Robins True Allegiance 3

Don't Touch That Dial

It had been three months since we'd last encountered Blood and everything had returned to normal. Well, almost everything. Raven still knew everything I'd kept from her, she still knew about Jason. She still knew about Slade. And whilst she'd agreed to keep it between us, she still wasn't the same around me. However, she was starting to come round more as we talked. Even though I didn't need her mental assistance anymore we still met up every night to chat. Mostly about Slade, but it helped us both I think. She wasn't as wary as she first was and I was starting to be able to move on. Not that that mattered so much as last week had been a year passed without him.
I'd gone down to the spot where he died with the rest of the Team as they came to mourn Terra once again. And Raven had managed to get them all to leave me whilst they went back so I had some time with Slade. She may not like it, she may not trust me, but if anyone understood emotions it was her.
I was in the training room now, getting in some practice on the punching bag when the alarm went off. I didn't even wait for the bag to swing back so I could steady it before I rushed to the main room.
"In here, hurry now!" It was Beast Boy, he'd set it off then.
This better be good.
"Beast Boy, what's the problem?" I asked as the others all started filing in behind me and Cyborg stopped the alarm.
"The mio and tito show was a rerun so I flipped over to watch Danger Team Five but it wasn't on because there was this little blue dot and this beeep," You have got to be kidding me, "and this voice is like, 'I control the vertical' and the dot got real big and Control Freak has taken over our TV."
"Ummm," Cyborg was the first to voice anything as we looked over to the TV to see it running a fishing channel perfectly fine.
"Dude, where did he go?" Beast Boy asked as he reached back over for the remote and started surfing the channels, "He was right there with the big face and-"
"Uh, Beast Boy, maybe you've just been watching a little too much television," I suggested.
"T.V rots your brains," Raven added, she never really did watch unless we had a group night.
"Yeah man, when was the last time you turned off the tune?" Cyborg asked.
"Uh, I think I went out to the movies three weeks ago," Beast Boy replied, as if that was any better but what had we expected, he was still only young.
"Uh, I wish to remind you that you did not actually go to the movies but merely observed a television programme about a person who went to the movies," Star chipped, and I had to stifle a laugh even though that was really bad.
"Oh yeah, that was cool," BB replied and I couldn't hold back the rolling of my eyes.
"Riight," Or the sarcasm in my voice, "Beast Boy, Control Freak can't be on TV, he's locked up in jail where he belongs remember?"
And I jumped to turn to look behind me at the TV as a news alert came on.
"We interrupt this program with breaking news," The reporter said, "Authorities have just discovered that the dangerous criminal known as Control Freak has escaped from prison."
"What did I say?" Beast Boy bit and okay fine, maybe I had been sceptical because it was Beast Boy and the TV.
"You were right," I admitted as he puffed his chest like a proud peacock, "Titan's move out."

"Reports are coming in from all over the city," I updated them once I was on my cycle and they were following, either in the car or by flight, "Control Freak has been spotted on more than a dozen TV screens in the last hour. We need to find out where he's broadcasting from and pull the plug."
"We've got a lock," Raven said from where she was in the Car with Cy and I let them lead the way to Cook's Electronics. It was dark inside bar the lights emitting from the actual screens. And I jumped as I heard a door close only to realise it was the program that had been left running, "Welcome home dear, dinner's on the table, shall I fetch your newspaper and slippers?"
"Golly hun, that'd be swell," Why did it have to be so loud?
And why were none of the screens the same? Why was this playing action with explosions but the one that made me jump again was a cartoon duck looking for his pet hippo?
However there was on particular screen Beast Boy stopped in front of, and seeming how similar his and Control Freak's taste's were this must be the one with the clues.
"Dude, Clash of the Planets, this is a classic," He said as he turned back from a dog to himself in front of the screen and we gathered behind him.
"I don't care how powerful you are Bearrang, I won't let you in," I'm presuming that's the protagonist then as he stood back up, creating a Bo staff out of thin air.
"Foolish human," The robot with the red double pronged Bo staff must be the antagonist then, "Have you forgotten that I control this star system? Have you forgotten that soon I shall control the entire universe," And when they clashed and the staff's made a pew noise I realised it was a Star Wars rip off.
And then the screen turned to static as a certain ginger appeared on it, "Yello," and Beast Boy's scream was funny enough to make up for us using his interest to find Control Freak, "Enjoying the show Titans? Might as well just sit back and watch," He continued as his face changed to be on all the screens, "Cause you're never gonna catch me," And then it became one large image of him with a static background.
"We will find out where you're hiding," I replied, "It's only a matter of time."
"Who's hiding?" He said as he jumped to a different display screen, "I'm right here," And then he ran to another set of screens, "Or am I here?" And to the round middle of the store, "Or here? Or over here?" And then back to the display, "Or maybe here?"
"The control freak is a dork, yes?" Star asked and I really had to focus not to laugh.
"He's in the building, find him," I said instead.
"He's not inside the building," Cyborg cut in before we could split up, "He's inside the TV's."
Hang on wait, what? But he loaded up the CCTV footage which showed his was right as within a flash of the large suped up remote, he was gone and suddenly on the screens.
"Well, that's one way to break into television," Raven said, our bond had definitely rubbed off on her.
"He turned himself into a broadcast waveform and now he's flipping around from channel to channel," Cyborg explained.
"Control Freak hasn't just escaped from jail, he's escaped from reality," I added, the hint of wonder and exasperation both clear in my voice.
"Uh, guys," I turned from the conversation to see BB stood before one of the emergency exits and then he headed in as we all moved to follow, and there was his remote, "Cool."
"Got enough high end equipment here to break half the laws of physics," Cyborg said as he scanned  it in, which, let's be honest, is what Control Freak has done.
"Can you reverse the process? Pull him back out?" I asked as I looked for one bit of this remote that I understood, but I had to hand it to him, he was a smart couch potato.
"I think so, I just need a little time to-" But he cut himself off as a moment later we were enveloped in light only to reappear on some sort of set.
"Well hey there everybody," I looked over to the man speaking, "Hope you're as excited as I am because you're the next contestants on quiz monkey," And I looked up to see the sign, we were in the T.V, and something told me Beast Boy had something to do with it.
"Uh, my bad," He said in response as we all stared at him, least we were right.
"Okay," I said, change of plans now, "We need to find Control Freak and get back out of here-" I suddenly felt the ground go from under me as an inhuman strength flung me across the room.
"How many atoms in one kilogram of Oxygen?" The quiz master just came back into my earshot as Star's face lit up.
"3.76325 times 10 to the 25th," I didn't even want to know why she knew that from the top of her head, but okay.
"That is correct," She was so cute when she was excited, "You just won a new car."
And a curtain came up to show a red convertible, with a certain someone in it.
"Alrighty then Titans, you followed me in, now let's see if you can keep up," And he drove off.
"Titan's go," I didn't waste a second before I broke into a run after him.
We moved from the quiz show into a blank space before passing through the news broadcast, I daren't think what the people at home watching were thinking. And then we interrupted a commercial for Boo-Yah energy drink, then through a fishing channel, eventually ending up in some drag race show I'd presume as the cars were spinning everywhere in the park. I went straight past as Star dug Cy out from under one of the cars and Raven and I moved into some kids TV show as Control Freak knocked over the star of the show.
"Don't move," Raven ordered as he proceeded to dance.
"Uh oh, I'm still moving. Isn't there supposed to be some word the good guys yell to make me stop?"
If that was how he wanted to play it, so be it, "Freeze."
"Freeze?" I jumped as the man dressed as the blue kangaroo appeared in front of me, "That's today's sloppy mess word, and you know what that means kids?"
"Oatmeal," The shout seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere as I regretted all my life choices that led to this moment and wondered how Control Freak knew as Oatmeal was released on top of Raven and I.
By the time we'd gotten it off of us he was gone again, but it didn't take long for us to find him atop the Eiffel tower in some sort of spy movie.
"Take him down," I said, but we were forced to dodge as he sent some sort of electric blast at us.
"Face it Titans, in the real world I may be just another geek, but in here, I'm the coolest," Yeah, say that to the fact the clothes you stole from the protagonist are not fitting you at all.
I ran at him, Raven at my side but he just leapt over the edge and glided off with a terrible cackle. And with a flicker the scene changed to a swamp and he was gone.
"Where did he go?" I asked, but Raven didn't seem to know either.
"Perhaps he has flown away to some place less creepy and bad smelling," I turned at Star's voice to see the rest of the team were stood behind me.
"Yeah, what kind of nasty old show is this anyhow?" Cyborg asked.
"It came from Jone's Lake," Maybe BB's TV addiction wasn't so bad now we were stuck in one, "Dudes I've seen this before. We're not in a TV show, we're in a monster movie."
And it appeared from the lake behind him. Almost ten feet tall I'd guess, razor sharp teeth and covered in scales and leather, with an almighty voice as it roared and Star let out the stereotypical scream.
"Chill out y'all, this is TV," Cyborg said as we all backed away from him and the creature, "The Monster's not real it's just some dude in a costume," And he touched it as alarm filled his eyes, "That's not a costume," And he was lifted in one of it's clawed hands to be thrown away.
Star instantly went on the attack, shooting her bolts at it as it's mohawk style spine began to light up and it shot a light bolt back at us. I dived out the way with the others as it cut a tree clean in half.
"But it's real in here," I caught the end of the conversation as I moved back around to the time.
"Well it's a good thing he's not our target," I said, "We need to find Control Freak, split up," And we all did as we dodged another hit from the creature.
I landed wonderfully in some water and not two seconds later a speed boat pulled me on board as I was forced into a life vest and water skis.
"Let me off, I have a job to do," I said but they just pulled me back down onto the boat, "Look, I already told you, I don't have time for this."
"Ah, don't be grouchy now mate," Australian, and holding a rope, yay, "The worlds watching Stunt Fest to see eye popping stunts and that's just what they're gonna get," And he shoved the handle in my hand.
"I'm not going to-" But I didn't have time to finish the sentence as I was pushed off the back of the boat. Okay, focus on balance. And I brought it back just in time to see a giant ramp in front of me. I was trained to water ski just in case, but not to pull off stunts. God, if Slade could see me now. Maybe I'd just get a playback of the episode to show to Jason instead. But the ramp was still getting closer as I was launched over it and about halfway through my air journey a shark leapt out at me. This could not get any better. I just closed my eyes as I made contact with the water again and we went back to shore.
"Next on Stunt Fest, I'm gonna make this angry grizzly give me a piggyback," I ignored the man as I turned to get the skis off, but I didn't ignore the blast.
This was a reality stunt show, not a fight. And I was right as I turned to see some green man in purple get up including a tall top hat with a red eye. I got out two birdarangs but before I'd even launched them he'd shot them with his laser guns. Luckily the roaring bear behind him caused a distraction as I ripped off the life jacket and stepped out the skis, launching into a kick which hit the man alien back to the ground as he dropped his guns. But the Bear also caused a distraction for me as he turned on the Australian and I found myself connected to the end of some sort of line that sent electricity throughout my body. But I didn't have to worry too long as I looked up to see him standing over me as a blast from Cyborg sent him away again.
"Thanks," I said as I stood up to see Raven with him.
"Don't thank us yet," Raven replied and I looked over to where she was looking.
"We brought a friend," And the man was saved from the Bear by the creature from the lake coming over the mound. The place quickly turned to static again as we were put into a black space with an overvoice.
"The makers of Azarath and Metrion are proud to introduce Zinthos," This must be that goth clothesline brand that took after Raven. Not that it mattered, we had bigger issues on our hands. And Star and Beast Boy came to join us from the other way, also running so they must have their own monster too. And they did as some giant robot finished the triangle advancing towards us as I blocked out the advertisement and focused on the fight. I leapt up and over the lake monster, drawing the green ones fire as it hit the lake monster and he vanished from sight. Then I watched as Cyborg sent a blast at the robot to block it's blast and slowly pushed it back as it hit and destroyed the robot.
"New Blue Zinthos," And it was the end of the advert, expert timing if I say so myself.
Only for that to mean that it went to static again for us to appear in some sort of dojo.
"Dude, those were three of the baddest bad guy's ever," Beast Boy said and I noticed he was wearing the green space cowboys hat, "And we totally kicked their butts."
Someone was happy. I guess this was almost like a dream for Beast Boy, meeting everything he's ever watched in life.
"But we still haven't found Control Freak," I brought it back to topic as he turned back to look at the rest of us.
"True grasshopper," I take it back, he's here, "But I have found you, and guess what, I know kung-fu. Woah," How is that impressive? We all know kung-fu.
He launched himself in the air with the much unneeded sound effects and came down in a flurry of kick's that were not kung-fu but screen fighting, I didn't know screen fighting. So I didn't have a defence as I was flung across the room from a hit under the jaw. Guess it was back to the good old days of learn as I go.
"I'm not just some nerd you can push around anymore," He said as we got back up around him, "Thanks to the magic of television I now posses a black belt in Astro-Jitsu, the bionic heroes rocket boots, Banzars wrist bars of power and Captian Keleels infamous grab-o-blaster."
"And in English?" I listened in as Raven turned to Beast Boy.
"He's one seriously bad dude," Beast Boy translated for her, not that it helped much.
"Hasta La Vista Titans," And apparently the magical appearing sunglasses came with a bad Spanish accent as he took into the air.
But this time he wasn't going to lose us as he turned to Static and Raven transported us all through with him. I landed running on a rooftop as Star sent her bolts at him, which he just deflected back at us with his new wrist bands. I took a moment of surprise before I jumped out of the way into a roll, getting back up in time to see a Green Bear go rolling off the edge with Control Freak.
Then another branch of Static led us back to the lake as I landed silently on one of the tree branches to watch him punch straight down the middle of the tree Raven sent at him. I didn't wait a moment longer before I jumped down, hearing the others join me in the water as we ran at him, Cyborg coming from the opposite direction.
"Engage," And then he was up in the air, the blast from the boots causing a splash that soaked us.
"Well, at least things can't get any worse," I muttered as I started to drain my cape.
And I had to speak as the static came back and we were spat back out at a news desk with the reporter who first reported the escape.
"This just in, interference by the criminal Control Freak has caused televisions throughout the city to emit harmful Alpha waves which disrupt the neural pathways of anyone watching the broadcast."
"Huh?" Beast Boy voiced and I noticed that he had somehow been changed into a suit and Raven's cape had turned to a beige blazer as she held papers in her hands.
"T.V literally rots your brains," The reporter replied.
"Told ya," Raven got in as she organised the papers to be straight and stared directly into the camera, she was a natural.