Our Time in Reverse – What It Takes
/
Chapter 48: Shadows Talk – Bodies Walk
/
Dark, so….to go!
/
Dick walked ahead as the walls stayed solidly built to keep only water dripping, heard was not the enemy's footsteps as Dick groaned and sat up on top of Cy and Beastboy.
"That…. was crazy deep." Cy rubbed his skull and found that Dick was not budging. "Off, Spike. Gotta see…where they sent us."
"The ground, just…."
"Shattered the apart??" Starfire gasped as she brushed debris from her long red hair. Bb shook as a shaggy mutt, getting her covered in more of it as she glared at him.
"Wait." Raven was up first, pointing as she floated down the wall to the waterways of an empty sewer. So, they believed as Bb ran ahead as a coyote and growled when they spotted a Slade bot, two, slinking around towards what appeared to be a private speed boat.
"Stop!" Raven moved her palm, yet one bot shot, startling her. "Raven, careful. Those things are armed." Dick saw Cy rise as he waited. Slade was getting ready to start a war underground. He seeped in an inhale before getting up, helping Kori as she thanked him. He was going away soon, how she looked so meek in the face of danger.
Why? Wasn't she a warrior, too? It was a puzzle as they headed after the robots. Cy brought them up to speed as the one bot with the main lazer was toppled by Cy's bulk. His cannot didn't get a shot as the bot melted, face and all. Not to be caught. Dick and the others ran, until his sensitivity was at its peak; the wall aside of Robin crumbled as a big stone clad arm pulled his wrist, threatening to take him out of commission.
"Robin!!"
"Star, go help em. We got this."
She's wished over as the grip loosened only a bit, Dick kicked his foe wkth a steel toed retort. "Let me –
"Robin! I shall…
"Wait!"
The lazer was as the time on the train. The boy had saved her then to, as in the shadows, the Titans were too far ahead in their chase to see who had shot their friend.
"Robin." Slade appeared as he never crooked a finger. Only stood, as Dick was set free. "Good work, Cinderblock. Secure the Titans' time while we, discuss matters."
"Sir, I made it?"
Slade only turned, expecting Dick to follow, which he did. Rather softly in his boots, not a tap as they went back the way Slade had come in secret.
/
The lair was as he had left it, plus the new screens. Five of them, which perplexed the boy as Slade took a stance. There were cameras up. They…were going to film his betrayal?
"You'll take your role seriously, boy. I have you in my grasp, and this is only the first trial. The titans at this very moment are going to become my leverage, not you. That fifth screen, was a gift." He touched a button on his wrist as the gauntlet had switched to resemble a controller. "This, is why I didn't want you to stick by your so called friends."
TThefaces were of them. Their vitals, their heart rates. Adrenaline. Endorphins. Immune systems on display. The fifth, was not a teen at all, but …
"You…when did you,-
"These probes are a marvel; S.T.A.R labs should really have better locks secured on their things. Mine now." Grinned the mastermind. "Like, you. And him."
"Bruce…" Dick swallowed. "You…what can those robots do? When…were the Titans infected. I was just the distraction, wasn't I."
"Part of your job was to sever their trust and to make it stronger in you. It will work. This as I said, is only part one of our, presentation. As master and apprentice. Maybe more, if you can fully prove yourself, Renegade. It's time." Slade snapped his fingers as the camera had started to roll.
"I've monitored their vital signs. Every weakness the titans and bat could ever carry. Now, with the push of a button…" Slade started down the teen, narrowing his gaze in that clear threat. "I can annihilate them Robin, and I'd gladly give you a front row seat. As my, newly made, apprentice. Full time."
Dick remembered his lines, then something stopped him.
Star was burning up.
His mouth ran dry.
"Robin, the clock is ticking."
The boy glare at his master. "You'd have to add me then. I'll get them out if your trap, whatever the cost. They…took me in, they did what you never could –
"Made you a hero, then decidedly against it thanks to the the bat's little pep talk?" Snorted the mercenary. "You were never a hero, child. You were born to be a weapon. An enemy since your very first breadth."
"I'D NEVER HURT MY FRIENDS…" dedicated snarled back with his fists up. Slade look on, expecting a meaningless threat back. "I will stop you myself I I have no other option. For their freedom. –
"Or, your own."
"What?"
A sixth screen came from the wall as a black tarp fell to reveal it. "I needed leverage , dear child. You were the perfect scapegoat and distraction. Guilty. Yet, you enjoyed thinking you had a chance to make things right between you and the bat, didn't you?"
"No…no! You…you'd never-
Dick was panicking. It had to be so. If the bat saw, he'd throw himself into a war that would leave him a broken man. Slade wanted to see that, desperately. "Slade…stop this, they're like me. We can't face you if you kill us off! That's….wrong –
"I'm a mercenary, boy." Slade chuckled a bit louder than he'd wanted. "Dying is what you'll do if I make it my business to kill. You may be children to a client, to even me, but you are a threat firstly. I can't have the Titans affecting my work, or you. A traitor to my latest plans. Submit, and I will be lenient wkth even the bat." Slade promised. Dock was sweating now. He felt betrayed, sick. He'd wanted to live for the man, but dying for him…was that beating brigade meant to lead up to him overcoming death??
He wasn't going to last, yet Slade was proven wrong as Richard somehow, composed himself. He stood up, eyes waiting to redden and sob very large tears. "Keep us alive. I'll come with you, Master…I'm…. I'm sorry I ran away. I don't want anyone to suffer because of me."
"Then, welcome to you new home. My apprentice…" Slade dropped the camera as it stopped. He, clapped. The sound grating against Dick's ears as he let out an exhale, falling to his knees. "D – did-
"I did not."
Did looked at Slade and truly wept. He wasn't lying. There were no probes inside his apprentice.
Yet they were about to murder four teens and the famous dark knight, should Dick betray his true principles. "I know this is difficult to adjust to, you were starting to enjoy their company. It's not going to end, Renegade. I told you, if not a third time I'll do it again." Slade remoed the mask as Dick rose and ran to him. The boy was ready to –
The swing of a punch was feeble but almost expected. "Dick, that's enough."
"You…can't kill them, or Bruce…I'm supposed to keep them safe…that's-
"DICK!" Slade pulled out his trigger to the teens, seeing the boy freeze up. "Let it go. You won. I'm only using this to get you to snap out of your –
"NO! They trusted me, and you just want them all…." Dick crumpled into his knees as Slade put the controller away and sighed over the child. "Get up. Come."
The kid brushed away tears as the confusion of what he'd be one, who be really was…he wasn't sure it would happen. To kill…he'd never…
"Renegade-
"It's. ROBIN." Dick gritted his teeth. "Part two, s- sir. I'm still, Robin. I'm still one of them."
/
Slade ripped the kid from his stupor as he dragged the boy by his raven scalp to the main room. The dais was there as Slade turned Robin to it, directing his jaw to stay front and center – to see what was supposed to be his side at the mastermind's ear. "You're forgetting our real plan. The titans are cannon fodder. I know you like to play pretend. You're not half bad as a mole. Right now, they won't know where to look. The detonator is not going to work even if they have it in their possession if they do learn how to activate it…that will ultimately backfire."
"Dying…. not enough…" Dick shook his head, Slade releasing the grip his larger fingers had gotten to cooperate for those short minutes they still had. "I…I've never killed before. But what I was told, I might be…wrong? You…you saved me, I want you to say I'm good enough…I'm not! I know I suck at this. I screwed up and –
"Hush." Slade patted the boy's cheek only form, not a hit as the boy gripped the hand to him. Not wanting to let go. "No one should die. Rethink the plan, please…"
"I may not, not for this mission unless it needs to happen. You're my first priority." Slade smoothed over, letting Richard hold that glove to his cheek like a child. Or…. something Terra had already dictated. There, he was worried that would be his problem down the road.
"Will you need to kill me?"
Slade paused, knowing Dick was more durable. That they should go over the details of these changes to come. "You still are in need of extra treatments to avoid that sort of demise. Remember, I rebuilt who you are in my image to protect you, my apprentice."
"I'm…not going to be like that, more. Like a son…" Dick held his bottom lip as Slade tilted the boy's chin up. "If I intended to erase them to get to you, isn't that reason enough to think otherwise?"
Dick let back s wobbly smile as je nodded, tears still falling as he placed his forehead into the man's armored grasp. "I'm sorry…I forgot who I was…I'm Robin, but…I'm not…"
"Easily remedied, Richard. It only your first time acting on a different stage. A larger price to pay, you'll overcome this little hiccup." Slade reassured as he re- cemented their bond with riffles of the boy's hair, a single bit of tenderness from a maniacal mad man. "Just listen on my every instruction as you have been." He coaxed, Dick nodding into his chest. "All of this will look better in another chapter. Then, you'll get your wish."
If he led the kid this far, it was inevitable that he'd call Richard his son, but a weapon was a weapon. The bat's prize was his own tool to strive and perfect. His blade to sharpen. And lastly, his bomb to toss at the city, until only ash remained to rebuild atop it.
Robin, would be that wonderful explosion he'd been hoping for.
/
Jason pinned Terra diwn to get her to speak. She was a tough nut to crack as he resorted to the bat's tech. Swiping that up, the signal was reachable, yet scattered throughout the tunnel. The Titans were on the move as their heat signatures popped up. Bruce had tabs on every off and on world meta, Jason groaned. Terra was beginf him, until two Slade bots sprang out, a lug called Cinderblock was busy facing Beastboy who looked, haggard. "Dude…. who is-
"Bb! Stop talking. I'm working on getting this…Raven??"
"Powers…" Sighing out a hard exhale, Raven nearly dropped the detonator as Cy watched in horror by how weak his team had become. Jason gawked at the kids, not seeing the boys going after Tara. Starfire flew into Cinderblock, yet Jason went after the blonde's rescue team. "You're not getting away!!"
She stuck out her tongue as they slipped by a corridor, Jason no longer hearing a beep on his locator as it went dark. There was a hidden way back, he panted. Starfire looked over as the others adjusted their abilities to lift the mechanism, together.
"We, do not recognize you. Yet…." She gasped.
"That…. costume." Raven blinked.
"You're not…" Bb gulped down a few words.
"I'm not Richard Grayson, and if you're wanting to pretend, he's NOT here to save the day." Frowned the younger bat. "Name's Jay, I'm…. the Robin who could have been, had he not turned against my mentor since day one."
/