Teen Titans
Antithesis
Disclaimer: All characters in this story are the legal property of DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and Warner Brothers Animation. I use them here without legal permission, and do not profit from this work.
Author's Note: Well, here I am again, and bearing a brand new beautiful fic. This seems to have molded itself into somewhat of a mushy romance, though that was not my intention in writing it. I try to stay as far away from couplings as possible, as choosing a side will only cause pain and suffering for everyone. I like to keep an open mind.
This takes place shortly after my last fic, which is set right after the events of Season Three. Let's say that this tale takes place shortly before Season Four.
The following story centers around Cyborg and Raven, and a new threat with links to both of their pasts. If you don't like dialogue, I suggest you turn away now. Otherwise, read on, dear friend. I guarantee you'll be satisfied with this little yarn I've spun.
PrologueA deafening bell blared, shattering the sleepy silence, reviving the exhausted children within the imprisoning confines of Jump Elementary School. The still, monochrome halls were overflowing with a river of cheering children in seconds, restless from hours of learning, their stiff, knotted limbs longing to be loosened by play.
The double doors exploded outward, releasing the eager classes. The chains of the swings squeaked and rattled as they swung back and forth like a pendulum, balls of every variety sailed over the blacktop, bouncing or crashing as they stuck the rough surface, and a small group just relaxed, laughing merrily as they enjoyed the gentle breeze and the company of good friends.
It watched them from a distance, watched their frolicking patiently, like a methodical jungle cat stalking its unsuspecting prey. The hunger within it swelled, its crimson, rounded frame beginning to contract and expand rapidly in a heart-like rhythm; ba-bump, ba-bump. Finally unable to contain its own savage desire, it emerged from the engulfing shadows, its polished glass surface glistening brilliantly as the resting afternoon sun brushed against it. It hovered several inches above the chaotic streets, ignoring the hysterical citizens as they fled from its eternally groping, snaking tendrils.
A disc-shaped object suddenly smashed into the creature, forming an intricate web of wire-thin cracks across its semi-transparent "body". Nearby, a gnat beat its microscopic wings once. The projectile burst into a scalding ball of light, shattering the beast's pulsating synthetic skin. It's malleable metal base clattered to the ground, belching forth a ghastly, yellow, pestilential smoke. Its hollow tentacles followed, clattering on the cement like aluminum cans, completely limp.
Almost as quickly as it has been destroyed, the unloving monster restored itself. Slowly, the edges of the jagged gap left in its glittering core inching closer together, new material seeming to simply materialize. The two sides kissed, connecting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle, leaving only a zigzagging scar. Slowly, even that began to fade, snaking inward from both ends until it was nonexistent. The crimson, egg-shaped head was completely healed, bearing neither scratch nor scorch to prove it had ever been damaged.
The beating sound became more frequent, labored; every artificial vein pulsed with a steaming, bestial rage. It craved the innocence, the hopes and dreams of young hearts, and none would prevent it from obtaining the rich, delicious fuel.
"Sorry to break your heart, Kardiak," taunted a young, yet powerful, commanding voice, and not one unfamiliar to the monstrosity's sensors, "but lunch has been cancelled."
The speaker was a seemingly unimpressive specimen; it was an teenaged human male, short in stature, yet something in his dramatic stance made him appear imposing; one might even say he looked dynamic, especially with the black and yellow cape that fluttered behind him. Even through the opaque lenses of his thin eye mask, one could clearly see this was a principled young man, one who kept the ancient, long forgotten code of chivalry alive. The "R" insignia on his trademark red and green costume was known and feared among the villains of the world, both small time hoods and would be conquerors. His name was whispered with caution in every seedy bar, every abandoned warehouse, every blind alley: "Robin".
As the thing called Kardiak knew well from experience, this Robin scarcely flew alone. Thus, it hardly came as a surprise when four other organics joined him, each following the other in an equally stunning fashion. The first swooped from the air, her fiery red hair blazing behind her like an inferno, her emerald eyes burning with the superheated fury of a sun; this, surely, was the Tamarnian visitor known as Starfire.
The next companion also descended from the heavens, this one on the leathery wings of a green pterodactyl. By the time it touched the ground, it had completely transformed; in the place of the mighty prehistoric beast was a younger boy, challenged both height and build. His ropy arms were weighed down only by his awkwardly oversized hands, and his pencil-thin legs were bent in a toad-like squat. His skin and hair were green, his ears came to points, and a single fang protruded from his lower lip, outlandish features alone deserving his codename: Beast Boy.
A nearby manhole suddenly leaped into the air like a bullet, as if the very water beneath it were forcing it away from the steaming street that gripped it. The fourth Titan emerged from the mazelike sewer caverns below, likely leaving his "T-Car" safely there. This teen was Beast Boy's opposite; he dwarfed every one of his comrades in size; Starfire, the second tallest, even had to strain her neck to make eye contact, or else she would be staring at his durable titanium chest. Indeed, a great deal of this lad had been replaced by sophisticated electronics, from his broad, bulky shoulders to his bare, tremendous, boot-like artificial feet, which did not walk so much as punish whatever they tread upon. The upper-left portion of his head was also mechanical, including the eye, now merely glowing red glass, the tangled web of wires crisscrossing behind it endowing it with vision.
Finally, an enormous black Raven ascended from the solid concrete, defying logic as it simply melted through the ground, leaving no hole beneath, as if it were simply intangible, a ghost. Indeed, something was strange about this bird; it was solid black in color, yet somehow seemed to radiate light, giving it an otherworldly hue. The creature displayed its impressive wingspan, then dissolved, leaving behind another female. This one was devoured by a mysterious blue cloak that concealed every feature, leaving only a sliver of her pale complexion visible to the eyes that dared to glance. To those she called her friends, she was the reserved Raven, never to be trifled with.
The bizarre party reflected in the effulgent, lightly beating surface of Kardiak's "face" were not an obscure group, but the scant souls who had not heard of their exploits needn't have looked farther than the newspaper stand around the corner. Though it had been demolished by a frantic driver as he fled the scene, each of the scattered front pages proudly wore a photograph of the group. "TEEN TITANS SAVE CITY" every bold heading declared in some form or another. These were heroes ranked among the Godly Justice League, and though they operated locally, their exploits were applauded around the world.
The soulless shell that was Kardiak emitted a guttural, baritone noise that sounded something like an agitated growl. It had no true mind, knowing only the maddening hunger that gave it purpose, and thus it did something that no truly sane organism should ever do when confronted by superheroes: it charged. They mimicked the action, rushing to meet it halfway, except for Beast Boy, who scampered off in the form of a swift-footed jaguar to warn the school of the impending danger. The gargantuan forces collided in a shower of sparks.
TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
"She has grown in power since last we met," he said, the tone of his rumbling voice somewhere between a malicious hiss and a, enraged snarl. His eyes, each a luminescent yellow split in half by a thin pupil, the only feature visible through the veil of blackness hugging his face, focused intently on the action displayed within the enchanted mirror, an elegant piece, framed by bejeweled gold, that contrasted the dank, gloomy surroundings of the cave in which it dangled precariously from an incessantly dripping stalactite. The observer took specific interest in the young witch, Raven, his embers narrowing as the black mists of her incantation seized a truck and hurled it at Kardiak.
"Oh please," grumbled a voice from within the absolute darkness. "You have nothing to complain about! All you have to do is snatch her up, nice and easy, while I deal with the rest of the Titans!"
"Would you face the girl again?" the beast inquired jeeringly.
"No!" exclaimed the other, the dread in his voice obvious. "Er… I mean, I think my men and I will be able to handle them."
"So you've chosen your accomplices?"
"Oh, yes," the shadowed man replied, the overconfident inflection of his voice irritating the dark mastermind. "I put an ad out on the Internet just the other day, and got a great deal of responses."
"On… the Internet?"
"Of course! It's the fastest way to meet people nowadays."
The observer did not reply, only continuing to stare into mirror, silently seething at the mortal's impudence; his incompetent behavior was truly insulting. "The large one could also complicate matters," he warned, masterfully hiding his anger.
"Cyborg won't prove too difficult," the other man assured him, his ego easily flattening the tiny Earth. "As long as that blasted she-demon doesn't get involved, I'll be fine."
The observer couldn't stifle a chuckle at that sentiment: she-demon. If only the idiot knew the truth of it…
"Sorry to break up this special bonding moment," taunted a new voice, gruff and muffled, as if processed through a machine, "but I've got other places to be."
The observer grinned fiendishly, revealing multiple rows of well-maintained fangs. He turned; a white skull bearing a red "X" across the forehead hovered a few feet above the stony cave floor.
"Red X," he greeted with exaggerated cordiality. "You have my gratitude. I trust you brought the mirror."
"Of course," the thief replied in a similar fashion, placing the unseen object into his employer's anxious, three-fingered talons, carefully avoiding the three-inch daggers that tipped each finger.
"And did you put the creature in place?"
"Yeah. First time I dropped something off in a building, though. Usually, I'm taking stuff out of a place."
"Your assistance is much appreciated. Are you sure you were unseen?"
"Yeah, yeah. Their security's a joke. What about my pay?"
"My associate in Steel City will provide you with your Xenothium. He expects your prompt appearance."
The observer need not have said another word; once he uttered "Steel City", the skull vanished, leaving in its wake only rapid, echoing footfalls, each one growing more distant, until silence permeated the chamber on more.
"You don't have an associate in Steel City, do you?" the ignoramus asked a few moments later, when he was certain that the high-tech crook was miles away.
"Of course not," the observer replied casually as turned back to his eavesdropping, now upon the aftermath of the brutal struggle; the newspapers would scream that the Titans intervention had saved a schoolyard of young children from a grisly fate leagues worse than death, overweight city officials would sing their well-rehearsed praise, lawyers would gripe endlessly about the infinitesimal property damage, and eyewitnesses would recount their breathtaking tales. Hypocrites.
"What a dolt!" he cackled, blind and deaf to the fact that he was far more foolish.
The observer replied with a humored snort.
Author's Note: This short intro carries the same spirit as the prologue in my last fic, though this time, the villain is unrelated. I admit, I could have gotten away with not describing our heroes, but I would have felt like a lousy writer. Next time, I'll try to do something different, but those big entrances are among my favorite scenes in the show, so I tend to incorporate that.
I don't think anybody should have trouble guessing the identity of the mystery guest.
And yes, my sources say it's Kardiak, not Cardiac. One of those purposely misspelled words, I suppose.
That's pretty much it for now.
Next Time: What's wrong with Raven?