P.O.V of Robin.
The suit wasn't the worst I guess, it was easy to move in and could conceal the weapons that I may find myself needing. However, there was no point in me being here, the team never knew about this mission because I never told them about it. So it's not like any of them are actually going to turn up, but it got me out of being in the same place as Slade for a couple hours, so I'd take this task any day.
"Hello, you must be Jade." I greeted the woman that walked over to me.
She was wearing a simple green dress which was accented with diamonds near the bottom and her hair was elegantly tied in a bun, a few strands left to frame her face and black eyes.
"And you must be Slade's new apprentice." She grinned, "Pleasure to meet you." She offered out her arm and I took it to lead her inside, "He never gave me your name, what am I to call you?"
"My name is Robin, at least as far as you're concerned it is." I smiled politely as we were shown into the museum.
"So it's true." She turned to face me, a grin still plastered on her face, "The Teen Titan leader was swayed to his side."
"I wouldn't say I agreed with him in any manner." I growled, "So don't get your hopes up."
"Oh, sorry, did I hit a nerve?" She taunted then took in a sharp breath as if realising something, "Does the Bat know?"
"We no longer have contact." I said, "Lost it a long time ago."
"Just like my family and I." She sighed, "We have more in common than I thought."
I held back my remark as we were seated at a table near the front and the live band. All around the room I could see priceless artworks on display, ready for the highest bidder to buy later this evening. Or in Cheshire's case, steal.
"Are you ready for a dance?" She asked.
"I don't dance." I grumbled.
"I'm sure if I contacted Slade and told him that, your reply would be different." She grinned and I stood with her and travelled to the dance floor.
We moved around the floor with the other guests, never taking our eyes off each other from knowing that when we did something would certainly happen.
"I don't need you to tell me your name anyway." She whispered as she rested her head on my shoulder, "The eyes give it all away Richard."
I almost stopped dancing from surprise then, managing to trip over my feet instead, but quickly regained my composure and look her dead in the eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said.
"Come now Richard." She said, "Do you really take me for an idiot? I know what the ward of Bruce Wayne looks like, everyone does. That's why everyone here is staring, the ward is out alone with a date."
"I'm done." I said, pushing her away and heading back to our table.
"Be careful little birdie." Cheshire taunted as she came to sit next to me, "Slade is right on the other end of the line."
"Like he needs you to tell him what's going on." I muttered, "He probably has this place rigged."
"Actually, apprentice, I do not." Slade's voice came through my ear, "This mission is about trust, to see if I can trust you. My only eyes are through what Cheshire tells me and what I hear through your comms."
"Do you really have nothing better to do with your life?" I growled back, Cheshire looked shocked a moment, probably surprised that I have an open contact with Slade at all times.
"I cannot continue my work until I retrieve the next piece of equipment, which Cheshire is getting for me this evening." He said and I could hear a grin in his voice, "One of those paintings are not what they seem Robin, and you are there to assist Cheshire in stealing it."
"You're here to steal a piece of art?" I turned back to face Cheshire.
"Why else would I be here?" She answered, "Art bores me. But stealing gives me a thrill, which you should well know."
I didn't respond, just poured myself a glass of' wine' which was actually just carbonated juice, probably planned out by Slade, and looked out over the place, looking for escape routes and the like. If I was going to be stealing a painting, I'd need a way out, a maybe a way to trap Cheshire in so the cops would get her. But then my eyes snagged on a newcomer.
She was stunning in every way, but also someone I could not approach. Raven had styled her purple hair with extensions so that it looked less like her and was wearing an off the shoulder midnight blue dress. Why does she have to be here? Why couldn't they have sent Beast Boy as a fly or something?
"You know her?" Cheshire purred as Raven started talking to the staff.
"You could say I used to." I replied as she was shown over to our table.
Of course, she's taking my booking, and I made sure to put myself as close to my suspect as possible. Damn it, I'd just have to pray she didn't recognise me.
"Hello, I'm Rachel." She said as she sat down, "It's a beautiful place, decorated nicely. And the artwork, simply stunning."
"Rachel," Cheshire greeted her back, "My name's Jade and this is Richard."
"You look familiar." She mused, "Have we met before?"
"Probably at one of Bruce's many gala's." I said as I shook her hand, "But please, call me Dick."
"Oh, yes." She flushed slightly, "Bruce Wayne's ward. How could I forget? It explains the excess news reporters."
"Yeah, they all wanted to meet his new girlfriend." Cheshire grinned, "It seems he just doesn't have a private life."
"It would seem not." Raven mused as she poured herself some wine and went off to examine the art.
"That's a Titan, isn't it?" Cheshire asked once she had departed.
"Raven." I replied, "She often takes the alias of Rachel Roth when she's out like this."
"Well, this has made for a perfect plan." Cheshire said and I looked over to her, "Just after the betting has been done and they send the work out back to be packed, you keep her busy, take her for a dance or something, and I'll grab the painting. Once that's in the car and on route to Slade, I'll come back and we'll finish the evening."
"That won't work." I said, "Someone has to stay with it whilst it's being delivered. There's no telling what might happen to it on the way."
"That is good thinking Robin." Slade said and I rolled my eyes, "But don't worry, I'm coming to pick it up personally."
"So how do we do that?" Cheshire asked, "Either of us go missing Raven's sure to notice."
"Don't worry about it." I said, "Slade said he's coming to pick it up himself."
She looked slightly annoyed again that he told me this and not her but got over it quickly enough, "Well then, whilst we wait for the betting to begin, let's have a fun afternoon."
"Everyone please take your seats, the betting is about to begin." I collected our number and took my seat next to Cheshire.
"Take the number." I whispered to her, "I don't know which one it is you want."
She took it and the betting began. The first image was a simple painting of a Japanese view, then was a portrait of some random famous history dude and it was the third one that Cheshire began to bet on. Three Studies of Lucian Freud. After a vicious battle for the painting we won at $144.7million and I have to admit, I was worried for people that actually would spend that much on a painting. I must mean a lot to them to own it. Another 17 pieces of artwork later we were invited to the back to inspect our painting.
"Oh no." I said as they invited us back, "Jade say's I'm not allowed to have a look at it just yet. It's meant to be a surprise." And they took that as an excuse for me not to go back to see it.
"Aren't you going to see the painting?" Raven asked as I sat back down at the table.
"It's not really my thing, I just came for Jade." I explained, "She was dying to get her hands on that painting, has been since she was little. I'm more into dancing, would you care to join me?"
"Oh," She stammered out, blushing slightly, "Of course."
I took her onto the dance floor and we began to move with the other people. I didn't actually know that she knew how to dance, and I was greatly surprised as she managed to keep up with me as I added in more and more advanced dance moves.
"You trying to challenge me Dick?" She giggled as I spun her.
"Just wanted to see if you were as good as Jade." I teased as we snapped back together, "But she can do the most elegant lifts I've ever seen, care to try and beat her?"
"Oh, I would love to." She said as she took a few steps back.
She ran at me and jumped just as I caught her and held her above my head as she formed the perfect Stag move in the air. I allowed her to flip over and back to the floor to snap back together again, both of us grinning like idiots.
"I guess you are the better dancer." I smiled.
"I don't know why you ever doubted me." She said as all the wine bottles and glasses exploded.
I quickly brought her down to the floor to protect her from the worst of the damage, feeling tiny bits of glass embed in my back.
Once it was done we stood back up and she looked in control of her emotions again, "What was that?"
"I don't know." She replied, "Maybe they were just rigged to explode and stain everyone's clothes?"
"Or maybe there's magic at work here." I grinned, "You never know."
She blushed again and this time the table legs all split down the middle, her eyes filling with fear before she collected herself again.
"Do you want to grab some air?" I asked, "Maybe calm down?"
"Thank you." She said as she took my hand and we headed out front.
We sat down at the edge of the cliff and looked out over the city, Titan's tower a spec in the distance. We didn't say anything as we say there, hand in hand, looking at the horizon of possibilities.
"Why are you doing this Robin?" She asked and I looked over to see her staring at me.
"Doing what?" I asked, hoping I had heard her wrong.
"Working for Slade?" She asked, "You're not like him, we all know that."
"But don't you see." I lied, "We're almost the same person. I'm destined to turn out like him unless you help me."
"We're trying Rob, but you're not letting us." She said as she released my hand, "Why?"
I didn't answer, if I said anything that sounded like I was warning her about the probes in her system Slade would activate them. She looked back out over the horizon, towards the tower.
"Is Kori okay?" I asked, Slade didn't know her name yet, it was safe to use.
"She's healing." Raven replied, "She'll be back and ready to kick your butt by next week."
"I can't say I don't deserve it." I let out a dry chuckle, "Tell her when she was searching, I was right there. I could hear her. I was just the other side of the wall."
"Robin, what is going on?" Slade's voice came through my ears, "Cheshire said you've gone missing."
I held up a finger to Raven, telling her to be quiet as I turned away from her, "I'm outside, distracting the titan."
"The plan was to dance with her." Slade growled.
"Well, that plan didn't work so I improvised." I bit back, "Or does that upset your poor ego?"
"You speak to me in that tone again and I will push the button on your friends." Slade threatened.
"What this tone?" I retorted.
"One last chance Robin." Slade said.
I took in a deep breath, trying to control my anger, "Sorry."
"Sorry what?" He asked, knowing he had won.
"Sorry master." I ground out.
"Good, Cheshire's coming to get you." He said, "Leave the girl and get back here."
"I'm on my way." I said and turned back to Raven.
"What was that?" She asked as I stood up and offered her a hand.
"Nothing." I replied as Cheshire burst out, guards following her.
"Move it Robin." She shouted as she took one out and continued running.
"Nice meeting you Rachel." I shouted as I joined Cheshire in running.
We got just around the corner when Raven stopped us, trapping us in her magic.
"Take her out Robin." Cheshire ordered but I didn't move, "Or would you like me to tell Slade your friends are getting distracting again?"
I hated this. I reached into my suit and pulled out my disks, launching them at Raven and sending her flying backwards. Then we continued to run, jumped into Cheshire's car and drove off, leaving everyone behind us in the dust.