Our Time in Reverse – What it Takes
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Chapter 44: Bruised Egos and Flash Bombs Up High
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Lots of ands but, autoimmune going off. Getting that out of my system before my shift. And, rolling!
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He didn't have time to tempt a thing as Dick bolted with his heart pounding. Fire in his lungs as he found an alley and took the glove up. He looked at it as it formed a fist.
Anything, he had to get this just right or they'd…
He bit on the cape as he tugged it off and punched himself in the face first. Then, he went to find his left rib, his kidney and soft tissue vibrating below the black cloth. Seeping in an angry breath, he…..PUNCHED. Winding himself as he staggered back, Dick began to discover. Beneath the suit was his Robin uniform as he tore parts up with his bird birdarang.
He whimpered and hobbled out while clinging to the wall. The extra hit was started to cause a purple mess by his rib. He held it, feeling faint as he had learned to bite through and survive. Slade was an excellent teacher in minding your messes.
Even half dead, he had to try to find…his voice. With a croak, he cleared his throat and stumbled, face completely transformed as he called out to his team in the underground subway station.
"Titans??"
/
In the infirmary, Dick was left alone by everyone but Raven. Even in physical distress, he held strong against her psychic attempts to read him from top to bottom. "It's going to heal by tomorrow. That strange serum is still inside your body, forcing the process."
She was talking about Slade's powers. Why was that still active? It wore off about a few days ago, right?
"Cyborg wanted to apologize, but I can do it better." She let her white healing magic wash over his eye, lingering there the longest until his lid opened with a mild wince. "That swelling will go down. By tonight." She told the fake hero. "Your ribs weren't as lucky." She frowned and put both hands over the spot, pressing and eliciting a hiss from the other teen. "Was the bot the reason, or was it Red X."
"I…thought it was. My eye got hit before I could tell…I was waking up and, and I went to find you guys. He tossed me diwn and I fixed my landing but barely."
"Explains the twist in your shoulder. Torn uniform, maybe." She put some ointment to the bruise at his lower rib. "We won't separate. I know you just wanted to stop the man responsible, but this isn't the sane person. My powers…sensed he was worried about doing what he did. He has a motive as a thief, yet I see things my team cannot." She put the jar of salve down and went for the wrappings. "Promise us. No splitting up. No running in after danger without us. What were you doing out? I told you –
"I…got the call, it came to me so I thought you would get it too. When I was out in the city, I was attacked and X was there. He said he had business…ugh….with the biggest crime lord in Jump City. I told him to stop, but he just…didn't take me seriously. Said I belonged back in Gotham with the bat. Why? This is my thing, why –
"Robin. Your name. Whatever your past, did you…actually have that costume from memory?"
"What? You think I stole –
Raven put up a palm. "I don't think you did anything, to be truthful. Yet another hero with your sane name, same mask and even his appeal. All points to you maybe having a different past or presence that wasn't related to the man that made you try to learn to be, something else."
"Slade was always there, forcing my path while I had no choice. You saw –
"Then why was the batman here? Why did he come to talk to you, specifically?"
"WH…" Dick bit his lip. "Because of my step father-
"No, Robin. Or, Richard." Dick's face paled out.
"Raven, you've got to trust me! I'm not –
"I think your memory was partly altered and whatever that serum is, it was responsible for a short term spell. You don't realize it. That the batman recognized you. Knew a name you told us was similar. I could tell my leader. But we have to stop Red X, and he's not going to stop until he has all of the micro chips. The last one is located at a Wayne Enterprises lab in this city. You'll be coming with us. But after we win, if we win, we are sitting down and I'm personally combing through your memories to help you remember. Slade kidnapped you –
"No!"
"He forced you to learn what he does. Then altered those memories and fabricated a part of your past. Richard, you were with Gotham's finest…you, were the first Robin."
/
Slade burst out laughing. Tara came back in from her training in a white gi and a lot of questions about that nearly normal laugh of the adult's.
"Priceless! She hasn't figured it out!" He laughed even harder, teeth clacking as Slade composed himself and picked up on the other screens. Seems like an eavesdropping miss was not far.
Starfire had a wide ear to the door as she was tearing up.
"They can't handle being wrong in two nights, huh." Tara gripped a water bottle and chugged it quickly. "You gonna go to the gym with me? I've healed from most of the last bruises you gave. He's fine. He'll just whimper his way out of this mess like you said. His best quality is acting pathetic to fool his friends."
"Maybe, but to build on their relationship, then tear it apart" Slade mused to the girl. "I'd like to see the bat try to cope with getting his boy back, even when he won't go willingly. Dick would even kill the man to get ten feet from him, let alone a thousand miles."
"Yeah, he hates him. Why?"
"Neglect. The same reason I can't let him go that easily, my dear. He needs anyone to stay and listen. I just knew how to talk to him, best."
"He….who was he before…you know? If he was with Wayne but didn't become the bird wonder?"
"He was the son of two famous acrobats, the Flying Grayson. They were threatened by a mobster. Tony Zucco, who wanted protection money and vowed to set the bar a bit, higher. Dick did his best to remain ever vigilante and pulled the alarm on the crook, so that night at an open net performance-
"WITHOUT A NET??" Tara gasped. "How stupid were they?? He was like, ten. Right??"
"No, eight or nine. Dick's family perished through purely sabotage and he was promised to be fostered by the one person in that tent who cared as much as I had started to after seeing the kid's torment in his little eyes…he wanted justice or vengeance. He ran out of Wayne's hold and I helped to make that choice clear enough. No sooner, young Grayson chose to have me help him kill Zucco and leave the bat. Took years of hopping from country to safe house. A lot of tears, until now. He's going to be seventeen soon, and I want him to find the strength to undo all of that pain in one final act. As my apprentice, he'll needs to get his hands dirtier than he has been." Slade finished.
"By tonight, there will be no need to act further. The last chip is in Wayne's building, yet…I now have the codes."
"You're welcome." Cheekily smiled the blonde. "Acting like a lost kid pays off if you know how to get past a bunch of guards AND the big bat notices your sad puppy dog eyes. I've just perfected the art! Catwoman would be so jealous!"
"Have the positivity down a tad, child. The bat knows. He was letting you in to gather what he could on the next step to our set up. The main cost of all of this would be my apprentice. I doubt we'll allow Dick to take the fall for much longer. Should I explain a bit more, expect your acting to surpass his own?"
"Wait…you think he's doing better than me?? I'm literally having your enemies eating –
"He tipped the balance with my help, but a part of him thinks he IS that bird. He loses himself to a role not made for a single fave but his own."
"You…kinda brainwashed him into keeping on the mask? Will he be, ok?"
"He will. Once the smoke clears, it should all be made exactly as I'd hoped. Absolutely."
/
Bruce got up, prepared and went on a daytime patrol, out of the Titans' view. He found Control Freak, asking about a strong crime boss who pulled the strings – nothing but a monolog of Star Invaders Episode seven….
He then skipped out to locating Mumbo, a man who was a former Street performer and left his banking career due to a mental breakdown and depression. Quite sad. His face though…
" I had nothing to do with the big bad in this city. But I heard through the grapevine that some kids from the HIVE organization, a crime syndicate that teaches brats to be baddies, was way behind the Titans' foes all along…"
"Good to know. We'll be in touch, and if you didn't lie your way out of a longer determined sentence fir going on a rampage with a magic wand. Then. Maybe we can adjust your stay here. I don't think you deserve to be behind bars and out of the spotlight."
It made him an ally on the inside, buttered up the wrong person for reasons falling into grey territory the sane; had Red X been trying to stop Slade instead of devote himself to the man's immoral legacy.
The trip drove Bruce by late evening to the place where X would throw his stars at the glass. X shaped ones, Bruce made sure to stay hidden as he looked over a rather vast black and white themed sanctuary for the final chip. The green one. The last…
Envy.
/
He perched, nine pm. Bruce noted that no one was on call except a few guards, but then. That switched like a light as the security was thwarted.
The damn –
" Excellent work."
The brash child with a vendetta placed the chip in his own palm and searched it over, brow raised. "This thing is super important. Wanna tell me what we're working with, partner?"
"Patience….you can't expect me to trust you so soon and with so very little to sell to a novice like yourself. That in itself would be criminal." The man seemed playfully attached to whomever was behind that mask. Bruce waited, was watching as Slade moved a set of fingers behind his back. The boy gasped and took the chips and a step away.
"I couldn't just let you handle all of that sensitive data on your own…could I. Robin?"
/
That did it as more overhead lights by an overhead catwalk showed robots. More for combat as they leaned in to watch. Had this been a prison fight, Dick would be walking with no limbs to hold him up.
Bruce didn't stand still as Slade waited for Richard as he threw the first punch, caught abd whooped in the side. Groaning, the man moved the boy with his boot to be s –
"Deathstroke."
A terrific sound got the man's ear as he just as much hated and lived this in his head; father against son, against dejected foster parents prior to Slade stepping into the child's life.
"Batman. Were you here this entire time? Hadn't guessed you to leave the city for a small town skirmish –
"This has got to end. Dick…you're not doing anything with him, ever again."
"I never did a thing like you thought… And who are you referring to? This, boy? He's just playing along, aren't you?" Slade leaned over the kid as his bloody nose said otherwise. "Sure…" Dick crackled out. "Was…was I good, sir?"
"You…." Bruce's voice rumbled out. "Dick. I'm not letting him do this. You know all of this is…dangerous. Wrong, killing is –
"The only way to neutralize a living threat in this society. As well as any other, that's your lacking component …you said he couldn't do it, well?"
The sound of a searing heat ray had the roof come down in bits. Raven was behind Starfire, Batman stared up as Cy abd Bb were helping to catch up by air.
Starfire dive low and gasped with a hand out. Robin.
Red X, she swallowed.
Raven was right then on her theory.
" Stop! He is not what you assume-
"Too late." Slade sighed. "But not for us."
/
The bots activated abd started to drop to meet the heroes. Bruce held his feet firmly as Dick got to his knees. Slade patted the boy on the skull before plucking off the dragged out X mask. Dick looked stunned into submission as his face burned. "How…"
"Dude…Rave, you were…"
"The vision I saw was his same hand punishing. Punching his ribs, it had to be a false way to get out of being found. Robin…"
"Again, you should watch where you pick your friends, witch."
Slade plucked out the chip from Robin's shaken grip. "Catch my drift? I've gotten what I came to take."
"You shouldn't have to!!"
Bruce grappled the man as he dove in and dragged Slade to his knees, looking to act as he could to topple the mastermind. "W – wrong – wrong answer-
The man's face popped off as his mask…
Dick yelled and covered his ears. Starfire dive swiftly to pull Dick from the bomb version if the mastermind.
Dick saw the chip fly up as he saw another Slade. A better one catch it. "It seems we'll have to cut this matter short. Take care of my future apprentice."
Dick pushed Kori down as Cy watched her get hit by an X from the man's suit to keep her cuffed to the floor. "No! He us not the one you-
"SHUT IT! HE'S ESCAPING…."
"Dick…" Bruce held his shoulder abd was still standing. "I'm not letting you go after him. I told you. This is not your fight."
"Always the hero, but never the martyr. Batman, you can officially go and shove it like that robot down there."
"NOT until you're safe and away from that maniac!"
The Slade bot ninja clawed figures swooped in and made a gap for Robin to get away, Bruce pushed them over the edge of the catwalk as Raven rose to find the boy wonder and subdue him before he got out into the city.
/
"SLADE!!"
This was who he was going to play. He needed to know why Slade had…had tried to do it again?? Did he want it to hurt? Was he doing a piss poor job of impressing the mercenary?
"STOP!"
The boy flew across the roofs to a lighted one, a billboard in Japanese that read 'read more comics." He was well versed due to the man's excellent tutelage. Slade skidded to a stop as Dick side stepped and they circled one another in a fated dance. "You never swapped outfits. Too comfortable in all black?"
"I don't get to stick out. I'm done pretending. I'm going to get you to see that."
Slade tapped his hip and smirked below the mask. "You made me a monster already. The bat helped. What happens though when I'm not there to take you back…"
"What….you….you have to! I'm still good till one year, I'm not done!"
"I didn't mean that, child. What if the bat becomes needy, wants you to give up the hero life and settle down. Like some lame pup."
"I…" Dick looked behind him. "He wouldn't try, would he?"
"Have you not learned how far a grieving man may go to satisfy his own sorrows? He WOULD." Slade warned. "And you'll need to pace yourself. In a few days, I'll be by your side and the bat will back off. For now, finish what you were about to do."
"Sir…" Swallowing, Dick nodded and put up his fists. "THEN, YOU'RE NOW MY ENEMY. Please trust me, I won't miss."
/
The fight was something different, deadly. Neck and neck, Bruce panted up to see the kid holding his own, only because Wilson had raised the boy to fight like his life was the only thing that mattered.
Dick when to graze the man's shin, but was tossed in a loop around, until the kid kicked out. Pushing Slade as he hit the side of a building there abd Dick ran to stop him.
Slade….
It had started to drizzle as the fog shifted to hide the body. Dick's heart raced. "He…he survived…he had to have –
"Richard."
Dick jumped back as Bruce caught him from falling also. Dick's face moved to the ledge. His master had gotten away…the chip ….
"You lost the objective. You didn't get the chip."
"Bat-
Bruce pulled him until his toes were no longer off the side. He dragged out his hand to grab the kid's red x Xenothium belt. Dick fought but Raven and the others were back. "This is insubordination of the worst casualty. I'll be having a word with your team, and you."
/
Dick was safe. Slade trudged to his hole in the ground. A man hole cover, even as the bat thought him drowned in car smog and an accident that never came. They both knee better. Slade had laid his line down. Dick was going to hate Wayne even more for forcing him to throw out his potential.
Not a house pet. Not a trophy.
Slade's.
Slade found the decontamination chamber as Will came to him and shuffled the burnt-out villain to the showers. "You look a mess! Tara has taken to guarding the lair in your absence. I hope you are happy with yourself, Slade. This is the bat's vendetta and you'll not be spared with that boy."
"Wrong again, William." Coughed the other adult. "That bat…. won't be in this city much longer. The device, is it finished…"
"Almost. By tonight, your detonation device and the prototype robotic probes should have their orders for anything else your warped mind has to culminate."
Will said it; as bitter a taste he could.
"Good, I need to sleep. For now."
"In the muck you've rolled right into? My handiwork is obviously undeserving of your presence." Sniffed the disgruntled British male. "As you want. I'll leave the bath for whenever you might wake. Feel free to adjust the temperature. How long will it be?"
"Fourth five." Slade said quickly. "My test of the serum is showing…that the boy testing the new dose, was wisest. I can heal faster this way, for them."
"Of course, ever the dutiful mentor. To bed with you, then."
/
As a villain slept, the heroes stayed up with a murky eyed adult. "You need to know." Bruce held Dock is special cuffs as he knew that this wasn't a part of the plan. Things had changed. Changed for the worst…he'd have to turn this around, somehow.
"The chip is gone, but he still can use it, right?" Cy shook his head. "Robin. This is, I dunno."
"We found out about his identity soon enough. Slade was…just biding his time. He wanted this, and I don't know why." Raven rubbed her chin as Starfire tried to bring a hand over to Dick, the boy didn't get to deflect her touch this time. It stung, hurt as much as his many bruises that had sealed up prior to their arrival.
"First, I want you to identity what is in his blood." Wayne commanded to the titans. "Second; this boy should tell you, and if he can't then I will expose everything to keep you safer from him."
"He…he was simply a victim to –
"Slade helped train him. This boy, is not Richie, but Richard John Grayson."
Raven switched to the computer and pulled up the missing report of this…
Acrobat.
"He was…world famous?? Dude….that's…why not tell us your vac –
"They died. A long time ago."
"He was my adopted ward for only a few weeks after the incident. You are going to figure it out eventually." Bruce frowned, pulling back his cowl as Richard scowled at that face, eyes trying to stay shut as he lowered his neck.
"Bruce…"
"Billion dollar baby…"
"Wayne." Dick sighed. "Slade saved me, but he cane first and, I hated him. That's why I got away. Did what I could to never see your face again."
"But you're a minor still, Dick. And Slade would have taught you to kill innocent people for a small fortune. None of that would belong to you. Just as he thinks you don't need to know –
"Stop! He's still out there, and…and I could do this, I really could…now that I know. He would toss me away faster than you had. You said I was reported missing and left it at that." Dick spat at the bat.
"Robin is already back in Gotham. The boy you hurt and had shipped home to us, was adopted by me and promised to help by keeping the name alive-
"He ruined that suit!" Shouted the teen. "That was made for ME. Not him, whoever he is…. you…you stole from my family and replaced me! How can I not hate your guts right now, Bruce??"
"But, you worked with us all! You…you did not lie about that…"
Here it was….Dick licked his chapped lips.
"I ran away from him, wanted to stop him like he's been doing to my life. I didn't lie about that."
"You didn't. But, then he isn't your teacher or something?"
"He, he was. Only because couldn't stop him. Now, I might have a-
"That finalizes that Wilson has broken the law with your abduction." Bruce stopped the boy. "In their defensive, you are better off with me. Learning to be a normal teenager for as long as it takes to erase everything Slade has taught you."
"No…no, I want to stay. I can fix this! I can get the chip –
"That chip was a decoy, Robin. Slade only took it because…"
Cy had Richard's eyes slanting towards him angrily. "What?? You mean, I grabbed a fake??"
"We knew it would be safer…if with X coming and Slade, we talked to the bat in the time you were out of it. He contacted me. Said you needed to come clean and I defended you – but you…you've been hiding who you really are all along."
"To stay safe from them both. You don't understand. I'm not –
"Sample is ready and hot!" Bb plucked out the glass vial as Batman took it in his gloves and began to swap the compartment it was handled in. He set it under a microscope from the med bay as they waited. Dick held his breath.
"It's real. Not stable one hundred percent known traces of the serum that Slade carries…are inside of…"
/
Dick pacedvas he rained cuffed wrist to wrist. "Fuck me….I'm not that bad, am I??"
"You heal up and then go back and forth like a dummy to his haunt? He knocks you out – kablammo….then, you come back like you never got smacked upside the head. Classic evil sleeper agent. Told ya. Mind control!" Grinned Bb as Raven threw her head back and sighed. "No, more likely conditions and commands to make Richard stay and take whatever Slade was willing to show. He was using the serum in small doses over the time they trained. That is…"
"Years. You started at the time he took you –
"He didn't take me, Bruce. I left with him."
"You were a minor and it was coercion. He manipulated every move until you came quietly. Zucco was in my call and I could have gotten him no sooner had Slade delayed it all."
"What dies that mean??" Dick snarled back at the bat. "That Slade intercepted your call to Tony Zucco? The man who killed my mom and dad met the wrong person…because he fixed him to??" Dick stumbled back into the gurney behind him as Bruce muttered something hoarsely. "That's correct. I was supposed to have made sure he showed up an hour earlier. He came back to the rent grounds and…Slade showed you his aim. You can't think he's a hero –
"He made it easier. Zucco deserved! -
"ROBIN…" Starfire slid up in front of the boy as he looked out ready to rip her nose off. "This is never the real you. This man, he may have many faults as well, yet did he not promise that justice might be served on the cold dish?"
Dick tried to find any words to tell her to stop, yet her eyes made him drop himself. Bruce started to talk as Dick's head pounded.
"Slade won't be done yet. He's invested you into becoming not only his apprentice, but his super soldier project. If you aren't going to understand the consequences here in this city, Gotham would gladly-
"D- DON'T." Dick stammered. "Y – y – you…. he said you'd do it…get rid of me…I'm the one who hurt everyone. I'M the one who –
"You need help, Dick." Bruce said a bit softer, still firm as a rotten stump. "I'm going to write up the paperwork to have you back in my care –
"Shut. Up…."
"You have to come quietly, or else your team can't do anything to help. If you want this life, the only way us to undo everything Wilson ever forced onto you."
~ He never forced me…he was kind, better than you ever were. You left me…you'll all just…~
"I think…" Raven thought as she put up a hand. "I think, that none of us have gotten any rest. I apologize-
"We can't postpone this, Raven." Bruce huffed. "I'll be back to collect him in four days. The papers should already fall into my favor. Dick?"
"I'll run back here. I won't stop unless you lock me up."
Bruce turned to the Titans. "Don't take anything of what he says to heart –
"Why not?" Gar leaped as a frog and was more friend than foe by his body language. "Richie was still like all of us. We let him in. So if you do catch Slade, he should get ta come visit he's not gonna just study all day and not have a life."
"That isn't up to your discretion." Bruce said, woodenly. "He's going back to be reprogrammed. Slade's brainwashing is only active when he's by himself. I can't trust you to take care of him in this state."
"I'm not brainwashed! Don't listen!" Dick instructed the Titans as his shame showed vividly in those blue eyes behind the mask.
"Who then can we trust?" Starfire put her hand to her mouth as her eyes darted between Robin and the dark knight. "Should we not do our best to help in some way as friend Beastboy says?"
"His help is coming, but we can't do it if the law –
"He's not the law!! You have papers…you…you promised." Dick guilty them. "He was after me, you got Slade off my back. You trusted me when HE may have as well locked me back in his house to rot like some dusty heirloom. Am I good enough for anything I do? I have nothing to –
Bruce stood up to Dick. Six feet, however he was from Slade's height, Dick just snarled and wanted to properly force his leg in the man's gullet.
"If you take me away, I won't stop. I am a hero. To them. To this city. Maybe, that's why I want? Maybe, did you ever think of that?"
"You'd hurt someone. I saw how Slade –
"He did that to himself. He would have thrown me off anyway." Huffed the boy wonder. "Star. Keep my room here. Just because four days is easy on your calendar, Batman. It won't take that long for us to counter what you're dealing."
"We can talk about this –
"Cyborg. We agreed to keep you the leader of this team through indirect monitoring of your involvement in Jump." Bruce jumped down the eldest teen's throat. "If I say he's gone, Ghent you have to abide. That. Is why you're not dismissed for insubordination and breaking your oath as a hero. No party within the –
"I understand all a that, but you can't just walk in and get your damn way. I'm sorry, it's unconstitutional and could put you on the city's log as –
"Why do I…" Seethed the crime fighter. "FOUR." Bruce recited. "Four. Days. After that, this team is on probation, and Robin will not be returning until its stated otherwise that we'll allow it. Slade is dangerous. The fact you've even been able to find off his tricks is….that, is why my concern falls on the Titans continuing in this city."
"We got the paperwork, like he said." Bb croaked. "Robin is out Robin all the way, even if he still has a few screws loose. I wanna see him come outta this."
"As do I." Starfire raised her hand. "Richard is, stranger as I would never have pictured moth earth boys to be. Yet, he was the first to truly want to associate-
"And he likes her." Raven cleared her throat as Dick shook his head. "Who? Me?"
"Is, is that really true, Richard?" Starfire's big eyes got even more dazzling as Dick ignored his heart. He attacked her. How could…
Shit. He'd bonded and they had imagined it WAS true.
"Or he was ok with meeting us. Ah, we taught him not to fight dirty. With your help –
"Your stories aren't adding up to me." Bruce snorted. "Four days. If you resist our authority or the league or myself; the senior members will gladly remove you all from your station without any second chances."
The team was unware of THAT stipulation. Robin looked to the others as they looked to one another. Beastboy wasn't even told to shut his jaw as he did it all by himself. Raven put up her hood and went to locate the document from the city stating that Richard's care was their priority.
None of this was legal anyway. Slade had formulated a way to get Dick to become a Titan, so Bruce was right. Dock didn't belong here, but they. The real heroes…
They would.
/
Like a kid being dragged out f a toy store, Dick is in for a rude wake up. Next is…Mad Mod!
Four days. Four villains.
Four times to make up for lost trust.
Will it happen, and what is Slade up to…find out!