Chapter 10-The Decisive Fight

For once Slade was quite surprised at the situation since he had assumed with Batman, Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy at his mercy he had all the angles covered. He hadn't expected Rave to come after him for sometime and he surely didn't expect Robin of all people to appear in a new uniform ready to fight once more. It was the reason most of his robots weren't at full alert readiness and watching for intruders. "Hi Slade how is everything? You never call, never write, and I'm beginning to think you didn't care anymore about me," said Robin with a confident grin he could help, but release as he attacked Slade so fast he could barely counter attack forcing his wrist controller to break as a result.

Raven used her powers to destroy the robots around Batman; she then cut the cable and then floated him to away from the trap below him to safer ground. "Thanks," said Batman calmly before he broke into a run and attacked some nearby robots.

"Um...you're welcome?" said Raven who was actually surprised that Batman had thanked much less spoken to her nicely as she watched him with deadly precision and accuracy like Robin did.

She snapped out of watching him and realized at that moment she had to free her friends while the Dark Knight and her love that was the Boy Wonder fought Slade and his robots. She immediately freed Beast Boy who was the easiest to free once the censors on his body were removed. Raven then freed Cyborg with her powers once she carefully surrounded the bombs and turned them into black ash colored powder.

Then Raven finally came to Starfire and it was then that the dark witch of a girl that was her hesitated in freeing her best friend since she knew that Starfire knew if not suspect that Raven was in love with 'her boy'. Raven now actually feared the consequences of releasing the now emotional alien from the one thing that protected her from Starfire's "rampage of the jealousness" as Starfire called it. The alien girl had more then once told her after what happened with Kitten at that school prom how she went into a fit of rage over the affection the other girl was giving Robin. "Friend Raven why do you hesitate in freeing me from this web of energy? I am your friend Starfire,' said Starfire who wished to be free and help the others.

Raven decided to let her friendship with Starfire as well as loyalty to her friends replace the fear of Starfire's possible jealousy and future attack on her and released the alien from another world from the prison that held her. "We can't hat Starfire we have to take down Slade's robots," said Raven who could easily sense some hostile intentions from Starfire at her at the mention of Robin's name.

However, Raven sensed such hostilities would not happen at the moment as Starfire nodded and then attacked several dozen robots at once while Raven did the same. At the same time Slade and Robin were fighting it out in the way of the warrior with fist-to-fist and kick to kick martial arts as they tried to crush the other in their mortal combat. "Not bad Robin I see our time apart hasn't made you soft, but...actually mad you stronger. I'm so very pleased with your progress," said Slade calmly though in truth he was struggling to doge, block, and/or counter attack Robin who did the same.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises Slade and how far I truly progressed might just surprise you," said Robin who saw an opening in Slade's defense and took it striking a vicious kick to Slade's ribs.

Slade stumbled back only to immediately counterattack with a solid roundhouse kick at Robin's head sending the Boy Wonder smashing into a glass window of an unused room. "For all your talking Robin your progress doesn't impress me...it only pleases me since I can destroy you at the peak of your strength, rather then at the end of your endurance. I won't have to hear any more complaints or excuses as I break you once more," said Slade who was smiling under his mask as Robin's body almost went limp from the impact into the glass window of the wall.

His smile left his face hidden behind the mask however, when he saw Robin rise steadily and looked at him with blood streaming down his face. Slade saw Robin had glass stuck to different parts of his face and was receiving quite a serious from Robin who spit some blood from his mouth while not once taking his eyes of Slade. "Not this time Slade or ever again. This time...I'm going to break YOU!" said Robin as he pulled out a Bo-Staff to signify round two of this fight had started.

Slade drew is own Bo-Staff and the two fought pushing the other to his limits until both felt weary from fighting. By that time Batman and the other four Titans had finished mopping up Slade's toy robots and were watching with much awe. Especially two very particular women who were extremely worried for the boy they cared for with all their hearts. 'Please be safe Robin' thought Raven and Starfire at the same time as the battle brought the hero and villain upon a thin steel walkway with no steel banister's to prevent any of the two combatants from falling into the pit of steel spikes that were below them.

"You think you can beat me Robin? You got another thing coming if you can believe such a foolish thing like that," said Slade in a tired and raspy voice as he struggled to breathe as he swung his Bo-Staff down hard to his left trying to knock Robin of balance.

Robin blocked the attack with all his remaining strength and counter with a surprise leg sweep that caused Slade out of instinct to leap backwards putting him dead center below the pit. "You of so little faith of your former apprentice Slade. No wonder you couldn't control me or Terra when you did what you did to us. No faith!" said Robin as he leaped in the air and kicked Slade in the face only to spin and hit him again in the face with his Bo-Staff.

This two hit attack combo sent Slade stumbling back and to the right forcing him to fall over the ledge of the steel walkway only to hold onto it with one hand. "Robin...help me. NOW!" said Slade as if he expected Robin to obey him like he was still his apprentice.

Robin just cocked his head like a wolf watching its wounded prey and gave small, but distinct smile. "No," said Robin out and clear.

The four Titans gasped and Batman just mentally smiled as he remember when he had done the same thing with Ra'sh Au Ghoul on the train that was about to be destroyed. "What? You won't let me die. It will go against everything your mentor taught you about life. If I die that will make you just like me because you did nothing to save me," said Slade who was quite surprised that Robin had actually said no to him.

"Actually Slade that where your wrong. You see I'm not killing you since you'll be doing that on your own. However, I'm not going to save you either," said Robin who left the walkway as Slade's hands slipped from it and he ell into the spikes that pierced through his armor and flesh killing him instantly.

When Robin walked down the area above him the four Titans rushed over to and hugged him while Batman just walked over calmly and gave a nod of respect. "I see you took a page out of what happened between me and Ra'sh," said Batman whose voice aired a hint of approval while stilling staying calm and serious.

"Thanks," was all Robin could say at that point since felt too exhausted to say anything else at that point.

"Don't do it again," said Batman whose voice was now all serious

"Don't worry I don't intend to," said Robin as Raven used her magic to relive Robin of the pain on his body and now healed face.

"Well in any case Project NightWing was a complete success and I'll send you more suits as time passes. Just be careful with that one since it will take time to create others in mass production," said Batman he became one with shadows and left without another word.

"Project NightWing huh? I guess I should use that as my new name since I don't look like a Robin anymore," said Robin or rather NightWing as he couldn't help, but smile.

"No. You don't, but to us you'll always be Robin regardless of the change," said Raven who teleported them back to the tower for some well deserved rest.

(At Titans Tower)

Robin or rather NightWing went to his room to sleep and get some well deserved from his fight with Slade. The new suit Batman had given him was an incredible success, but even with the system that enhanced his performance he still felt tired. After he put on some pants and a shirt that looked like a training/sparring outfit on Raven knocked on his door before entering via phasing through the door. "Hey Rae," said Robin as he placed his new suit away to be cleaned properly from all the sweating and fighting he had done.

"Well Rob...I mean NightWing I just wanted to see how you were feeling after your fight with Slade," said Raven though that was only half the truth since she really just came in to see him.

"Well aside from feeling tired, exhausted, and ready to become part of the afterlife from over exerting myself I would have to say I feel good right now...since you walked in," said NightWing causing Raven to blush at the last few words he had said.

Somewhere in the Tower an explosion could be heard due to Raven's emotions getting in the way. Thus causing a chain reaction of Cyborg yelling at Beast Boy for messing with the PS2 while Beast Boy said he didn't do anything and causing even more yelling within the tower. "Sorry," said Raven as her blush deepened slightly.

"Don't be Raven. Those two animals would have started yelling sooner or later so it would probably be best if they got it out of the way now then later," said NightWing smiling as he sat on his bed and stretched.

Raven smiled knowing NightWing would always comfort her even though she didn't need to be and found that her most frightened of emotions Timid had very little existence around him as well as anger who was nothing more to her then a weak shadow of its former self. "Thanks NightWing. What are you...or rather we going to do about Starfire since she obviously will try to scheme to drive us apart?" said Raven curiously.

NightWing just shook his head and then slowly got up and walked up to Raven so they were nose-to-nose and face to face. "You don't have to worry about Starfire's scheming and neither do I for right now. Let us just pretend for a single moment, that Starfire is too tired to care about me right now and that it's just the both of US, alone, and together in each other's arms," said NightWing as he emphasized on the word 'us' and kissed Raven on the forehead where her jewel was (causing her to noticeably blush).

He then hugged her in an embrace, which she gratefully and lovingly returned to him for what seemed like...forever. Unfortunately, such things never last forever as sound that was in-between a knock and a rather large pounding came from the door on the other side. "Friend NightWing please open the door I have to talk to you," said the voice of Starfire whose voice had a hint of seriousness in it as well as something else that even Raven couldn't tell.

"Maybe she'll go away," said NightWing as he pressed a finger to his slips to indicate to Raven not to do anything.

"I know friend Raven in there with you because of the explosion I heard earlier. Please open the door before I smash it down," said Starfire who was clearly getting angrier by the second.

"So much for pretending," said Raven who was a little depressed at the ironic twist of happiness creating depression within the team no matter who was happy.

NightWing smiled at her for a moment and then proceed to the door and slid it opened it partially enough for Starfire to see half his face. 'This is something only Raven would normally do,' thought Starfire as she saw NightWings still masked eyes.

"Yes Starfire what is it?" said NightWing in a neutral voice breaking Starfire out of her remembrance of Raven doing the exact same thing.

"Oh yes I wish to speak to you about how unfair it is that you as 'my boy' are having feelings for 'friend' Raven and ignoring me," said Starfire in a very serious tone.

NightWing sighed realizing that Starfire was extremely naïve and knew nothing of letting go of someone you care about when the other doesn't want them anymore. "Starfire what we had was nothing more then puppy love, which in truth...never lasts. I know you seem hurt by Raven getting my attention, but this happens to people all the time whether they want it or not and I'm sorry that you weren't informed sooner," said NightWing whose neutral voice had weakened with softness for the young alien only to let her down lightly to a degree.

Without another word from wither side NightWing shut the door and tuned to Raven who was glad that NightWing let her down softly without feeling TOO much remorse. "Where were we?" said Raven as she put her arms around NightWing's neck as she stared into his masked eyes.

NightWing took a hand to his mask and removed it revealing two set's of eye color's that were an amber like yellow on the left and a grassy like green on the right causing Raven to gasp as the riddle to her love's eyes were now solved. "Right here Raven as before the only difference is now...we know longer have to pretend," said NightWing as he kissed Raven right on the lips causing her to kiss him back in sheer bliss for both of them.

The End.