Our Time in Reverse- What it Takes-
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Chapter 29: Kick Back
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Robin had knocked at Cy's arm into building him a cycle. Slade had given him a permit and he just needed a motorcycle at age sixteen to show that the man's training was worth the screaming and fighting. His apprentice had to be ready. Slade was finally going to push the hero into the seat he was meant to keep. Robin sat in the front seat if the T – car and imagined up a vehicle that would make him feel like a fighter. Like a real –
"LOOK OUT!!"
Cy swerved as Bb shouted, the car driving back as the masked teen mole felt his heart catch in his throat.
He'd almost….
It was fine. Dick threw out the fear as Cy swiveled away from a harsher shot by a strong bolt of animated lighting. The thing wielding such a gift was on Starfire's radar as she called out to their mysterious attacker. "You are causing disarray for many of the city's citizens! Explain yourself at once…" Her eyes lit up, taken by what damage had already been committed.
"We have no need to explain ourselves to the likes of you!" The shadow blasted a bolt and laughed, as if it were funny to electrocute a live living person. Dick gasped d and shouted out through the window as Starfire went down in one blast.
His head pounded; it wasn't right but…this wasn't the plan? Why was it so soon?? Slade wasn't the culprit. That voice was shrill, younger. As a lump formed while Bb and Raven went to the princess's rescue, she was ok.
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However, Slade in his seat had seen that cry of terror. He held his armor and swapped faces with a new mask. "Patience, dear boy." The man slapped on his more historically inclined piece. A hat for travelers of ancient Asia or male's kimono from a wise sage's book in China called a Hanfu. (Please correct me on this!)
(I'm using it as the hanfu alternative here. The hat, if anyone knows? Too many options. Looking for the translated word or term.) In his hand, he had a disk with an engraved S in the metalwork, as well as the staff with a similar Kanji on its tip. That "S" meant something, and the book he'd read said that the sorcerer had many faces within his vast, occultism practices. "I'm off. See that Tara is comfortable. I'll return no later than tomorrow morning."
Wintergreen left the man the mask; a face if a long-bearded stranger. Skinny, due to his ability to mask his mass. His ability to be as transformative as a trickster fox. The rest was always an enigma, no matter how many faces he kept to. Richard would need that skill in the future on other missions if he survived the man's trials now.
"Very well, be safe on your journey. May it prosper, somewhat." Will didn't want Slade to go so far as to change until the faxes he hid behind. The boy needed a teacher, yet Slade was a far thinker when he got too determined. Robin was going to learn that much about the tiger coming closer with each passing second.
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Starfire groaned as Bb sniffed the shadows, two. The lightening guy wasn't alone. A booming voice ripped across the space as it forced a wave of sound. Like thunder, it pounded the asphalt where people had fled to the other side and away from this nighttime danger. "What are they?" Bb growled while Cy used his arm to see.
"I believe we are in fact, superior, my brother." The teen was clad in battle armor of gold, white and orange. The other, the thunderous brother was clad in similar armor that looked to come from China by its origins.
"Thunder is pleased to see so many respecting our descent. As being as strong as us, none can compare. We must see what this new plane offers!" The older or other brother was tall, but stout and a warrior with a different personality from the spikey haired lightening meta. "We are Thunder and Lightning, humans. You cannot tell us to desist, or it would bring shame, for we now belong here."
"You're making a bigger mess than anyone else." Raven responded angrily, though her temper was even to control her emotions again. Bb agreed. "Yeah, this is you visiting someone else's home, so you can't go and wreck anything."
"We are sons of deities. You cannot order us to do like a human, green one. Brother? Shall we show them our power in unison?"
"Very well, brother." The two were ready to hit where the Titans could not fight back in time. While they were at a disadvantage – a stream of fog for any reason other than a distraction made the Titans and the two demi gods (making them a bit more celestial here) look around for the source. All Robin saw was a strange lamp as he squinted with him mask on tight. It wasn't knock out gas. It was a signal.
Raven didn't see Robin rush off on his own to a secluded spot on the other side of the foggy bridge. There, a shadow by the post of the Golden gated structure leaned back in a wide, large bamboo hat. A red upper kimono of the east and a black under- piece with a silver strip to his waste. He wore not his face, but a false face. A set of whiskers that reminded Robin of an old marital arts master. A sifu, his.
"You're doing well, tonight. Got the signal?"
"I'm here, what do you want."
"I'm being watched." The man came out and said. "Those two brothers are important and a part of my next big idea, so I want you to bring them closer to my hand. The spy on my back, is now your responsibility. You'll do this, and as a reward, you may have time to recuperate in the haunt. I know you miss your old life."
"I…" Robin blinked, looking back to be sure that no one was around. "I, have to see about what works to trick them. I'm in, I can't risk it."
"You'll show up, or that will be a point rejected, my apprentice. You want my praise, believe me. See to that spy's attention, and I'll deal with your prideful duo." He nudged his chin as the fog was clearing, Slade cloaked and fading into it by way of his tech….
"Wait! It's –
"Robin?? Robin, where have you gone!"
Star…. Dick cussed under his breath and took an inhale. "I'm here!...I'm not going anywhere…" He glared back into the dark, sensing that Slade didn't appreciate the boy's answer. Robin turned back to the bridge and ran, not looking back. Slade was angry, he'd disobeyed and had to make it right. Why did he say the spy wasn't dangerous if he knew so much?? Robin grunted and found Cy, his face in view and a bit panicked by how Robin got to his knees and shook. "I …I saw him…"
He rasped out. "I saw my stepfather…. he, he wanted me to come home…."
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"No sign, Raven?" Cy went up to Raven as her process was also no go at finding the two trouble making deity. "Nothing. As if they were never near here at all. Something us going on."
"It has to be someone helping em, I smelled a second person."
"Who though? Height? Temperature? What did he …how did you picture um, cause Rob is super scared and we can't let that freak come to this tower." Cy was mad, mad that he'd let their guards rock a bit at the might of one killer. One man who had a hold on a certain young antihero.
In actuality, he wasn't doing the best thing for himself.
~ Sir, I'm sorry. I choked. I do want to join you again…f-for a bit, I promise…tell me about the target. The spy. I'll take him out, he won't get near them. ~ Dick bit his lip. ~ I mean...~
"It is fine. I'm going to wake my catches first. The brothers have the ability to cause static within that tower, yet my intent is to come out of hiding at the right time. Partly. You'll see. For now, do as you are expected. Get some rest. In the next hour, be as you were prior to our discussion. I'm far from unleashed, just a little surprised by how you've cemented your trust in the Titans as an "leader" would. That is the point, right? Have you in the running?"
Dick's mouth went ajar as he bobbed his head, eyes wet but not crying out of embarrassment yet. ~ Master, you have my trust. I'm again sorry for not snapping out of that role at the right time. That was unprofessional. I'll do better. One hour from now, I'll rehearse. ~
"Good, learn from error here, my apprentice." Slade praised over the comm, his face still as the old wandering killer of the east. "Time's up. Be sure that you take this lesson to heart. I'll see you by day's break."
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Thunder and light rocked the earth as Robin came to the doorway, the rest being his call now. "Robin!" Bb bounded over as a raccoon. "Cy's been calling like, an hour ago! Were you asleep-
"I, had a hard time accepting things. It's fine."
"Dude, so don't pull a Raven on me. The emo- goth look isn't you. Look, I…know he scares you. Raven had a dad when we got stuck inside her mind. And that freaked me out. He's …. not a cool dude, but you are and Cy and I, Raven and Star. We know you can be just like us. A hero, Robin."
"Let's go see what's happening." Robin cleared his throat. Bb's kitten eyes were a problem. He just…
"I…sure. If you wanna talk, you know who ta look for, right? And….I'm kinda sorry for being a big jersey since you got here. You're kinda weird but do am I…I guess, I thought you'd hog the attention I used to get and I didn't wanna see my friend hurt by anyone. Even the new guy. I had a hard life when my parents died…we can go over it later, if you need a cry too."
"Crying, won't help me. Sorry, Beastboy." Robin gave the other a sad smile, as if ready to go off on a journey to another world. "I want to focus on our job. And the people we need to save first before we worry about –
The signal went off on their tower as Bb's ears picked u p the immediacy right after Robin. "You sure, dude? Would it be safer if you stayed behind? What about him? Your step dad or whatever? The criminal??"
"He can wait in line. I have a better life now than killing for someone I hate." The boy dashed after the sound. Bb had go grin at the fact, but he refuted that thought. Robin was still being tracked, and this ex-operative of his who was on the job, the mutt in Bb smelled confrontation.
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The train gave him cover the night prior, his cape blowing in the wind while the now delinquent washed up onto the shore of some new territory. The humidity was dry here. He stared up at a blaze of light that hit a California pine tree. There, on the chase was a green string of light, a flying girl in a cloak, a green eagle, and a car driving up to the top of a hill overlooking the country that was a forested suburb. "Found you." He smirked and slipped off to his targets. "B, you lucked out. I found Dick, and I know you wouldn't mind me Hacking the Bat computer a second time to fight your battles."
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So, who is spying on the heroes? Why is Slade taking the brothers under his control? What is Dick's deal with Slade or is he just acting? Will we ever find out if Capt Black was let go? Find out! Part two of Forces of Nature.