to show your stripes. ~ Slade directed through the comm. "But Bb is more jittery than usual. I have to be careful if his nose goes where it shouldn't."

~ I've sought the coordinates through the system Cyborg devised. The route you'll be headed is left from Atlantis, by the way. ~

"Wait up…you mean, Thee?? As in Aqua man? The JLA? Is this a good idea then? What if –

~ They read minds that are unsure. I know you can send that signal to…someone else. ~

"I can redirect it my best, sir. But Master, Slade? What if …if I don't resurface –

~ Think about that later. You have me for that S.O.S ~ The adult reassured. ~ Should the comm go off line, I'll have your location either way. Remember that. ~

"Yes, sir…oh, to notify one more thing, Master. They're using the T – ship. As a submarine; would you like me to send you the schematic and blueprints to the add on Cy made?"

~ That is thinking on your feet, dear boy. I'd be happy to accept. Be sure to notify with one tap to your collar bone. ~ Slade tapped his own as Robin didn't just twist his eyes to see. ~ I'll be by your aid in a heartbeat. ~

"Sir, not to be forthright…. what about the Titans?"

/

After that lecture in the stall, Star dragged her teammate to the ship as his claustrophobic self came out to stuff itself back down into the depths. Each ship area where they controlled the supposed functions of the craft, were designed to separate, Cy told them before they'd launched out into the water at increased speed. Bb did everyone a favor and after half of the trip to the center where the boat was below them, he got out and turned into a dolphin. Robin turned to Cy, who had them diving down again with one less Titan to take up their breathing room.

"How deep are we going, Cyborg? Was the ship ever reported lost in this location? By whom?" Starfire turned on her speaker as Bb spoke back through his ability to do so on a piece of tech he still had handy. Cy was adaptable if not quick to shoot for a successful invention.

~ We got this, mama. Cy's had the reports going wild until he took his arm and made it happen. Look where we is!! It is so cool. Wish you guys had gills –

"Focus, tuna – boy." Raven commanded with a grunt through her comm. "We have to find the ship. If we do, it could lead us to more clues as to what attacked the ones who were tossed overboard."

"Were any surviving when they reported –

"Yes, they were quite upset. As the lady on the television stated earlier, "It was either a very large beastly creature or many creatures that took over the ship and terrorized those on the board."

"On the ship, it was during a storm, Starfire." Cy corrected. "Robin, you were sleeping a lot so we let ya. The rest was much later after you went to bed that it was seen on screen. The patrol officers and national guard even thought that whatever took that waste, knew how to crash a boat. They did it by someone's direction. Our job is to locate that wreck while Bb sniffs out whatever freak tried to capsize an entire supply a toxic waste that should have never been out on these waters."

~ There are hundreds of restrictions in the state of California and Hawaii, yet they were carrying a deadly toxic boat load of gunk that could pollute the water here for decades! Dude. This is so screaming eco – crime about now. But…~

"What's up B? Spot anything yet?" Cy asked through the unit.

~No. I…I don't sense anything but fish. Like a ton of it. No chemicals or anything bothering the sea life here…like whoever nabbed their grab bag, left. Why? If there were a trail, I'd be sneezing our way to victory right about now."

"Let's go easy on this one, team." Cy told the heroes. "We don't know how long we can keep looking, so we gotta be quicker on average. Still, I don't want y'all to worry. This baby has enough air and fuel to last us till midnight or tomorrow morning."

"Wow." Robin made sure his master approved with a small hum.

~ Good to know. Keep up the good work. ~

/

From the reaches of the ocean, the swim swimming of flapping wordless breaths held steadily among the lapping currents and unsafe trenches. The coral stayed sturdy. Glad that there was no distress, the onlooker sensed a swap. Something was moving through the depths.

~ That can't be good. ~

/

Beastboy dove so close to the wreck as Cy shined a light dimly enough to get in even closer. "What do you see?"

~ I see…. ~

The Titans held their breaths.

~ I see…. dudes! ~ He gasped.

"There!" Robin spotted it hopefully out of luck (important!) as Cy shifted the controls to go down to where "that" was.

"Nice eyes, you have another set that Beastboy could borrow." Raven teased as Bb turned up his nose to her insults. ~ I a shark. We smell to get from point A to…~

The ship, started to shake with the sound of something carrying its weight upon their shoulders

With Bb still trapped inside!!

"B! HANG O –

There was a blur of black and blue as the heroes watched a swimmer in the same wet suited colors dive in after their fried as he started to morph into a sturgeon instead. His fin was no longer caught as the stranger shoulder length dark black hair, black eyes and olive skin brought them both after the heroes, to surface upwards as the ship was buried even deeper into what looked to be an undersea sink hole to nowhere.

~ That was…close…. who are you? What was that for? I got out –

"Beastie, this is our contact. Yo!"

Cy waved with a grin as the other waved back, more reserved yet pleasant as well in finally meeting those from his S.O.S.

His smile made Raven and Starfire swoon, despite Raven not having her emotions this outwards before. Robin made sure that Slade saw this new addition as he telepathically started to speak. Robin steeled his mind to protect his teacher. The last thing he wanted was to go up to the surface before they'd located the one responsible for sinking said ship.

/

Inside a cavern, the black-haired swimmer took the heroes to get some air. The corners of the cave dropped water onto Robin's head as he brushed it off, while Cy shook hands with the kid who looked to be about sixteen abd taller than even Kori.

"I'm glad you all could come on such short notice. I've not introduced myself to every one of your teammates. My name is Garth, or Kaldur of the city of Atlantis. My role is to protect these waters under my mentor Aquaman's –

"YOU…ARE HIS STUDENT?" Gar gawked. "So, you think that my skills aren't good enough for your fancy swim team, that it?"

"Bb, lighten up." Cy scolded the youngest Titan.

"I HAD IT." Gar growled defensively. "This dude was who you called. I could have gone eel and gotten away just fine. You should have stopped the shop if you're so good at your job."

"That sink hole was made a long time ago. The fact it landed there, was due to our enemy knowing these waters as well as my king."

"So, you lost him? And you need our help." Bb hummed at the boy hero. "Yes, there is nothing wrong with that. Cyborg remembers my king from his agreement on the surface with the Justice League. It was how you team got funded and started, so show a bit of compromise. Please."

"I should?? You're just some spoiled kid who called in us to get eaten by sharks just to stop a menace from your country under the dang sea-

" Triton . That is who I've had it narrowed down to so far." Aqualad told Cy and the others, ignoring Bb's rants as the youngest stomped to a corner and sat on a rock to mope.

"This. Triton…" Starfire rubbed her chin. "Would he have been the one to have taken what wastes were being transported along this route? And why did it fail to –

"No time to say much, but I want you to take time with your ship. If anything, my buddy Tram can fix it to work more efficiently."

"Ah, but I got this, Aqualad." Cy rubbed his neck, trying not to see the boy's suggesting in offense of any kind. "We just gotta find wherever that ship and the waste went to."

"I told you already though, the waste is in Triton's hideout. We still haven't been able to locate its whereabouts, however." Muttered the Atlanta as Bb scoffed from his rock waiting area. "Hah, so…you screwed up and hit a dead end. You want us to take the whole mission from you? Risk our lives with no leads to go by? What if this Triton is armed? Are your fish brothers and sisters gonna swarm or swim away –

"Atlantis when need be, are a warring race when not at peace. If that time ever should come, you might be asked to fight for both worlds." The taller teen sniffed at the scrutinizing Titan. "Fibd your courage and help us, or don't. I chose warriors, not children to save both your surface world and my city in the ocean. Besides, intel from my sources tells that Triton has a weapon and he intends to use it'to take over both. So?"

"UUGH!!" Bb gripped at his hair. "Fine. Fine! Fine !!"

"Then. We're going to help the Atlantic- man?" Kori whispered to Robin. "I think, Cy has the last say. Wait, Starfire."

"We're going. Tram. You got my yes to fixing this while Bb and our new ally do their best to scout out the next location for Triton and that toxic stash."

"You won't be sorry, Cy. You know I got this-

"We, you mean." Aqua lad crossed his arms. "You can come once I have the information I need. But Beastboy plays by my rules or not at all. It's my ocean, my territory and my home. I want as little damage left it this alliance as much as possible. For my king's orders, I'm just a partner whom he trusts. The best, so I can't lose this case."

"We shall do more than our utmost, best, dear Aqua lad!" Starfire chirped with a cheery salute "Beastboy is most agile on any terrain. You can ask for no other to join you on the search."

Both Bb and Aqua lad had egos, Slade could see from the dispute. Egos that needed a fine tuning to protect his apprentice and the ones he'd be defeating without a prisoner of Atlantis to battle out against.

~ Team up. Stay vigilant. Watch those two as much as possible. ~

Robin bit his lip as Raven saw how the boy looked, out of place. As if waiting for more than just a group huddle to happen.

"Robin-

"So, where does that leave us? Tram…."

"He's already gotten the tools from his home. They are, kind of important to his work."

Tram came in as a short, shrimp faced and fish eyed character in a jacket and short work pants, nearly a full suit.

"THAT."

"Tram…." Raven blinked.

"He is the…very interesting and the friendly!" Starfire waved over with a bright smile and a sweat drop.

"He's your partner. Wow. I underestimated you, Kal. You really so think small for a fish boy."

"You could be the bigger person if you used your insults correctly. Bb." Smirked the Atlantean. Raven put up her hood and turned around for the same rock that Beast Boy no longer rooster upon.

In Robin's ear, Slade chuckled. ~ He'll be an amusing addition. Do try to keep me informed throughout this voyage. ~

Robin chuckled to cover up the others. Bb growled at Garth, so he didn't have time to sass the Renegade. Not yet. He'd want to, once the mastermind came to resurface.

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