A Madman's Apprentice

Split Up

(Part 4 of The Apprentice Part 1)

The sewers. Disgusting. The Titans trenched through the sewage, following Star's sneezes to the Khronoton Detonator.

"AH- CHOOOO!" She sneezed again. She sniffled. "I believe it is this way." She weakly pointed ahead, her congestion getting worse. The Titans continued onward.

"Look, guys, uh, about earlier..." Robin started, feeling guilty for his aggression to his friends, and his broken promise. He stopped walking, and so did the others. They turned to face him. They paused for a moment before Raven started. "It'll have to wait." She said, pointing to one of Slade's minions on a speed boat with the Khronoton Detonator up ahead. She felt bad to interrupt his apology, sensing he was being genuine, but the detonator was more important at the moment. They all turned to face the boat.

The minion noticed them. "Titans, go!" Robin shouted as he started running towards the boat. Little did he know, it'd be his last 'Titans, go' in a long time. Beastboy transformed into a bird, and Starfire took flight. They started to chase after the speed boat as it took off.

"Quick! We can't let him get awa-" Robin started before being grabbed by Cinderblock, who broke through the wall. "Robin!" Starfire yelled, terrified and startled by Cinderblock's sudden appearance. They had the Titans attention as the Titans ran to their position to help him. Robin and Cinderblock were in combat, Robin dodging all of Cinderblock's attacks. "Get the detonator! Go!" Robin commanded. That was his last command.

The Titans ran forward, trying to catch up to the boat. All but Starfire, who lingered behind, contemplating wether or not to assist Robin in combat.

"Star! You heard the man!" Cyborg called out, slight panic portrayed as aggression in his voice as he raced towards the speed boat. Starfire waited a few moments, as if to take one last look at Robin before flying off to chase the speed boat with the other Titans.

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Pillars held this part of the sewer's roof up. Robin lept one from one, as Cinderblock missing him by seconds and smasing some of the pillars to bits. Robin stopped and crouched, Cinderblock standing 20 feet infront of him, growling. "Only fair to warn you, you caught me on a bad day." Robin warned aggressively, ready to rip Cinderblock bit by bit. Offended, Cinderblock growled and ran forward. Robin sprang up and to him.

Cinderblock went for a punch, to which Robin lept up over him and backflipped over his back, and still midair, throwing rope with balls at the ends at Cinderblock's face. It was only to disorient him as Robin then went in for a roundhouse kick.

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Star was flying at a high speed through the sewer tunnel, hands under Cyborg's arms as she carried him along. Raven and Beastboy followed close behind. The minion glanced back at them, then turned to the control panel of the boat, typed in a key and activated the boat's defense mode.

Lazer guns, two total, one from each side of the boat, shot at Star and Cy as they dodged the lazers during the twists and turns of the tunnel. Up and down, left and right. "I will not be having attitude from a boat!" Cyborg said as he fired up his arm canon. The boat rapid fired.

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Robin blew fatal blows to Cinderblock's chest with his kicks, punched his face so hard pebbles broke off, before flipping over, grabbing Cinderblock by the head, and slamming him down on his neck with flipping over onto the ground painfully.

Robin rode the way down on Cinderblock's chest and held on as he slid across the cracked, broken concrete floor. "Where is he!? Where's-" Robin asked aggressively before noticing something odd in the palm of Cinderblock's hand, taking his focus. "Huh?" He asked, rasing an eyebrow.

Robin walked up to the now open hand as Cinderblock lay unconscious on the floor. He crouched down to pick up the device, in which he recognized to be a tracker. A device that would lead him straight to Slade. He watched as Slade's symbol flashed on the screen. Robin cracked a devilish smile subconsciously.

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Slade watched the speed boat chase ensue on his screens. Slade had cameras everywhere he could have them, ready to monitor anything. "Hurry, young Titans," Slade started to say to himself as he stood in the center of the room, arms crossed behind his back. "Your time is running out."

Just then, the door to the second floor of the factory exploded. Slade didn't flinch. As the smoke cleared, Robin spoke. "Actually, we just went into overtime." He growled.

"Robin, welcome. I've been expecting you for some time. I was beginning to wonder was to much of a challenge." Slade said as Robin jumped down over the railing. Slade then turned to face him, and held up the controller. "Looking for this? Well, here it is." He said, placing the controller between him and Robin before stepping back to be an equal distance from it as Robin was.

"If you want it, come and take it."

Robin was annoyed. He was taunting him, testing him. Robin had to get that controller, because everyone's lives depended on him taking Slade down. He stared into the man's eye, and saw no emotion in the face behind the mask. The man stared back in his eyes. Robin couldn't wait any longer, and went in for the attack.