Our Time in Reverse – What it Takes –

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Chapter 27: Doubled Over - Three Way Panels

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Perspectives of Slade, Robin, Raven and Cy in this to keep it consistent. Still on pre forces of nature, during Nevermore and Robin has to comfort Starfire – the rest will be based on "tick tock tango" later…other one shot I did. Slade pulls a Gizmo to get noticed.

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Robin noticed that half of the tower's inhabitants had no come for supper, or breakfast the next day. He check in with Slade, yet Will said the man was off on a mission and there was no estimated time that he'd be back by that morning. Dick shut off the link while thinking of Kori, and how she seemed to wander the halls as a ghost since he'd woken up, right as rain.

While she and Raven had swapped places. He went to find her; her hair limp and her teeth managed poorly as she yawned to the window in the main room that overlooked the Jump City bay. "Morning, Starfire." He said in a voice that was collecting dust until he'd needed it. Sugar soft and sweet, that would put acid in his lungs. She did not turn to him, after what she had been told to…do in the avoiding.

"I think we should see about Raven. They others also aren't –

"They will be the alright, without my assistance."

"Star?"

He saw her ponder life itself, hiding deep down that she had been threatened. That the man to try such a horrible tactic was….

"Star, I can't do this alone. I need you."

It was needy, almost begging he swore. Slade would critique the boy after they'd reunited. Robin bit his lip, trying to force the doldrums aside. She wa infecting him with so many added, useless ideas. He reached out a hand to her, knowing who she had told him she was. Maybe, it was time to do the same. "Kori –

She gasped, her head finally turning. "You must never call me that. It was not intended to be accessed by a commoner. Please –

"Star, my real name isn't Robin! It's…." He took a breath, cameras rolling. "It's Richie. I, just used that to throw my step dad off my trail. I promise, whatever you saw…"

"I saw, a man harm you without touching. He is still there, and you could not tell or see. He is very…angry at me…" Her lip wobbled, and before long she told him about the mad man's threat. That he was after Robin, his target. That the Titans might have to face him. For if they lost…

He would annihilate them, push them off the face of the earth.

"Cyborg also said that…your blood sample came to a positive result with a strange solution. It made your wounds heal up. Do you know of any of that, friend Richie?"

"Robin, is fine. I'm still keeping a cover here, while I can." The boy looked out the window and knew Slade was giving a lot away by revealing his intentions this soon. "We have to do our best to be one step ahead. You helped train me not to kill, so my new mission is to put my step dad behind bars. It's ok." She sniffled as he put his arms around her. "I'm not going to let him hurt us…"

"But, that solution –

"Cy can figure that out. It's got to be checked, I agree. But they need us here, now. So, will you go with me?"

"I shall!" Kori's face was bold and determined as they two swerved the corner to see a glowing red light beyond Raven's doorframe. What was left of it.

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Raven had only a single shot to get to her center and find the one responsible for setting her friends into the depths of that subconscious she'd failed to keep in check. They had toyed with nothing, the thing ..the thing buried well below her, was after a sacrifice to get out of its prison.

~ I won't let you get your way. I have to save –

~ What I am doing is necessary for your role, my daughter.~

~No.~ Raven snapped back at the voice, the void opening as a maze from legends since buried deep in the past. There was no light at the end of this tunnel. Only darkness, as she pushed on. ~ You won't tell me how to live. How to react. I'm choosing to put you back in your cell.~

~ You'll have until your sixteenth year, and then…~ The voice quietly cackled, ~ And then, your fate shall be mine once more, daughter.~

/

Raven floated down, down into the dust that was her own mindless drifting. She heard a shout and looked to see a red eyed image of herself, a red cloak upon its back as it fought beside her teammates. Her dark side was –

"Beastboy!" She called out, yet the magic pushed her away towards the exit. The way from which she has come was going to swallow her up, while the double in her eyes and face took charge.

~ Azarath Metrion Zinthos!!~

The creature with her face finally took a good look as it was send flying into stone guards with two faces. Cy holding up his Canon and seeing the real Raven on her knees. Weaker, for whatever reason.

" Cy! It…but that wasn't-

~ What gave it away, Raven?~ The double rose and let its finger seek the darkness, cultivating a magic of red whips to smite its host. ~ I was hoping one of your friends would have my ticket to freedom. Now I see, he has brought you to fulfill it. The role that shall make me –

"You don't have that control… neither of you do." Raven growled and got up, fighting her body as it pulled her into the misery if whatever miasma could not hold her. "Let my friends and I go. While you remain here, never to see that world. That is your fate!"

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Slade slipped off the roof as he was ( important.) Metal shins, metal mind, no kindness if the brat awoke. The shop was locked up and secure as home invasions could go. The Slade bots were only four, nothing less to his needs as the rest waited in stasis.

"Going to bed now, Uncle. I'll be on the back office sofa."

"I shall be up then. Doing more research!"

He could shout. Wow. Jackie rubbed his neck as Uncle simply kept to himself. Martial arts made a mind sharp as any sword. He could use cau-

He saw it again! That blur.

The man sent himself in this case ( important,) down to the roof as he found a window unmatched for what seemed like a storage facility. An attic that did not have too much on the way.

"HUH." Jade?

Slade in this case, looked to see as he hid off by the window, the little eight or nine year old playing a handheld game while walking around. Minding her time, nine o clock. "Last level-

"Jade?"

The girl bumped the window as Slade ducked. Damn kid. Nearly gave him a heart attack. He'd live, mostly through it.

"Jade, you should be headed to sleep. Your parents made me promise that there would be no late night Game Block time."

"But…but…last level, Jackie!!" She whined as he plucked the thing out of her hands and sent the kid down the steps to her guest bedroom. "No more nighttime trips to the attic. Uncle would have a fit over both of us invading his –

"It's just some old man junk, I think he would fine with…it…if we cleaned? –

" Jade. No more talking poorly about your elders. To bed."

She threw up her hands before they were gone. Slade in his state huffed a sigh. The rest being if she was a sleep walker…

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As night brought the shadows dancing around the antique shop's closed in walls, the shadow that was largest of all, made it's way to what it required. "Aha. Staff in cus –

To his right, was a mirror and in the reflection of that mirror, were foot soldiers from an ancient realm if dark magic. They had blue tinted skin of frostbite death, and wore black as ninja clothes. A cluster of them. After the shield. The same one with the rooster on it's front.

"Figured as much." Slade's fingers snapped softly. HIS little army of foot warriors in metal braced fury squinted back at the alive figures staring them down. " Don't budge." Slade commanded to the enemy.

The foot ninja didn't hear, and pounced.

As did the mad man's robot devils.

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The fight could have lasted as the face on his screen from a distance underground showed the victory at hand. The foot ninja had been blamed, as hoped. Slade smiled and lifted his gun to the cue balled head of a rather disliked man of a separate division he knew to point fingers at "Deathstroke. Thought they caught you out of Belle Reve. What brings me the honor of seeing you again on the west coast?"

"Captain Black. You don't look worried that I might just be here for more than you're willing to honor." The man held his hand steady as two other Slade bots made sure that the captain's home had no visitors. He still was a bother to tend to, give and get. "Team Seven handed me plenty. Started my own business in the next town over." The merc smiled below the two tones mask. "I wanted a favor. All that time got me thinking," He wrapped personas a bit, " That you owe me for having Waller push like she had. Nearly got the Bat to break his neck. You know that, right? I need you to go into your little log right away, while we're catching up, and to give me a new name. One that can be…flexible. Nothing extra –

"You want me to forge-

"Ah – ah. Are we not old friends, Black?" Slade taunted the adult as he let out a low growl. Claws to his throat and a gun aimed at the back of his shaven head. "What name. You've got at least ten they're still after. Interpol wants you every chance they can. I couldn't put us in deeper if I tried." The captain lied.

"You could, with the correct codes and…incentive." The layers the bots had came out, one shooting through the captain's knee as if he'd just gotten too close to the socket. Five times over.

Sizzling scalp or not, Slade didn't hesitate. "Name. Now, Black."

"Who's?" The other male coughed. The mercenary's eye became cat-like and even playful to the question.

"Why, I'm going to borrow yours. If it's not much trouble."

The bot shocked again, and this time before je could press the trigger, the end of the gun jutted the man, knocking him unconscious as the drones tied up their prize. "We'll make sure that two names can't clash. I'm sure you can manage to, disappear for awhile. Thanks again for your time."

Black didn't have his eyes opened as a bag over his head brought back so many memories. Memories of stopping the man in front of him from making some terrible life choices.

/

The bot that looked 'like Slade had been preprogrammed to grab the staff, the book and shoot out as soon as the coast was clear. Slade returned soon too, the real one as he looked over the boy's injuries and shook his head wkth a cluck of his tongue. "Needs work, but you got the items. Good for you." With a press of its switch, the thing was dragged away by Slade bots it had escorted back to the haunt. "Wintergreen."

"Slade. You look ghastly, man." The adult brit looked his old partner up and down from the sidelines. "There was a line for you. Something you should see for yourself before any rest is to be had at this hour."

One am. The signal, the regular talk.

Slade checked it with his eyes bolted to the giant bat in his fucking face. "I'll talk to Wayne on my time. Don't bother. The less he knows, the greater a chance we have to put him in his place when the time comes. For now, I'd like to speak to the girl."

"The young miss, Tara? She's not been very inactive if that is what you are imploring –

"I think…" Slade hummed and began to pace, a short walk to the exit as Wintergreen turned slowly his head to the same location. "I think, she's ready to regain some new memories. I'm headed below. Watch the monitors."

The man's abrupt leave had Will wondering if this new persona had some drawbacks. He'd not compare Two Face or Riddles, but still…Slade was doing all if this very quietly. He only knew so much and it was a bother. The girl had better not make a mess of things was all he assumed, should Slade decide to send her on a seek abd destroy mission to Gotham. How did the bat get their location? Was he willing to raid the perimeter?

Slade didn't seem to tell any of the signs, yet he was planning behind the mask, and Will would use the man as his shield until the butler was needed again.

As far as the boy, Will hoped he wasn't getting too attached to his targets. That would put Wilson into such an awful fit…

Away he went, tidying as he watched the tower and the girl and Slade, removing his mask.

Just as he had done firstly for a Richard. Just as he was about to do to a traumatized living weapon on the form of a fourteen year old princess.

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So, Dick us actually sixteen in this, just so you don't forget. He's on the smaller side so a lot of people will bother him later about how petite he us. Starfire is about the same age as Robin while Raven, Bb and Terra are the youngest. Cy is a year older and it goes this way because, I'm keeping this way since it wasn't changed back in earlier chapters. Jason will be about fifteen an age apart and later we will bring Tim in who us two years in difference but not yet. Any luck so far? Slade took the boy he used in the episode Masks out for a spin and as he said, "needs work." He's got all his marbles together and it will be quite traumatic for two teens in this. Find out! Last chapter of Nevermore and then we get….

Forces of Nature!!! Yaaay!!!