Chapter Twenty-Five: National Past Time

Chapter Twenty Five: National Past Time

As December pushed its way into Gotham's city limits, the air grew colder, thinner, and above all, more desolate. The wind whistled, brushed over the rooftops and begged people to bring their pets inside at night. That's why the streets were empty in the suburbs. In the rows of houses, windows glowed as families ate dinner or decorated for the holidays. It was hard to image that only a week or so ago, the same street had been filled with cops lined up, their lights blaring into their homes. One house, the dark one tonight, was their focus.

The house had been taped off. It made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Picking the back door's lock, he went inside. Already it was getting dusty. He went into the living area. Nothing seemed out of place, so he went to the rooms above. He opened the first bedroom, where one bed was unused and the other was still messy. He passed it without much interest, but he could swear that something smelled... odd. He's come back. He walked down to the master bedroom, where the scene was taped off. He slid under and looked around, again, nothing out of the ordinary.

He walked downstairs, towards the kitchen, which seemed ordinary enough. It was beginning to bother him. The last place, her office. He went inside and looked around. It was untouched so far. Maybe that's why seeing two bullets on the desk bothered him. He turned to go, when he saw a picture of a family. A torn corner stood where a husband should have. His face became stern.

He left the room and worked for about half an hour before leaving the way he came. He looked back once, the house still cold and void of life. The wind rustled and he spun his head around towards the back woods. He eyed the area carefully. It put him on edge, but he looked back at the house despite it. Whatever was going on here, he didn't like it. And he would get to the bottom of it no matter what.

-T-

"Got fresh water!" Ryan called.

In an instant, the entire baseball team had dropped what they were doing and ran over to the sidelines to grab a drink. Dick was tempted to just throw it on himself, but he knew that he'd be freezing cold afterwards if he did that. Omar and Rain impatiently waited while the others finished.

"Guys, come on, we've only got a few hours of sunlight left!" Rain said, tapping her foot.

Sean spun around and answered, "We've been playing for two hours straight! Give us a break!"

Rain rolled her eyes, while Omar announced, "Fine, twenty minutes."

Sean smiled smugly and took a long gulp of water. Dick let himself catch his breath. For the past week or so, every day around three, he had left the house to meet up with the others. It was a nice escape from the awkward situation that Wilson provided. He was so quiet that when he said anything, it made him jump. And he always said something when Dick didn't even realize he was in the room.

Oddly enough, baseball was fun. He worked up a sweat, and the guys were great. Daniel had been helping him learn some techniques for where to aim the ball while Sean had decided to make Dick his new opponent. They were hardly ever on the same team, but after the first few days, Sean had actually grown to respect him a little more than he did others.

He saw Kevin follow Ellie over to the bench, where she pulled out her over-stuffed bag. Deciding that Nomin and Mina's conversation about how to keep their nails clean didn't really interest him, he walked over to join Ellie and Kevin's conversation.

"Hey guys!" He said, as they had been playing on opposite teams today.

"Hey Dick, man, you're killing us out there," Kevin said.

"Tell Sean that. He'd never agree with that," Dick said, laughing, "So what're you talking about?"

"She's trying to convince me that being invisible is better than being able to fly," Kevin told him.

"Well, it is! If you're invisible, you're like, able to be the greatest stalker in the world!" Ellie exclaimed.

Dick might have been worried the first day he met Ellie, but after this week, he had slowly started realizing that none of these guys were all that sane, anyway. Ellie started pulling out all of her stuff from her bag. A beat up notebook, an MP3 player, a deck box, a bent picture of a rainbow and a unicorn, a Gameboy, a Japanese comic, and lastly, her baseball mitt.

"What all do you keep in there, anyway?" Dick asked her.

"Oh, you know, sharp things to stab people with," Ellie related to him happily.

Kevin picked up the deck box and asked sarcastically, "So then, Ellie, since you enjoy killing people so much, who's the best super villain out there?"

"Well, that depends, when you say 'best', do you mean that they're the best because no one has to worry about them or that they're the best because they do their job well?" Ellie asked back.

"They're good at their job," Kevin clarified, tossing the deck box back to her.

In an instant, Ellie answered, "The Joker. He uses knifes. And he's insane. And he's a maniac."

Omar came over and joined the conversation, "Ellie, Ellie, Ellie, Two Face is the way to go. That guy's a freak with that coin of his."

"Yeah, but with him there's a fifty fifty chance that he'll let you live," Ellie explained, "With the Joker you're just about dead ninety nine percent of the time."

Kevin pulled his backpack over to the side and began rummaging around through it as well, "Please tell me you're not planning on becoming the next Harley Quinn, Ellie."

Ellie shook her head very quickly, "Oh, no way, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that freak! Well, I'd like to take a picture, but then I think I'd start running for my life. What about you, Dick? What's the worst Super villain in your book?"

That was easy, "Slade."

They looked at him oddly and Omar said what they were all thinking, "Who?"

Dick then realized the issue, "Oh, he's on the west coast. Back in California he'd wreak havoc."

"Oh, what was his gimmick?" Kevin asked, as he found his own deck box in his much less stuffed bag.

"He didn't have one, come to think of it," Dick answered slowly, "He has only one eye, though."

"How lame," Ellie asked, "Then again, most villains have pretty lame get ups."

Kevin nodded and continued the conversation, "Well then, who do you think is the greatest superhero of all time?"

"Oh, probably Batman, I mean, who doesn't love Batman?" Ellie answered.

"Really, not Superman?" Kevin asked, as he and Ellie started up their card game.

Omar answered for her, "Well, why not Batman? He's from our hometown."

"See!" Ellie said, but then after a moment, added with a dreamy tone, "Well, actually, I really like Robin, too. I'd just love to see his eyes."

Dick felt himself blush and look away. So that's what girls wondered...

"I bet they're green," Ellie said, "That or brown."

Nomin came into the conversation now, "Oh Robin? You know, I heard he's dating Starfire."

Mina followed her friend in, "Of course he isn't! He's dating BumbleBee."

"Where did you hear that?" Kevin asked.

"Well, duh, from Teen Scene Magazine," Mina answered.

Dick resisted the urge to start laughing as Sean followed the girls in as well, "Robin's not that great. Now the Flash, that's a cool superhero."

"All he does is run really fast," Omar said.

"Well, what do you want him to do?" Sean asked, "Shoot webs from his hands and swing around Keystone or Central City?"

"No, but I bet Superman could beat him in a race," Daniel smirked.

Dick watched as at least half the team seemed to flood over to them as Kevin continued, "I'd have to agree, don't you Spence?"

"Actually, I don't, but Superman can shoot lasers from his eyes, meaning he could knock the Flash out before he got to the end of the race," Spencer said.

"Yeah, unless Superman's somehow super-stopped by some stupid glowing green rock," Omar remarked.

"Exactly," Sean said, "Gosh, the guy's so perfect. Some time's I wish he'd just go out and die."

Dick looked over in horror as Kevin argued, "You're almost as violent as Ellie!"

"Well, I'm being honest!" Sean said back, "I bet Batman could take Superman out in a second's notice."

"Sure he could," Kevin remarked sarcastically.

"Look, if we're talking about how capable Batman is, I think you're strongly overdoing it, Sean," said Rain.

"Why?" Ellie asked, playing another card.

"Well, obviously, because the guy's human, right?" Sean said.

"Are you sure about that?" Nomin asked.

"Positive," Rain answered.

"Yeah, the guy's not that great," Sean remarked.

"Oh yeah, sure. I bet you could just shoot him a couple times and then burn him while you're at it and then he'd be out for good," Omar said sarcastically almost laughing at the idea, making Dick feel like he was going to lose the contents of his stomach.

"Well, where was he when Bruce Wayne needed his help?" Rain argued, "Huh? No where. Superman came and bailed them out."

Dick felt sick as he said it, "Maybe, maybe he was preoccupied."

Rain rolled her eyes, "More like he was out failing at life!"

Dick winced as Kevin replied back, "Oh lay off! That guy's saved our butts probably more times than we know. Remember the Holiday killer? Or when Joker tried to fill our air with his Joker gas? Or when Poison Ivy tried to turn Gotham into a literal greenhouse?"

"She would've failed anyway, we're too polluted to be saved from it," Sean muttered.

"I agree with Kevin," Megan said, "He saved my Mom from Two Face when she was at the office once! The guy's a hero no matter what you guys say."

"Thank you!" Kevin said, and then he looked at the card field, "Hey wait a minute, when did you get that second Dragon on the field?"

Ellie laughed maniacally as Omar continued, "Megan's right. Any superhero's got an A in my book... by the way, Dick, you need to start aiming away from the first baseman."

Dick gaped when Kevin continued, "Yeah, superheroes... they sure make the world a better place... but what if they didn't exist?

Carry looked at Kevin like he was crazy, "Like, what if there was a whole world without them?"

"Yeah, wouldn't that be weird?" Kevin said, "Who'd take down the bad guys?"

The team was quiet for a second before Patrick added in, "Well... there's always the police."

"Oh dude," Megan said, "We'd all be doomed to anarchy!"

Ellie added, "While that might be fun for the first day, I agree, the bad guys would never be captured and the world would fall apart!"

Dick smirked, "I couldn't agree with you more."

Ellie high fived Dick before telling Kevin, "You're dead."

"Why?"

Ellie flashed another card his way and Kevin went pale, "Oh come on!"

Ellie played the card and answered, "Well, if such a world were to ever exist, I suppose the logical thing to do is travel between dimensions ourselves and become superheroes for them!"

"Oh yeah?" Kevin asked, "And what would you call yourself Ellie?"

"Kaibagirl!" Ellie exclaimed, pulling out a polymerization card, to combine three of her cards.

"What?" Kevin said.

"I win!" Ellie yelled, enthusiastically, Dick being totally lost at this point.

Kevin wrinkled his nose as he groaned, "Oh man... Why did I ever give away that anti-fusion card..."

"Well good," Omar said, "Break's over."

Kevin and Ellie began to pick up their game and got to their places while Dick lined up behind Daniel to bat when Rain made a quick announcement.

"Hey guys! We're playing Brian and Jacob's team next week, and, since Jacob's a moron, he bet that if their team lost, they'd pay up for tickets to the Gotham Goliaths!" Rain yelled.

"Seriously?" Megan asked.

"Man, that rocks!" Daniel added.

"But..." Rain added, "Uh, if we loose, we gotta pay for them to go."

"What?" Omar answered, "And you agreed to this, Rain? You're the logical one here!"

"Well, we do have Sean and Dick on our team, we have a pretty good chance of winning," Rain told him.

"We're staying after another hour for the next week then," Omar said, almost in a growl.

The team groaned, but Rain interrupted, "Come on, guys, this is the Gotham Goliaths! They're facing the Metropolis Monarchs and it's going to be the game of the year! We've got to go! We can win!"

Sean rolled his eyes, "I suppose, I mean, it's not like I can possibly lose."

"Unless you're up against Dick," Spencer smirked.

"Shut it," Sean said.

The team kept playing, the idea of seeing Gotham's major league baseball team playing motivating them at times and at others, making them already feel broke. The game kept going, despite the cold. They were nearly the only ones outside. Everyone else was inside their warm homes and the streets were desolate. Well, except for one person.

Clark looked at the address on the sheet of paper. This was it. He was sure of it, at least, he hoped he was. Kent knocked again and inside, Slade turned to the door. He hoped it wasn't solicitors. Going to the window, he glanced outside to see a man with dark hair, slouching and adjusting his glasses. Slade narrowed his eyes and went to the door.

Opening the door, Slade asked, "Hello, can I help you?"

Clark looked at Slade in surprise. He was taller then him. Or at least, he appeared to be. If he wasn't slouching, they could be the same height. He adjusted his necktie and cleared his throat.

"Mr. Wilson, I presume?" Clark asked kindly, holding out a hand.

"Yes?" Slade asked, not about to return the gesture.

"I, my name is Clark Kent. I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet and I knew Wayne and his ward. Is Dick home?" Clark inquired.

Slade eyed Clark subtly and answered, "No, he's not. He's out."

"Oh," Clark said, "Well, is he going to be home anytime soon?"

Slade repressed a sigh of aggravation, "I wouldn't know, he's playing a baseball game with some of the neighborhood kids."

Clark nodded, "That, that's good, so, he's doing alright then?"

"I would say so," Slade said coolly.

"That's good. He's been taking a lot of hits lately, hasn't he?" Clark said, trying to make friendly conversation, but feeling like he was failing.

"If that's not obvious," Slade said.

"Uh, do you think I could wait for him here? I won't be a bother," Clark said.

"Do you really want to wait on the porch steps?" Slade asked, biting sarcasm in his tone, "I'm kidding of course, come on in."

Slade stood aside to let Clark in, "Feel free to hang up your coat."

Slade walked into the kitchen while Clark took off his jacket and looked around. It was a normal enough setting. Nothing out of the ordinary, really.

"Want something to drink, Mr. Kent?" Slade asked.

"I'm good, thank you," Clark answered.

"Suit yourself," Slade said.

He came back and gestured to the front room, where they both took a seat, "Now, what was it you said you did again, Mr. Kent?"

Clark clapped his hands together and answered truthfully, "I work at the Daily Planet as a reporter out in Metropolis."

"Metropolis?" Slade asked, "That's a ways away to come for a visit."

As Slade got up to get a book from one of the shelves, Clark replied, "Not really, it's a relatively short trip when you're used to it. And it's worth it to see how Dick's doing. He's like a nephew."

Nephew? Short trip? Metropolis? Slade glanced over at looked past the rims of Clark's glasses. Those eyes... they were a perfect crystal blue, like he had heard... Slade held his tongue for a moment as he glanced over towards the stairs. Great, just great. What luck... what...

"So, is Dick still rattled or anything? He's not too tired or anything?" Clark asked.

"Why would he be tired?" Wilson asked, sharply, catching Clark's attention.

"Uh, well, sometimes people can't sleep after traumatic events like that," Clark said, "And Dick hasn't always had the best luck when it comes to sleeping in the first place."

"Mr. Kent, how did you end up meeting Dick in the first place?" Slade asked quickly interrupting him.

"Huh?" Clark asked, caught off guard, "How did I meet him? I, I met him through Wayne."

"You and Wayne were good friends?" Slade asked.

"I'd say so," Clark said, now getting cold himself.

Slade turned back to Clark and eyed him, "You were at the funeral?"

"Yes," Clark said, defensively, but realizing he wasn't leaving a great impression on Wilson, "I helped Mr. Pennyworth organize it."

"Ah, yes, their butler. He seems like a decent man," Slade commented.

"He is," Clark firmly stated.

They eyed each other for a moment. Slade did not want the Man of Steel in his house. He didn't want him anywhere near Dick. It would just spell out trouble and he wasn't about to deal with that after all of this. Not when he was so close.

"I see," Slade said, "And you?"

Clark raised a brow, but answered cautiously, "I'd hope so."

He didn't know what kind of game Wilson was playing at, but he wasn't about to let his guard down. Meanwhile, a few blocks away, the baseball gang finished their game. Rain's team had won, but because it had taken so long, they had decided to skip going to a local shop (local being used extremely loosely there) and decided to head home instead. Dick gave a wave goodbye and started walking home, taking the glove he was borrowing from Ellie and putting on his jacket as he went.

Dick walked a block or so before he noticed the sound of footsteps behind him. As he stopped, Dick nearly fell over as he turned and saw Ellie glancing over his shoulder.

"Hi Dick!" She said, as Dick caught himself from falling over.

"Ellie? What are you doing here?" He asked, "Have you been following me this whole time?"

"Or have I?" Ellie asked.

"What?" Dick replied.

"In a world where The Lion King reigns supreme and the fate of humanity is decided by the outcome of a card game, maybe it is YOU who is following ME," Ellie said, smiling happily and forging ahead.

Dick stopped in his tracks as he watched her continue farther down the street, "... That doesn't make any kind of sense."

"I never make sense, Dick. But yes, I was following you. I need to know where you live, you see, I know where everyone on our team lives, so that I can stalk them when necessary," Ellie said.

"You're one weird kid, you know that?" Dick said.

"Oh, like anyone's normal," Ellie said, brushing it off, "So where do you live, anyways?"

"Uh," Dick contemplated for a moment as to whether or not he was comfortable with letting Ellie know where he lived, but then he realized that she'd find out no matter what he did, "It's just about a half mile walk."

"Oh, that's not that bad," Ellie said, swinging her backpack over her other shoulder, when she glanced down at his glove, "Say, do you need a bat?"

"A what?" Dick asked, immediately thinking of the annoying little pets up in the Batcave.

"A baseball bat, you silly," She said.

"Oh, well, no, I'm good using a team bat," Dick said, as he kept walking.

"Alright then," Ellie said, "So, you like living in Gotham?"

"Well, I guess so, I sort of miss my friends back in California, but I still call them so I'm pretty good," Dick said.

"You lived here before right?" She asked.

"On the outskirts I did," Dick said, "But I know the city well enough."

Ellie kicked a rock, "So why did you live out in California?"

"I went to a private school out there," Dick told her.

Ellie shivered, "Gah, I hate private schools. I had to go to private school for elementary and middle school. Mom gave up by high school, though, and thank goodness for that!"

"No kidding," Dick said, thinking back to when he actually did go to a private school back in middle school. It hadn't been fun at all, "But yeah, I got called back, so here I am.

"Well sweetness!" Ellie said, "I think we're all happy about that. You've really upped our team's spirits with that arm, you know that? It's like you're a good luck charm!"

Dick rolled his eyes. He didn't see how that was possible, but he let it pass. They walked around the corner and were within sight of the town house when "I'm Back" started to ring out from Ellie's back pocket. Picking up her phone, Ellie didn't get a chance to answer before she started getting yelled at over the phone.

"ELLIE! IF YOU STALKED THAT KID HOME I'M GONNA...!" Omar yelled over the line, Ellie keeping the phone at arm's length.

"Oh you silly person, you knew that I'd do this..." She began.

But only a couple houses away, the tension was mounting to a much greater level. Inside the townhouse, Clark held his breath for a moment, waiting for Wilson to continue.

Slade nodded, "Listen, Mr. Kent..."

Clark stood up, acting on the instinct to stand up at his full height. They were now at eye level now as Slade walked over.

"I'm a private man. I know that doesn't always go looked upon favorably. I apologize for that; it's just my preference," Slade said, choosing his words carefully, "But I do not like it when my abilities and my capability at maintaining my responsibilities are challenged."

"I didn't mean to..." Clark said.

"But you don't trust me," Slade said.

Clark held his tongue, but answered, "You haven't given me much reason to."

"Well, how about this. I've served honorably for the US Army and I've lived as a respectable member of every community I've lived in," Slade told him.

Clark squinted his eyes. He didn't like where this was going, "Mr. Wilson, I am only here because of..."

"Because of Dick, you've made that point clear," Slade said, walking towards the hallway, "And as I've told you, I've been taking care of him to the best of my ability, which I think Gotham's City Council would find satisfactory."

Clark kept silent for a moment, before walking over to the doorway, "I'm sorry if I offended you Mr. Wilson. I suppose I'll just see Dick another time."

Slade nodded and opened the door. If only the timing hadn't been so bitterly perfect. As Clark looked out, Dick was at the bottom step talking to a friend. Dick looked up and his face filled with excitement. A shame.

"Clark!" He yelled, and jumped up the seven steps to give Clark a hug, "How's it been? What, what are you doing here?"

"Well, what else?" Clark answered, "Visiting you and doing some business work."

Slade eyed Clark as Dick suddenly realized Ellie standing in the background, "Oh, Clark, this is Ellie. We play on the same baseball team."

Clark smiled and shook Ellie's hand, "Nice to meet you Ellie."

"Cool to meet you too, Mr..." Ellie started.

"Mr. Kent," Clark told her.

"Wait, the, Clark Kent?" Ellie asked, "You work for the Daily Planet! With Lois Lane! Dude, I so want to work there one day!"

"I'll recommend you when you get there," Clark replied.

"Are you leaving already?" Dick asked, seeing Clark had gotten his things.

Clark looked back up at Wilson before looking back at Dick, "Um, I do have a flight to catch, Dick, but I'll visit again soon, if that's alright with Mr. Wilson..."

Slade cleared his throat and answered, "Of course, any time. Though I do go on trips on occasion."

Clark shook Slade's hand, each noticing the other's strong grip, their eyes narrowing.

Dick nodded as Clark turned back and replied, "Well, thanks for the visit anyway. I'm sorry that I was out."

"It's no problem," Clark said, walking past Dick and down to the sidewalk, "Take care, Dick."

"I will," Dick said.

Clark gave one last smile before looking back up towards Wilson. He turned quickly and walked off as Dick watched. Ellie stood at the bottom of the steps, rocking back on her heals when she finally couldn't stand the silence.

"So you're Wilson, er, Mr. Wilson?" She asked, suddenly feeling the need to be respectful.

Slade looked down at her as Dick was knocked out of his trance and answered, "Uh, yeah, Ellie, Mr. Wilson, Wilson, Ellie."

"A pleasure," Slade said, before switching his attention to Dick, "Dick, you haven't had anything to eat yet, have you?"

"Nope, just water," Dick said.

"Alright, then come inside and I'll get dinner ready," Slade said, "Nice meeting you Ellie."

"You too...?" Ellie said, before tapping Dick on the shoulder as Wilson went in the house, "Dude, is he your dad or something?"

"Oh, no," Dick explained, "He's my guardian."

"Oh..." Ellie trailed off, "Creepy..."

"Why do you say that?" Dick asked, confused.

"He kinda seems like one of those sketchy stalkers you'd find hiding out in your bathroom working for the Joker or something," Ellie whispered.

Dick didn't really get a chance to respond before Wilson called him in, "Come on in, Dick!"

"Ellie, I think you think everyone is a stalker," Dick said and Ellie shrugged as he went to the door, "See you tomorrow, then, Ellie."

"Alright, see you tomor..." Ellie looked at her phone, which had started ringing again. She read the text and looked up, "Apparently, Rain says to get to practice early if we can."

"Okay, see ya," Dick said.

"Bye!" Ellie replied and ran home.

Dick shut the door as the temperature dropped a few degrees. After kicking off his mud caked shoes, Dick walked up to his room and sat down on the floor. He took a breath and sighed, looking at the closet. He really should go out tonight. He hadn't in a while, but... Dick yawned. How could he? He'd get himself killed he was so tired from playing all day... But he couldn't quit now. Ryan wasn't getting his cast off for at least two more weeks and he'd never be ready for the big game even if he got it off early.

He'd play just until Ryan got his cast off. Then he'd back off a bit. He had to. It's just the way it had to be. He was having fun, though. Why should he? He was shirking his duty, no, not duty. He wasn't shirking that. He was shying away from his instinct. And yet, was it a bad thing? No, no. After the past month, why couldn't he be happy for once? For just a little bit? He just had to balance it. Like Clark had said...

"Dick!" Wilson called.

Dick looked at the door and ran downstairs to see what was up. It turned out that dinner was ready. As Dick sat down, a few blocks away, Clark took off his glasses and took off the facade. Flying up and into downtown Gotham, Clark took an automatic dive upwards, towards the stars. He left the atmospheres and left Earth and soon he could see the many satellites orbiting the planet. He found what he was looking for and headed for an entry way. Upon landing inside the JLA tower, Superman went for the main control room, where he saw J'onn standing.

"Superman," J'onn said as he saw his colleague's expression, "What's wrong?"

"Get me Wonder Woman, Manhunter," Superman said.

J'onn nodded and connected Superman to the island of Themyscira. They waited only a few moments before being answered by Artemis, "What is it?"

"We need to talk to Diana," Superman said.

Artemis wrinkled her nose before calling over Wonder Woman, who was a little more polite, "Superman, what's the crisis?"

Superman bit his lip, "I just met Dick's new guardian."

"New?" Wonder Woman asked, "Since when? Was it Ms. Kane?"

"No, his name was Mr. Grant Wilson, and I don't think I liked him one bit," Superman said.

J'onn and Diana looked at each other over the in shock. Superman... didn't like somebody? Was the world coming to an end?

"Well, why don't you like him Clark?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I got bad vibes from him, Diana," Superman said.

"Does he have a good background?" J'onn asked.

"He has a fine background," Superman said, "But somehow I don't believe that's all there is to him."

Wonder Woman wiped sweat from her brow before answering, "Well, why don't you look into it?"

"I can't," Superman said, "I'm stuck helping Lois on that bit with Luthor, which as much as I hate to say it, takes priority."

"What about Ollie?" Diana asked, "He could do it for you."

"That might work..." Superman trailed off, "Alright, I'll call him."

The line disconnected and J'onn called up Green Arrow, who promptly picked up the signal, "Martian, what's up?"

Superman interrupted and answered him, "Ollie, how'd you like to do some digging for me? Nothing urgent."

Ollie smiled and replied, "Sure, I could. Now who do you need the dirt on?"

Defying Destiny

A New Story... A New Adventure.

"Even if every piece of you disappeared and if it scattered everywhere; No, I won't waver, I'll start back at one and look for you all over again."

Six years later and the searches continue. 

One search, never acknowledged.

And one that started with completing a puzzle eight years ago.

But... can Yugi and Seto really defy destiny? Or will lives and hearts forever be shattered?

A "Yu-Gi-Oh!" Fan Fiction by RenaRedhead

To Read, check out the link below.

Hope to see you on this new adventure!

Raven

Overview

Daughter of the inter dimensional demon Trigon and human mother Arella, Raven is the Titans' resident Mistress of Magic. In a near constant state of meditation in an attempt to control her emotions which could wreak havoc if left alone, Raven is much calmer, quieter, and level headed than most of the Titans. Despite her lineage, Raven had always hoped that she would be able to defy prophecies that stated that she would act as the portal to Earth for her father, who's sole goal was to reign over the world with death and destruction. When the time came, with the help of the Titans, Raven was able to stop her father's plans. Since that time, Raven has become much more confident with her abilities as well as her place amongst the Titans. However, she must still continue to oversee her emotions so that nothing calamitous befalls her and others due to her powers of dark origin.

Adaptation

Raven remains fairly true to her cartoon counterpart. I felt that the cartoon was great in that Raven was able to be more of an action oriented character and not limited to being an empath or esper. It allowed for more of her involvement in the plot of stories as well as more of a conflict within herself. She supports peace, but fights to protect the innocent, a very contradictory kind of path (a bit like Dove out of DC's Hawk and Dove). Additionally, this meant that she would have a harder time controlling her powers as she would need to use them just enough to use her telekinetic abilities, while still reigning them in. Furthermore, she is clearly the most powerful of all of the Titans, making her the stability of her powers highly important.

As far as personal characteristics, again, she remains more true to her cartoon persona. She's an intellect, sarcastic at times, and prefers seclusion, but is fiercely loyal and grateful for her friends' companionship. Additionally, she has a strong sense of perception and can sense many things others can't or don't right away due to her empathic abilities, as well as her own insightfulness. One difference from her cartoon self that she gains from the comics is her alias as Rachel Roth, which she uses when the Titans have a need to go undercover.

Personality and Relationships

Due to the nature of her powers, Raven focuses a high amount of her time on controlling her emotions. This leads her to be a bit reclusive and more of an introvert than the rest of the Titans. However, simply because she has to control her emotions, does not mean that she is void of them. Rather she works to control them through means of meditation, reading, and overall calming activities. Being well read, Raven is also extremely intelligent and regularly offers solid advice and insights into criminal cases and behaviors.

Though Raven tends to stick to herself, she does have good friendships with each of the Titans. She puts up with the boys' rambunctiousness and entertains Starfire's more girly whims, seemingly begrudgingly at times, but the change of pace is secretly a welcome one. After an instance in which she created a mind-bond with Robin to help him during an attack on his mind by Slade, she can now more easily create a source of communication between the two of them telepathically. She is fiercely loyal to her friends and ultimately, her biggest wish is to never be a source of harm to them, which motivates her to gain a stronger control over her emotions and powers.

Personal Thoughts

I always got the impression that although I liked Raven as a character, I didn't like her as much as most people did, haha. She had quiet the fanbase! And I don't blame anyone for liking her character at all. Honestly, I almost felt a little left out because she wasn't my favorite. ^^; Even though Robin was my favorite, I had a lot of respect for Raven as a character and greatly appreciated the fact that the writers tackled bigger, more serious issues with Raven, particularly ones that were more relatable to kids and teenagers. All of the Titans were relatable and had issues that we as an audience could understand, but Raven often touched on some that were... closer to home and more threatening. 

Episodes like "Spellbound" with the comparative aspects to online predators as well as the fear of being cast out because one doesn't fit in, or of course her entire arc line in Season 4, where she comes to the realization that her birth parents don't have to define who she is or who her family is, I think were really powerful messages that even today, we don't see enough of in shows targeted at kids and teenagers. 

That said, I really loved how they updated and brought a character into the 21st century. She went from being purely a mystic, who could be seen as either overly dramatic or unfair at first glance (you really had to read a lot of Titans comics to get to know her I felt; after all, she tried to stay away from the Titans, of course readers are going to feel that exclusion at times too), to someone who was filled with many emotions all fighting to be heard. In that regard, I think everyone could relate to her on some level and could root for her to continue to be strong in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Because really, I think we'd all hope that we could have that same strength if needed and her ability to overcome those challenges, helps us believe that we could do the same.

Cyborg

Overview

Half-human, Half-robot, Cyborg is the literally fused man and machine superhero of the Teen Titans. After an accident that almost killed him, Cyborg awoke to find half of his human body replaced with cybernetically enhanced limbs. Seeing himself as a freak, Cyborg found himself able to fit in well with the Titans, who were all a little abnormal. Their friendship allowed Cyborg to feel like a normal teenager (or as normal as a superpower teenager can get) and Cyborg became a true blue support beam in the team's structure, acting like an older brother to many of them.

While Cyborg's robotic parts allow him to perform superhuman feats of strength, they also allow for him to have some serious firepower, such as his rocket limbs and sonic blaster. Additionally, Cyborg is also a tech wiz, capable of building a vast array of security systems and vehicles (such as the T-Car and T-Ship) as well as infiltrating enemy computer systems. Cyborg at times is not always confident in himself, but with the help and support of his friends, he's always ready and up to the challenge of anything that comes their way.

Adaptation

Cyborg shares the backstory of his comic-book counterpart (as well as his alias Victor Stone) with the personality of his cartoon persona. This connects him to STAR labs, the laboratory responsible for assisting his father in fitting him with his robotic parts. Additionally, his generally more optimistic attitude and support for the rest of the Titans provides the foundation of stability for the team in "Custody", again very similar to his cartoon self.

I felt that the strength of his cartoon counterpart was that they pulled his most endearing quality, his big brother kind of attitude and kind of responsibility, from the comics and amped it up. Additionally, his knowledge and ability to support others as a team player I think served them well, especially as the series was animated and seeing the Titans work together well was vital to showing that the Titans not only were on a team, they were a freakin' awesome team. All of these things were what I really wanted to bring into "Custody" with Cyborg, to have a character that was genuinely interested in supporting and being there for his teammates and allowing that infectious outlook to pull them all together.

Personality and Relationships

Cyborg is normally a very easy going, very chill 'dude' as Beast Boy would put it. Before becoming Cyborg, he was an athlete at school and always enjoyed pushing himself to become stronger and better than before. After the accident, perhaps due to his 'realist' nature, Cyborg fell into a state of depression, seeing himself as a 'freak' and 'unordinary', until he met the Titans. Now having people to fight for and people who believed in him, Cyborg decided to step up and once again, give all he had to becoming stronger, better, and smarter in order to help others.

Despite being a bit older than most of the Titans, Cyborg found great friends in each of them. Hitting it off with the guys, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin all enjoy roughing around outside playing sports, playing video games on the Gamestation, working out at the gym, and cooking up the best meat (or tofu in Beast Boy's case) dishes imaginable. When Robin is out of town, Cyborg becomes the de-facto leader of the Titans and often assists Robin in analyzing and conjecturing theories and methods to take down the bad guys. Though he is a fairly positive person in social environments, Cyborg's tendency to focus on the negative in serious situations is often balanced out by Beast Boy's optimism, for whom Cyborg was originally created as a bit of a foil for by Marv Wolfman and George Perez. Cyborg is also close with the girls as well and able to offer them emotional support and strength when they themselves are not always sure of their own capabilities.

Personal Thoughts

Cyborg is a fantastic character. He adds so much depth and dimension to the team as a whole, regularly acting as an older brother of sorts, which I love (maybe because I always thought having an older brother would be cool haha). However, I always had mixed feelings on how he was written. I loved his cartoon adaptation and I also enjoyed his original comic book counterpart in terms of backstory. The issue to me though was that after a while, I felt that his problems in the comics were pinned down to only a set of two issues or so, revolving around his desire to be fully human or his desire to be stronger as a superhero. So when things like this get repeatedly hashed up, it starts to get old and he becomes less appealing, which was unfortunate for Cyborg as a character.

I didn't want to do that with Cyborg in "Custody". Rather, I wanted him to be an intellect, but also chill-sporty kind of guy that could be relied on, something I felt that the cartoon did regularly. That, to me, is Cyborg's biggest strength. He's there for people when needed and can push through his own struggles to help others and support them, even when he might not even be so sure of himself at first. Additionally, while he does try to shoulder a lot of the burdens he faces himself, I like that he's willing to let his friends help when given a gentle nudge. The Titans are not just his friends, they're family to him, and he will always be there to protect them. And once he finds the strength to believe in himself, he doesn't hold back, making him, in my mind, a great role model for teenagers and kids out of the Titan line up. 

Chapter Eleven: Silent Work

Chapter Eleven: Silent Work

"I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you correctly. Can you repeat that?"

Cyborg looked from side to side at his teammates and gulped, "Uh, Red X is staying in Titans Tower?"

"Alright... I'm going to ask you this as calmly as I can. Now, WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'RED X IS STAYING IN TITANS TOWER'?!" Robin yelled over the communication link.

All four of the Titans shrank into tiny chibis. This is what they had all been afraid of, but it was what Red X had been anticipating the most.

"Yep, and get used to it kid, 'cause I like living here. Beats my place anyways," Red X said into the small camera.

However, Beast Boy forcefully pushed him to the side so that Robin could now see all five of them.

Robin sighed and somehow managed to answer calmly, "Hate to break it to you X, but that's up to the five of us once we finish a little conference."

"Five of us, what do you..." Red X didn't get to finish his sentence as Raven sent him back to the lock down room.

They all knew that Robin wouldn't like this. And Robin had been afraid that something like this would happen. What else could possibly go wrong while he was gone? Immediately the two sides erupted. Cyborg and Raven had paid heed to the guilt trips Red X had given, but Beast Boy and Starfire complained of Red X's... um, imperfections. Their strongest arguments were as follows:

"I don't know man, I mean, he's not really hurting anybody and BB and I have been keeping him in line and after what he did for us at Zenith's..." Robin let out a sigh of understanding, but felt this was a pointless argument.

"Dude! I want him out! You know how much of a prankster he is? I mean, he's stealing all of my best jokes, not to mention that he's being perfect to Rae and Cy only..." Robin rolled his eyes at the changelings complaints as he wasn't surprised.

"Robin! I insist that you come here personally and throw this no-gooder out! I turn my back for one minute in the room of laundry and he is going through my garments and apparel!" The Boy Wonder felt an awkward knot of repulsion form in his stomach and hoped that his face didn't show it.

"Look, it's not too much of a big deal. He's just acting like a roommate that we just happen to have to keep an eye on," How he wished that he could somehow not agree to that.

All four Titans looked at their leader on the screen. His word was final. And Red X had given them good information... This is the part where he hated the fact that he had to be fair.

"Alright, Red X can stay. Bring him in here, though," Robin told them.

While Starfire and Beast Boy looked as though he had just lit a nuke, Raven teleported Red X in again, "Geez! You can't just let me out the normal way? Man, it's..."

"X," Robin spoke to the only masked teen there, "You want to stay? Fine. You can stay. But if I hear one word about you making life unbearable for any of the Titans, you're out on the streets again and I won't vouch for you for jail time in terms of Zenith's... and you're not allowed to go through Starfire's laundry either!"

The Titans all glared at Red X indignantly as he shrugged, "What? You can't say you didn't expect that from me."

Starfire eyes lit ablaze, "You... you... Rwudishawmad floqnard drazcap..."

The other Titans slowly backed away from Starfire as she began to yell in her native tongue. It was always a little scary when she did that. Raven turned back to Robin as the others watched.

"Don't worry, we'll keep an eye on him," Raven assured.

"You mean, you will?" Robin asked as he put a hand over his masked eyes and rubbed them.

"Duh, you just concentrate on Gotham. Leave this buffoon to us," Raven said.

"I'd trade anytime. The buffoon here is a serial-killing crazed clown," Robin responded.

Raven sighed as both signals terminated. There was nothing she could do about it, really. Robin knew that. But it still made him angry. And tired. At least Bruce wasn't here. He was out at that Thompson lady's place and if he was lucky, Bruce would never know. There were only a few topics that Batman didn't know much about and they included Red X, for obvious reasons. Red X was a mistake. His mistake. One he didn't want Bruce to know about. As far as Batman knew, Red X was a person who only did things when they benefitted him and his belt ran on xenothuim, which was good enough for Robin.

Sighing, Robin got up as he heard the Batmobile screech down the cavern floors and into the center of the Batcave. He didn't even have to turn around to hear Batman coming over with samples of the now decimated Thompson residence. It was becoming a bit of a sore spot for them. It was something they didn't need.

"How's your team handling Jump?" he questioned.

"Good enough," Robin answered stiffly, "Anything new with Thompson's case?"

"I couldn't find any bone samples. Even cremated, bone fragments often remain..."

"I know."

Batman looked to the side and Robin glanced down apologetically for interrupting, but only out of respect.

"I'm hoping to find some fragments, though, in these samples," Batman continued.

"Wasn't there a lot of wreckage?" Robin asked, "Couldn't the bones have been moved...?"

"They haven't cleared the site and I looked," Batman answered, ending that idea.

Robin sat down again. Fine. Since he wasn't needed, he'd just...

"Robin," Batman called out and Robin stopped his motion.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Do you have any theories as to who could be behind these disappearances?" Batman asked.

"You mean from Jump?" Robin inquired.

"Yes."

Robin found himself a bit tongue tied. He did. But not really. And he didn't like the ideas that he had come up with. Worse yet, he didn't want to tell Batman about them.

"Uh, sort of. There's not exactly any real, uh, Joker out there so to speak..." Robin avoided the question.

"This isn't the Joker's work, though. You didn't answer my question," Batman scolded. Yes, he had just scolded him. And Batman didn't seem to mind it, either.

But Robin did, "Look, there's no one who really fits this description. The only superpowers that could even possibly pull something like this off wouldn't because this doesn't help them. There's no way that it could, either."

Robin stopped. His mind had caught hold of an idea. A person who could be doing this. He felt his chest involuntarily tighten and his breathing threaten to become irregular. He fought to keep his expression the same. He just couldn't stand the idea. Slade was... gone. He should be gone. He wanted him to be gone... And besides, Slade wanted to destroy Jump. These murders out here couldn't affect Jump in that way. These people had no connections to Jump City. Robin breathed a calm sigh of relief.

Batman eyed Robin searchingly then turned back to the samples. Yes. He believed his ward. They always had that ability. That unspoken trust in what each other said. And if either of them didn't mention something, it was for good reason. If such knowledge was ever needed, they trusted that the other would tell them. So although he left it at that, he hoped that they could get back to this subject again. It was one of two essential questions: "Who could do it?" and "Who benefits?" But right now that wasn't the main issue. Clara Thompson's death was. And the Joker's escape from Arkham.

"Want me to try finding some leads on Joker?" Robin asked.

Batman only nodded and watched from the corner of his eye as Robin ran off to Gotham as words were left unsaid. Business came and went. Gotham's skyscrapers towered over the city-goers below who cowered under their umbrellas. The Monorail train ran above their heads thundering loudly down the loud bobbing of iron against steel. Cars drove by spraying water into the air and thoroughly soaking those unfortunate enough to be standing nearby. No, no one was in a good mood. It seemed like it was always like that in Gotham. The hum of an engine roared as it came closer and if pedestrians were lucky enough, they would have gotten a glance of the R-Cycle and it's occupant streaking past them.

Robin finally came to a quick stop at a light. He wasn't really trying to look inconspicuous. He figured that being dressed like a traffic light had thrown that ability when in a brightly lit area out the window anyway. And he was definitely in a bright area. Shops don't close just because there's a little bit of rain. That's why they're INSIDE. Unlike him. So while neon lights flashed along side and street lights above showed off their lack-luster splendor, Robin took the opportunity to let out a sigh. He liked going on patrol alone. Especially in Gotham. It had been his hometown since he was eight, so why shouldn't he?

It was kind of calming to people watch in vignettes like these, too. He liked looking out at people without a worry. They were all so different in the city. There was a guy in a suit running to his car. There was a waitress who had just gotten off work and would be walking quickly home in the rain without an umbrella. There were two kids holding their parent's hands as they turned the corner. The little girl smiled up at her mother. The boy looked around, bored, until he saw Robin on his bike.

The light turned green.

Robin revved the engine and shot off. He didn't get to enjoy these moments for very long, and he'd gotten used to it. He followed the Monorail system. Passing Wayne Tower, he shot around it and raced through the streets behind it that lead to Wayne Aerospace, Wayne Industries, WayneTech and many Wayne subsidiaries. Normally he wouldn't go by there, but Joker had a reputation for liking to play with dangerous "toys". Both he and Batman had access to the Wayne Enterprises' security, but that doesn't mean that being nearby wouldn't help.

He stopped as he came up to Wayne Chemicals. There were several trucks nearby with Wayne's stamp on them. All closed save for three. The lights were off and the building looked deserted. Robin watched the sparkling rain for a moment. For some reason, Robin shook his head. He just knew that the Joker wasn't here. But still, something didn't seem... right. Right. Bright...

Robin whipped around to see several lights in WayneTech on when they shouldn't be. Robin leaped off the R-Cycle and raced to the building while he thanked Bruce in his head that he had a security override feature card still in his belt. There was only one thing on his mind. Project Firewall. This was so bad. It took him less than two minutes, but when he got up to the holding department there was... no one. But there had to...

The sound of footsteps above alerted Robin to his guests. Running to the elevators, Robin forced the doors of one that was not in use. He didn't have to look very far before he saw and heard the elevator that was being used by the trespassers. Climbing upwards, the Boy Wonder gradually was able to hear snippets of the conversation.

"Careful, don't drop that!"

"Shh, I'm no moron, moron."

"Who you callin' a moron?"

"Will you two shut it? Not making this going any faster. And with that freak out there..."

"He's not coming here, will you stop that? We've dealt with worse."

"Oh yeah, that much worse," The sarcastic comment came.

"Let's just get this thing going. I still don't want to stay..."

The elevator started downward. Robin smirked. Amateurs. Throwing a small electrical breaker down onto the moving elevator, he smiled as the elevator stopped dead, stuck.

"Who.. what was that?"

"You idiot."

"I didn't do nothin', though."

"Well you must have done something 'cause..."

CLANG!

Robin landed on top and ripped off the top escape shaft. The three startled men yelled and reached for their guns, but it was too late as Robin easily threw three bolas to trap the thieves.

"Why you little..." Their leader began once he recognized their downfall was due to Robin.

"Look, I can either gag you or not, but I'm really not in the mood," Robin told them. He turned on his communicator, "Batman, you there?"

"What's going on at WayneTech?"

"Robbery, I got them all trapped in the third elevator. I'm going to send them down till the police arrive," Robin told him.

"What were they after?"

Robin knelt down and looked at the large box. He looked around trying to find a name or a tag or something to identify it with before realizing it was probably on the bottom. As he lifted it, Robin could only pay attention to how heavy this thing was. That was unusual...

"Got it, Project.. Can't read it," Robin asked, "What's this?"

"Another of Fox's projects probably, have the cops take it into custody for the time being. It's most likely only a prototype," With that, Robin heard static.

Great. This meant two things. One, it meant that Bruce had way too many projects for him to keep track of. And two, it meant that he'd be here all night silently wondering why if Bruce has Project Firewall and it's done, why on earth he hasn't actually installed it. It was quiet as he got down to the main room of WayneTech and still there were no cops nearby or sirens in the distance. He'd caught these thugs fifteen minutes ago. Robin hit his head against the wall. Great. Just great.

And who knew what this would do to WayneTech tomorrow? Bruce would probably be forced to got to an emergency press conference and, already being tired from the previous night's antics, would not be in any real mood to deal with any irritable mistakes or slow actions. The TV would be ablaze with the petty news all the way to Metropolis. And that it did. Dr. Westfield watched it the next day while he was in his office. He was expecting a visit from the boss, who would be there any...

"Dr. Westfield, you have a report for me?"

Westfield gulped slightly and turned around to see his provider and employer.

"Um, uh, yes Mr. Luthor, with the available materials, we've made much progress regarding the weapon," Dr. Westfield reported.

Luthor nodded and gestured to the door, "Care to show me?"

Westfield kept fiddling with his tie and lab coat, like it was out of place, but nodded none the less. It was uncomfortably quiet. While he would never admit it out loud, Westfield was not, er, accustomed to working with Luthor. The man had a way of having control over every situation and Westfield was not comfortable with it.

"So, what's the weapon so far?" He asked.

"Well, we're still missing those two major elements. We're attempting to replicate the sonic cannon, but it's a slow process, considering what it has to handle," Westfield said, waiting for Luthor's comments.

There were none, "That's our primary focus as of right now. Once we have the power supply and the minerals necessary to operate the weapon, all we'll need to do is latch on that final component that you promised."

Luthor finally nodded in acknowledgment, "And you'll have it."

While Westfield didn't like to push Luthor, he had to this time, "Excuse me, Mr. Luthor, but when will we have it, er, exactly? The sooner the better."

"Of course, Dr. Westfield, of course. I know. I'm currently trying to..." Luthor sighed before continuing, as though worn out, "Negotiate it's arrangements. I still have yet to actually attain it."

"You mean, you don't own it sir?" Dr. Westfield asked, surprised.

"Never assume anything, Doctor. The government would never authorize LexCorp's development of such a thing. So unfortunately, I can only buy it," Lex told the man.

Stepping into a large room, Lex got his first look at the massive object. Several pieces were obviously missing, but apart from that, it appeared to be fantastic. Much of which was his own design, Luthor recognized and was pleased with. He only wished that it could have been a bit more... deployable. It was not the fastest piece of equipment. Hopefully however, it wouldn't need to be. But despite all of this, pleasure was dampened. He felt a quiet rage begin to burn inside. This was taking way too long. He should have never...

Briinnngggg! Briinnngggg! Briinnngggg!

Lex looked down at his phone and the caller ID. Perfect timing, "Dr. Westfield, this looks magnificent, but could you give me just five minutes?"

Westfield's brief pride was smothered and he humbly left the room, leaving Luthor in the room, with no security cameras or recorders or interferences.

Flipping open the phone, Lex was about to begin when an enraged voice spoke over the phone, "You don't think I don't know what you're doing Luthor?!"

Unaccustomed to such an address, Luthor responded, "You can't tell me you're surprised, Deathstroke. You realize it's been a month."

"And it may very well be another month, but your hired antics last night has only complicated my job. You realize that their Project Firewall is now being pushed ahead of schedule to be installed?" Slade asked.

"I believe I might have heard something," Lex answered passively.

But Slade was tired of Luthor's casual attitude. He wasn't to be double-crossed by anyone and that included Luthor. He should know that after what Slade had done to Trigon. Perhaps the man hadn't heard about that incident. Maybe he should enlighten him. Sitting down on the couch as the fire crackled in the fireplace, Slade continued.

"Well, if you're going to be like that Luthor, I'll just have to take it up a notch," Slade answered.

"I guess you will," Luthor smiled. He liked what he was hearing.

Not for long. "I guess I'll just have to anonymously tip off the Man of Steel to Cadmus Labs," Standing up, Luthor shouted, "You what?"

"Angry, Alexander?" Slade chuckled, "We're on the same page then. Let's just not aggravate each other further, agreed?"

Luthor fumed. He didn't like Slade. Never did. But right now he could only loath the man and his negotiation skills. At least Slade had given him a time frame, though. At least he could hold Slade to that. At least. Lex sighed.

"You want something more than my money, don't you Slade?" When he didn't hear a response, Luthor continued, "Fine, but if you don't finish by November first, you're through. Deathstroke will never be a reliable name again."

Slade gave little heed to the warning and in good nature responded, "Thank you, Mr. Luthor. I'll keep that in mind."

With that, he hung up, smiling. It was still the first week of October. He had at least three weeks. But for Luthor, he could only imagine that this was going to be a very, long month.

-T-

A good week passed after the attempted robbery at WayneTech and still they were coming up dry on any real leads. In fact, Robin was starting to wonder if there really wasn't any other threats to worry about. Batman was constantly working, trying to solve a seemingly unsolvable puzzle. Robin had to hand it to him, Batman was dedicated far more than he was and that was something his friends would say is impossible. One thing that Robin hated about this type of work was that there was always a possibility that none of these crimes were related. Or rather, some crimes were connected and others were not. And that was just another problem in and of itself.

Batman though, he just worked. He didn't think about how hard it was, mostly because he had trained himself not to. He had trained himself to not choke on the scenes before him. He had trained himself not to be disturbed by criminal acts. Robin, well, he could do that. But sometimes it was better to be human. Such as now.

The Dynamic Duo stood in front of the debris from Edwin Beagle's apartment-townhouse, still smoking from the recent fire.

Robin felt a chill from the cold soot lightly hitting his face. He glanced over when he saw Batman move forward and begin to take samples and pictures. It was his fourth crime scene of this nature. It was Robin's first as he hadn't gone to Clara Thompson's. It was just bad timing. And now was good timing. Good timing to actually help Batman collect samples instead of waiting for the report to come in.

Bending down when he found an interesting spot, Robin began to carefully mark and take samples. It was amazing what he could now do without thinking about it. A piece of wood was in the way. Robin grabbed the wreckage only to drop it as soon as he picked it up. The hot embers were still fresh. Soot and burnt material sprang into his face and Robin felt himself cough and choke on the cloud of dust.

Batman looked and walked over. Stretching out his hand, he was shocked as Robin quickly hit it away. Not batted - hit away. When Robin turned and looked up, there was an expression of obvious discomfort and... humiliation? Batman couldn't fathom what for. It wasn't too far from batting someone away and it wasn't unnatural to bat something away when you're not expecting it. He didn't get much time to analyze it further as Robin quickly muttered 'sorry, didn't, sorry', stood up, and walked into another area. The night was young. The lights from the block kept the area lit well enough and it was easy enough to see when they turned on the night-vision in their masks.

Robin finally turned to Batman after about thirty minutes, "I'm going to check the roof areas, see if there's anything interesting from an aerial perspective."

Batman didn't say anything, but nodded. They'd be going soon, anyway. Robin might as well do a brief check. Climbing to the top of a nearby apartment, Robin clicked away pictures of the area. There was no doubt about it, he was a little bored. No, it wasn't that he didn't want to be doing this. He did. He wanted to help. It was never that. It was just that the company always set the mood...

There was a quick flash of movement in the corner of his eye. Running in the direction of the movement, Robin looked around and soon caught a glimpse of more movement. A figure that he couldn't make out. And they were running. So he did, too. Sprinting forward, Robin bounded after the person. They were quick, hard to follow, but he managed.

"Stop!" He yelled out, but that didn't exactly help as the figure didn't listen.

Finding himself on an unfamiliar rooftop, Robin lost sight of the mysterious person. Climbing above a chimney, Robin searched desperately for anything. Something moved, over there, behind the ventilation shaft. Stealthily, Robin jumped down and walked around the corner. Taking out bola and a bo-staff, Robin braced himself. In an instant, he swung around the corner and netted his captor with ease, but it was not who he was expecting (if he had expected anyone, that is).

"You, why I oughta..."

"Catwoman?"

"Well I guess so, considering I'm wearing a Cat-suit. What's the big idea?" She asked, obviously displeased at her current situation.

"Why didn't you stop when I called out?" Robin asked back.

"You never told me. I've been heading up from the eastern section, I wasn't running down south," She told him.

"You mean, you didn't go by the Beagle house?" Robin questioned, slowly realizing that somehow, he'd probably gotten...

"No, wrong person, kid. As hard as it might be to believe, but I was minding my own business," Catwoman told him indignantly and gestured to the bola, "Now would you mind?"

Robin swallowed some of his pride, bent down, and then released Catwoman from the bola seeing that Batman would do it if he didn't, "Sorry. You didn't see anyone go by here by chance though, did you?"

"I wasn't really looking out for anything like that, suppose I should, though. It's getting ridiculous out there," She said, stretching slightly.

"Would you care to elaborate?"

They both turned to see Batman coming out of the shadows; it was really no surprise to either of them either, "Joker's acting like he's still in Arkham from what I've heard. Not doing anything, the only thing he's done is robbing the robbers of this city, which they can't reveal to the cops."

"Anything else?" Robin asked.

"Other than that, there's just been some heated tempers. But when does that not happen?" Catwoman scoffed.

Batman's eyes narrowed, but Robin knew that it wasn't out of annoyance. Only out of consideration of the possibilities. The man nodded.

"Is that all?" He inquired.

"Two-Face in particular isn't very happy at the moment. But it's not much of a big deal," She flashed a luscious smile his way. Batman stiffened, but glanced briefly at Robin at the mention of Two-Face. Still, no one noticed.

He asked, his voice gruff, but bordering on the casual side, "And how have you been?"

"I've been better," She answered, slowly walking forward, "But you know me, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself."

"I'm sure," Batman replied without much emotion, but still there was some, "Robin and I have to get back to work."

Catwoman glanced at Robin, as though disappointed. He looked away from them both. It was funny how they both didn't exactly want the Duo to go back to work.

"Alright then, I'll see you two around," She called, as she scampered off the rooftop and down below into the alleys.

Batman walked over to the side, but he didn't expect to see her. Robin only looked back at the smoky scene half a block down and back behind him. He'd been sure that there had been someone. So sure... A chilling thought came to his mind and he shivered. Jumping as he felt someone's presence behind him, Robin caught his breath.

"Care to enlighten me about what just happened in detail?" Batman asked.

Robin shook it off and walked back towards the Beagle residence, "Nothing happened. I thought I saw something. I was wrong that's all."

Batman let Robin leap off the building without further explanation. But something wasn't quite right. Robin had admitted he was wrong. Robin didn't do that easily. Unless he was doing it to lie. He'd given Robin a lot of lee-way. A lot of space and a lot of freedom because Robin was not a person to be caged. But something was wrong. And he knew it. Batman turned back to where Robin had been staring. Was Robin really just seeing things? He couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't. But then again, Robin could be acting like this to make up for the lack of distance of a continent between them. Teenagers. They were a mystery. Unfortunately, one he didn't think he'd ever quite be able to solve.

Following Robin's lead, the Dark Knight chased after his Squire, not knowing that someone else was, metaphorically speaking, doing the same. Slade smiled as he watched the two vigilantes run across the rooftops and in between the light and shadows. He could have left earlier and not have been there at all, but it had been too long. He was tired of watching Robin on the screens of hidden cameras. And seeing the boy in person was... refreshing.

Still perfect. Still growing. Still maturing. Still, there was much more to do.

Slade smiled as he let out a low chuckle. Robin was taking care of himself. And by the looks of it, Robin hadn't forgotten him at all. Maybe he did take some deluded sense of enjoyment at the boy's expense, but it didn't exactly hurt Robin either, so it wasn't really a concern to him. The rush was way too much fun to ignore. Landing below, Slade walked down the dark alleyway and disappeared into the shadows, never to emerge.

He was having a much better night than Robin was. Robin felt like Batman was speaking less and less. No, that wasn't right. Batman was talking. Giving orders. More and more. And he couldn't help but hate it. Did the man think that he was incompetent? That he couldn't take care of himself? A mere hindrance? That's what it had been the last time. But Robin would never say anything. It was a petty thing, the orders, and he was probably just too used to being the one giving them. He just kept telling himself that. Somehow though, it never stuck. So instead he tried to think that they'd be finished in maybe a week. Then he'd be home in Titans Tower with his friends instead of having to stay in this rotting town that they called a city.

In the cave, Dick changed, discouraged and downhearted. Going up to his room, he found a small tray with a brownie and milk that Alfred had left him. He guessed the butler had figured that he'd need a pick up. Breaking off a piece, Dick sat down in his blue pajamas and picked up a small book that he sometimes left out on the dresser. Opening the lock, he flipped through the pictures of his friends and the people that he had met. But it was mostly pictures of the Titans. There were some Justice League members and a couple relatively cool people that he had met through a variety of circumstances. Still though, it was the Titans that focused on.

It was calming after a long, hard day. He felt exhausted. And no one could blame him. He put the book down and pressed on the lock. Putting it away and getting into bed, Dick found himself still sleepless. He rolled around. Tossed the sheets on and off of himself in effort to find comfort. However, he couldn't. His thoughts were restless. Finally, he threw off the sheets and left his room.

Inside their private gym, Dick tapped up his bare hands and feet, chalked them, and jumped up onto the wires above. He felt himself begin to work up a sweat even though he had just taken a shower. Energy encased his body and it wasn't from the brownie. Jumping down, he raced over to the mats and began to do sit-ups, push ups, stretches. He had to do it. He just had to. He couldn't bring himself to stop. He couldn't fail. Never fail...

The sound of a person's voice echoed in the hallways. Bruce had come out around four, but the sounds in the normally quiet manor had surprised him. Following the sounds, he found himself close to the gym. The door was slightly ajar and he could hear a rhythmic 'hut, hut, hut' coming from inside. Looking inside, his eyes widened as he saw Dick, his pajamas soaked with sweat.

He opened the door, unsure of what to do in this situation, but still, he had to do something, he guessed, "Dick?"

Dick glanced over and dropped to the ground, swaying slightly on his feet, "Yeah?"

His ward's voice spoke volumes. The boy was obviously tired, barely able to stand up straight, "What are you doing?"

Dick shrugged, "Couldn't sleep."

There was a short pause, but right before Bruce could speak, Dick cut in, "I'm going to bed now."

Staggering almost, Dick swiftly made his way out of the gym and around the corner to the staircase. Bruce would have followed, but he didn't think that Dick wanted that. And he was right. Dick didn't want that. He couldn't stand another order. Another guideline. Another scolding. Another chance to disappoint Bruce. Bruce eventually turned around to walk the opposite way to his own room.

Was he worried about what was going on? Not over the top, no. Dick had handled himself for over two years without his help. Yet, he was much more concerned about Dick's behavior. Maybe it was another one of those rebellious cycles. It was giving him a headache to think about it. So he did what he had trained himself to do. Make a mental note and come back to it later. It was what he knew. It was all he felt he knew. It also was one of the few things that made him feel guilty about who he was. Guilty. Yes. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Chapter Nine: Escalation in Gotham

Part Three: Escalation in Gotham

Chapter Nine: From Rooftops to Sidewalks

The rain poured down the back of his head and down his neck. There was stench in the air, like that of dead rats. It was diluted by the smell of hot dogs that had been sitting on the grill all day and into the night. Below, cars had their headlights on and on occasion were needlessly honking their horns, the drivers annoyed that rush hour traffic had proceeded into the later evening hours. Some were just parking so they could take the monorail. It would be packed, but at least it would be quicker than driving.

Up ahead, a traffic light was out, sending tempers soaring. He really shouldn't be here. It was well lit, safer than other areas. He was needed elsewhere. Running, the adrenaline started to flow, making his heart work faster, his mind think quicker. At the same time it was a blur, but he was picking everything up. Diving off of a high building, he did a flip and neatly landed in a crouch position. But that was only for a second as he soon ran off again. Finally, he slowed down, his cape whipping against his sides.

"Give me your money!"

His head turned towards the yell. Idiot. Who yells that in a city? Especially this one. This guy must be desperate. He heard a muffled sob and a scream coming from a window below with the drapes right by the fire escape. This was inside the building? What on earth? Spreading his arms out, he began to fall.

"Shut up, lady! I said money and jewler-!"

The poor guy never got to finish. Juliet saw someone come through her window. It almost looked like they had flung themselves inside. The person snared the gunman's hand and as he twisted it Juliet heard bones grind. The man screamed and dropped his gun.

"You! I'm gonna-!"

The figure elbowed the robber in the face, sending the man to the floor away from Juliet. The figure turned to Juliet. She was shaking, her brown hair was a mess from being thrown to the floor and her eyes were wet and puffy. She held her hand to her face, choking on tears, shocked at what just happened. What was the world coming to?

He held out a gentle hand, "It's okay."

She looked at the figure. This, this was... "It's okay. I promise. I'm one of the good guys."

The voice was strong, but young, reassuring. She took his hand and found as she stood up that she was taller than he was. Wow. Slowly, she tried to make out details. But he turned and cuffed the gunman to one of the window's bars. After, he grabbed the gun and took out the ammo.

"Call the cops. I've got to go."

With that he was off. Juliet went to the window, but there had literally been no sign left of her rescuer. The man by her feet groaned loudly and Juliet slowly let a small sigh of relief.

His feet were numb, he'd been running and out in the cold for so long. He could feel his sides beginning to shake, to shiver at the adrenaline that he could feel flow through him every time his heart beat. His breath made puffy clouds of air as sweat mingled with rain water. His ears, acute as ever, heard everything – from the water pouring down the drains to the cat below hissing at a dog barking on the ground.

There was no light here, or barely any if one had to be specific. So the bright colors of his costume were nothing more than shadows. They had split up. He was to search the east, Batman, the west. But they'd be meeting up soon. Great. Terrific, really. Robin sighed. He had to admit, he was tired. Being out all night in the rain after a stressful arrival could do that to him and the fact that he and Bruce had barely said anything worth saying didn't help any.

They had talked about the report and thankfully, Bruce had been willing to take a look at it and consider it as a possibility. While there wasn't a real reason for it, that had been one of Robin's real worries. That Batman would just dismiss the theory because the arsonist had not used Hexane before and refused to help. But that was the only thing that they had talked about. Not 'How's life been?' or 'What have you been up to lately?'. No, nothing like that. But then again, that was probably best. That was a can of worms waiting to be opened up. It was just one more thing for Bruce to start getting on his case about. And ask anyone really, there was way too much on his plate as it was.

He thought back to Jump and sighed. He was here now. And he might as well make the most of it. Work hard, get his job done. All that. All that...

They would have gone to the airport with him, but Robin had told them not to. It would just be easier when it came to getting off as Dick Grayson. And... the idea of going back to Gotham as Robin in an airplane was just begging for some insane terrorist attack or worse, for paparazzi to start asking if he was here to stay. As if! Temporary was all this would be.

Robin found a place to change once he got near the airport. Taking a cab, Dick got out of the car, tipped the driver and went to wait for his plane. It was about seven in the morning and the sun was just barely coming up. The last day of September was all that it could be. He had about two suitcases and a laptop for the plane ride. He'd ship his other stuff another... less conspicuous way. He sat alone, since not many people were there anyway.

He kept fiddling with his shake, not knowing whether or not he could manage to drink it. While his thoughts should have been on the mission ahead, they weren't. They were on last night's events. The party, the revelation, Star, and then everything he had been doing... He shook his head. Maybe he was feeling guilty, considering he was about to go to Gotham, but honestly, how was he going to face Bruce? How? An answer to that would be nice. He could feel his stomach tying up in knots and he could already feel color draining from his face. He had told his friends that he'd be fine. But now he was starting to feel sick to his stomach.

Calmly, Dick tried to meditate like Bruce had taught him. He could slow his breathing, but not his heart rate. Focus on the mission. Focus on finding their arsonist/robber/killer. Oh man, spending hours downstairs with Batman. Joy.

'Someone kill me now,' he thought.

"Flight B10 to Gotham City, first class is now boarding," someone announced over the speaker.

Dick got up and found himself the only one standing. He saw a couple of adults look up at him. So he happened to be the ward of a billionaire who could buy first class tickets. No reason for them to look at him in surprise. He handed his ticket over to security and went inside. Finding his seat before one of the flight attendants could get up to talk to him, Dick sat down and tried to relax. Maybe he could catch up on his sleep. One of the flight attendants approached him.

"Dick Grayson?" she asked, a little uncertain that it was him.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Oh, um, My name is Chloe and I'll be your flight attendant for your trip. Once we take off is there anything I can get you?" she asked.

"If I think of something, I'll let you know," he told her.

She smiled and walked off to be ready for when everyone else boarded. Dick leaned back. There was one thing about plane trips. They made him nervous. He wasn't scared of flying, it was the anticipation, the long time with nothing to do, that made him nervous. And especially when he was going to Gotham. He had only made about six trips out there. Three had all been on the anniversary of his parents' death to pay respects. The others were to see Alfred or attend a party of Bruce's that he just had to go to. Had? Yeah right. It was just a social grace on his part. And this time, it was to work on something. Again, if someone knocked him out right now, he'd be very grateful.

He didn't know how much time passed and he didn't notice when his flight was delayed fifteen minutes because someone's luggage wasn't on. So when he felt the plane getting ready to take off, it was a bit of shock to him. Buckling up, Dick sat back. The plane started to move forward and the engines rumbled. Instead of closing his eyes, though, to relax, Dick looked out the window as the plane began it's ascension. He saw Jump. He saw everything he had seen before. He saw the bay and he saw the tower. Slowly, a hand came up for one small, almost unnoticeable wave good bye. No one saw it. No one but him.

About thirty minutes in, Chloe came by again, "Some breakfast, Dick?"

"I'm good, I had a shake before I left," Dick told her.

Chloe nodded, but kept her gaze on Dick a moment longer. It was odd for a teenager alone to get a first class ticket in her opinion. But she shrugged it off to go help the main cabin. When she came back, she looked over to see him asleep in his chair. Poor guy looked exhausted. Reaching over and pulling the blind down, Chloe then went to the front to take a seat and read The Daily Planet.

The trip passed without much incident. That is, until they came into Gotham City's limits. A massive storm had swallowed the city and rain pounded against the plane. It was when a crack of lightning split the air and thunder followed that Dick woke up. He looked around and pulled up the window blind to see a monster of a what could have bin a mini hurricane. He wasn't worried, but really, he was a little shaken.

To see Gotham in the middle of an ugly storm like this was not the best way to come in. And he could only bet that Bruce would be solely focused on his work during such weather.

Dick sighed and sat back as he heard the captain announce, "We will be descending momentarily. Please fasten your seat-belts and enjoy your stay in Gotham."

Dick buckled up and waited. The wind roared outside and Dick felt that enjoying his stay would be the last thing that he would do while here. The plane began to rumble and soar downwards slowly, but not gracefully. He felt a sudden landing as the front wheels of the plane hit the ground. Clutching the seat's arms Dick felt himself suddenly tense as it was announced that they had made a safe arrival in Gotham. What an oxymoron. Gotham? Safe? Yeah, right.

It took a couple minutes to dock, but they did and Dick was the first one out. Chloe smiled at him and he forced a smile back. He was not happy. Not happy in the slightest. Well, at least Alfred would be picking him up. That was always positive. He got out and saw people waiting around for their next flight. He didn't want to stick around, though. His own thoughts clouded his mind as he subconsciously made his way to the gate where Alfred would be waiting.

It wasn't until he heard someone call his name that he looked up. "Master Richard!"

Dick looked over to see Alfred to his left. He smiled and quickly strode over, "Hey Alfred, thanks for picking me up; you didn't have to."

Alfred gave Dick a quick hug and answered, "And leave you to walk home in this storm? Not on my watch."

The two smiled and went to pick up Dick's luggage. They weren't going to talk about why he was really here. Not yet. That was a big no-no. Instead they chatted about how that 'private school' going. It was going well. He was acing all of his tests. Having fun with his friends. The usual. They were just about to the limo in the parking lot when Alfred stopped their jovial conversation.

"Master Dick, I want to make you aware that..." he began.

"Those waves out there are incredible, Alfred, they're so much..."

"Master Dick," Alfred interrupted and this time, Dick shut his mouth to listen, "I want to make you aware that Master Bruce..."

Too late. Dick looked over at the car to see Bruce stepping out, tired, probably self-deprived of sleep, and intimidating. Dick fought down the urge to gulp. Bruce was here. He wasn't sleeping in like he was supposed to, like Dick had counted on when he scheduled the flight for this early in the morning. This was just his luck, wasn't it? Dick came forward as Alfred took his luggage and put it in the trunk. 

The old butler could see Dick's posture had changed noticeably, from carefree to proper, like he was to behave in front of the Queen of England. That would have been fine, except his head bent down low and the smile on his face moments ago had disappeared. Bruce looked down at Dick and opened the car door. Dick muttered 'thanks', got inside and sat on the far end, hoping to stay away from Bruce if he could. Bruce followed and sat in the back, looking around casually. No words were exchanged even after Alfred started the car and tried to spark up some form of conversation between the two. Nearly every attempted ended with 'Yeah, sure' and 'Alright'.

As Alfred drove, he kept glancing back at the two of them, hoping one of them would at least try to talk to the other. They both saw this. They both got what he was trying to do. But the excuses. Bruce's probably tired and in a bad mood. Richard's probably angry that he even has to be here. Bruce doesn't care for small talk. Richard doesn't like small talk. And on and on it goes. The butler eventually gave up and gave a disapproving look at the two sending what he hoped was guilt down their silent throats.

Soon, they were on their way up the road in Bristol that lead to Wayne Manor. In this lighting, Dick saw that the usually elegant Manor looked more like a cold fortress. The shadows cast upon it made the Gothic architecture even more outstanding and intimidating. It didn't look like it was all that warm inside either. Alfred parked the car and the two got out.

Bruce only said, "Why don't you unpack, I have work to do."

Dick squinted his eyes, but didn't say anything. Fine, no 'hello'. Still, Bruce was probably just tired. Maybe he was making this out to be worse than it should be. It's all your attitude, right? Wait, what? Oh yeah, sure, let's go with that because otherwise this would be unbearable. With Alfred's help, Dick brought his bags upstairs to his room. Everything was the same, though he could Alfred had recently dusted.

Quickly putting his bags away and grabbing his laptop, Dick walked down to Bruce's study where the old grandfather clock stood. Large pictures adorned the walls, most of them just expensive paintings. A rare vase here or sculpture there. It was all the same. The white marble and columns stood to his right and left as he neared the study. He grasped the crystal doorknob and twisted it to reveal the study, books rising nearly four times his height and computer to the side of the polished oak desk. But he passed that for the grandfather clock. This is the only moment where he stopped, and hesitated for a moment.

Did he really want to do this? No, that wasn't the question. Did he really have to do this? The answer was most certainly 'yes'. That meant that there was no way around it. No way out of working with the man who he had stormed out on three years ago. No way around the awkward silences and the critics. No way. No way. Dick sighed and thought back to the tower. The sooner he got this over with, the better. Slowly, he turned the clock's hands to 10:47 PM and the grandfather removed itself to reveal the staircase below.

-T-

The sun had risen just moments ago. Starfire was standing on the roof, her arms folded as she looked up at the horizon. It was lonely now. It hadn't been before, even when he was just in his room. She looked over at the planes taking off. They began to soar away. One after another, each second getting faster. It made her blood boil. She didn't know which plane was Robin's, but that didn't matter since she could only assume that it had already taken off.

They just kept getting faster and faster and kept flying out of sight.

Starfire clenched her fists. Instantly she jetted off to the airplanes. One was taking off. She was beating it. It started to catch up. She sped up, feeling the wind whip her hair. She saw people watching her out of the corner of her eye. She knew she wasn't supposed to do this. But she could let her anger out. Zooming upward, Starfire kept on going. They were heading across the bay, away from Gotham. She shot starbolts downwards at the water, making blasts of sea water shoot up. She turned over so that her back faced the water and she could see the tower. The Tower.

He said he'd be okay. She knew her anger only came from that... loneliness as Raven would say. And... If he promised that he'd be okay, the least she could do was make sure that she was also okay. Starfire stopped and watched the plane fly off. The others were probably waking up. The wind and salty air hit her face. Her lighted fists and emerald eyes slowly lost their glow. She'd be okay. But already, she really missed him.

-T-

Rudy wiped his brow for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. The place was a wreck. The glass cups and plates were shattered all over the floor. The disco balls and technicolor lights had either been smashed or twisted into useless scrap. And the chairs and tables, they were nothing but splinters, unrecognizable to anyone except Rudy.

The Titans. Of all things. How could they have found out about this place? There had to be a snitch. Had to be. And he could bet his previously ridiculously high salary that everyone would be looking for that little traitor. Red X maybe? Or maybe that pink haired twit, what was her name? Or could of been Kitten. That rotten little... But how would he find whoever told while he was sitting in a cell? The police had arrived last night, after everyone left. The Titans had sent them and now he was confined inside. No invasion of privacy, just house arrest. Or rather, work arrest.

That's not what he was worried about, though. He was dreading the call that would come any minute. What would he say? What would he think? Worse yet, what would he do to him? The phone rang, scaring Rudy enough to wet himself. His hand shook and he could feel his own skin dampen his already sweaty clothes. This was so bad. What if he just left it ring, didn't answer it? No, that would be worse. Far worse. Somehow, Rudy found the courage to stand up and bring himself over to the phone.

"He, hel, hello?" Rudy dared.

"Rudy, I heard about last night," The voice, smooth, blood chilling said.

"I, uh, well, it's a funny story about that, Mr..." Rudy began.

"The Titans came for a party, is that right?"

"Well, uh, yeah, but that, it wasn't my fault, I swear, sir," Rudy quickly spilled out.

"I don't blame you in the slightest, Rudy," Slade said, leaning back in his seat, watching the portable TV screen.

"You, you don't?" Rudy was shaking so hard it was nearly impossible to stand, but Slade had eased up on the poor man a bit so that he could at least find a chair to sit down on.

"No, Rudy, actually, I should be... thanking you," Slade told him watching the scene of the fight last night, but then he switched to a different image.

"Thank...thanking me?" Rudy asked.

Slade's eye watched the screen as a black haired boy boarded a flight in the Jump City airport. The scene changed again, this time, showing a reunion. The boy walked through Gotham's airport only to find his old butler standing there waiting for him. His eyes followed their path of travel while a small, entertained smile came to his lips as they widened on his face.

The boy was here.

"Yes, I should thank you, Rudy," Slade said, after a moment's thoughts.

"For, for what?" Rudy asked.

The boy and the butler walked down the hallways. The boy was pretending to be casual, but his posture revealed otherwise to Slade. There was a slight slouch in that confident carefree posture and the boy's face, while light hearted, was a bit tight, as though he was anticipating something soon. This intrigued Slade. While he had yet to install cameras in the Wayne Manor, there was no doubt in his mind that he would find out eventually why that was.

Finally, Slade answered slowly, but with a sharp tone, "That's none of your concern."

"Well," Rudy got a little more confident, "What about Zenith's Fire? What do you want to do about that?"

"I'll find another spot to open up something similar, Rudy," Slade told him casually, "It's a small asset in the long run."

"What about the cops? I can't go to jail. I've got a wife, huh? I've got a wife!" Rudy begged.

"I'll get you a good lawyer, Rudy, trust me, I know many. You won't be going to jail," Slade calmed the bartender, "But do me a favor though...

"Anything, sir, anything," Rudy grovelled.

"Spread the word."

Rudy sweat hard, "Uh, what word?"

Slade stroked his goatee for a moment before answering, "The snitch is no longer welcome to our parties."

Rudy gulped loudly causing Slade to roll his eyes at the sound. "I have to go. I have work that requires my attention."

"Alright, well, thank you again, Mr. Wilson, thank you..." Rudy heard the receiver go blank and stopped talking.

The man was a weakling. Pathetic, really. No matter. Zenith's fire was nothing. Merely an easy way to hear that he could replace in a few days or two about what was going on in Jump's Underworld. Although, compared to Gotham, it seemed more like a knitting circle. The people in Gotham, the criminals, they had firepower. They only thing they had that Slade didn't like was that they had a... certain taste for theatrics. Luckily this one wasn't... too far fetched.

They called him Mr. Freeze. He was a sob story, that was for sure. Lost his girl and became a cold-hearted money-obsessed freak. Ha. Weren't they all? Freeze was perfect for the job. There was nothing unusual about him trying to rob a bank, especially considering all the times he had done that before.

Still, why not be a bit theatrical? It could always be a bit fun. Make it big, front-page worthy, make them have to chip out the bank for months after... That's what he needed tonight. Keep the two vigilantes busy. Keep them worried about a big time heist-then the rest of Gotham. Keep the Boy Wonder away. It was too soon. Yes, too soon.

The brilliant boy. Smart boy. Endless potential. Robin was really something. Everyone else takes pictures of the Man of Steel, the Dark Knight, and the Princess of the Amazons. They're blind. Yes, Robin was his 'arch-enemy', but really, what kid could accomplish so much in such a short space of time? The boy was going to be better than his teacher. Of that, Slade was certain and somehow, he could only bet that Batman thought the same...

Slade looked over at the clock. It was time to go. The evening hours approached rapidly and that meant time was ticking away. Shaking his head free of thoughts and getting out of the car, Slade walked over to the store. It was an old store. Not that much security, not that it mattered. He wasn't risking throwing away all of his time for something that he could easily buy.

The sign above read in old brown and ruby-red letters 'Cultural Antiques since 1939'. Well, this was the address, that was for sure. He had no time now (apparently neither did the owner, since it was closed) and he had... other matters of business that he had to attend to. Striding over to the car, Slade reached in and grabbed a suitcase. He nodded at Wintergreen and began to walk off.

Wintergreen leaned back. He had seen the man do this many times. Too many. But alas, it was not up to him as to what his friend did. And even more regrettable, he always worried that one day Slade would... lose, again. And maybe this time, lose too much. Wintergreen didn't think that Slade would ever just lose. He knew that with... whatever Slade was doing now, he had a plan and knew what he was doing. But then again, Slade had known what he was doing when he had first done something that involved the Boy Wonder. And the boy had beaten him, which Wintergreen had not expected.

The new game has already started and all bets are on. It's his turn. The defeat before showed the promise that Robin had. The... Potential, as Slade would say. But the defeat, if anything, made Slade even more determined to do... something. To win, to accomplish whatever it was that he has set out to do. It's his turn to place his bet. He has to pass. There's no way to no what sort of outcome could come from these upcoming events.

-T-

The rain went from a pounding drum to a tittering cymbal. It was still cold, but the rain was letting up. Finally. It was at least three in the morning anyhow. Scanning the streets below, Robin jumped from building to building watching, looking, waiting. Somehow, that happened when he was in Gotham. He could look and watch for danger in Jump. But he could feel it in Gotham. There was something, like the earth had opened up and Gotham had come out of it. It was almost a pattern, crystal buildings in the center and then the cool lava had hardened around the center. But with this scene came the little devils that crawled around, lurking in the shadows.

Keeping this in mind, it did not surprise him when he saw a flash of quick movement entering a jewelry store. Going closer, Robin squinted his eyes and listened. A window was opening on the right side. He ran. The endorphins were released almost instantly, flooding his blood stream and enhancing the chase. He saw a dart of purple there, something black. He kept running. His breath was quick, silent, controlled. Soon, he leaped ahead of the criminal, who had taken their chase to the roof tops.

They came around the corner and with a smack, Robin's bo-staff found it's target and his net tangled up the robber. Robin went into the light partially and then he saw who the burglar was. Catwoman?! Great. She struggled at the net and pulled hard, her annoyance at him apparent. Finally, she looked up to see who her captor was.

"You?!" she asked.

"What?" he raised his brows in response.

"What on earth are you doing here?" She continued, obviously annoyed and repulsed.

"Well, I hit you in the gut and tangled you up in a net and you just robbed a jewelry store. What do you think I'm doing here?" Robin asked back.

"No, kid, I meant what are you doing in Gotham?" she asked, her eyes flashing.

"Don't worry, I'll be gone before you know it," Robin told her and added under his breath. "Hopefully, anyway."

Catwoman's eyes darted around. He couldn't quiet tell if she was more angry at the fact that she was caught or the fact that he was actually here. If anything, she was probably hoping that Batman would have been the one to show up, not his partner. Then again, she probably didn't think of him as a partner. Not even a sidekick. That surprised? To refresh one's memory... oh, what were some of her nicknames for him when he had been younger? Oh yes, Birdy-boy, brat, bird-brain, runt, etc. Robin couldn't blame her, though. They'd never really gotten along.

"So what are you going to do? Turn me in?" Catwoman asked.

"Too busy, I'll have someone come pick you up," Robin told her as he began to punch in the address on a locator.

Catwoman's eyes narrowed and her nose wrinkled up. This kid didn't have time for her? What has the world come to? No, she didn't like the kid, but this was different. The kid how... wow, the kid had guns! How can the kid even have biceps? He was a kid. What had he been doing in the west? He wasn't shooting out puns, either. He was being a smart aleck. While in reality this wasn't very new at all, it was a newsflash for her. What else had changed?

"And what's making the Boy Wonder so busy, then?" Catwoman asked.

Robin answered, "None of your business."

Catwoman relaxed, sitting on her knees. He had to hand it to her-she knew how to act the damsel in distress when she wasn't. When he was younger, he never could quite get why Batman would get stiff around her. Women could be so... they just knew. They knew how to make themselves look attractive and make men fidget. In that sense, he was extremely glad that he was too young for her and could still hate her. Concentrating on calling Gordon, he still was annoyed when she interrupted him.

Catwoman pouted almost playfully and added, "Must be important for you to come all the way out here."

"Can you shut up?" Robin asked, turning toward her, his bo-staff at hand.

"Why you little..." she started.

"Enough!"

They both turned their heads to see the demon-like man. Robin held his staff where it was and suddenly straightened his posture while Catwoman merely smiled and loosened up her body a bit. It should be a crime that a girl could see all of those muscles under that suit.

"Robin, what's going on?" He asked, approaching Catwoman.

"She just robbed a jewelry store," Robin told him.

"Which one?"

"The one on 52nd Street," Robin answered.

Batman bent down and snapped the robes with a batarang, increasing the size of Catwoman's smile and putting an outraged look on Robin's face.

"What, Batman, what are you..."

"She was returning a pair of earrings," Batman answered.

"Returning in the middle of the night when the store is closed and no one's around?" Robin questioned.

Batman turned his head to look at him and Robin understood what was going on. He shook his head in disbelief.

"You can't be serious!" He yelled.

Catwoman stood up and brushed the dirt off her suit as Robin continued, "She robbed the store and just because she returned it, you're going to let her get away with it?"

Batman finally faced Robin, "It's complicated, Robin. We'll discuss this later."

Robin's disbelief was obvious and yet Catwoman's pleasure was even more apparent. She hoped over to a chimney and looked down at the two of them, "He's gotten taller."

Batman said nothing and waited. She wanted to know something and he wasn't up for small talk, "So, what's going on that you need to have the Boy Wonder tag along?"

"The homicides," Batman told her simply.

"The one that killed Austin?" Catwoman asked, her voice suddenly heavier with a serious concern in her tone.

"In your neighborhood, yes," Batman answered.

She raised her eyebrows. Since Austin, she had been out more often than usual. While she was by no means a hero, she didn't like it when someone else messed with her territory. And while there was a side to her that loved just being out and playing cat and mouse, there was another part of her that begged for reason, for order. She blamed it on society. So when Austin was randomly murdered, it put her on edge.

Jumping down, Catwoman walked up, "You know, calling the runt out here is a little unnecessary, don't you think?"

"Robin's here by his own choice," Batman informed her.

"Really?" Catwoman asked, obviously surprised. She never bothered to hide reactions from the two of them.

She looked over at Robin who was ignoring her, "Thought you could handle Gotham again?"

Robin's teeth clenched, but there was no other sign of his annoyance, "That's real funny, you know?"

He didn't look at her, no respect whatsoever was given. The punk. Catwoman turned back to Batman who was watching both of them, not amused.

"Look handsome, I haven't heard anything, except for Gotham's underworld doesn't like intruders," She told Batman who glanced at her only briefly.

"Are you implying that you might keep an eye out for this person?" Batman asked, but he already knew the answer.

Catwoman smiled, this time, her voice, still deeper, had a rich lush tone to it. She was flirting, "Maybe... And maybe once the kid's gone I can go rob a jewelry store."

"Do you really think you'll have time for that?" Robin asked and Catwoman's eyes darted at him, "I mean, considering the fact that you'll have to spend all day at the beauty parlor for that party that you're probably invited to, right Selina? Maybe you should get started now. It must take hours..."

At the use of her real name, Catwoman stood up at the insult. She saw Batman glaring at Robin for the smart alecky remark, but something told her that it was time for her to go even if Batman was about to lecture the kid.

"Fine, Bird-boy," she said, standing on the roof's ledge, "It was nice to see you too."

With that she fell off and into the dark alleys below. Robin didn't even turn to face Batman and instead began to walk off. But he didn't get far before he was stopped.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Robin hunched his shoulders for a moment, bracing himself, "What? Come on, I'm so sick of her. She's constantly a problem and you let her be!"

Batman's face didn't flinch nor show expression, so Robin continued, "And you know, I'm not here to be your sidekick! I came out here so I could stop the robberies occurring in Jump."

Robin let out a breath and waited. Batman didn't say anything. Nothing, there was nothing. He just cast his eyes down. Down on Robin. And Robin couldn't stand it. It was that silent disappointment. That eerie feeling that he'd get whenever he knew that he had disappointed Bruce somehow. That feeling when he knew that Bruce expected more of him-him, the teen, not the kid. The one who's supposed to be maturing. The one who shouldn't be insulting women by calling them ugly. The gut feeling, the one he had worried about came and he bent his head down at the ground, a scowl on his face, but the silent apology visible, despite still being a bit bitter.

Light hit his face. Batman turned towards the source to see the Bat-signal illuminate the night sky. In an instant, the dark knight had leaped off the building leaving his squire standing there. Robin looked over in the direction of the GCPD station. He sighed. Well, at least they could put this conversation off till later. No, he wasn't hoping that Batman would forget. That would never happen. Robin ran and fell off the building, diving down. The free fall was weightless, wonderful, if for only a couple seconds.

Closing his eyes for a moment, for one moment as he fell past everything, Robin wished that he really could fly.