The Downfall of the Team

By: Malaizjan De Jesus

Author's Notes: This is #26 of the BB series that Reina Grayson & I have been working on. There are so many smaller stories that need to fit in but they can be written at a later date. This is the final fic before #27: An Apprentice's Future. It's a long awaited fic that isn't fully written just yet-but I have the first few chapters done at least. So without further ado…

Mathen was in trouble.

Morgan La Fay had him cornered at the edge of the forest. She was enjoying this cat and mouse game but Nightwing II was not to be underestimated.

Mathen threw a fireball at the ancient sorceress.

It was countered with a blast. A 2nd blast sent him back.

Morgan advanced with purpose in each step. "Did you think you were a match for me? Your magicks are small compared to mine."

"I'm not done yet!" Mathen leaped up, a front snap kick catching her jaw, then a blast knocked her on her butt. He was exhausted but he wasn't going to give up.

Morgan then threw dirt at Mathen and as he covered up, Morgan trapped him in magical binds, ribbons of magic that were crushing him. "Let's see you get out of that."

Mathen fought to get free, misfires of fireballs going everywhere. His ribs were breaking. His bones cracking, he let out a defiant scream before he blacked out.

The program ended.

Mathen landed hard on the floor.

"Program training simulation failed. Do you wish to restart?" the comp asked Mathen.

"Restart," Mathen said darkly.

Terry McGinnis had just finished training with Alpha Squad. He was sore; Meygan was a strong leader. Even Dick said so. He had to agree.

He went by Training Room 5 and saw it was in use. Terry looked at the control panel and saw who was running it. Then he looked at the program running. He then walked away from it and tapped his ear piece. "Hey Dick?"

"Terry?" The covert team's mission leader responded.

"Yeah. Listen, I found Mathen. He's in T.R. 5. Looks like it's been running for about 10 hours."

"10 Hours!" Dick shouted. "Terry, are the safety protocols off?!"

Terry scrolled the screen to check. "Yeah. All but one."

"SHUT IT DOWN! NOW!" Dick cried. "We're on our way!"

"Great! How am I supposed to do that!?" Terry then had something come to him. He pulled off the panel and found the small tube-like module and pulled it out, cutting off the power.

Then Batman headed back to the door in time to hear a cry of rage. Terry gulped-Mathen was mad about something.

The double doors opened a bloody and beaten Mathen Greyson stumbled out. He glared at Terry. "What…the…hell… Batman…"

Terry had never seen the team's co-leader so angry. But Mathen looked like he was fighting a war. Bruises, cuts and he was holding his side. "Mathen, your dad asked me to. Why were you training without the safeties intact?"

Mathen punched Terry in the gut, he moved so fast. He then caught Terry's retaliating punch and punched him in the face.

Terry went down.

Meygan was meditating in a remote part of Watchtower. Away from all those emotions, she could meditate better and suppress hers. For almost 40 minutes, she had utter control.

Without realizing it, Meygan was in danger. Above her was a black, shiny mass that slithered on the wiring above her. It watched her with interest.

But Meygan lost her focus. A sudden anger rose up to disrupt her inner calm and she crashed to the floor in a heap. She was mad but at the same time curious, why was he so mad?

So young Rave teleported herself to her brother, to get those answers.

The black mass was relived when the girl left. But she was restless, with the waiting. How much longer did she have to wait?

Back at Training Room 5…

Terry got a chance to kick at Mathen's shoulder. To stop a punch coming at him. He had to stop the fight or Mathen was going to be out of commission!

That was when two sets of hands grabbed Terry from Mathen & another two sets grabbed Mathen. Terry stopped fighting. Mathen tried to take out whoever grabbed him.

Kaldur placed Mathen in a hammer lock, and Mathen felt his already injured arm take more injury so he stopped fighting.

"What the FUCK is going on here!?" Jason cried as he and Tim held Terry back.

"Mathen's gone nuts!" Terry cried. "I did what Dick asked me to do. And he gets mad about it!" Satified, Jason and Tim let Terry go.

"Mathen," Dick said. But it was the way it was said that everyone knew he wanted answers.

Mathen said nothing, refusing to answer any of his dad's questions. He wasn't going to tell anyone what was going on.

"Mathen?" Meygan's soft voice filled the air as she materialized near him, staring in shock at the anger rolling of him.

Mathen's eyes narrowed onto his sister. "You. It's always you." His voice was dark and angry.

"Me?" she asked him.

"You put Kid Fate on Omega Squad."

Meygan's eyes widened in answer. "He was here?"
"Who's Kid Fate?" Terry asked. "Is he Doctor Fate's son?"

"Yeah," said Orin. " But he quit the team week after it was formed."

"He was here. He told me what I needed to hear to modivate me. I was supposed to be stronger than YOU."

"I know," she said quietly.

"And I will be the tier 3 wizard I am meant to be." Mathen's voice was full of determination.

"Then why are you mad at me?" she asked her brother.

"Because YOU flaunt your powers like you're some kind of GODDESS! Getting sympathy from everyone! 'Poor little me. I died…' "

Meygan gasped.

"You got yourself killed on purpose! And now you got powers and magic! You're such a power hungry brat!"

"Mathen!" Dick cried. "That's enough!"

Meygan's lip quivered slightly as her brother's words cut deep.

"And you have to go and save Uncle Wally! Like no one else can do it!"
Meygan was shaking, him bearing all of her fears out in the open. How did he know she felt that way about herself?

"So I tell you what,sis. Why don't you go and play hero right now. Take out the LOD for us! Oh, that's right! YOU CAN'T! You will never take them on alone! You're such a coward!"

Orin had enough. He punched Mathen in the mouth, busting his lips. "What's wrong with you!?"

A single tear rolled down her face and she started to teleport.

Areina had arrived just a minute earlier and reached out to her cousin. But as soon as she touched her arm, her hand frosted over, lowering her body temperature a little bit. Shocked, Areina pulled her hand back and Meygan teleported away.

Orin took Areina's frosted hand and rubbed it furiously to warm it back up. He looked over to his best friend. Mathen had gone too far. "Why!? Why now!? The team needs to be one and you just ripped your sister's heart out!"

"Who cares!" Mathen said. But his eyes were darkening.

On Earth, in Great Britain…

The ruins of Camelot still stood and Meygan sat in what was left of the throne room. The floor was nearly caved in, and only one throne remained-King Arthur's.

That was where she sat, trying to hold her emotions in. Why was her brother mad at her? It wasn't her fault that she died and came back with powers.

Her emotions were all over the place. Controlling them was next to impossible. There were like toddlers demanding her attention all at once. She was on overload with them. And Raven wasn't around to catch her.

Mordred was watching Meygan from above her on the remnants of the balcony. She let out little cries of anguish and those sounds were music to his ears. Strife had done his job. Now it was his turn. He slowly made his way to the tarnished, cracked floor to take her unawares.

Meygan stood up; she hoped that running would help. She wasn't trying to flaunt her powers; she wasn't a goddess. Her brother's words echoed in her mind; she couldn't make it stop.

A small snap.

Meygan turned around, only to get punched in the face, knocking her out.

Mordred stood over her, merely smiling.