Our Time in Reverse – What It Takes –
/
Chapter 13: The Birth of Robin
/
Kori was in the main room of the tower, while Beast boy was too busy beating Cy's high score on "Space Fighter: Battle Royale 7."
Raven had a book and was wandering without a care, as if to be dragged into its pages. Cy himself was looking into cooking up those "welcome waffles" he'd promised a certain red breasted teenager.
Well, there was just one thing. Dick needed materials, and in order to do so he'd:
A: Have to ask his "master" for a way to get what he needed to have a uniform to wow his new teammates.
B: Give Cy a reason why he needed to work and get out of the tower to make enough for his suit.
Or C: Ask the titans….for assistance in supplying him, by a sales pitch.
Dick grumbled and ran a hand through his hair at the idea of EVER stooping that low. He had to go with C though, he decided. It was the only w –
Wait…From his personal description of Cyborg as the leader, he could just pull him to the side and have the man take pity. Yeah, he'd get a real suit, gear. All his had to do was throw on the waterworks.
Or, to on the sly, be a con man that he wasn't.
C, but not exactly. Dick rung his hands out and made it to the kitchen island to find a moment to tap ont Cy's shoulder. Starfire's eyes went up and Dick froze. "Oh, dear new friend! You require some kind of assistance, yes?"
(So now, only using Robin. He's in character as of….)
Robin nodded. "I needed Cyborg a second." He replied to the alien princess. Even if there was only Bb with his nose over the side, watching. Robin nodded again, Cy looking at Robin as if he were pup asking for handouts, or a little kid was more than fair.
"You need somethin', Spike?" Cy arched a brow as Robin let out a breath, then pulled Cy by the arm and tugged him into the hall before anyone could go along after. "Whoa, whoa, hold up." Cy brought out his arms as Robin tried to cool his head. He was acting. This was all an act. So, why was he breathing so hard?"
"You just got over a mean fever. Don't go passin' out on us all before your first –
"It's about…being Robin. I need help. I have no way of getting funds because of him…" Robin tried to say. "My whole life was dictated by that crazy…If I have an idea for a uniform, can I ….i dunno, ask you to help me make it? My whole persona is similar to this kid. He was my hero growing up. We went to Gotham just once and...I saw this kid on the trapeze at a big top; he was incredible and he had skills. I thought, how long would it take to be that good if I could? Back then, I was just getting to know my Step – dad. But I know Robin is a symbol. It has to be the fact I'm free from him and can help others who'd do anything to feel the same. That no one should be kept from doing the right thing. I can fight, my gear should be whatever you decide is safe. Remember, I'm that army brat." Grinned the teen. "I can go harder than you think. Oh, right. When is the obstacle course? I heard Beastboy going on about that."
"You did?"
"He sleepwalks, I think." Robin scratched his cheek, hoping not to give too much away.
"I can do that for ya, on one condition. You learn how to assemble any parts and you gotta learn to sew your own suit if it take all month. We all have our pasts and they stay with us, but BB doesn't think you'll get too far on your first try –
"Why? How intense is a little training course?"
Cy chuckled and clapped a hand over Robin's shoulder. "You'll find out this afternoon. Get some chow and then we can try the course. A'ight?"
" Yessir!" Robin jokingly saluted the other as they laughed about their different upbringings.
Robin watched Cy head back into the main room as he, could he be acting still? He was smiling, no!
JUST. ACT . Robin cussed himself and threw back on that goofy grin. Oh, he'd be banging his head against a wall if they even THOUGHT about asking when his birthday was…so…. guh…
/
Warming up after the waffles were in him, they all headed out to the backyard. There in sight, were somethings akin to mines in the ground, Cy heading to an elevated platform as Starfire gripped Robin's hand to pull him towards the start line. "We shall begin the sequence momentarily. Are you in need of a light stretching of the ligaments and muscles before this event should begin?" She asked as innocent as a kitten's whiskers.
"I think I'll be fine; tell Cy he can start any time." Robin got into a sprinting position. "This is going to be fun…."
/
"So, we always start the new ones over at level four, but you look like a five kinda dude –
"We're not pushin' him, B. He just got over bein' sick –
"I don't sense the illness since our last session." Raven rubbed her chin. "It must have been no more than twenty-four hours." BB's ears dropped. "Whatever, if he gets in, I don't care. Go ahead. I'm gonna try to keep from horking up a hairball." Robin's eyes had questions, yet his answer was something Beast boy had been so kind to add….
/
" We'll begin this session with level six. Are you ready. Apprentice?" Slade had taken Robin into a room that the haunt carried. A white walled place that acted as a training session gone wrong. The simulation was new to him, and here Slade had the teen on a level about intermediate. "Yes sir. I can so do this –
"You will. Go. Begin level." Slade turned the dial and large blasters popped out of the wall. Robin had dodged them, while the Slade bots had just jumped in to damage the teen's confidence streak. "Come on, metal heads. Let me through!" The lazers below were so close that Robin felt the electricity single handedly keep his hairs on end. He had to get out of their ambush, this was too –
" Apprentice! Failure will not be tolerated early. You still are only starting this, now. Remember your training…."
/
The turrets in the ground were lazers and Robin had no gear. His acrobatics kicked in and he leaped. The heroes all oohed at his dare devil stunt, Bb turning his head a bit. Good. Dick Grayson was a performer.
Robin, was……
Robin watched as the confused arrows all pointed at each other. They hit their wronged targets, metal scraps flying all over the field.
"Who – he's payin' for that!" Bb whined as Cy just leaned over the dash. "Did we set up the right level?"
Starfire and Raven saw that the level was set to seven. "No, fix it before he gets hurt, Cybor –
Robin leaned away from a flying spear as a bunch flew up as arrows. The next was a –
"Turn it off!" Cy heard Bb yell as he ran as a bull onto the field. "The thing is on the fritz. You're gonna –
" Beast boy!!!"
Robin gasped and slipped out of harm's way to grab Bb as he reverted back. "No, stop –
"I'm not letting you get injured. You tried to help me, so stay. Let me do my best."
Bb looked up with a hand to his hurt ribs. Robin picked the kid up bridal style and he ran, skidding over hard dirt and rock until the finish line came into view. Robin brought BB to Raven to take a look at the teen's side. "He was hit, but it evaded causing any punctures too deep…" She brought up her hands as Robin watched to see that Raven was truly magic. Bb's pain started to ebb; his injury less swollen as his powers took care of the rest. "Thank you…" She looked to Robin, then to Cy who was busy undoing a wad of wires inside the console. "This thing was already up and purring like a kitten…. It's like somebody sabotaged the level."
Robin gasped to the others. "I…. was that not level four? What was –
"You are well, dear friend. We are seeing of the issue in a moment. You, saved Beastboy….and –
"He got past Cy's…...gasp…. record…..way ta go…." Bb grinned while in pain. Raven scolded the youngest teen as Robin asked to be excused to his room to recoup. He'd done it, but yet this was not making sense. Like Cy had said.
Sabotage, not by a what…
/
Robin pulled out his laptop and made a connection. Slade was pushing it. His actions, his plans. He was taking them all for granted…. But, hurting and almost severely burning a hero like that?
"Sir. I would like to speak."
/
Slade was mask less a moment with his one patch, enjoying a spot of tea by the dais. ~ You look troubled, dear boy. Go ahead then, we have some time. ~
"Beastboy…. the simulated…. the obstacle course the Titans wanted me to go through, something rigged the level. It was supposed to be set to four for beginners." Robin felt his mouth turn into a grimace. A growl. How could he…. how could….
~You're not a beginner, are you. Robin. ~ Slade took a short sip of his tea. ~ Dear boy, I just got you into the pack permanently. As long as the error was only a glitch, you'll stay the hero, the innocent in all of this. You should be thanking your master for stepping in. it was a crucial time for your, initiation. ~
"I'm not Robin yet to them, Cy's going to help me with the suit -
He threw a hand over his mouth. "I…I'm sorry, that was… unprofessional."
~ It was acting, and you can't be out of character, not for a second too long.~ Slade put down his cup and smirked. ~Your potential is in keeping those close. If they want to help you climb that ladder, let them know what would be best in "his" hands. You still never told me…. Robin was that nick name your mother had ooooooooooooooooooolllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooololllllllllllllllllll1hjiklol1 1 you as a little boy. Well, now it's a perfect weapon. For us. ~ Slade smiled and Robin relaxed a bit. "Sir, if I …. I can try to keep on the mask, but what if they are not sure that I'm as I say? Beastboy could rip me apart if his heard us talking like this…"
~ Then. ~ Slade picked up the cup, tipping it to the child in a mock "Cheers."
~I wouldn't keep your new team waiting for much longer than you have to. Use what you know, advance from that. ~
/
It was cute, Slade supposed as he watched the last face his boy could make in a few days. He was obviously going to be upset, teens had their angst. Slade had hacked the tin kid's tech to show everyone that his apprentice was not level four material. Richard had passed and Slade could only smile from his seat over at the child's slow progression in to true villain hood. Far from.
He'd graduate eventually, maybe even go off on his own contracts once he was deemed ruthless enough. Robin was too useless in a real fight without a Renegade to keep him vigilant. Richard had to prove to the man just how three dimensional he could make his new persona.
"I might not even recognize that child the next time he has a birthday in that tower…should we extend the year to a half longer…I wonder..." Slade had wondered as the screen in front of him patched through to a General with decorated, blue uniform and a bald skull. Dead,oo99o[;klo nearly sunken eyes…
"Greetings, General Immortus." Slade leaned back into his seat, tilting his swill. "Any word, has the target been located."
~It has. General Wilson. ~The prune - dipped old timer had Slade to wonder if being immortal in a sense was only a curse to the unlucky ones. ~ The girl's charts show that her powers are developing along nicely. Soon, her uncle the duke will strike, and we shall pick up what remains. You, shall be granted your weapon. Per our contract. As thanks for your hefty donation from the last time, the weapon shall remain I your custody until maturity. ~ ( I'm pulling a big one on this arc. Terra a d Geoforce will be cloned as weapons and will have false memories. Tara flees like before, but won't guess more away. In Titans Together, Slade didn't have to show his face so he is still a big bad of the highest regard to the Brotherhood. This agreement is similar to the meta trafficking in Young Justice with her back story.)
"Immortus, you went through all of that trouble? I'll make sure not to let it go to waste."
Slade saw the man leave the screen, as the next image was of a lanky blonde teen princess inside a tube – in a lab, a mask over her mouth to keep her stable. " This won't be far along. Tara."
/