Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes Chapter 10, a teen titans fanfic

Our Time in Reverse-What it Takes

Chapter 10: Wherever He Hangs His Gauntlets- Checking In

Slade pulls a pop-up screen appearance like with tt03. Robin is conflicted by what his master has to say. He pushes to stay in the Titans' favor, but how long until the jig is up? He has less than a year now and one day it took to get their attention! Hope it floats- let's go!

Dick was given, rather, a sandwich with vegan ingredients was shoved into his lap. "Cy thinks you've got some good in ya. Just don't be the kinda guy who takes advantage of others, or that's gone." Bb snorted with the nostrils of a rhino and walked away from the interrogation table. Raven and Cy returned with a stack of paperwork and a quieted demeanor. "This is all we need to keep you in the Titans protective custody. It was a robbery, but from what Rave knows and the cameras, you were the look out and took all the blame. Don't worry. Those kids are all over this city causing a mess wherever they can."

"We don't want you to be intimidated by them, especially because of their powers." Raven added. Robin frowned at them, then cane to take a hulking bite of his no – tuna and soy flour – no wheat bread. With a dry swallow from the food, he nodded. Cy passed a water bottle over as Robin went to work reading the fine print. "So, any contact from the outside…wait…that means –

Robin looked up at the other teens. "I'm staying here? In the tower?"

"Just until we can find a safer location. A foster family –

"I'm too old for the system…." Robin let his eyes fall to the past, to pages of newsprint with HIS family on the cover. Covered in blood.

Grey images –

"Rob? Robin!" Cy snapped his fingers, magically pulling the younger teen from his day dreams. "You still have the while booklet ta' go through. Should we give you a sec?"

"Y- yeah…sorry. My parents died in an accident a few months ago. No one took me in, there was no one who could…"

"Any chance you want us to help? I could see into your pain. Reduce-

"Rave." Cy again had to tell her. "We talked about this and I need you to not offer. Not unless…"

"I could help." She turned to Cy. "It's my ability, my status as a hero is because I connected and linked all of us."

Info? Robin pretended to be engrossed in the stack of papers. Something to bring to Master Slade's attention later, he wondered quietly.

"I…. know how he feels. I'll be in my room, I'm sorry." Raven left her hood up, head down as she skulked away in silence out of the room. "Is, everyone ok?" Robin knew that acting innocent could accomplish two or more things. He could play a victim, or become the one most hated in the entire tower. A complete idiot is Bb sniffed out his plans.

"So, when you're all done, this is all up to us. We'll have ta' convince the judge that your story checks out ; that you were pressured as a homeless punk kid who was made to take the blame of a bunch of real criminals. You just wanted a place to stay. So, look. We can't be your sitters I'll be using a special chip ta' make sure you stay put while the trial plays out." Cy pulled out a micro chip as his mime was quite good. "I'll go on your arm.or leg it can't come off without my permission. After that, we'll look into a school system, or –

"You know my step-dad was a military buff, right? A General." Dick knew this was a risky move, but it could let Cy know that he wasn't afraid like they thought. "Before his death, I leaned combat moves. It was for our protection. We even think he was killed as a part of an assassination attempt."

Cy looked concerned, good. Play that mecha – fiddle, Renegade!

"My mom was a spy who'd retired, and that left me. A damned kid who didn't even know about his real dad or his worth…what am I if I can't help? I only helped myself because I know nothing else…I was only left to this big bright world for a few months, not even a year or I would have never made it. How I did it…. I have to thank then, so please." Dick wiped his tears as he tried not to dampen the pages below his arms. "Maybe I can be someone to another person who wants the same thing. Happiness…. can, can I ever repay that much?"

Even without hair, Cy had to scratch his skull. Starfire floated up while Bb was munching on a soy jerky in the next room. "That kid…" Je told his allies. "He wants ta be one of us."

"He's not trained to-

"Would that not be rather, the dangerous of him??" Kori gasped at the door holding their little runaway victim. "He is, without a home …yet to fight and surely be hurt??"

"He thinks he owes us for helping him. He's a suck up cause he wants what we've got. A family. He lost his a few months back –

"Then why does the system say He's not from Jump? Or anywhere?"

"It's still new. His name probably isn't even Robin." Cy shrugged. "He's definitely doing this for another reason, but I wanna test it. See if he's really combat material like he says."

"YOU. Are both gonna get us torn apart by some psycho who's not on anyone's side. Dudes, I've seen this all before. He's not a good person."

"Maybe, yet we still must do the thing that is most right, Garfield." Kori told her teammate. "Raven wishes to check his mind and his past, I believe she must in order for him to truly be the tested."

Cy returned as soon as Robin was done with the last signature. He was maybe sixteen and not as young, yet acted less aware of things. Maybe he was a sheltered kid by his parents? Trauma, maybe.

"A'ight. So, we all decided that we want to see if you're being straight with us about your skills. The way the Titans do, is through the gym. So, come on." He ushered the teen Renegade off as he took the papers along, the chip placed in his charges arm while the made it down, down into an elevator shaft twice as wide. The basement was large too.

Very…not like Slade's haunt, though.

It was a stadium!

Almost.

"You got game? I can box a few rounds into ya. So, this will be your way of repaying like you said." Cy smirked at Robin from a side glance. "Get in the ring, we can see why you wanna be a damn Titan."

Bb was on the treadmill, while Starfire did a mini obstacle course inside a large box. A simulation room? Dick turned to evade an uppercut. "Whoa! You know martial arts?" He had to use a form that…damn it! Dick put up his hands in protest. "Mom did…a few moves as an instructor. Sorry! Boxing, right?"

Raven joined to look into the simulation room after Star had left it. Dick was sweating to the floor and back, but he was still able to go three more rounds. He had to keep going.

"You're looking beat, lil man. You sure you got what it takes?" Cy cockily moved more like a boxer and not a robot Slade had programmed to spar with him. Thankfully, his master knew this form as well and Richard had improved months before coming to Jump City. "You're like a spark! You just zig – zag all over the dang place! BB!"

Robin grinned, his adrenaline forcing itself to show up.

~ You like that, tin man? Well, you'd better mean what you say. I was trained by the best, compared to your fist bumps. ~

"Titans! Go on an' test the rebel over here!"

Dick stopped. "Um, I'm getting a bad feeling…is this -

"Huh, he thinks he's like us, Cy?" The grin Bb gave had Dick wonder if he'd met an enemy worthy of reporting. As a gorilla, the thing bounded over with thunder claps for its stride. "He's gonna run back to wherever he came outta!"

Territorial creature, crap. Dick leaped out of the way, looking to the ring as the gorilla made sure to follow. Up on to the ropes, he leaped into a crouch, goading the dumb animal. "Wanna go, big ape?"

Ah, quips. That could work.

"YOU…. ARE GOING DOWN!" BB roared out and pounded his chest, arms swinging. (Using apprentice part two on the Wayne Enterprises rooftop.)

Dick knew a trick as he blocked the fist and flew up and over to the next rope. "Acrobatics? You wanna join the circus, punk?" Bb snarled as he was made run in a circle by the young thug. "No, I just guessed, you like the attention. Can I call you little brother?"

"GAH!" Bb ran as a bull next, pissed as he could be unstable in each form for a few moments. He had to tire. It was impossible not to get him there. Bb then swapped as soon as he was by the ropes as a giant eagle. "You had better just fall down! We don't need another teammate!"

Dick gathered the wings and with a tug, Bb was to the side, Dick running as he saw his chance to go low. The bird went monitor lizard as it didn't stop. It grabbed at his jacket and pulled. The seams ripping, Dick was afraid that it would come undone.

His leg went up to crash down onto the lizard's head, knocking it over as he got it into a choke hold.

"Wrestler too? This guy isn't just showing off…"

"That is quite the enough!" Kori flew over as her eyes blazed emerald at Dick. His eyes shut, a hard breath as he leg go Bb turned back into his human – green firm with a scowl. He got up, limping and holding his skull as Raven went over to check for a concussion. "He's not showing signs of anything severe-

"My pride, Rae…that guy…if you want him, take im." Bb lumped away to his room, out of sight as Raven went to go assist. Starfire and Cyborg held out a hand to the newbie. "You can fight. Why didn't you tell us how?"

She asked it, more so concerned for her wounded teammate. "In the outback, on trips he took, my step father taught me survival skills. Mom wasn't always around to know, so I learned. And it hurt, so…I'm sorry if I-

"Trial. A trial, you pass."

"Wha…" Dick looked to the two. "An obstacle course away, then we can give you the A – ok. If you're with us, you don't go to juvy. You can only improve yourself as a hero. Maybe on standby, just to see how long you'll stay standing." Cy clapped a hand onto Robin's side. "Stay as long as you need and give us your thoughts later, if you have ta. Star? Time for a cool down. Dinner is in ten. You coming?"

Dick looked at his hands, the mats around the room and thos, tower. This life. Why were they being so trusting? It was good for his cover, but…

How?

After a supper of celebratory tacos and tofu tostadas, Bb stayed in his room and away from Robin, while Raven asked to look Robin over and see if he needed anything. After that…came a question. In trust.

He was told to come along down the hall where the bathroom was, the name of rooms being confusing at first until Robin applied Slade's training to his life here currently. The next hall was Raven and Bb's rooms. Hos were closer to Cy and Star's. It made sense, sort of. "Um, so it's only fir today but we set out a spot so you can stay the night. Think over what we said. You can fight dude, it's no wonder you've got all a that angst. Better you use it to do the thing that those kids who tricked you might never think of."

"You would not only be helping the city. Yet, our works "travels." Starfire piped in. "I cannot wait to show you the gardens and the court of the basket!"

"Yeah, so…this is for you. If you are in or…"

Dick saw the room as the door opened. A futon set in place, close to the floor. He checked the walls. Bare, for now. The window was, not bolted too badly. It would open, soon. There was even a small network which, made no sense. And then lastly. "Take this, if you know wjat you want. Who to call "

"You would be most appreciated on this team, if only willing to comply."

The unit had a black and yellow design. A big T in the center put the rest together.

"A …uh…compact? A phone, sort of?"

"it's our communicator. We all got one, even you can't say no ta' the logical thing. Man, take it easy, and if we said enough –

"We shall be hoping to know you much, much more as time passes!" Smiling, she was nothing like the women in his life prior to the adoption and abduction by Deathstroke. Dick got a little choked up, well, he hoped it passed for his test to be passed as an A plus to one man.

The person he'd only trust, as long as they believed him…

"Yeah, good night …thank you for this, I have to consider it? Right..."

The two nodded, leaving Dick to the barren walls and he swapped gears.

"Renegade time." He whispered, crawling back into a constricting pair of skins. He opened his mouth, teeth in the compact showing as he plucked out with a wince the weakest one. Inside, was a small micro chip. A false tooth, a better cover. He looked to see the network had a slot and plugged that in. In his lining of his jacket where Star had sewn it her best, without his permission…was a small retractable cable USB as he connected it to the comm. "Master, can you hear me? I'm in."

The screen to the comm unit came alive and Slade's masked enigma was there. Dick sighed, smiling before clearing himself and trying to seem professional in the man's view. "It worked. They want me, and I'm inside the Tower. How are plans going to collect Tara, sir?"

~ Kindly disregard that thought for now, apprentice. I'm please, and the alien girl did not find your equipment? ~

"Sir, the cameras you placed –

~ Next time tend to you own things properly. You are close, but there is still much to consider. You've made a rival by the way, congratulations. ~ The man's gleeful eye wasn't like his alter, just as Dick wasn't like Renegade or Robin.

All of them didn't coexist at once. Only two at a time between Dick's. He swallowed with a nod. "He was easy to run tired, his stamina is good but he has a temper, sir." Dick told them man. "Cyborg is strong, but he has a big heart. He's smarter than the rest of them and yet, Raven can see into a person…"

~ So I've seen of her files from the JLA database. You'll keep an eye on them for me. Report any findings that would be useful to our later takeover. Maybe you can even come home earlier for good behavior.~

Dick preened at the idea of being a success. At his master letting him leave so he wouldn't ever end up doing the gritty parts of the job. That was all Slade, he wanted to luxury. Dick was a spy, he didn't have to get too dirty. He…had time. They did. "Yes, sir. I appreciate that and will not let you down."

~Very good, and…Robin? ~

Dick froze, his hands over the files he sent only seconds prior. The screen to the network sang in the background as white noise in a decent hum. The flavor in his mouth had grown bittersweet. Always with a cost, he turned to the and never took his eyes off of that lone mask.

~ Should you lose your composure; either in battle or pretending to BE what you are not, you'll still force yourself to keep up appearances. Even if they have layers pointed directly at you, you are not to come cowering home until I say that is permitted. If you call me half in teats again, check a mirror first. ~

He was just prepping him, preparing the boy for a battle of his…. making. Dick let the tears fall, but it had to be a fear of losing that trust most of all. Had Slade ever cared –

A knock came to his door as Robin arose. "Yes??"

" Sorry, it's Raven. I need to talk."

Raven? Was the computer-

No. Dick had to ignore it. He had to bite that bullet until another tooth broke free.

"S…sure. Come in." He sat onto the roll - of - a – futon mattress. Technically a Japanese- Style sleeping bag. Dick aas used to the pampering, but this was mean as it got…not the worst, though.

She didn't come through the door right away as it slid back slowly. "I know you did give my teammate a few unheeded injuries. They weren't lethal, and you knew how to control yourself in battle." She rubbed her arm, seeming as tense as Robin felt willing to lie in her face. Could he though?

"I never missed a lesson. Mom had her new job. The only reason he was there was because I was too needy. After dad left us, she changed. I hoped this man had our best interests.."

He tried to imagine an image of Bruce, not Slade….never….but all that came up with his emotions-

"Stop." Raven put a hand to her temple and took in an inhale of startled breath with her. "I can sense your pain, and…I can help. You need to talk to someone. It will help you to fight with more focus. A clearer mind."

"I'd like that." Sniffled the boy wonder. "I'll definitely expect you guys to handle me when I do join your team."

She let her mouth open a bit before closing it. "Will you be the one to tell Cyborg."

"Sure, first thing at breakfast. It's a promise. For Titan to…new recruit in training." Dick grinned and flopped over to the side on his futon. "Night, Rae…" pi OK

Raven's delicate smile would shatter. He had to keep her happy j Make her believe his false visions for as long as he'd been taught. Slade's exercises in meditation were a safeguard against psychic attacks. He was glad to have stayed awake for those now.

"G- Good night. Robin."

With a soft slide, the room was now his. Their trust, at least the three, was his. So, why did the whole idea fill his stomacop0 oh in knots….

Oh, he blinked wide awake and licked his chapped lips to remember the plan ahead. "Because if I fail, I have to eliminate them for my future father…."

He'd maybe be taken back if he got found out. IF Slade didn't decide to paint his corpse black and blue for screwing up. If he was still the man who had maybe cared at all. If he wasn't the image in Dick's mind that Raven had definitely seen….if only….if only it were easier to read. Please him, save their lives? Was it always that simple?

Dick groaned into his donated pillow and slept like the dead. After all, he barely knew them, he was not be replaced by a meta. Even if he had to be just like that man, he'd go that far…unless, unless something else caught his eye first…

Ooh? Find out what that might be!