Hey all, just a FYI I don't know for how much longer I will be posting there. FFnet is like dead, I generally don't get anyone reading this story over here anymore, so I will probably be updating the Ao3 account more often, and may just stop posting here.
Thanks again to everyone that has been on this ride thus far. Now...
ON WITH THE STORY!
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"We're arriving to the location, Superman is in the area. But he is currently trying to find Lex Luthor himself. I would not expect his help, unless it really comes to it." It was all the Caped Crusader had mentioned before cutting communications between them for the time being. The Batman had been keeping them updated on every little inch of intel as they flew towards their destination, only to cut the link and re-establish it every time he needed to speak with them. From this moment, Cyborg could only look ahead, whatever may lay in waiting for them would happen. Regardless of their preparations or feelings, it would come. The world had been working against them for some time now, it was probably best to just get this over and done with.
"One of the many Lexcorp towers. Mr. Fancy and his villain money." Beast Boy crossed his arms as he looked on at the building they were fast approaching. His heart sunk a little knowing full well that Robin was in there, somewhere.
Raven took a deep breath before pulling the hood over her head. "We do this now or not at all." Starfire and Beast Boy nodded in her direction. They were ready.
Ready that was until something unexpected happened. she sensed it first, "it" was a power that surged through all of them. It didn't take long before the others noticed that something was off. No one knew what this power was, but the world around them seemed to stand still as if it entangled them in a different world, a different phase of existence.
Then suddenly the ship itself seemed to come to an abrupt halt.
"What the... it won't move!"
"What? Friend Cyborg... that is not possible."
"I'm telling you!" Cyborg fiddled with the controls. "It's not gonna budge!"
Realization dawned on her quickly. This power... it was magical in essence but yet... something so very beyond even her grasp. "We need to get out!" Whatever this power was, Raven knew it could kill them. She was proven correct when the ship began to cave in on itself as if it was going to implode. "NOW!"
The team scrambled for safety. And in the mere seconds that they were forced to exit, Raven noticed a child below them, her hands crushing the air as if she herself was using her abilities to impact the ship. The girl vanished however as the Batwing fired warning shots at the child's feet. However with the child gone, the T-ship was in rough shape and Cyborg had lost control on all of the systems, and it began to spiral out of his grasp.
"What Raven said! OUT NOW!"
Waiting for his team to evacuate first, Cyborg tried to steer the ship to the best of his abilities but to no avail it was headed down and towards the front door of the very tower that their target was located in. "Well this is one way to make a entrance" he thought to himself as he ejected from the ship. The team was safely on the ground, it was a small group, but he did the mental headcount anyways.
The Titans watched their ship burst into flames, taking down the front door and a good portion of the wall as well. Raven look to her co-leader. It was time to make their move. Robin was here, there would be nothing that would keep them from him now.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Below was Asif and Ksenia, the two watched as the plane lost control and crashed into the base of the skyscraper. "Oh that's not good." Asif nodded in agreement. He noticed however that the hero's survived, jumping out before any harm could come to them. And before he knew it, the Titans were speaking one on one to the Police Chief and automatically the team was allowed entry and soon they were inbound towards the tower. At this point a team of young hero's literally dropping in their laps was too good to be true. And on top of that the group was joined by the Batman. What a day for them to have so many hero's come to their aid. Asif however could only grimace at the thought however, the hero's being here was going to make everything that much more difficult for them. "We need to get inside."
The woman could only agree. "It seems we may have to be a bit forceful after all." Ksenia moved to the troops and in a hushed tone she told them to move out. And silently the unit disappeared one by one. When she returned he asked her, "Front door still?"
She nodded in return, recalling how a tank just mere moments ago came rolling down the street, pulverising many vehicles and would of possible killed many more people if they hadn't simply jumped out of the way. "It seems like these enemies of yours brought in a tank and took down the front door, I think the ship just made a bigger hole. I wonder if we'll get lucky enough that the hero's ship hit it instead of Slade and your friend. So yes, front door."
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The former boy wonder grimaced, "Why bring a tank to the party?" he mildly wondered, he glared at the canon as it was aimed in their direction. It seems the ben Elohim was just going all out on them. "Aren't we special?"
"Surround them!"
Robin gave a few nasty looks to the soldiers that besieged them. Slade only stood every so still with his hands placed at his back, the ever imposing stance never failed to feel threatening, even as Robin stood at Slade's side, he could feel the hints of speculation and a bit of fear radiating off of the men. They knew that this was the man that was picking them off one by one.
The boy smirked. If anything he knew how scared they really should be. Deathstroke had a reputation to uphold. And Robin knew that a few soldiers would be nothing to the man. But before either of them could move, out of the corner of his eye he saw a rather large object hurling their way. "What the hell is-" Before he could even finish his sentence Slade had thrown him a few feet away before he himself took cover.
It was mere moments afterwards when he opened his eyes and groaned. Slade may of thrown him to safety but the landing wasn't exactly the most comfortable. Robin groaned as he got to his feet. This was the second time in one night he had been thrown to the side due to an explosion, and he had hoped there wouldn't be a third. His mind wandered to the vehicle, being tossed at him or not, he knew that ship. "They're here." he thought to himself. "Of all times..."
"Robin."
He would of answered that he was alright, but it was not Slade that called out for him. "Hero's, always showing up at the last moment." he muttered to himself, fully remembering the times he and his team arrived a little top late to the scene. But at least their little entrance had flipped the tank. Whoever was in there, now was either dead or unconscious. Either or of those options suited him just fine. He chuckled to himself, maybe he should at least thank them for that much.
Robin stood tall and turned around to find his former teammates standing in the once pristine doorway, which was now just a even larger gaping hole as the T-Ship had crashed into the back of the lobby, when apparently it took out the tank on its way there, and right now it was setting the place even more ablaze if that was even possible.
"Robin." This time he did answer. "I'm ok." Slade had dusted himself off as his apprentice made his way over to his side. Him volunteeringly walking over to the mercenary was a way to send a very clear message to his former allies. He was here, he had made up his mind of his place in the world and he wasn't leaving.
"Good." The mastermind saw the Titans in front of him, but seemed to care little about their sudden appearance. To be honest he was a bit more worried about the more recent news his apprentice had presented him with. He had to warn Jillian. But of course like normal the Titans appeared at the least opportune moment. "We need to get in Contact with Jillian."
Robin nodded as he watched his former mentor join his old team. He sighed. "We don't have time for this." His eyes searched for the soldiers nearby finding all of them dead, their bodies laid where they died as they were tossed across the room from the impact. "Unfortunate" he thought, they would of made a great distraction while he and Slade could of fled the scene to take care of more important matters. Although, perhaps if he were to get his hands on one of the flame throws the soldiers had... He was sure at this point in time not even Slade wanted to stay and watch the fireworks.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It was him alright, after all these months of searching, he was right here in front of them. Cyborg narrowed his eyes at the man that stood in an all to familiar pose. They knew from the files that Batman had sent them, that this was Slade's real face. And next to him was their leader, their friend, their Robin. "Was, former." Cyborg had to remind himself. But he couldn't help it and called out to him. Seeing him laying in some rubble wasn't exactly how they wanted to find him. But as soon as he straightened himself out and walked over to Slade's right hand side, they all knew at that moment, none of this was going to end pretty.
Robin had betrayed them, he had found a new place to call home. Everyone knew Robin had a bit of a darker streak, but when growing up on Gotham's streets it was to be expected. But this... he didn't think anyone would of expected this villain that stood before them.
"We don't have time for this." Robin looked around.
"Yea I'm sure you do. Considering all the time and effort we've put into looking for your skinny ass."
The former boy wonders attention was drawn to the now team lead. He crossed his arms and surveyed them for a moment. "I see you taken up the mantle of leadership. Figured you would. And let me guess, you got Raven as your second in command. That would be the most logical outcome and the most practical."
Raven glowered at him. "You cut the link didn't you."
The boy shrugged. "At the time I just didn't want you all in any danger, so to ensure you didn't come looking for me and possibly get yourselves into the thick of things, I severed it."
"It's time to go home Robin, and you." Batman looked towards Deathstroke. "Are going to serve a nice life long sentence."
Slade could laugh if he didn't have a lot of other things on his mind at the moment. "For what? You literally have nothing on me you can prove in any court of law."
"Kidnapping is kinda big one you jerk." Robin looked to the green boy and chuckled. "Do none of you understand? I'm here by choice. I know so many truths now, so much that has been kept hidden from your end of the world, so many things that I just didn't see or grasp in the past. But my vision is clear now, and I do not wish to be a blind fool any longer." Richard glanced at Starfire who stood off to the side and noted that she was standing not floating, shame that she let herself succumb to her emotions. He really liked her once, he wasn't so sure he felt the same now. As for the rest of the team, Beast Boy was evidently upset, Cyborg he knew was holding it together for the sake of the team, and Raven... well she was the same unemotional Raven he always knew. Although, he also knew she must be just raging on the inside, possibly grasping at every thread to keep her sanity.
"The hell you talking about!?" Cyborg heard Beast Boys comment and he had to admit, he too wanted to ask what the hell Robin was going on about but he kept quiet trying to survey the room around him. He nearly missed it but kept still anyways, two people had approached them from behind.
"Sorry we're late." Cyborg look to his right as a young man and woman walked past them and right up to Slade himself. Cyborg sneered at them, the idea that he just let them walk past him, he hated that. But he also knew to stay his hand since who knows what these two brought to the table. The blonde woman was the first to speak. "The unit has infiltrated the grounds, they are now at your command." His eyes narrowed at the mastermind. The unit has infatuated the grounds? Just how much power did Slade really hold? He was just a small town villain, just a mercenary right? They all thought the same until Batman handed them that goddamn file. The very idea that they were all going up against Deathstroke at one time made him anxious, in the past they knew nothing of what they were going up against and now... well know they knew. But realistically it didn't change much else. But with the knowledge of who Slade really was, it really put a lot of things in the past into perspective.
"I'm sorry I'm going to have to cut this reunion short, it would seem we have some more important issues at hand."
"Think your just going to run away? I don't think so Slade!"
"Yea, I think that is exactly what's going to happen, seems they got a few more important things then you lot." Robin looked to the young man. "You sure?" the former hero only received a nod and Robin shrugged. "No dying on me ok? We made a promise. And I will hold you to it." The other just waved him off. "Yea yea yea..."
It was then that Cyborg noticed what the woman had meant by infiltrated, all around them were various soldiers, all with a gun pointed at their heads. "Shit." Batman had noticed the new company as well. "We need to be careful. This isn't Jump." The Caped Crusader looked to the team's leader. "They will kill you." Cyborg frowned in response.
"If you came here looking for a fight." Robin still had his arms crossed as he looked on at the group. "Then I'm sorry to say I can't give you one tonight, but in the future, I promise to bring it all to the table. As long as you won't disappoint either. But right now, I have to go."
Slade placed a hand on his shoulder, it was a symbol generally of possession but right now Robin swore it felt to be more of a sympathetic move on the masterminds end. And while he wouldn't admit it now, down the road he would think of how difficult this all had been. You can switch sides, and you can betray all that you had known and trusted, but in the end the memories are still relevant and it's still a harsh good-bye. Robin looked to his former mentor one last time before he nodded, the Bat looked at him, he know there was concern there but it wasn't something he could show in front of the Titans.
It was time to leave. But Robin couldn't help but feel he had played this card before, he walked out of that church in Berlin and now he was just going to walk away from this massacre. Just another event that could be added to his list of oddities.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
It was odd looking at them all from this side of things, as their enemy. He smiled at his former teammates as he and Slade left the building. Both were wearing formal wear, they would be treated as survivors and victims the moment they existed. And Asif and his new friend, part of the military that came to help them, and before the Titans could even find them outside of the building they would be long gone. He knew that Asif would hold them in place, allowing them to slip out unseen.
He knew there was no victory for the Titans today. Cyborg had tried to reach out to him which caused a warning shot to be fired at this feet. Raven hovered over the group as she put up a shield. Beast Boy was telling him off in every swear word he knew and Starfire... she just stood there and watched him go, but there was a fire in her eyes. Although it seemed it was just newly rekindled.
So strange, this entire evening.
But as he left that is when he saw her. Sariel was hunched over a balcony watching the events unfold before her, and along side her was Ms. Warchild herself. The two of them talked about the events as if they were merely guests watching a play and he and the rest were the actors. She looked directly at him in that moment, her blue eyes meeting his own. And in a matter of moments that seemed like decades she smiled and waved in his direction. He turned away from her in that moment and walked out the front door.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Thank you so much but pls pls pls go follow me on Archive of our Own, this chapter alone was posted like mid January over there.
-Fangy