Teen Titans Renegade's Last Resort – Finding Pandora = Hope

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Chapter 10: Stuck on You

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Dick was allowed by the boy to the shower stall. The room was well stocked, even a small tub of hair gel mocked him on the counter of a strangely pristine grey marble. The stall had more of that good hot water and Slade must have been getting his power from an illegal source, Dick wondered. He sat down despondently onto the toilet seat as he bounced his leg and tried to breathe.

Nothing took more than a few seconds before he was rubbing back tears and crawling in a ball in fetal upon the seat to get himself put back together. Crying here was safe, only in theory. Slade could probably make comments about his posture, even while taking a crap.

Being a piece of crap himself, Dick had to chuckle as he pushed the tears away abd stripped oit of the test of his clothing. Slade had his mask now. He'd probably expect this exposure to be a lesson, a new thing. The first time was during his run in and fist fight with the first suit. The apprentice version one, Dick had coined it.

The 2.0 design was costly, but the tights may have hugged him too well. At least no one saw his junk, knowing Slade's was covered up by a cup. He was no Ivy or even Grundy. He had class, minus the maniacal laughter.

Dick stepped into the stall as he tapped onto tiles so warm…thermal heat? The spray was just as much. Slade knew that spring was on the way and the boy would need to stay maintained in body and mind. His living weapon should Slade do what Deathstroke had done to himself to be so feared.

Dick remembered briefly the Bat warning Dick to sit out a mission with a League enemy. At that time, Dick had whined yet relented. He'd never seen the man's face. His entire persona down exist and he was a secret file away –

Dick took the soap on a tray above him on his tip toes, seeing as Slade wouldn't use this place to…maybe, maybe it was predicted that Dick would be here a longer time?? Would he use the serum on him?? Turn him into a seven-foot giant??

Dick rubbed the soap nervously into his skin. He was lean but never scrawny. His muscles were still developing at fifteen almost. Slade didn't expect him to bulk up, did he? Acrobats…

Dick kept scrubbing, his body finally crouching as he curled into himself painfully under the hot water. The sound of pattering against the tiles hopefully was enough to sooth his nerves, yet Slade barging in without Wintergreen to mitigate the burn…he'd be healed abd burned by the same person. Dick shivered, turning off the spray as he clutched his arms over his chest. The frosted glass maple clear that he was unseen, making him even more nervous of Slade pulling the door, as he did it anyway with a shaking breath.

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Dropping off all the water, it drained from someplace as he felt the heat frying his toes from a vent that had turned on. Slade must have programmed it each time to dry up the water to avoid mold and mildew outbreaks. Interesting design, Dick shrugged his hair off of the last drop.

The towel came in hand as it was long enough.

Until Dick realized the tral while he was wallowing.

There was no clothing. No underpants in the pile with the towels.

He set a breath back and searched by the toilet, finding the doorknob as he was sure then that there was no waiting for Slade. Staying here in the buff was not a part of their agreement, he fumed, putting on foot out the door.

"Where are you headed, child?"

Slade's eye….he…he was right there? The Shinobi style- inspired 'Ninjitsu' arts used that technique to hide out of the peripherals. It was mostly exaggerating their movement in films, yet Dick had seen teleportation in real life. Dick felt like a fool as hos stayed in the doorway, turning his head to face the wall in front of him instead of who was down the same hall as him. "My clothes."

"I came to bring them to you. Can't have my apprentice catching a pesky cold inside our new base."

Our….

Ah…Slade, it was a trick!

Dick bit his lip. "Thank you, sir." He muttered, his hair drier, yet his face still had some perspiration by the steam in the room not completely dissipating.

"Did you enjoy your shower? I've adjusted the temperature to the perfect set temp and the filter based on the time needed will fill up as you desire it. For some times when you are decent here, you're allowed longer under the spray. There is another set up bathroom in the base with a full bath and jacuzzi - if you are better that today, another time. Perhaps."

"It was enough for me, thank you." Dick dismissed the bribe. Butter him up? Well, it was…kind of creepy, to be honest.

Candy from strangers, he internally scoffed. Still as nervous as he should be. Slade must have seen him shivering on the warm tile as he washed away the grime of the day.

"As for one article of clothing, Dick…it stays with me."

Dick turned his head to finally look up. Bewildered, wondering what the hell that even meant. Article?? His top? What?

"Now that I've seen your eyes, there is no need to hide them away. In this base, you are to keep off your mask, shades. Whatever helps to re- cement that failing trust. In the field, out there, you will wear it again. I think it best, that we cement a new form of trust between one another quickly, if you are going to learn to do as I do."

Dick's head reeled backwards. "I'm here to save them. Not to stay your friend." He tensed for a blow back, for a reprimand. For something. It never came. Making him more om edge, Slade was not going to leave his poker face at the door.

"This denotes respect, to me. For yourself and your situation becoming less, painful a process to navigate." Slade continued, not seeing anything of the sort about the fact that Robin was trying to brush off his presence. He just ignored the stint, and kept talking.

"I'm here to stop –

"You can always go along with wanting to, saving what little time they have left. Though, honestly, child." Slade didn't seem less like himself as Dick wanted to scream, yet couldn't bare himself anymore of the shame. This mask was an insane one, he'd decided.

Slade huffed out after sighing once, an eye blinking before narrowing, a bit bored. "Fine." Slade didn't need to hear a moaning and groaning brat, yet what good would it do not to tease the idea of trust a bit?

"I think it fair even so, that if you show a side of yourself, I should only oblige to do the very same. You think I'm some mystery to hate in secret, well…?" The man smirked, coming a few steps closer as the clasps in the metal face plate slowly pulled away only to the side, as Dick spied a white toothed grin.

A beard or stubble goatee of the same shade. His one eye was hard to see in the dim light of the hall as Slade's knees bent slightly to seek Robin's own level, even as the boy leaned into the doorframe with his eyes changing.

"This, is the Slade you've been hoping to unmask. A greatest pleasure to be re-aquatinted with the former ward of Mr. Wayne." The smile was not as cold, too human and knowing as Dick swallowed. Did he know that face? A part of his past screamed 'don't ask," yet he wanted to. Desperately.

Slade's breath and aftershave were well kept and his appearance to Dick did last. It left a stark impression of hard won "military" fulfillments and his will to win over any enemy he so chose. Even Robin becoming, this…

That eye was a dark blue despite being lighter at some point in time. Maybe over time, this man's growing avarice had made it so much greyer, as Dick only searched hat orb briefly before wavering a bit with a fast blink. Slade smirked and add a dry chuckle as his face was now that much more terrifying in the dim light.

As if to tell Robin " unmasking me through sheer disobedience won't matter. I already know everything and you can't stop me."

The arch of his metallic - lined back straightened like a pin once more; the taller leaning man soon placed the face plate in place with a soft click of each clasp, leaving a head tilt to show that his appearance was no better than the first Robin had witnessed as leader of the Teen Titans.

"Now that introductions are unequivocally settled, I'll see that you don't freeze your ass off on your first week back home in Gotham." Slade pulled out the bundle of sleep clothing from under his arm. A pair a pajamas, right in Dick's size and slippers. "Stay on that side of the hall. The bot will show you to your room once I leave. From now on, remember where your room will be located. Sleep tight, dear apprentice." Softly smirked the older male as he deposited his gift, and then walked back to the main chamber for some thinking he had yet to start doing.

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Slade did a scare factor. Oh….

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Roy had been annoyed by that meaning, but it was obvious Bruce would not tell Oliver the truth if it meant knowing what Roy had found. That he knew something based on the HOPE'S data. The pre – k version of the H.I.V.E for trafficked Meta teens to this organization. Brainwashed, tortured and changed. He'd not before met one, Jinx. She was in her cell months ago as Roy had egged out the answers he wanted before Robin had been right to turn into Red X on the news.

That timbre was not done well enough as Roy flew out to Jump and even tried to see Dick on his days off to talk him out of trying to go after the crooked creep known as Slade. Back then, he was only looking into being the ex – side kick of Star. His new sights were on Steel city, Detroit.

"I talked to him about contacting you and he flipped me off. Kid was what, a year my underclassman? I thought he'd know that this was a bad idea…"

"There was nothing anyone could have known about their meetings until Red X." Bruce frowned and pulled out his bat – noculars. ( fun.)

"Robin stormed out despite my prior warnings, he even took everything having to do with the duo and put an X over what had been to maje way for the Titans thankfully, they had reason to push him to make amends. I'm the one though, that ruined our chance to reconcile."

"What, he tried?"

"When Starfire had appeared and the team was first formed in Jump City. I made the call. I was, watching to be sure the chaos didn't-

"You partly….stalked him. Wow, Ollie was right about you, Mr. Wayne." Roy didn't know how to add more.

"You don't want us to grow up. To get away from being man handled by your policies. I swear, it's why I took off and never came back until Dicl me all nostalgic to talk to you! The reason I know more is because I didn't sit down and do zilch. Why didn't you catch the first chip being stolen? Did Slade cover that up too?"

"He did, on the second theft." Bruce told the archer.

"Slade had found his way as a security guard of that chip. He'd used a disguise to adjust the cameras and we missed every bit of footage stolen. Without a trace."

"Wait…where then, are the tapes?" Roy rasped. "Bruce, that man sounds like a fucking psycho for Rob…this…no way." Roy shook his head and paved the rooftop while Bruce squinted down at what looked to be a clue. "I'm off on this case. Take the next roof and the opportunity to help the Titans along."

"You wanted us to split up, but you used me to get them to think we were sending em home."

"If Slade sees that Robin's team isn't allowed to stay, he'll be taken off his guard." Bruce nodded. "That way , while the cure is still a working mechanism to keep them alive, Slade can't do any damage. I'm seeing into a sweeper through my company to eliminate the probes. A high-powered magnet to deactivate –

"He' ll have a plan b. Don't be to sure." Roy looked at the direction Bruce had his grapple gun. "I never am. Slade, would kill children without a code for the chance to take hope from us. From the world, all to subject it to his sort of happiness and fulfillment that was owed."

"Hope. What does the Pandora box even do?"

"It's a limitless driver of greed, contempt and sorrow." Bruce answered before setting off, leaving Roy with twice as many questions as he'd had upon his landing atop that roof.

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Raven couldn' rest that night as they'd had to mop it to a hotel set up by Green Arrow's Mr. Queen. Roy had not partaken, saying he'd be around the next morning to go over a plan of attack.

"They serve no sugar here, Rae." Bb groaned at the breakfast bar as the coffee was too bland. "Gotham likes their npir look, B." Cy sipped his before turning to the OJ and a bowl of cereal. "I'd rather have steak and eggs, but you don't see me making the worst outta Queen's payment fir us to stay put."

"He has indeed "purchased" our same interests to remain "the one in the case." Kori looked into her cup of yogurt and sliced a banana on top. And a tomato, and some green grapes before scaring half the patrons that were sitting close by. "Star…you never eat that much acid without-

"Should we go ask for…" Bb frowned and swiped up a banana and some oatmeal. "I'm out. Star, don't forget we have a while before we meet up with Roy. You can slow it down…?"

"I must, be the strongest that I can, to…suwr….raw …ru…" She chewed but felt strangely weak. Raven swapped from her salad to check Kori's temperature as the rest caught her. "It…didn't work."

Cy called immediately back in the hotel suit, Queen. Batman wasn't able to have anyone contact him after the last time. "Mr. Queen." Cy had to let Kori lay down as the rest of the Titans showed Oliver quite a scare.

He searched the room as Kori was shivering and huddled into the blankets. This…

~ I'll get Bruce's ass on the line, Kids. Hold on.~

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Bruce's office was a buzz with callers saying that the same formula had an error in its performance. The pharmaceutical industry surrounding that was on thin ice for not a recall, but something much riskier.

"The anti –

~ Its rate so far is almost, toxic. If anymore of this crap is produced, you need to sue or someone could find out. Mr. WA-

"Patch me to line one, Lucius." Bruce hit the button as a new name started to grind him the really, wrong way.

Lex.

~ Wayne, I know your family has had immediate blinders in the past, though never through this many faults. I could bring your empire down one peg, yet if you want to negotiate a way out…~

"Unless you have highly trained and I mean it, Luthor…this was a lifesaving drug that could heal from the inside out. The only outcome is a rebound if it stopped working. It's no better than a superior painkiller that lasts longer than one day or week."

~ I see, then pain rules them…you should push while you're ahead. I'm seeing to S.T.A.R finalizing something for the surgical field to play with. Heard of the-

" You can't use that material, Lex." Bruce hissed over the line, his eyes sagging from trying to stop these pigs from using their portion of the element to bring false promises to those in need. "It needs more testing. The solution I used to –

~ It can't save lives like you think. If like I said, you need the extra support.~

"I'd rather sell you my appendix than a single lock of hair, Luthor." Bruce finalized, saying his two cents as Lex on the other line growled. So much for negotiating peaceful projects. "I want that element, and he's the one being a hypocrite, Mercy. Call my favorite up. She has to have gotten what I need out of that rat hole." Tapping his fingers to drum away, the link opened to show Livewire in a space that had low reception.

Rat hole, right.

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She flipped him a grin and waved before dropping her arm down. "Yo, we're in. I guess?"

~ You never got out. What did he tell you, then?~

" Deathstroke wants it, big time. Wayne definitely is holding on to the fattest piece if you give me a few days, he's sending us out to the W's head place to tap out and win the element back. I know, you-

~ That element won't just reduce or pardon you, my dear. It will hold a great deal of control over the climate of this country. You have the eyes, and I can be the one you'll run to for what you crave. As far as that freedom from Slade's little lair, I can tell he's redecorated. ~ Scoffed the cue ball tycoon.

" Storage closet, and no. His protégé gets to be my little tag along on the mission, which means…?"

~ Be very careful with Slade, Livewire. Ever since he had that last power trip, it's as if he's sold his soul to gain someone's acceptance besides his own. More so the loss of his son, but you understand what needs to be done.~

"I take and therefore, shall receive. And you can hit the JLA up to get us all outta the big house. Right, boss man?"

~ I might even become the commander and chief. With that element, hope won't be a pipe dream for the ambitiously wicked, my dear. Keep watch for that boy, seeing as he could be of some use later. You said he's not in this to stay, but being held against his will?~

The blue haired teen nodded, a bit squished as she winced inside the broom closet. "Blackmail. The thing was…I think, I'm on the list."

She explained about the probes inside if her and the Titans, and the cancer one of those brats was trying not to let fester. How Wayne was helping with what Lex imagined was the reason why HE was told to avoid using his piece of the element, just yet. ~ That solution to stall their conditions from worsening was because of an unpolished prototype of the Pandora Element. It's….it could change the fate of the human race. Fantastic. ~

Greedily, Lex tried not to sound too impacted by the fact that he knew, that Bruce Wayne in fact was a big fat liar.

~ Have yourself in one piece back, and we can reverse any damages. Remember; the element is a multi-use philosopher's stone of the modern era. I can use it and it will never run dry once it's finalized and perfected. Good work…and as usual, and don't get caught.~

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As Livewire did her best to slip out unnoticed, the first thing she didn't need to hear via the strong vibrations in the walls, was someone.

Crying.

Her initial response was to ignore and keep walking, whereas she did. Her room was down the hall from the kid's. This had all been set up prior to the apprentice thing. Months in advance, she'd gotten the buzz that Slade needed a distraction strong enough to get the Titans and JLA jumping into their ships, planes, whatever.

She took the job and the first thing that was her set up? Go steal. Star city had the first key, which was a flop. The second time she wouldn't miss. The door slid open upon her seeing the plate labeled, "guest."

Well, she wasn't trying to run with the Familia, here. Robin certainly wanted out, and maybe Lex could sow the seeds of mutiny if it did them both some good. She didn't hate the kid, yet. He was just a dweeb.

Unprepared to end a life…except one.

If she could get him into a corner where Slade was a dead man, Lex could get the current piece and then…

Then, what? Slade killed, Lex did but he was no merc. Who would she back in this fight? Lex paid her double, while Slade had her walk tall with no restrictions as long as it amused him. Fucking psychos everywhere. Was this how Harley felt half the damned time?

Running her hands up the wall, Livewire laid down and tried to rest without changing out of her boots, she dreamed of an outcome that didn't make her a happy camper upon waking….

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