TECH WARS by Rangermaid

"War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace be killing each other's children" –Jimmy Carter

Prologue:

Ultimatum

"All war represents a failure of diplomacy" Tony Benn

"This new partnership between Wayne Enterprises and Thanos Technology will represent a new era for robotics research and is hoped to create more than three hundred jobs for people on the east coast alone. We will continue to report on their accomplishments for years to come. And don't forget, today's Fathers Day! We took a survey of the best spots to take the dad in y-"

"Turn. It. Off."

Beastboy jumped slightly from where he was slouched on their large couch and looked cautiously at where Raven was trying to read. "You alright, Rae?"

"I have father issues, as you well know." She shut her book with a snap. "I prefer to pretend this holiday doesn't exist."

Beastboy thought about Raven's dad, the demon Trigon, and winced. "Oh right. Hey what about you Rob, what's bugging you?"

The teen looked up from where he'd been scowling down at a laptop at the question but merely gave the younger boy an unimpressed look. "What?"

"You've been giving off a 'do not approach' vibe all day." Beastboy shrugged. "You alright?"

"Peachy." Robin walked toward the kitchen. "Cola?"

Beastboy perked up and nodded. "Hey, Robin, we have any more cheetos?"

"I'll check."

Raven sighed and went back to her book. It was a quiet day at the tower; Starfire and Cyborg were out shopping and getting pizza for dinner. Beastboy had been glued to the TV since about six when a marathon of The Office had begun and had watched until about noon when Raven had threatened to break the TV if he didn't stop. While flipping through the channels they'd found a program on alien conspiracies and found they both were interested; if not in the opportunity to mock the so-called experts. In fact it had even managed to keep Robin in the room when he came in for lunch. No one had seen the boy all morning and Raven had been tempted to go looking for him before deciding it was none of her business. Now they were waiting out the commercials, muted.

Beastboy smiled and accepted his cola as Robin settled in between them and opened his own can. "…When are they coming back?"

"Who knows." Raven sighed and closed her book as Robin looked at it thoughtfully.

"East of Eden?"

"I like Steinbeck."

"HhRrm…" Robin's mask moved as he made a skeptical noise and Raven growled at him.

"Keep your opinions to yourself boy wond-"

As the red warning lights flashed and made shadows dance around the room, Robin whipped out his communicator and scanned a message as he leapt up, "Titans trouble, Cinderblock's loose!"

"Whoa!" Cyborg crashed into the wall of the department store hard. Picking himself up, he winced and muttered, "For a walking rock, this guy's gotten pretty quick on his feet."

Starfire flew at Cinderblock, shooting starbolts at the monster's head with precision but it had next to no effect on the creature. He grabbed her and held her in a crushing grip with a roar. She was just starting to let loose again when an explosion unbalanced the creature and he fell, letting her go, in order to grab at his own face and howl.

Cyborg gave a whoop as he charged his sonic cannon. "Here's the Calvary!"

Robin, Raven and Beastboy ran foreword, the girl lashing out with her psychic energy and wrapping around one of Cinderblock's arms as Robin let off a few more explosives and helped Starfire to her feet. Beastboy hurried over to his best friend.

"You alright, dude?"

"Yeah man, it's good. Blockhead here just showed up and went nuts while we were trying to get dinner."

Beastboy looked down at the smashed pizza box and picked it up reverently. "I swear, you will be avenged cheesy pizza." He yelped and dodged a car as a furious Cinderblock heaved it at them. Cyborg took aim at the thing and blasted his head, managing to send it crashing into a wall and stunning it. As Cinderblock fell he saw one last vision of Beastboy in elephant form moving one huge foot at him before he fell into blackness.

"Boo-ya!" Cyborg grinned. "And that is how it's done!"

"You know it!" Beastboy high-fived him enthusiastically.

"Guys, a little help?!"

Raven was using all her willpower to keep a half demolished building from falling on a group of civilians and was starting to waiver. Cyborg and Beastboy went after the group, leading them out as Starfire moved to the second floor and flew down a few children, handing them off to adults. Robin was about to join them outside when he heard the sounds of a crying child further in the building. He started to climb through the debris, mentally calculating how long before the structure gave out. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

The child continued to cry and Robin turned a corner only to find a recording device lying on the floor; it continued to play the crying noises as he halted in front of it with a feeling of dread. He moved and ended up running right into the fist of a large man all in black; even as he fell backward he was righting himself and managed to flip over onto his feet, facing the attacker. The man let loose with a rapid volley of punches and kicks that the teen was hard pressed to block; he gritted his teeth and waited for a chance to go on the offensive.

"Robin! Where are you?"

His friend's voice turned out to be the perfect distraction and with his attention split for a moment the man lashed out and cuffed him hard. The teen crumpled to his knees, head spinning, as the man placed an object on the ground in front of him. "This is a warning."

He barely heard the gravely voice before Starfire was grabbing his arm and hauling him out onto the street as the building collapsed in a shower of dust and debris. The other Titans hurried over as he rubbed at his face. Beastboy peered up at him. "You okay, man?"

"Fine." He stared down at the throwing star in his hand and felt a surge of unease. "I think."