Teen Titans Fan Fiction ❯ Passion ❯ This Is How I Disappear ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

“Don’t even try to catch me, butt munchers! Ha!”

Gizmo’s insufferable laughter made heads turn in a wave of curiosity all the way down the street. Then, just as the many heads whipped around, screams squeezed themselves, one by one, out of each pair of lungs. The people of Jump City, on this lovely Sunday morning, dove out of the way as a giant, globe-shaped object bounced up and down the street, shattering concrete and asphalt as if it were glass. With each hop, the obnoxious little boy became more pleased with himself.
“Great! Jinx is gonna love this one!”

With a crack, the contraption smacked into a building, before continuing on down the street, unharmed. Gizmo turned to see his damage, a smile plastered across his round face. A bit of the building was hanging delicately over the sidewalk, which was swamped with running people.

“Oh, this is too good.”

A few blipping noises and some grunts of impatience later, the contraption rolled to a stop and the boy hopped out, watching the people run in terror. He took out a small weapon, which somewhat resembled a gun in the sense that it had a muzzle, a barrel, and a handle. Yet it had buttons instead of a trigger, not to mention the fact that it was a striking shade of blue. He aimed recklessly, and then shot; the piece of building dropped lower, yet still clung stubbornly to its larger counterpart.

“I wonder where those snotty teen titans disappeared to.”

He aimed again, this time a bit more carefully, before shooting. Another crack graced his ears and he watched as it began to fall; each inch it fell making his heart pump faster with anticipation. The sudden screams filled his ears, and a deep laugh tickled his throat. Then, unexpectedly, another crack snapped above the screams. A green light blinded him and he felt his body stumble backwards, his back smacking against his contraption. He yelled out when he felt small bits of the falling building smack into his body. Blood slipped over his face and he risked opening his eyes to see five silhouettes.

“Sorry to disappoint you…” Beastboy began, stepping into the sunlight with a comical smile, his green skin complimenting his large, childish eyes.

“Well, no, we’re not sorry.” Cyborg added, his metal body glinting brightly beneath the Sunday sun.

“But the Titans don’t just disappear.” Robin finished; his voice was sure as usual and his fists clenched, “Titans…go!”

Immediately Starfire dove forwards, flying in over Robin’s head, straight towards Gizmo. Her hands and eyes were alight with green star bolts and her jaw locked with secure determination. The charging noise of Cyborg’s gun, followed by a reassuring click, sounded at Robin’s left and, in his peripheral vision, watched as Beastboy transformed into a green raven. Speaking of Raven, she was lifting the shards of concrete and asphalt, her darkness spreading across the street.

Robin looked up to jet forwards himself, when he noticed gizmo handling a weapon behind his back, the kid’s eyes fixed on the pretty alien girl charging at him from the air. “Starfire, wait!” He yelled, running towards Gizmo. The blue gun was yanked out from hiding and another one of the many buttons was shoved down by Gizmo’s chubby thumb. “Star move!” Robin yelled.

Darkness enveloped the area and, without thinking, Robin dove out of the way of it. Explosions rocked the ground and Robin felt his skin crawling from the heat, sweat slipping down his body. He couldn’t stop his fall…the street rammed against his face and the air was punched out of his chest. Oh God, he thought, his body shaking in misery, I dove away from Raven’s shield!

Heat clawed at his body, as if some sort of large cat was on top of him, digging its claws into his back and ripping his skin away, shred by shred. He was inhaling smoke; he could feel it filling his throat and polluting his lungs. His mouth was so dry, yet he felt his throat, underneath the smoke, trembling as if he had swallowed a feather as well; he had to choke, but he didn’t even have the energy for that.

I have to move. Move…c’mon…MOVE!



Ice…his body was lying across a mattress of ice. Had it been just a moment ago he had been face-down in the street, explosions rocking his body, flames licking his skin? Or had it been days, and was he already lying underground; if he opened his eyes would he see the inside of his own casket? Yes…surely he was dead. How could anybody experience such pain and still be alive? How could anybody want to stay alive? If this was death, it wasn’t so bad. His body was trembling from the cold, but it was the cold that had numbed his body. He felt no pain, just a strange emptiness.

His eyelids slipped back into his head and he realized his mask was still resting across his face. His eyes rolled around in his sockets a few moments, and he half wondered if there’d be cobwebs across his face, or if he’d feel an eerie stillness beneath his chest, or emptiness in his heart. He lifted his arm; his bones felt stiff, but they were still usable. Each finger shifted as he willed it to. He reached over to his other hand and felt his wrist. Beneath his thumb his skin pulsed and he felt an odd sense of relief wash over him.

Slowly sitting up, he looked around, trying to decide where he was at. A tunnel, a dark, and very dank, tunnel surrounded him, dripping from the misting rain outside. The road he had been lying on was filthy with stains of oil, mud, and God knows what else. Muffled by the resonating noise of rain, he could hear the thwapping of helicopter blades.

“Hey Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” Robin joked, forcing himself onto his feet.

Footsteps, clicking across the hallow shelter like the ticking of a clock, grew steadily louder. Robin turned towards one of the entrances to see a thick silhouette smoothly walking into the tunnel, rain-water dripping from its body. Robin squinted through the darkness and noticed the silhouette pulling something inside with it…something large and too awkwardly formed to be a bag.

“Hello Robin.”

Robin’s heart turned cold and he reached for his belt. “What?” He hissed, his eyes shooting down to his waste…no belt. “…Shit.”

His eyes snapped back upwards, his mind racing as he watched Slade step further into the tunnel, dragging the shadowed object with him. “Time to make a bit of a choice.”

The rain began to punch the roof of the tunnel mercilessly and lightning lit up the misty tunnel. And, in a split instance of light and realization, Robin felt his body churn and his stomach flip. Oh god…Starfire!

She was unconscious, her red hair up, tangled around Slade’s fingers. Her body was filthy after being dragged for so long, and bruises spotted every inch of her pale complexion. It was obvious she had been beaten hardheartedly, abused to shift from a strong, young woman, to this state helplessness.

Robin felt his fingers curl against the palm of his hand, his fists shaking, “Let her go.”

“Trust me, Robin, don’t try anything rash.” Slade mumbled, still gripping Starfire’s beautiful red hair underneath his fist.

“I’d rather die than trust you.” Robin retorted.

“Ah yes, you and I both know you’d die, but would you allow her to, due to your stubbornness?” Slade questioned, his voice slipping through the air, adding a slimy filth to the feel of the icy breeze. Slade’s fingers opened and Starfire was released. She fell, face-down, onto the filthy ground, her hair falling in strands over her bare shoulders, brushing over the bruises. Her arms began to tremble, her fingers gripping the ground as she tried to lift her torso up.

Rage filled Robin’s body, making his temples pulse and his bones begin to quaver. A sense of recklessness fogged his mind like a drug and his muscles tightened. His body launched forwards, a yell quaking from his throat. “Let her GO!”

Slade didn’t move; He stood still as a stone, which only enraged Robin more. He wanted the bastard to scream in fright, to run from him and plead for forgiveness; Robin wanted the chance to refuse forgiveness, the pummel the sonofa bitch until there was nothing left.

Then, when Robin was mere feet away from Slade and Starfire, his legs gave out beneath him. His body crashed to the ground. Robin felt blood slip from his nose, crawling down over his lips and down his chin and neck. He lifted his head up to see Starfire lying just in front of him. His feet were numb, and the sensation was spreading up his legs…paralyzing him. He had to stop Slade before it reached his spine…he had to…Starfire could still get out.

“Didn’t I warn you…?” Slade murmured from above him.

Starfire looked up, her eyes staring into Robin’s. Oh, God, they were beautiful. Red hair slipped over her beaten down face and tears rained down her face. Robin reached his arm forwards, his fingers wrapping around the side of her face. “Star…I…”

“I warned you not to act rashly, but I have to teach you, Robin. After all, you are still a child…in need of a teacher.” Slade continued. He was holding something. He was standing over Starfire, his shadow falling over Robin.

Robin stared into Starfire’s eyes before looking up at Slade. A gun…Slade was going to kill him…Robin would die and leave Starfire here, helpless. I’ve lost…I’ve failed…I deserve to be dead.

The click of the gun sent chills through Robin’s body…any second now the shot would end it all. Then he’d really be dead…yet, now, no amount of pain could make him want to die. He deserved it, but he couldn’t leave Star here…alone and helpless…with Slade.

The gun fired, and Robin instinctively buried his face in the ground. He felt wetness crawl through his hair, down his face and tickling his ears. No pain…but no escape either. He was still on the ground, still holding Starfire’s face in his hand. He looked up…

“N-No…”

Slade dropped the gun and stepped back, away from the two of them.

“No.”

Starfire’s eyes lost their glow, her red hair suddenly became redder. Robin felt his fingers slip away from her face…the numbness spreading up through his legs onto his back.

“N-NOOOOOOOOOO!”



Starfire’s heart jumped into her throat as her eyes snapped open. She sat upright in her bed and turned towards her door, fiery red hair cascading over her shoulder and in front of her tired face. She slipped off her bed and rushed out her door, into the hallway of the Titan’s Tower to hear the yelling growing louder and more painful.

“Robin?”

She jumped up, flying down through the tower. Seconds later her bare feet smacked into the carpeted floor in front of the infirmary. The door slid open and she stepped inside to see Robin lying on his back, his mouth wide open in mid-scream, and his body thrashing about. Beads of sweat formed at his burnt forehead and what was left of his hairline and slipped down over his face, onto the collar of his clothes.

Star grabbed his shoulders and squeezed them gently, “Robin! No more screaming! Wake up, please!”

He stopped thrashing, and his yell faded to a dull groaning noise. Starfire could hear the rest of the Titans rushing towards the infirmary as well. She kneeled down next to the bed, still gripping Robin’s shoulders, “Robin…”



Slade reached down grabbed Robin’s hair and yanked his head back to stare straight into that red, glowing eye. “It’s horrible that a boy, who gets enough violence during reality, must experience even more as he sleeps. Yet, nightmares have always been rather nasty for you, haven’t they Robin?”

Robin’s heart was pounding with anger and sadness. God…just kill me.

“This is a nightmare, stupid boy, quit crying like the child you are.” Slade hissed, “If you wish it to remain only a nightmare then you will do this one thing.” He yanked Robin up, slamming him against the wall of the tunnel, “You will disappear…permanently. That is,” Slade chuckled darkly, “if you don’t die from your burns.”



Disclaimer - Teen Titans is property of Glen Murakami ( I think, lol ). The lyrics used in this chapter belong to My Chemical Romance, and are to the song "This Is How I Disappear"