Author's Note: I swore I wouldn't write a multi-part after Prophet's Song, but... the idea was there, and it demanded to meet paper.

Description: This is the story of a man, a dream, and the twisted world that seems vaguely familiar. This is the tale of Deathstroke versus the new Teen Titans. But something doesn't seem to fit. (A/U Butterfly Fic)

Heritage for the Future

By Iain R. Lewis

Characters graciously stolen from the all forgiving eye of DC

CHAPTER 1: Learning to Fly

A soul in tension that's learning to fly
Conditions grounded, but determined to try
Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky!
Tongue tied and twisted, just an earthbound misfit, I

Chaos.

"Kaos. Chaos. The Beginning of everything," the woman, with her thin angular face and distinctive brow warned, "The end of everything. From chaos all matter was born and to it we will all return. I know it too well."

Her attentive audience leaned forward to listen to the simple confidence in her voice as she spoke.

"Nietzsche once spoke of the Abyss and the Ubermensch. The ubermensch, the Super-Man, is the ideal human form. The Abyss, the darkest part of society. These two contradictory forces conflict every day in our world. But, he warned, stare too long into the abyss, and it will stare back." She moved forward, to look at a less than attentive student.

"Am I boring you?"

"Uh, no ma'am!" the student said, suddenly sitting straight and rigid in his chair. The woman smiled and leaned back.

"Imagine that you held in your heart pure good," she told them, "Hold it. Morph it. Change it. It will always be pure good, won't it?" She smirked, "That leaves no room for impurity. That means there isn't a smidge of evil in that ball of good that you hold in your hand." She clapped, "Like that you could change. Beware that in fighting monsters, you do not become a monster."

She smiled, as even the least attentive student leaped forward at the rise in her voice and the fervor of her speech reached its peak. "In pure goodness there lies the potential for a singular and most dangerous creation. Pure evil."

A hand was raised.

"How?" the boy simply asked, expecting her to stutter for an example.

"Take, for example, the Batman. Or, ah! Better yet, Robin," the women replied. "He was so obsessed with what he fought, when he went to set a trap for his prey, the prey caught him. He began to steal, began to do his bidding. And yet, no one could do anything because he vanished just as soon as he appeared." She paused, her voice suddenly catching and the singular appearance of a scared young girl appeared in her eyes. "By the time anyone learned his whereabouts –"

"Uh, Miss Raven, ma'am?" another student asked, "Didn't you used to –?"

"Once," Raven answered, "But the Teen Titans died that day. We stared into the abyss – and we blinked." There was a pause, and instead of revered silence, the students began to close up their stuff and pack up. Leaving the teacher staring at a point on the wall with such an intensity that a hole could be burned through it.

Only one student remained. Her blonde hair and youthful expression stood out in the shadowy lecture hall, and Raven turned to look, "Yes?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset," she said.

"It's nothing, uh, Miss," Raven searched her sheet, trying to remember where the girl sat. It was a big school, too big even. "Cassandra."

"Call me Cassie," she said. "I just used to dream about being like you when I was little. Well, more like Starfire back then, but now I look back and I wanted to be you. So cool and confident."

"Not so confident," Raven answered. "Snippy comments made to hide an insecure little girl crying out because no one loved her as a child. I'm nothing to aspire to be."

"But you were a hero."

"That's right, I was. Not anymore. Never again." She looked a bit angry towards the girl, "I'm sure you've realized by now that heroics bring evil. Evil is attracted to the challenge of a hero." Cassandra didn't waver.

"But good always triumphs."

"No," Raven said, "If you listened. It doesn't always triumph. A man called Deathstroke the Terminator managed to destroy in one week what took me, no, us a year to establish. All out aspirations were dashed."

"But --!" she tried to scream, but Raven only silenced her with a deadly glare, "I'm sorry, Professor."

"It's quite all right, Cassandra. I get it all the time," she said. "We all seem to."

"Whatever happened to everyone else?" Cassandra asked. Raven raised a brow, and smirked.

"Do you really want to know?'

-------------------------------------------

Football.

The air was ripe with the sounds and smells of the sport. On the field a boy reached out to grab a falling ball as it came closer to him. He hugged it against his body and ran as fast as he could.

Upon closer inspection, one could tell that the boy was missing his left arm, and was instead given a prosthetic made of plastic. The one who had thrown the ball, however, was a marvel. His entire body was almost completely metal. His brain was partially prosthetic, and his heart was completely replaced.

A marvel of man and machine, combined, working to create a long living, fully mobile human being – Cassandra knew him as Cyborg. Victor Stone, though, was more than happy to be called Mr. Stone now. "Mr. Stone!" said one of his adoring legion, "My turn!"

"No, Tyrell, it's Nate's turn now," he told one of the younger ones. "And you're after Monica. Okay, Nate, my main man. Go long!" He throw the ball, aiming it perfectly to land in a easily cradled position for a boy whose leg had been replaced.

"I caught it!" he cried in joy.

"Booyah!" Stone yelled. "Throw it back!" The boy did and Victor made a show of the force. "Hey, that's one heckuva arm you got there, kid. You ever think of playing pro?" The boy laughed in delight.

"You're joking."

"You think I'm joking? These legs can hold back forces of nature and you still knocked me back a good yard," he said, with a laugh. "Okay, Monica, you're next." Cassandra just sat, watching them play for a good hour.

"It's what he does with life," said a boy nearby. He was younger – and shorter – than she was by a year – and six inches – but he spoke with a degree of maturity. As if he'd seen things she hadn't, knew things she'd never know, he spoke to her almost condescendingly. It was as if she walked into a parlor with Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Sherlock Holmes, each one head of a hydra. "Set up a fund and everything. Victor Stone's Victory Fund. Hopes to someday have affordable, almost lifelike versions of his own prosthetics available for anyone who's lost a limb or was born without them, so he says."

"I'm sorry, have we met?" she asked, indignantly.

"Maybe," he said, with a smirk. "Funny what happens in a world without grown-ups." Her eyes widened. That pretentious little ass!

"Mr. Tim Drake I presume," she answered.

"And I'm speaking with Cassandra Sandsmark, right?" Tim asked. He carried a defined smirk on his face. She'd love to wipe it off with her fist.

"And I'm Victor Stone," said the massive, hulking form of the Cyborg, complete in a gray hooded sweater. "What's with the cryptic speak? And why you watching for about, I dunno, an hour and a half? Don't you kids got better things to do like kill cops and play violent video games?"

"It's nothing," Tim said, "I'm just waiting for her."

Victor's gaze was entirely dedicated to tearing apart Cassie's being, she swore. The red eye glinted inhumanly while the human eye glowed with a human sadness she'd never seen before. The fact that he smelled like grass and sweat almost made her forget she was standing in front of a robot, just staring at his eyes. "Well?"

"Uh, I'm taking a class from Professor Raven and –"

"Lemme guess. Long-time admirer of the Teen Titans and Raven decided to dump you on me. Figgers. Listen, don't bother. We don't talk about the Teen Titans. As far as I'm concerned, that whole thing never happened."

"But what about Robin?" Tim piped in. "What about him? You're going to forget about him?"

"Look, kid," Cyborg said, "I don't know where you get at telling me what I can and can't remember, but for your information, there're better ways to remember a guy than building a monument or traipsing around in his tights." The eye glowed menacingly, "If I ever find out who took that costume outta retirement, I swear I don't know what I'll do."

"Well," Cassie said, trying to divert the conversation away from this, "I just, I dunno, I wanted to thank you for being my heroes when I was a kid." She left the sentence hanging, as if she had more to say, and watched Cyborg become uncomfortable with it.

"Look, I know what you want to say 'cause I've heard it all before. You're going to say that you guess we really aren't what you remembered, well, guess what. I grew up. You probably should too. We were horrible superheroes. If you want a superhero, go see BB or Starfire. They're still running around in tights."

"So," Tim said, "How do we find them?"

"You kids got any money?" Victor asked. They looked at him as if he grew a second head, which caused an uproar of laughter to swell from his robotic breast. "I'll spot you some. You're going to be seeing a magic show."

----------------------------------------

Magic.

"Starfire's been keeping low," Tim said, as they walked to the old Apollo. "I couldn't find out anything about her, and when I try asking Batman, he just grunts and tells me to forget about the Teen Titans."

"Everyone seems to want to," Cassie remarked. "I wonder why that is."

"Dick Grayson," Tim told her. "He died, and they just couldn't hold together. It probably left scars on them that still linger. I just wish I knew how and why he's dead. What happened to them?" They looked at the tickets they had to buy, confused.

"Mumbo Jumbo and the beautiful Ariella?" Cassie said, utter disgust in her voice. "We're going to a real magic show."

"Hey, looks like we do get something good to come out of this!"

"Speak for yourself. I mean, she'll probably be wearing something that's glittery and looks like a metal bikini."

"Like Wonder Woman," Tim chimed in.

"Like Wonder – hey!"

Tim only smiled as the usher took him to a rather lackluster crowd that had formed in the theater. "No respect for magic shows."

"For good reason. Hokey illusions," Cassie remarked.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw Zatanna perform." Cassie glared at him, and they took their seats. "Why do I suddenly get the feeling that we shouldn't be here?"

"Maybe you shouldn't?" Cassie teased.

"Very funny."

"Why, thank you, Drakey."

"Shut it."

"No!"

The lights dimmed. Tim hissed, "Be quiet." She only hissed back. "That's so mature."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the amazing Mumbo Jumbo and his lovely assistant Ariella!" a pre-recorded voice – followed by pre-recorded applause no less – announced. Tim leaned forward as a strange blue haired man stepped out on the stage.

"Thank you, thank you," Mumbo said, completely unaware that no one was applauding him. "And for my first trick!"

"Oh gawd," Tim said, burying his head in his hands. Cassie just tugged on his sleeve. "What?" He saw she was pointing to something. And to his amazement, the "beautiful Ariella" was a beautiful exotic woman who could not be from this planet.

"Starfire," Cassie whispered.

"Yes, I kind of figured that out myself. I guess that's what he meant by spandex." Tim wanted to laugh, "She's really gone down in the world."

"Her very limited understanding of English, her lack of a formal education," Cassie remarked. "I'm just wondering why she ended up here instead of construction or taxi driving."

"A favor," Tim said. "Mumbo Jumbo! That's where I heard that name before. He's a stupid C-rate villain. I guess they got him to give up crime and he got a new assistant after the group broke up."

"Well, that's strange," Cassie said.

"...and saw a lady in half."

"Is that such a good idea?" Cassie heard the assistant whisper. Mumbo seemed to consider.

"No, but that's what these tests are for!"

"Why is she doing this?" Cassie wondered, "She could just leave this planet, couldn't she?"

"Maybe she wants closure first," Tim suggested. "Who's to say? Oh GAWD, that's a real saw." He closed his eyes. The magician was about to begin the trick when there was the sound of the building rocking as if caught in a large explosion.

"What?" Cassie screamed, "What was that?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it means trouble." On the stage, the girl broke free from the confines of the case and rocketed into the air, still wearing her stupid sparkly outfit. It didn't seem so out of place anymore.

The two teens followed her outside to see chaos taking control as a wave of heat his the earth, searing a divide in the streets below. They came from a young boy wearing nothing but a gray skintight outfit with a black, utilitarian S1 written on its right sleeve.

He was screaming in pain, grabbing at his eyes as the wave vanished. He flew down to the ground, causing objects to be forced away from him as he touched the ground. He kneeled and opened his eyes again, the beams again emerging and flying high into the air. "Whoa," Tim said. "It's like Superman."

"No duh," Cassie said. "It looks like Superman, sounds like Superman, but younger. I wonder, then, who it could possibly be." She eyed him, and added with a degree of condescension, "Mr. Detective."

"Another clone?" he guessed.

"Genius," Cassie laughed, "Pure, unadulterated, genius."

Starfire landed besides the Superboy, "Why are you perpetuating violence in this sector?"

"I can't stop it!" the boy yelled, closing his eyes. "My eyes, they burn!"

"Calm yourself. Take deep breaths and try and forget about that burning. Try and make it stop." The boy squirmed and thrashed, and he punched Starfire clear in the jaw. She dug her feet into the ground, and the street was torn up as she was pushed back. She stared at the sky, before bringing her chin down to stare at the boy.

"Sorry," he said, "I'm, I think I'm better now."

"Move!" Starfire cried. The strange super boy looked at her, and then saw the shadow overhead. A large ship had emerged from an unseen direction. As if from Heaven, it descended from the skies. Humans in angelic garbs descended, their metal wings breaking the fall and turning it into controlled flight.

Cassie and Tim just stared at them, unsure what to make of them.

"Who are you?" Starfire asked, moving closer, "Who do you work for?"

"Cadmus, ma'am," the man said. "S1 here escaped from our containment room. Don't you worry about anything, we'll take control of this." He put his hand on the Superboy's shoulder. "Come along, S1."

"Cadmus?" Cassie asked.

"Big company with their hands in some illegal activities," Tim said, "Like cloning."

"Oh great," Cassie muttered. "At least he's good looking for someone who was born in a test-tube."

"I bet you say that to all the guys," Tim responded.

Superboy turned his head to look at the Cadmus operative. The metal wings and armor began to fall apart as his eyes lit up, "Let go of me!" The operative was thrown a clear distance. "I'm not going back!"

Superboy punched wildly, throwing several of the operatives to the ground. Starfire brought her hand out to stop him, only to find herself suddenly in a strange grasp. Her entire body tingled and she was thrown in front of Superboy, "Don't stop me now!"

"You will kill them!" Starfire said.

"Do you know what they did to me?" Superboy asked. "Do you?"

"No," Starfire said, "But I do not want to see you face the shame of blood on your hands." Superboy relaxed his muscles.

"You're, you're right," he told her. They heard, distantly, a high-speed whistle but thought nothing of it until a small disc his Superboy in the back, releasing an electrical discharge through his body.

Superboy fell to the ground, fell to his knees, and breathed heavily. Tim started to run up to the group, "We need to help them." Cassie restrained him.

"Wearing this?" she asked. "Maybe you should get changed first." She indicated to an abandoned alley. "You go first, I'll follow."

The Cadmus grunt who had thrown the disc approached Superboy again, "Got you." Starfire's fist collided with his face. "What do you think you're doing."

"Protecting an innocent boy!" she said. "Leave him alone!"

"Lady, I think you just did something really stupid." There was a sound like air was being sucked in, and then a large cannon fired, trained on her. Starfire looked up at the beam. It was putrid pink, and it seemed to move so much slower than it did.

Robin showed up just in time. His arm around Starfire's waist, the grappling hook took both of them out of the projectile's path. The damage was greater than they imagined. In one spot, the pavement seemed to melt and bubble. "That was close. You okay?"

"Robin?" she asked, vacantly.

"I'm taking that as a no. Hey! Get back there with him!" he said, descending to the ground with a jump kick. His kick seemed to hit behind the person's head, for reasons that left the others confused. And he whipped around with a punch.

However, as he attacked the men taking Superboy away, more had descended from the sky behind him. They moved to strike him. However, a golden lasso tugged at them, pulling them into a tight circle.

"Thanks, Wonder Girl," Robin said idly, throwing the last would-be captor aside.

Wonder Girl did a little salute and walked over to Superboy, "Is he all right?"

"He's a big boy," Robin said, "He'll be fine." He slapped Superboy's cheek, "Get up!" The clone's eyes opened slowly.

"Where am I?"

"That street you were tearing up earlier," Robin responded.

"What happened?" he again asked.

"You kind of got hit by, er, this thing," he said, taking the charge disc off of Superboy's back. "What is it?" There was a stylistic S inscribed on it, but besides that it seemed perfectly normal.

"I don't know, a disc with an electrical charge like the ones you carry around?"

"I meant this S. What does it stand for."

"It stands for – Slade," Starfire said. "Or, as he is better known, Deathstroke the Terminator." She looked a bit worse for wear. "They will not be staying now that I have ruptured their fuel line. We are safe, for now."

"Thanks," Superboy said, "Really."

"I know Cadmus kind of ignored the law with their cloning research, but this is the first time I've heard of them using old villain's equipments," Robin said. "What do you know about this?"

"I, I don't know much," Superboy said, "I do know that whatever happened at Cadmus really changed them for the worse. They used to treat me like a person, but now they just see me as another weapon."

"Another weapon?" Robin asked.

"They're developing personal battle uniforms," Superboy answered, "To give soldiers an edge in battle. And they're perfecting Seek and Destroy Droids."

"Just like the ones Slade once used?" Starfire asked.

"Ah, uh, I'm not sure," Superboy said. "I don't know who they work for or anything. I just, well, that's everything I've got." Starfire's eyes narrowed.

"I understand," Starfire said to an unseen deity. "X'Hal wishes at last that I take my revenge. After so many years, I knew that he still lived. Deathstroke the Terminator will finally taste my righteous wrath!" She looked at Superboy, her eyes pleading, "Show me where you are from."

Robin paused, "Are you talking about the first Robin?" he asked, after he had finally worked up the courage to ask her.

"Yes," Starfire said, quietly. "I must take revenge for his death."

"You're not going alone!" Wonder Girl said. "We're coming too."

"Why are you volunteering me?" Robin asked. "Though I am coming along anyway."

"I knew you would," Wonder Girl answered.

"I hate you, you know," Robin remarked.

"And I hate you too," she said, lovingly. "Shouldn't you call the other Titans to help, uh, ma'am?"

"No," Starfire said, quietly, "They have forgotten what has happened to Robin. We must go alone."

"I don't think they have," Wonder Girl said.

"You do not know them as I do," Starfire answered. She seemed distant and strange to the teenagers watching her. "Come, lead us on our way," she said to S1.

"Hey," Wonder Girl said," What are we going to call you?"

"Call me?"

"Yeah," she said, "We can't just keep calling you 'S1',"

"Why not? Everyone else has."

"Because I want to be your friend," she said. "You know, you've got Superman's chin -- I got it, how about Superboy!"

"Brilliant deduction," Robin answered.

"Superboy will – uh – do for now, I guess," the now officially named Superboy said. He didn't seem completely comfortable with it. However, having been constructed in a test-tube and raised in a lab, he never really had much of a time for names. "But, really, this isn't necessary."

Starfire didn't raise her voice. "I must go alone," she calmly repeated.

"We're not about to let you!" Wonder Girl protested. "The three of us are like the beginnings of a new Titans!"

"No!" Starfire's eyes blazed as she turned to look at Wonder Girl with a gaze so piercing that even the blonde amazon couldn't help but shrink in face of the horrible gaze. "I will not let another group of children suffer as I have. I must seek my own closure. Alone. You will not follow or I will fire upon you."

"You wouldn't!" Wonder Girl cried, only to find herself in the face of a burning bolt of energy, held inches from her face by Starfire's slender fingers.

"Oh, believe me, I have learned that in such moments, we must be ruthless for your own protection. Please, Superboy, come with me." Her hair became like fire, twisting wildly as her muscles propelled her body for a running take-off. She was gone before any of the teens could do a thing.

Superboy hesitated a moment before following her.

Robin punched a wall, "I wanted to do something. She's like a completely different person because of this Slade."

"You knew her?" Cassie asked.

"Not personally. But, uh, Batman keeps records. He said she was happier before the incident. He was happier before the incident. Everyone was."

"What happened?" she probed. Robin shook his head, and he opened his mouth to tell her something, but she cut him off. "What really happened? I know the real Robin's dead, and that the Titans didn't find him until it was too late. But why?"

"I don't honestly know," Tim answered. He threw his cape around him. "Come on. There's still one last person who could help."

"Beast Boy? But where is he?"

"That one's easier than the rest. The others went low-key, Beast Boy however saw his talents were marketable in some capacity. He's an actor in a Sci-Fi TV show reboot." Cassie looked like she wanted to be sick.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes!" Robin said, "There may be a way for them to help us help Starfire, if we can reason with Beast Boy he may be willing to help reason with the others."

"What makes you think he'll be any more likely to help," Cassie asked.

Robin tapped his forehead, indicating his intelligence no doubt. Cassie rolled her eyes. "Let's go."

"Wait, how are we going to –" Robin pressed a button on what looked like an ordinary keychain. From out of the streets, a red cycle came roaring through and stopped right in front of him.

Robin uttered, a bit too late, "Watch your step."

The bike stared her down, having stopped mere centimeters from her. She stared at Robin. She was going to murder that spiky-haired freak! "Are you coming or what?" he asked, patting the seat behind him.

"I'm going to have to touch you, aren't I?"

"'fraid so, pretty lady," Robin jested. Wonder Girl straddled the seat and put her arms grudgingly around Robin's waist.

"I hate you, you know."

"I hope so," Robin answered.

------------------------------------

Filming was in disarray as the two teens pulled up to the studio. People were running to and fro, as if on fire, unsure of what to make of the events happening within a certain sound-stage. The two Teen heroes soon discovered why.

For someone to see a time hole for the first, there is a degree of absolute terror. Things are not right with it swirling about in a strange manner, and often there were trails of fiery tire marks left behind, but this time, all that was left was a skid mark about five feet in length. The entire length of the sound stage.

The actors crowded around what appeared to be the person who created the skid marks. He had slowed down enough to not turn into mush upon contact, but he still took a solid hit against the wall.

"Hey, hey kid," one said, gruffly, "How many fingers am I holding up!"

"I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't study for the test!" the kid said, groggily. "Hold on there, I think I may have done it!" He jumped to his feet. "What day is today?"

"Uh, Thursday?"

"Wrong! You're supposed to say 'Why, Christmas good sir!' and then I'm supposed to do something for the Cratchetts! Don't you read your ancient history texts?"

The boy was dressed in a yellow spandex outfit and looked completely out of place in the setting. His actions were quick and spastic as he looked around. He spotted whatever it was he was looking for and dashed over to it. The thing in question was a man in his twenties. Youthful, vibrant green skin and a pair of shades over his eyes – truly a strange movie star. "Mr. Garfield Logan! I've heard so muchaboutyoupleasecanIhaveanautograph!Ohyeah!" he paused, taking a deep breath, "And please save our Earth!"

"Darn," Robin said, "Beat us to it."

"Whoa!" Garfield Logan said, "I'm sorry kid. I'm not a superhero, I just, uh, yeah, play one on TV."

"No you don't. You play a shapeshifter on a bad Sci-Fi show that was way off the mark," this kid Flash said. "But a—nyway, that's not important. I need you to be Beast Boy and get the other Titans and Save My Earth!"

"And if he doesn't," Robin said, making is dramatic debut with girl in his arms, though she struggled to get out, "We'll help you."

"You're that fake Robin!" Gar cried. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not a 'fake' Robin, I'm a new Robin. Big difference," Robin said hastily. "Why does everyone hate me for that?"

"Because you're bad at being Robin!" Wonder Girl yelled.

"Whoareyouguys?" Kid Flash said in a blur. He looked them over. They looked him over back, perplexed. "Whoops, sorry, can't control the speed of my voice sometimes. Who. Are. You. Guys?"

"Robin, er, two," Robin said.

"Wonder Girl," Wonder Girl rolled in.

"And they call me Kid Flash where I come from – or Impulse. I don't know why. Anyway, I'm here in peace, from the Future!"

"How'd you get back in the past then, Smart Guy?" Beast Boy asked, letting his shades fall down the bridge of his nose.

"The Cosmic Treadmill!"

"The what what?" Robin asked.

"Cosmic Treadmill!"

"Come again?" Wonder Girl asked.

"You don't know what the Cosmic Treadmill is?"

"Should we?" Robin asked, speaking for all of them.

"If you don't know then – how am I supposed to get home?" Kid Flash whined. Suddenly the reason he had been dubbed Impulse became immediately clear to all involved. "I am so boned."

The kids looked at Gar, who just shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry but I don't do superheroics anymore. I'm just an actor."

"Starfire needs help," Wonder Girl announced at that moment.

"What? Starfire?" Gar said, turning around. "What about her?"

"She's going after some guys at Cadmus. Slade," Robin answered. There was no passion behind those words, none of the strange feelings that the Titans would experience when they heard Robin's dark murmur.

"Slade?" Gar said, his voice raised. "He's back?"

"Yeah," Wonder Girl said, bringing out the evidence. Gar looked over the insignia on the weapon. He traced it with his finger, tactile disbelief setting in. "Starfire wouldn't let us help her. Will, will you help us help her?"

"I – we can't do this," Gar said. "How do we even know where this place is? Or if Star even needs out help."

"This involves Deathstroke the Terminator," Robin said, "And he killed the real Robin. I think it's safe to assume she'll need help."

"And as to where they're going," Wonder Girl volunteered, "I'm sure Cyborg's sensors can pick up her trail. Or Raven could do a sweep for Starfire. Or—"

"You've really planned this all out," Gar muttered. "Come with me."

"Of course I thought this all out – I had to hold on to Wonder Boy there, and I had to keep my mind off of vomiting."

"I didn't hear you complaining," Robin retorted.

"Of course you didn't!"

"Yeah?"

"I made sure it couldn't be heard over the motor."

"Geez," Kid Flash said, whirling around behind them, "You fight more than Mom and Dad. But their fighting always ended with kissing."

"Kiss? Her?" Robin asked. He sounded disgusted by the suggestion.

"I concur!" Wonder Girl said, "Only instead of Her put Him – and ignore what I just said. I'll never kiss him!"

"Okay, whatever you say!" Kid Flash said, pushing them along to Gar's trailer. He had been searching for something when they entered, but apparently had found it by the time they found a seat. It was a small, yellow communicator with a black T in bold, san-serif type. He hit a button and it began to glow.

"They should be here soon. We can probably track Starfire if she's got hers with her – I hope she does."

"Look," Robin said, "We're coming with you guys no matter what you say."

"I hope Superboy isn't in danger," Wonder Girl muttered.

"He'll be fine," Robin muttered.

Kid Flash ran up to Gar and whispered in his ear, "I think they like each other."

"You're from the future?"

"You are correct, sir!"

"And you quote Ed McMahon?"

"Hey-yo!" Kid Flash joked, playing along.

"Then you are from one strange alternate future," he finished. The two continued their arguments, in a petty and childish fashion, while Beast Boy waited. He flipped it open and looked at the four dots, two of which moved closer to convene on his location. Something seemed suspicious. The one dot moved farther off.

And the last dot merely vanished.

"They're coming," Beast Boy said, quietly. "Guess this means it's time to don the tights again."

"Spare us, please," Wonder Girl said, prying herself away from the verbal spat with Robin long enough to comment. "I really, really don't want to see you in tights."

"Hey, that's not very nice," he answered, looking depressed at his body.

"Sorry," Wonder Girl responded, timidly.

"Let's just stop fighting," Beast Boy said. There was a dark wind and a shadow that heralded the entrance of another person to the trailer.

"Why have you activated the signal?" Raven asked, wearing a cloak around her usual clothes, which looked quite goofy to Cassandra, who was used to seeing her as a busybody schoolmarm.

"Raven!" Beast Boy said, "You made it! Now, if only Cy'd get here."

"He's coming!" Kid Flash said, with a salute.

"I didn't know you had kids," Raven muttered. She looked at Wonder Girl. "Oh. Hm. I should have known."

Wonder Girl hid behind Robin. Raven looked at him, surveying his uniform. Different, darker than their Robin, but it still looked too close to his, the boy had too similar a face, and the resemblance was too strong. She turned to Beast Boy. "Why have you called me here?"

"I'll explain when Cy gets here!" Beast Boy responded. The door opened, and in stepped Cyborg, shedding his jogging suit and looking none too happy to have received a call like he had. And yet he still received it, Robin noticed.

"Now?" Raven asked.

"What's this all about?" Cyborg said, looming over Beast Boy, "This some kinda prank?"

"No!" Beast Boy said, "Starfire's in trouble!"

----------------------------------------

The Titans sat around and listened to the story, the younger heroes adding their two-bits, except for Kid Flash who lolled about looking a bit bored by the discussion. He measured out how far in feet the room was. "She's got involved with this Cadmus?" Raven asked. "And you say that they're involved in cloning experiments?"

"Yes," Robin answered, "We saw one ourselves. S1."

"Superboy," Wonder Girl corrected.

"A clone of Superman," Robin continued, without noting her. "She demanded that he bring her there, and we're certain she's gotten over her head. I mean, they were using things like metal wings in a recovery team."

"Nth metal," Cyborg muttered. "Where the Hell they getting that?"

"What was that?" Robin asked.

Cyborg, his red eye seemingly glowing as Robin spoke, continued, "Those wings must be made from Nth Metal, an alien ore used by the Thanagarians. Earth and Thanagar aren't on the best of terms even by the people who can travel interstellar distances."

"I see," Robin said, processing the information.

"I want to help Superboy, so no matter what you say, I'm going with you."

"And so am I," Robin said. "If this is as big as what it looks like, I want to help."

"Me too! Me too!" Kid Flash said, jumping up. "Yes, buy one, get three free! An unbeatable deal! Also, we're unstoppable! With Robin's ability to act smarmy even in the most difficult of situations and Wonder Girl's charming matronly qualities, not to mention my own wit, no enemy will be a match for us!"

"What are you talking about?" Cyborg demanded, loudly.

"He reminds me of someone," Raven murmured, a smile playing on her lips. "Wouldn't you agree, Beast Boy?"

"Uhh, nope, I don't remember ever being that bad."

"You weren't as sensitive to it as I was," Raven answered. "You were bad." She sighed, letting her thoughts go past. If this was the case, if this was the way it was meant to be, she'd follow it without words. No matter what came their way.

"I guess we've got ourselves a strike force," Cyborg said. "All we need to do is find her. We've got her signal still, but it could be a building, could be underground, could even be underwater!"

"Or in the sky," Robin answered.

"Or in the sky," Cyborg answered, his voice fading as he said it. "Would explain the Nth Metal wings. And the airship."

"We've got to go!" Wonder Girl said.

"C'mon," Robin said. "Outside!"

"Hold up there," Cyborg said, calmly. "Who died and made you the leader? Don't answer that if you want to keep your eye. Do you even have an idea what you're going to do when we get there?"

"It shouldn't be all that hard," Robin said.

"What if it is?" Cyborg demanded. "What if they don't want to give us Starfire. What if there's a fight going on. What do you do in these possibilities?"

"They should be on hyper-alert – or Starfire's succeeded no matter how unlikely it seems," Robin answered. "I'll handle security details, run a decoy. There's more than one reason I'm wearing green," he smirked. "Kid Flash, do you think you could help me with the security?"

"What you want me to do? Pants them?" Kid Flash asked, eagerly.

"Something like that," Robin said, "Improvise. Cyborg, Beast Boy, you two try and find where Starfire is. Wonder Girl and Raven will take care of any remaining guards in the way of the mainframe."

"Sounds like a reasonable plan," Raven answered. "Wouldn't you say, Cyborg?"

"He's a punk!" Cyborg answered. "I think we shouldn't trust the mission to kids. Beast Boy, you stay with them and run diversion."

"Aye aye, mon capitan!" Beast Boy said with a salute.

"I'm not sure that's smart. While Raven and Wonder Girl could keep an eye on you, Beast Boy'd be able to watch your back in case of an emergency in the mainframe."

"He doesn't even understand my schematics!"

"Is that even important?" Robin retorted. "He's going to be your last line of defense while you're hacking in there!"

"I don't need a last line of defense. I'm my own last line of defense!"

"Fine," Robin said. "You know best."

"Damn straight!" Cyborg said. "Okay, we're going to need transport. How far's the signal?"

"It's, it's moving," Beast Boy said. "It's coming towards us!"

"It must be en-route to Metropolis," Robin surmised. "Or it's Starfire coming back successful. Either way, we're going to find out soon enough."

"Outside, people," Cyborg ordered.

The signal grew closer. The closer and closer the signal crawled, so did the slow movement of the sky. Clouds that lined overhead moved far away, but one in particular seemed strange. As it moved towards them, so did the signal.

"Raven!" Cyborg ordered. She nodded subtly, and brought her hands out from her robes, taking each in a dark aura and lifting them into the sky.

The cloud indeed turned out to be so much more.

It was a refueling station for the airships that they had seen earlier. The massive structure was cold and blue, with the painted emblem of Cadmus on its landing bay. Smaller planes came and went from its runway, and its massive structure seemed unwieldy in the sky.

They touched down on its landing bay and were immediately surrounded. Nth Metal suits and futuristic guns wrapped around the corridor. "Okay, Fearless Leader," Cyborg said, "Get us out of this mess."

"You seem really picky for some reason" Robin replied. "Care to share with the class?"

"Shut up, spikes, or I'll take command."

"Kid Flash, disarm them!" Robin instructed.

"How do you know he can?" Cyborg said, putting his arm up to stop him.

There was a clearing in the line. A man walked down the path, elegantly, and looked at them.

"If he can travel through time, he's fast, no matter what helped him. So I figured he could easily at least leave half of them confused."

"Good reasoning," Raven answered, "But it's a bit late."

"So you have come," the man said, "We've been expecting you. I am Professor Dabny. But can call me Donovan if you wish. I wouldn't try to exercise you powers here. We've been expecting all sorts of escapes. The fact that S1 escaped is still amazing, but considering its stock, there is no concern."

"Where's Starfire!" Robin demanded.

"Starfire?" Donovan seemed to honestly consider this answer for a good minute, before answering, "Oh! The Tamaranian! Our director, Paul Westfield, is currently experimenting on her remains."

"Her remains?" Beast Boy murmured.

"Indeed," Donovan said, "And I think we have more specimen for our experiments now. An Azarathian, the son of the Logans and their amazing research, and a boy from the future. All three would be considered prize."

"You talk too much!" Robin said. "In the time you were talking I managed to line this entire room with booby traps." The guards looked around, shocked. They hadn't even seen him move.

"He bluffs," the professor indicated. "Now, now, boy. Don't be foolish."

"I'm not being foolish," Robin said, "And Starfire's not dead. Do you even know her physiology? Like, where her hearts or major arteries are? Are you even sure her lungs are her only source of oxygen?"

"You mean – they can't know she's dead because they don't have a way of telling! Hey, that's some smart thinking."

"Indeed," Raven murmured.

"Still don't trust him."

"We know enough," Donovan answered levelly.

Wonder Girl looked questioningly at Tim. He seemed too confident in his supposed trap, and she knew he hadn't moved to line the room with any traps. It was a bluff, and it had been called. Why wasn't he laying it down.

Then she noticed his hands were wrapped around a thin wire. And she looked as closely as she could around the room.

He hadn't been bluffing! But how? Who? Kid Flash moved from foot to foot, not stopping his movements for even a moment. Perhaps she didn't even see half his motions because he was too fast.

Perhaps – that had to be it.

"What about Superboy?" Wonder Girl asked, looking vaguely at Robin. Robin winked at her, furtively, and she smiled back. "I want to see him!"

"I'm sorry, but, Professor Westfield won't allow and visitors. And I assure you again boy – your friend is dead." No sooner had he uttered these words should an explosion tear apart a distant hallway in the aerial lab. "What was that?"

"Professor Donovan!" a guard said, running up. "The Tamaranian! She's alive. And she's escaped!"

"You fool! Lock down! All sectors! Everyone, search the labs!" the forces ran from the room at this beckon call, and Donovan levied his gaze on the Titans. "We will deal with you later. Guards, keep your eye on them."

Robin pulled the string, and the traps set off. A bright flash was their only cue, and Cyborg's cybernetic eye gave them the advantage. Robin and Kid Flash had shielded their eyes, and the three of theme easily overpowered the guards remaining. Donovan was left with Robin pressing his extended pole at his throat.

"Talk, Donovan. You seemed happy doing it before."

"I don't know anything!"

"Where are they, Donovan?" Robin demanded, testily. He waved the pole from side to side, as if aiming for the moving Adam's apple of the nervous man.

"Okay! Okay! Center block! I've got a key-card in my pocket, take it. Just, just don't hurt me!"

Kid Flash pocketed the card and patted Donovan's head. "Okay, everyone!" The light started to fade from their eyes.

"Some warning next time?" Beast Boy asked. "Man, that was so not funny!"

"Agreed," Raven answered.

"Me too," Wonder Girl huffed. Kid Flash just laughed at the indignant trio. Robin shut him off wordlessly and walked towards the main bay door.

"Kid Flash," he indicated the lock. The human blur unlocked it with the key card. "Give that to me."

"Right-o, boss," Kid Flash said, handing Robin the key card.

"Let's move."

------------------------------------------

"Where is Slade!" an angry feminine voice demanded, holding aloft a rather jittery scientist. "Tell me why you have his equipment!"

"D, donation," he tried to say, but his breath was cut off by her fierce grasp. There was a cat-like snarl.

"I don't believe you!"

"It's the, the truth!" he tried to say. "A man donated these weapons!"

"Then why did they keep Slade's insignia?" she demanded. The scientist paused, his pulse quickening as he began hyperventilating "Stop! Stop doing that!" Starfire was suddenly afraid and uncertain. She reached for the doctor, who grabbed her and with inhuman strength dragged her to the ground.

"So what? So we take some funding from Deathstroke the Terminator. He's a good benefactor to have. The DNA we received in exchange for mass-producing improved equipment is most interesting. In fact, we used it in S1. It makes him incredibly versatile."

"Robin?" she murmured. She felt herself being pushed against a wall, but it was hardly her primary concern as she stared blankly against a wall. Superboy had part of Robin in him? Such a revelation left her speechless.

"The Director had made it obligatory for some kind of strength enhancements in case of an emergency. I opted for a Venom intake," the scientist explained. "Such power!" His rant was cut off as a speeding bullet knocked him to the side. Starfire crumpled to her knees.

"Who?" she murmured.

Superboy had a knead eraser in his hand and he was taking off another piece. "That's no way to treat a lady," he berated the scientist. "Come on, Starfire, let's go! The whole base is going to be on us in seconds!"

"Yes!" she said, eagerly. The two of them flew down a hallway, where a large force of guards seemed to have been left stunned. "Who...?"

"Star!" Beast Boy cried. "You're okay! Oh, great! Guys! There's Star!"

"And Superboy!" Wonder Girl announced. She ran over to Superboy and surveyed him, "What did they do to you?"

"Stasis," Superboy answered. "It's my usual punishment."

"They did this often?"

"More so since the new Director came," Superboy explained. "We should be going, miss." Starfire was too overjoyed to see her friends, and she was giving them all bear hugs. "She seems happy."

"More so since last we saw her," Robin muttered. "Hey! Guys! We've got to get out of here before more reinforcements arrive."

"Oh! Of course!" Starfire said. She threw Starbolts at a security gate, throwing it close. "That should stall them. Please, let us get out of this place."

The Titans ran towards the launching bay. There were no interruptions along the way, and Robin took this time to talk to Cyborg. "What is your problem?"

"There is no problem," Cyborg answered. "You're just a punk kid who thinks he can do the leadership gig that your predecessor screwed up on more times than you have. Why don't you just shut up and let me do all the talking."

"Fine. You be the leader," Robin said. "I don't care."

"Good," Cyborg said. The launch bay door opened and they were greeted with hundreds of familiar drone, each waiting for them, their eyes gleaming red. "Oh my..."

"Slade!" Raven murmured, her eyes taking a white glow. She threw her hand out and the air yielded to her aura, twisting and changing into the form of a black cleaving sword. And the blade swung down on the forces, culling their numbers swiftly.

"That's a new trick," Cyborg said. He frowned, "I ain't in practice, but I can do this!" A beam fired through the numbers, and the rest of the Titans ran forward. They used their claws and weapons and beams to tear apart their foes.

The drones were not much match for the Titans. Until the next wave entered through another door to the launch bay. They were wearing Nth Metal bracers and wielding gauntlets that gleamed menacingly. Their eyes could not be seen under their helmet, which seemed to glow red in the shadows of the bay.

The Titans looked to each other. Cyborg issued the order, "Retreat!" He looked for a control mechanism. "Raven, knock that thing out! Close the bay doors!"

"Of course," she said, letting her aura reach the command console. The buttons began to press randomly until something clicked. Then the console was destroyed. She lifted the other Titans up with her powers and launched off of the bay. Starfire, Beast Boy, and Superboy waited for them at the gate.

The soldiers prepared for an exit. They flew at the fleeing Titans with their gauntlets firing up and creating almost power ring-constructions.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Superboy called. The last Titan was through the gate as soon as the attack hit. Raven brought herself to the side, bringing the non-aerial Titans near her. "What are those things?"

"I'm not sure," Robin said, readying a Birdarang, "But I don't want to find out."

"Seal the door, Starfire!" Cyborg ordered. Starfire nodded and fired a eye beam at the bay door, sealing it shut with the heat of her eyes.

"If looks could kill," Robin joked.

"That was horrible," Wonder Girl responded. "Can't you be serious for one second?"

"No," Robin responded.

"Yay! You're finally standing up to her!" Kid Flash announced.

"Shut up!" they both said, rearing on Kid Flash. Wonder Girl threw her lasso at one of the soldiers, whipping him around back at the sky-lab. Robin's weapons just bounced off of the bracers. As it loomed in, Superboy appeared and knocked the soldier out of the sky for Robin.

"Aren't you useless," Wonder Girl teased. "Superboy's ten times stronger than you are."

"Very funny!" Robin retorted.

"But aren't you pathetic?" Wonder Girl said. "Big bad leader can't even hit a guy in bird wings."

"It isn't that easy," Robin said as he pulled out a round disc, "But I won't let you get the last laugh!" He threw the discs out a soldier that approached a distracted Superboy from behind.

The attack hit and electricity coursed through the soldier, shorting out his equipment and causing him to drop to the ground below, the Nth metal slowing his descent.

Superboy's power made him a prime target for the soldiers, but one by one, the soldiers who followed fell to his fists. Starfire crushed those that got too close and blasted those that tried to attack her friends. Beast Boy lingered over Raven.

Beast Boy's lingering soon paid off. A trio of soldiers loomed behind Raven, catching her distracted and knocking her out cold. Her influence faded and all the non-flight Titans began to fall to the ground with a scream.

Beast Boy caught Kid Flash and Raven quickly, turning into a large pterodactyl and grabbing them in his talons. He squawked for attention, and the other Titans turned to see the situation.

"Oh no!" Starfire said, as she rocketed to help the others.

Robin's mind raced. He had to do something to help Cassie. There just wasn't anything coming up. Use a grappling hook? On what? There's no building big enough and at this rate of descent the cord would just snap.

Maybe he could take the fall for her.

Something!

"Superboy!" she gasped, suddenly, and Tim looked up. She had been caught by the True Blue Boy, and he smiled.

"Need a lift?" he asked.

Starfire soon caught Robin, lifting him up. Cyborg was in her other hand. "Thanks, Star," Cyborg said, "Thought that one was going to hurt." She deposited them down on a building top.

They looked over Jump City. "We're back here again," Cyborg said.

"It is not like we could escape," Starfire answered.

"True enough," Cyborg said.

Superboy landed nearby the already grounded Beast Boy and Raven, who was still out cold. Kid Flash was running back and forth. "They're coming! They're coming!" he pointed.

There were six more of those soldiers approaching.

Superboy eyed them, and his eyes glowed bright red. A light emerged from his pupils, firing at the soldiers and searing past with more force and more power than Starfire's own abilities.

The Titans stared at him. His beam dismantled the suits, causing the six remaining soldiers to fall to the ground at their feet.

Robin loomed over them, "Okay, time for some answers."

------------------------------------------

"Where's Slade?"

The question replayed over and over again, and he was quite pleased with the response. "And you've brought this to my attention, Headmistress?" he asked. She bowed her head and brought out a paper.

"The estimated damages, sir," she said. "The Hive is at your service to rebuild if you wish."

"Thank you, Headmistress, but I think that'd be a waste of a perfectly good school," Deathstroke the Terminator said, running a hand over the text. There was something he was looking for. Ah, accounted for. Good.

"I would like this recovered if you would. I know it's gruesome, but I have plans that require a degree of shock." He rose from his seat.

"And the Titans, sir?"

"What about the Titans?"

"Your history with them, I'd think you'd have a response –" she spluttered.

"Yes, my history. Perhaps it's time to revisit that era of history," Deathstroke answered, his single eye narrowing. "Yes, let's. Bring me your three top students, I have work for them."

end chapter one