Fan Fiction ❯ Will D. Beest ❯ Fade to Crimson ( Chapter 14 )

Notes: Anyone who spots the Adult Swim reference gets a Reducto shrink gun.

 

Chapter 14: Fade to Crimson

 

 

For as long as Joseph Wilson could remember, he had wanted, more than anything, to please his father. This was not an easy thing to do, however. Slade Wilson was a perfectionist, and expected the same from his children. Being more taskmaster than father had already driven Joseph's older brother, Grant, away from them. But Joseph could not and would not abandon his father.

 

He had done many things he was not proud of, all in the name of staying by his father's side. These things would gradually come back to haunt him later on in life, but for now, he was willing to accept that reality.

 

Taking over Starfire's body was perhaps one of the more difficult possessions he'd ever pulled off. That had surprised him, since he'd spent a great deal of time interacting with her sister in the same way. Of course, Blackfire had been a willing participant in those exercises, whereas Starfire was constantly struggling to break his hold over her. Joseph was used to battling against emotions like anger and hatred in his hosts.

 

He was far less experienced at conquering love. For the life of him, Joseph couldn't understand why Starfire's heart continued to overflow with adoration for Robin and Supergirl, even as he forced her to attack them. Supergirl was fighting back, but with obvious reluctance, which was more or less getting her pounded. Robin was mostly dodging as best he could, but occasionally he would strike with a karate chop or a roundhouse kick, more out of instinct than intent, Joseph suspected. They both knew that Robin didn't possess the physical strength to seriously hurt Starfire, and so there was no need to block such hits.

 

That was no reason not to exploit them, though. So the next time Robin aimed a chop at Starfire's neck, her fingers closed around his wrist and flung him away, sending him hurtling at the wall at breakneck speed.

 

Joseph watched with mild interest as Supergirl suddenly appeared between Robin and the wall, catching him and absorbing most of the impact. A few whispered words were shared between them, and then they were back on the attack, if you could even call it that. It was obvious they still had reservations about hurting Starfire. Joseph had sensed this when he'd taken over Jade and Livewire, as well, and it didn't surprise him. His father had told him how strong the loyalty between the Titans was.

 

What did surprise him was when Starfire's fist suddenly plowed into her own stomach, knocking the wind out of them both.

 

Robin and Supergirl halted at once, trading confused looks.

 

Joseph had barely recovered from the unexpected blow when he felt the familiar energy flowing up Starfire's arm. Before he could stop her, they both experienced a Starbolt at point blank range. He'd felt worse from Blackfire's hands, but the shock that accompanied Starfire defying his control was keeping him off balance.

 

"If I cannot stop you from hurting my friends," he heard Starfire's voice say, "then I will stop you!"

 

"You can stop yourself," he corrected. "I'll just take over one of their bodies next. How long do you think Robin can hold off Supergirl? You and your friends are doomed."

 

"You do not know my friends. They will find a way to stop us both."

 

"And how can they do that, when they can't bring themselves to hurt you?"

 

Though he didn't think she meant them, Starfire's next words sent a chill down their shared spine.

 

"Then I will find the one who can.” With that, Starfire flew into the air and fled, hoping that her friends would not follow.

 

Robin almost followed, but Supergirl stopped him.

 

“Don't,” she said. “Starfire's fighting to get her body back. I know you want to help, but you'll only give whoever's controlling her an easy target. I say we find Slade and let him know how we feel about being forced to fight our friends.”

 

Robin had no objections.

 

The two heroes ran out of the room, and for a few moments, there was complete silence.

 

Then the still, kneeling form of Cyborg let out an odd whirring noise, and a panel slid open in his arm, revealing a glowing red countdown, set to end in thirty minutes.

 

* * * * *

 

Jade was pretty good at making a scene, and she had every intention of doing so when she found Raven.

But one look at Raven's face told her this would not be wise.

 

Raven had obviously had a very long night, and it was really starting to show. Her breathing was loud and erratic, she had broken out in a cold sweat, and her eyes were narrowed and bloodshot. Static and Livewire had enough sense to keep their distance from her, though this may have been so they could have their own time together.

 

All the warning signs were there, and Jade knew that something had to be done, before Raven snapped. She carefully approached her friend, making sure that Raven could see her coming.

 

“Ray, you need to slow down for a bit. You're looking…well, bad.”

 

For a moment, Raven said nothing. Then, she lifted her head and asked weakly, “Got any mung beans on you?”

 

“…yeah, why?”

 

“The pain is getting so bad I can't think straight. I figure if I'm tasting mung beans, I'll at least forget about the pain for a while.”

 

“I'd be offended if that wasn't true,” Jade muttered, opening a compartment on her belt and tipping a few large, greenish-yellow beans into her hand. “You sure you want to eat these?”

 

“No,” Raven sighed, opening her mouth.

 

“Okay, it's your taste buds at risk,” Jade warned, slipping the beans into Raven's mouth.

 

Raven closed her eyes as she began to chew with a noticeable frown.

 

“So Beast Boy says you marked me,” Jade added casually.

 

“That's your fault,” Raven replied at once, not bothering to open her eyes. “I told you never to let me get drunk. And that included not getting me drunk yourself in an attempt to get into my pants.”

 

“So, have you marked anyone else?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then I'm special?”

 

Raven finally opened her eyes. “You're the only one horny enough to make out with me while I'm drunk. That just makes you brave…and stupid. Oh, and horny.”

 

“Yeah, but that's YOUR fault,” Jade pointed out.

 

“I can't help it if you're attracted to me. It's not like I even own any tight clothing.”

 

“You don't have to, Ray. You're damn sexy just the way you are.”

 

“Stop it. Unless you want these beans all over your shirt.”

 

Jade rolled her eyes. “Say what you want, Ray. But no matter how hard you try not to be, you're a babe.”

 

Raven was instantly on her feet. “Take that BACK!” she snapped.

 

Jade grinned at her. “Nope, not gonna.”

 

“Uh, excuse me, ladies,” Static interrupted before Raven could reply. “I don't know if this is a tender lesbian moment or not, but I think we have a problem.” He pointed past them, and both girls turned to look, only to find Starfire stumbling toward them, her eyes half-shut as sweat fell from her face in large drops.

 

“Starfire?” Jade asked uncertainly. She had only taken a step forward when Raven seized her wrist.

 

“Stop.” Raven's eyes narrowed. “Starfire has an uninvited guest on board. Be ready for anything.”

 

At the sound of her voice, Starfire looked up, blinking rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision. “Raven…? Is that you?”

 

“Yeah. How much control do you have over your body?”

 

Starfire shook her head. “It comes and goes. You should not get too close. Raven, can you not…force him out?”

 

“No, Star. Not without hurting you. But if you can force him out, I can make sure he stays out.”

 

“I…I am not sure I can do that…”

 

“You came this far, didn't you? Now concentrate. Forget whatever he's told you. Think about nothing but getting your body back under your control. Let me worry about everything else.”

 

But Starfire was shaking her head again. “It is too risky,” she whispered, sinking to her knees and grabbing her head. “He would only take someone else!”

 

Raven sighed. “Fine. Then we'll do it the easy way.” With that, she walked up to Starfire and knelt in front of her. Gently, she pried Starfire's hands away and cupped her face. “Star, I need you to trust me. Let it all go and relax. Just clear your mind…and look into my eyes.”

 

The invitation was too tempting, just as Raven had known it would be. Starfire's head snapped up at once, her eyes blazing emerald, and a wicked smile on her face.

 

Raven could clearly see the green, amorphous cloud rushing at her, but she was ready for it this time.

 

* * * * *

 

Joseph couldn't help laughing as he prepared to enter Raven's body. He had locked in on her eyes, and was only inches away from them when he caught an odd twinkle of crimson in the darkness of Raven's hood. His own eyes widened as another pair of eyes became visible in the blackness, eyes so cruel and terrible that he became locked in their gaze, unable to move.

 

“So you want this body, little one?” a horrible voice chuckled. “I'm afraid it has no vacancies. But maybe we can manage to squeeze you in.”

 

Joseph found himself surrounded by darkness, and by the time he realized it was pulling at him with irresistible force, it was too late to do anything about it.

 

“No!” he cried, beginning to struggle. “NO! LET ME GO!!!”

 

There was no response, and amid the darkness, he could now see a mouth, filled with sharp, hungry fangs.

 

“Don't be in such a rush to leave,” the same voice laughed. “At least pop in for a quick bite!”

 

“NOOO!!!” Joseph screamed, writhing helplessly as the terrible mouth came closer. Soon it was upon him, and to his complete horror, it began to close before he was inside it. At the rate he was being dragged, it would tear him in half. But the harder he fought, the tighter the coils of darkness became.

 

He had never been more afraid in his life.

 

Suddenly, pleasing his father no longer mattered.

 

And that was when the fangs slammed shut on him.

 

* * * * *

 

“He's just a kid,” Static whispered in disbelief as they all stared down at the unconscious boy in Starfire's arms.

 

“A dangerous one,” Jade corrected as Raven leaned on her shoulder, exhausted from her efforts. “Personally, I like him better out cold.”

 

“Cover his eyes,” Raven murmured, gesturing faintly at the boy. “That's how he…does it…”

 

“Yoink!” Livewire giggled, snatching off Static's goggles. She held them up over her head, sending a big bolt of electricity straight into them. When she was done, they were smoking slightly, but would effectively blind anyone that didn't have night vision.

 

“We could've just torn my jacket and put the goggles over the strip!” Static complained as Livewire put the ruined goggles on the boy.

 

“Oh, right. And what would you drape over my shoulders when I get cold on our date?”

 

“…you're serious, aren't you?” he asked, giving her a blank look.

 

“Well, someone has to plan ahead.”

 

“You are unbelievable,” Static sighed, shaking his head.

 

“I like to think of myself as shocking,” Livewire said with a wink. “So, kiddies, what's our next move? I hate to admit it, but I'm starting to miss Blondie.”

 

* * * * *

 

By the time Beast Boy and Wildy returned to the room where the Titans had fought Cyborg, he found the others had already gone. Cyborg, however, remained, kneeling off to the side.

 

“Haven't they ever heard of leaving a note?” Beat Boy muttered.

 

There was no reply: Cyborg seemed to be out of commission, and Wildy had gone back to sleep on Beast Boy's back.

 

Sighing, Beast Boy started to track down his teammates when he noticed something odd protruding from Cyborg's back. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the counter, which proclaimed there were roughly fifteen minutes before something decidedly bad happened.

 

“Oh, man! I knew I should've paid more attention when Robin did that bomb-defusing workshop! Okay, don't panic, BB. There's got to be something you can do with this that won't make it explode faster.”

 

He paused, as if waiting for an idea to come for him. And so, a minute later…

 

“Crap, I need help!” Beast Boy cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, “Supergirl! There's a BOMB!” And then, he thought as hard as could, “RAVEN! BOMB!!!” He was just trying to recall if Starfire's alien physiology also included some kind of advanced hearing when Cyborg's hand clamped around his wrist. “AAAHHH!!!”

 

“Hey, BB,” Cyborg said with a grin, just before he drove his fist into Beast Boy's face.

 

* * * * *

 

“So on a scale of one to ten, what are our chances of catching this guy?” Supergirl asked.

 

“Three,” Robin replied without missing a beat.

 

“…and that's with one being the highest, right?”

 

“No.”

 

“…you'd never make it as a cheerleader, did you know that?”

 

“You're better dressed for it, anyway.”

 

“I'm going to take that as a compliment, Robin.”

 

“Don't. Just pretend Slade said it, and maybe our chances go up to two.”

 

“And we're sure that Slade has no powers?”

 

“What we're sure of is that Slade doesn't need any powers. He's dangerous enough.”

 

“But you've beaten him before, right?”

 

“Technically. But I don't like to put a tic in the win column unless there's an arrest at the end.”

 

“You know, I'm suddenly glad I'm only a reserve Titan. Doesn't sound like you guys have too many victory parties.”

 

“You can have all the fun you want when we find Slade.”

 

“That sounded like a thinly-veiled order for lethal force, Robin.”

 

“No. But after the day I've had, if you have to break his legs to keep him from running, you better save one for me.”

 

“I'll try to—uh oh. Got a problem.”

 

“What?”

 

“A little green birdy just told me we have a bomb on the premises.”

 

Robin stopped short. “Then one of us has to go back.”

 

“I'm faster,” Supergirl offered.

 

“And I know how Slade thinks,” Robin pointed out.

 

Supergirl shrugged. “Catch you at the after-party, then?”

 

Robin started to reply, but before he could get his mouth open, Supergirl was already gone.

 

* * * * *

 

Cyborg had only managed to prepare a few systems when his proximity alarm went off. Though he was still running on auxiliary power, he estimated he had enough juice for a few good shots left. That would have to be enough.

 

He retreated to the nearest exit, hiding in the corridor and taking aim on Beast Boy's unconscious body.

 

Seconds later, three shadow figures literally rose through the floor without a sound. As one, they opened their arms, revealing the huddled forms of Raven, Jade, and Starfire.

 

“Thanks, boys,” Jade said, sending them away with a mere gesture as she stood up. “Hey, what happened to Beast Boy?”

 

“Looks like he took another punch,” Raven guessed. “Now, where's this bomb he was yelling about?”

 

“Think I can help you there, Ray,” Cyborg said as he stepped out into the open, his sonic cannon trained on her.

 

Starfire moved her two friends behind her. “He is still under Slade's control!”

 

“You say that like it's a bad thing, Star.”

 

“You know, I am SICK of this!” Jade snapped. “If this Slade is so big and bad, why haven't I seen him once tonight?! What kind of coward is he?!”

 

“Apparently, one that grants the wishes of loudmouthed little girls,” said a voice behind her.

 

Slade stepped out of the shadows, holding up his left arm, which was encased in a gauntlet. “The bomb you were searching for is currently residing in Cyborg's back. This is both the detonator, and the only way to cancel the countdown. You have five minutes to submit yourselves to my service. Otherwise, everything and everyone in this building will be reduced to little more than memories.”

 

“So all of this was just so you could get some hired help?” Jade asked in disbelief. “What, you never heard of a want ad?”

 

“I've decided I don't like her,” Slade stated. “If she speaks again, the bomb goes off.”

 

Raven slapped her hand over Jade's mouth. “Even if he IS bluffing, you're not helping.”

 

“Clock's ticking, ladies,” Cyborg reminded them. “Better do some serious groveling in the next four minutes.”

 

“Fight his control, Cyborg!” Starfire pleaded. “What kind of friend would turn you into a bomb?”

 

Cyborg blinked. “I never said he was my friend. I said he was my boss. And I got no problem blowing up, if that's what he wants.”

 

“So what is this, Slade?” Raven asked. “We call you lord and master, and then beat our friends into submission for you?”

 

“Nothing so barbaric, Raven,” Slade replied, taking a vial out of his pocket. “I trust you remember my nanobots from the last time I used them?”

 

“How could I forget?”

 

“Once you've each taken a hearty dose, I'll be much more inclined to trust you. Your friends will be given the same option. If I know them like I think I do, they'll surrender without a fight.”

 

“And if they refuse?”

 

“Then, you may beat them into submission. Who will be first?”

 

The vial vanished from his hand, and Supergirl suddenly appeared in front of him. “How about nobody?”

 

“Ah, Supergirl. I think even you would be wise not to underestimate the genius of my plans.”

 

“Meaning what?”

 

“Meaning this is not your average bomb. Even you might find its impact is greater than you think.”

 

“Yeah? Well, I say you're a rotten liar.”

 

Slade folded his arms behind his back. “I can see a demonstration is in order. Cyborg, if you would be so kind?”

 

“No prob.” Cyborg made a few adjustments to his sonic cannon, and the normally neon blue light darkened to violet.

 

“Is that supposed to impress me?” Supergirl asked. “Maybe if it was green, I might be.”

 

“Oh, I think you'll find that violet is in these days,” Slade remarked.

 

Cyborg's cannon flashed, and violet light coated the entire room.

 

There was no noticeable effect, at first. But seconds later, Starfire and Supergirl fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Raven fell to her knees, but she seemed to be under notably less stress than the other two.

 

“Well, this was unforeseen,” Slade murmured, walking over to Raven. “It would appear that you are not of this Earth, my dear. Otherwise, this light would have no effect on you. Perhaps I should look into your parentage one day.”

 

“You won't…get away…with this,” Raven whispered weakly, gritting her teeth.

 

“But I already have,” Slade said, kneeling to take the vial of nanobots from Supergirl's slack hand. “Feel free to surrender at any time.”

 

“Don't you get any bright ideas, Jade,” Cyborg added, nodding at his arm. “Won't even take a second for me to change this back to blue.”

 

Jade scowled at him, then glanced at Raven and slowly put her hands in the air.

 

* * * * *

 

Despite all of Jade's obvious shortcomings, Robin was beginning to see the value in having her on the team (temporarily, at least).

 

He'd had a feeling that the trail he was following was growing cold. But there was no telling how far he would've followed it, in the wrong direction, no less, if a Shadowkhan hadn't popped up in his path.

 

As far as he knew, they could not speak, and so that was probably why it grabbed him and melted into the wall.

 

He imagined Livewire and Static had similar experiences, because they were soon huddled in the same room, along with their own personal Shadowkhan escorts.

 

Static pointed to his escort. “This one says that Slade has all the others.”

 

“He told you that?” Robin asked doubtfully.

 

“Either sign language is a LOT older than I thought, or Jade taught them,” Static replied with a shrug.

 

“So what's the plan, Birdman?” Livewire asked.

 

Robin stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Slade won't kill anyone he can still use. They should be relatively safe, for the moment. But we don't know what the timer on this bomb-”

 

“Two minutes, three seconds,” Livewire interrupted.

 

Both Robin and Static shot her blank looks.

 

“Oh, so the shadow ninjas can be helpful, but I can't?! Look, at least part of Cyborg is electric, the bomb's wired to him, and I can pick up the signals. We've got two minutes.”

 

“Assume it's one. Hit anyone that aims at you, but only hard enough to knock them out,” Robin went on. “Our main target is Cyborg.”

 

* * * * *

 

The lights blinked out, but Slade and Cyborg hardly noticed, thanks to all the violet light his arm was emitting. But when a well-aimed staff slammed into the arm and took out the light, they definitely noticed.

 

“Titans, GO!” Robin shouted, and the in the darkness, the team united behind their leader's call.

 

Cyborg hadn't had time to repair his night vision, so he was completely unprepared when a combined assault from Static and Livewire knocked him offline again.

 

The three Shadowkhan only appeared long enough to move the Titans still recovering from the violet light out of the line of fire. Afterwards, they melted back into the walls.

 

Slade found himself the target of several attacks. Two sets of sharp teeth sunk into his right leg, but before he could shake them loose, what felt like the heel of a boot caught him on the chin, followed by another kick that ended in a loud crack. It took a moment for him to realize that his mask was damaged, but by then, something heavy slammed into his stomach, and what felt like a horn tore through his armor and glanced off his ribs, missing organs but definitely leaving its mark on his side.

 

A lesser man would've gone down, but Slade was preparing a counterattack—until someone grabbed his left arm. All his attention immediately refocused on the gauntlet, and Slade struck, seeking to protect it at all costs. His closed fist connected with what felt like a shoulder, and there was a feminine grunt as the arms fell away.

 

But now all the attention seemed to be focused on his arm, And he whipped it around erratically, trying to throw them off. Still, there were far too many glancing hits that shouldn't have connected, and he knew that Raven had to be feeding them mental images of the room, as well as his location in it. Even worse, she was no longer in the room, so there was nothing he could do to stop her, short of detonating the bomb.

 

It was then that Raven's voice spoke directly into his mind.

 

“Stand down, Slade. I have your son, and you don't want to know what I'm thinking about doing to him.”

 

“You will do nothing, Raven. You, like the rest of the Titans, are all too predictable.”

 

“You've got balls, Slade. But I doubt even you can afford to gamble with your boy's life.”

 

“He knows the risks I'm willing to take, Raven. I'm calling your bluff.”

 

Predictably, Raven cut the connection. Slade wasn't concerned in the least.

 

Although he, along with everyone else, was a little distracted by the muffled scream that soon followed. Not as much as the Titans were, though, since he knew the voice, and had heard it many times.

 

But the momentary distraction did give him time to slip out of their midst, and with a few taps on the gauntlet's tiny keyboard, the lights flicked back on.

 

Beast Boy and Wildy were back up, each with a bit of Slade's suit in their teeth.

 

Slade noted with an amused chuckle that most of his left sleeve had been slashed away, but the gauntlet remained unmarked. “So close, and yet so far…”

 

Another scream tore through the air, and no amount of muffling could make it unheard.

 

“Will you not help your son, Slade?” Starfire asked, close to tears herself.

 

“You have one minute, Titans.”

 

“HE IS YOUR SON!” Starfire shouted at him.

 

“He is a soldier,” Slade replied calmly. “Prisoners of war are not my priority. Unless they're my prisoners, that is.”

 

“YOU MONSTER!” Starfire screamed, charging a Starbolt.

 

“Don't even try it. This bomb goes off unless you all surrender. And don't think I won't-”

 

“Hey, boss man!” a voice shouted. “Need a hand?”

 

Anything Slade was about to say was lost in a scream as he fell to his knees, writhing in pain.

 

Starfire was the first to realize what had happened, and her face lit up with joy. “Sister!”

 

Blackfire stood behind her (former) boss, still casually crushing his gauntleted hand with her own. “Y'know, Slade, I seem to remember us agreeing that you wouldn't actually kill my baby sis. You didn't forget, did you? Maybe this will jog your memory.” Her eyes blazed violet as she began to power up.

 

“NO!” Slade shouted. “Don't, you little fool!”

 

She chuckled. “You should know that telling me NOT to do something only makes me want to do it more.” Her hand pulsed with violet energy.

 

“NOOO!!!” Slade roared, trying to push her away with his remaining hand.

 

Blackfire smirked. “Bang.”

 

The smirk faded, however, when sparks began to fly from beneath her hand, and in the next moment, the gauntlet on Slade's arm exploded, sending them both flying.

 

“SISTER!!!” Starfire screamed as her older sibling crashed to the ground.

 

Robin was about to give the order to move out, but a pair of strong hands grabbed him, tugging him quickly but silently into the wall.

 

* * * * *

 

Mammoth grunted and winced as he rubbed his back. “Damn, I'm gonna feel that in the morning.”

 

It didn't bother him that he had no idea where he was. His teammates were all out cold around him, so that was reasonably good. There was nothing to do but gather them up and head back to base. With any luck, they wouldn't be kicked out of HIVE for good this time.

 

He had just started to reach for Gizmo when there was an explosion in the distance.

 

Mammoth thought the building (or its location, at least) seemed a bit familiar, but then he left the more complicated things to Gizmo and Jinx. With a shrug, he gathered them all up and lumbered off into the night.

 

* * * * *

 

Joseph Wilson had indeed known the risks.

 

Joey, however, had never really considered the possibility that his father would abandon him so easily.

 

It hurt. And suddenly he understood why Grant had walked out on them years ago.

 

Slade Wilson was a monster, and he bred them, too.

 

But for all those realizations, it wasn't enough to make Joey forget that he still loved the man, despite all the sleepless, tearful nights.

 

So, as he had been taught to do, strictly in case of emergency, Joey took over his father's body, and got him to safety. It was just as easy as it had been in practice, although he'd never had to practice while missing most of an arm. It was odd and quite painful, but it didn't stop him.

 

Slade, had he been conscious at the time, might've been proud.

 

It wouldn't have mattered to Joey. He would continue to work with his father for years. He would never, however, ever challenge the Teen Titans again. At least, not while they had Raven on the roster.

 

Being a monster was one thing. But in the dark confines of Raven's hood, Joey had learned far too much: how to become a monster, and how to unmake one in the bloodiest way possible. In the end, all the experience had cost him was several nights of peaceful sleep, and the rest of his innocence.

 

* * * * *

 

Late that night, in the control room of Titans Tower, Robin sat in his chair and observed.

 

Before him, virtually the whole of the Teen Titans (plus a few guests) was displayed on several monitors.

But as he stared at the screens, Robin had never before seen his team in such miserable fragments.

 

The medlab was absolutely packed.

 

Supergirl and Starfire had recovered from any short-term negative affects the violet light had had on them. For now, though, all they could do was sit by, with Starfire in tears, and Supergirl rubbing her back in companionable silence.

 

Cyborg was still on auxiliary power, and probably would be for the rest of the night. Under Robin's orders, he hadn't been allowed in the medlab until all traces of Slade's programming had been purged. It had probably cost them a few precious minutes, but Robin hoped it wouldn't make too big a difference.

 

Raven was probably in the worst shape of all, but she had insisted on being present, and lending what help her now especially limited healing ability could offer. Robin had never seen her look more exhausted, and he knew that she, if not the entire team, would pay for that down the road.

 

Jade stood off to the side, staring at each person in turn. She said nothing, but Robin could tell that she hated feeling useless, especially at a time like this. Unfortunately, not even her “healing” talisman power could help.

 

On another screen, Static sat just outside of the medlab, tapping his foot impatiently. He was tired as well, but had refused to go to bed, just in case Cyborg or something in the medlab needed emergency power. Livewire had been on call as well, but she'd dozed off on his shoulder long ago. Robin couldn't find it in him to be disappointed; she had done her part as well as any Titan could've, and he was grateful to her.

 

Alone in his room, Beast Boy laid in his bed, but he did not or could not sleep. Instead, he stared up at the ceiling, a dead look in his eyes.

 

Robin turned his gaze back to the medlab, just in time to see Cyborg move away from the only occupied bed. A gasp rose in his throat, which suddenly became dry, and he was unable to swallow it.

 

Between Raven's healing and Cyborg's knowledge of “body work,” the patch-up had gone surprisingly well. But it was still quite a shock to look at her patient, realize she had given more than anyone else that night, and that they would never be able to repay the debt.

 

But they would try, and Robin would see to that. They would definitely try.

 

He turned away from the screen, but as if something were trying to pull him back, his communicator beeped.

 

“Rob, it's Cyborg.”

 

Robin slowly pressed the call button. “I'm here.”

 

“I think we're done for the night. She's gonna make it. Mostly it was just shock and blood loss. Well, and Raven took care of the burns. But we're still looking at some serious down time.”

 

“I'll set up a room for her,” Robin said softly.

 

“Star wants to do that.”

 

Robin swallowed hard. “That's fine. Whatever she wants. Anything else?”

 

There was a long pause. “Rob. Did we win today?”

 

Robin glanced at the screen. “When I figure that out, you'll be the first to know.” He let the communicator fall from his hand, and then forced himself to take a long look at the screen.

 

For ten minutes, he stared at the unmoving form of Blackfire.

 

For twenty, he stared at her sweaty face.

 

For an hour, he stared at the space where her right arm should've been. No matter how many times he blinked, the lost arm did not return. Cyborg later told him that there was no trace of it, most likely because it had been vaporized in the explosion. The only real reason to celebrate was that Slade had to have gotten much of the same.

 

It wasn't a fair trade in Robin's eyes.

 

He imagined it wouldn't be in Blackfire's when she woke up, either.

 

* * * * *

 

Concluded Next Chapter: Blood is Thick

 

Robin struggles to keep the team together. Will he be successful, or will someone say goodbye?

Raven has gone beyond her limits, as well as the unwritten rules of the team. Does she still have a place on the team, and does she even want it?

Beast Boy comes to terms with what happened, and makes a hard choice.

Starfire now questions whether she has anything more to give to the team, and now there is here sister's loss to consider.

Cyborg has been compromised again, and swears that it will be the last time.

 

 

Reviews!

 

Jefepato

Great stuff, and I notice that you've finally started using dividing lines between scenes.

 

They were always there, but FF.Net edits so much out that you didn't see them…

 

 

Jefepato

Good stuff, and I suspect that Raven's digging herself into quite a hole with repeatedly mind-warping her teammates.

 

You are correct. Sort of.

 

 

.............

Yelling time.
HOW COME YOU HAVE NOT UPDATED Secrets?!?!?!
Writer's block right or just don't like it anymore or you lost insperation. It's one of the reasons i keep looking at your profile hopeing you'll update. *sigh* I apologize for yelling at you.

 

Easy to yell when you don't give a name... *muttermutter*

I've been working on that fic, honestly. I updated some time in the last three months, I think. The next chapter in the works.