AN: I thank you all for your patience. It was well deserved, as we continue on with the Bean Titan Adventures.
Be reminded that the Titans are still in the beginning of Crisis Central. Oh yes, their troubles with Subspace was only an appetizer for what's to come in the near future. The question that this episode presents is this: Do the Bean Titans (primarily the New 12) have enough heart to survive what's coming to them?
This will be the last time I finalize my text definitions, so take it to heart now.
(- Bold or ALL CAPS = stressed or emphasized speech or clues.
- Italic = thoughts, feelings, flashbacks/flash-forwards, psychic conversations, time lapses ("One minute later..."), and background music selections.
- Underlined = chapter titlings and new character introductions.
- Bold + Italic = sound effects, chants or different tongues or languages.
- This notation ( /\/\/\/\/\/\ ) can divide a battle into multiple parts or depict a short skip in time—ten minutes at the most. )
Tune in, as their minds, bodies, spirits, and maybe even their destinies will be tested... right now.
~BTA Part 11: Shadows of the Heart~
Chapter 1 — Broken Pieces
One week has passed since the Subspace crisis. It is evident that even though they defeated Tabuu, the New 12's biggest challenge is finding unity within the entire team. Three prime examples of this dysfunction were Sly's health, Mooch's absence (due to Sly's health), and the fight between Bongo and Ewey before they finally found a "truce".
Because of this problem, the Legendary 12 have decided to help them move one step closer to achieving unity by introducing the New 12 to a tactic that they, the Legendary 12 themselves, unintentionally found useful.
The scene shifts to the Danger Room, and both teams are in attendance.
"New 12..." Sweet began, "although you all have managed to pull your unit together again during the Subspace problem last week, the twelve of you underwent dangerous conditions and did not think through the situation as rationally as necessary."
Sly, on impulse, stepped forward. "How could you put the heat on us? We all went through hell... and I say that the Acolytes are still toying with us! All this crap we've been through, since Vanessa was a part of Titans X, the Acolytes have been driving us crazy!" he argued.
"Sly...!" Mooch thought internally, now witnessing his best friend out of line.
"Even so," Mac responded, "that still doesn't explain why the twelve of you are having trouble working together."
"What about you twelve? If memory serves, you and Hippity had problems with each other." Sly continued to fuss.
"And they resolved them before Hippity fought Hashmal. Sly, please calm down." Canyon advised him.
"I still don't get why there are so many precepts that we have to uphold. If you ask me, they're what's keeping us from this "unity" you all are buggin' on! Why not step and help—!"
Sly was stopped when Felix suddenly approached him and smacked him hard with his right fist, knocking the fox to the ground. Sly was stunned, struggling to get up.
"The only one of the 24 of us here who's buggin' is you, Sly." Felix told him, tired of hearing his mouth. "The way I see it... just like me and the other ten of us, you have no business or right to get pissy and bark at anyone who's clearly in a superior position than you are. First of all, you don't backtalk to my dad like that... second, you're supposed to be a role model to everyone, whether it's anyone in the Legendary 12, the New 12, Titans X or Team Z. And most of all, you NEVER sass the Great Hero, no matter what he says. If you keep this up, unity won't mean a thing to us because you, the lieutenant, don't know your place or know how to act in it! Pull yourself together, so we don't have problems... trust me. If I have to hit you again for being out of line, you won't get up."
As he spoke, the rest of the New 12 were shocked that Felix took initiative and saved the team. Canyon and Fancy were even more frightened to see their son nearly put himself in harm's way for the greater good.
"Even though this doesn't put us in the right direction of things, Felix is absolutely right. Stop fighting, wise up, and do what's best for everyone." Mystic said.
Sweet put his hands on his waist and nodded in disappointment. Giving a sigh, he continues on with his point.
"As I was going to say, the Legendary 12 have been put through a similar situation where a few of our members were unable to assist the team. The Memory Room upstairs has an archive of the events that occurred during our time in Spira. View them when you can, but I will still tell you what happened when we were sucked into the other world. While Floppity was "lost" and Hippity and Fancy were held hostage by Wrinkle, the other nine of us found ourselves in trios, groups of three. As it turned out, we managed to survive because we were compatible with each other, even though a two of the three trios had assistance from the denizens of Spira. To the point at hand, we cannot just magically make you twelve unified as a well-balanced team. You must find it yourselves. Kuku, continue from there."
Lucy's cockatoo mother stepped forward. "We can give you all a start on becoming a team by splitting you up into simpler fractions—trios. We know that doing this contradicts "unity" in its meaning, but you can use these sub-teams to slowly build into the one and only New 12 that you all are."
Mooch assumed the Titans' Salute, in which he placed his arm horizontally in front of his chest. "We understand." he said, avoiding as much disagreement as possible for his unit.
"Dotty, announced the four trios." Sweet told her.
Dotty was in the control center of the Danger Room, with the microphone on. "Trio Alpha (A): Mooch, Slowpoke and Bongo."
Bongo jumped with happiness. "Dude, that's awesome. Us bros are already good with each other!"
"I know!" Slowpoke replied.
"Don't get your hopes up yet... we still have to commit to the whole team." Mooch reminded them.
"Trio Bravo (B): Sly, Christina and Megan." Dotty said next.
Sly did not say a word after Felix preached his case over the fox's shaken body. Christina only looked at her brother, hoping to not cause any more tension between them from previous conflicts (i.e. combat skills and Scaly).
"This oughta be fun..." Megan thought sarcastically, knowing that Sly and Christina have not been the best of siblings to each other. Individually, they both could work with Megan, but being bound altogether would be interesting.
"Trio Charlie (C): Hoppity, Ewey and Lucy." Dotty called.
"Charlie's Angels!" Hoppity exclaimed, high-fiving both the lamb and the Canadian goose. It was a bit ironic because angels represent light, and all three of the girls had light element skills in their repertoires.
"And Trio Delta (D) is Ears, Felix and Bonnie." the dalmatian finished.
"All right everyone. Seeing as though nothing is happening right now, I suggest the twelve of you get accustomed to being in your trios, just in case you run into a situation where you have to split up. Meeting adjourned." Sweet spoke, as the Legendary 12 took their leave.
One minute later...
"All right, let's get started! Hah!" Christina shouted, attempting to deliver a flying kick to Sly.
Unlikely of Sly, he took the hit and flew a few feet backwards before hitting the ground. He could have easily countered that if he wanted to.
"Good shot..." Megan murmured.
Christina knew that something was off, so she suddenly fell to her knees and dropped her head in sadness.
"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked.
"This isn't Sly..." Christina claimed, while her voice started to break.
"How does she know that?" Bongo questioned, starting to move toward her.
Hoppity barred him. "She's right. He isn't even here with us." she said, after retracing current events with her psychic ability.
Sly suddenly poofed in white smoke, telling the rest that it was really a Shadow Clone.
Christina teared lightly. "What's the matter with my brother? He's in a rut, he doesn't think through things... he doesn't even love his own sister..."
Slowpoke embraced her. "He just needs some time to himself. After that talk Felix gave him, I'm sure he knows about how wrong he was for being disrespectful. It's not just because he doesn't love you..."
"I want that to change for once in my life!" Christina outbursted, running out of the Danger Room and soon, out of the Tower for some fresh air herself.
Megan, showing almost no disappointment, goes up to the control center and sit's in Dotty's chair.
"You're not going after either of them?" Ewey asked.
Megan turned the mic on. "Why should I? I'm teamed with the two people who are the weakest links in the New 12. Don't be surprised to hear me say that about my husband and sister-in-law. Sly's been out of line, and Christina's suffering from a part of his pain. I shouldn't have to give them a reason to come back to the team if they insist on holding on to themselves. They need to get that straightened out, and fast. I'm not leaving this spot until one of them comes back, so that's that. The nine of you can do your thing... I'll be with you when Trio B becomes a unit."
"You're not worried, Mooch?" Slowpoke asked, knowing that Sly was his best friend.
"I agree with Megan." Mooch said. "Nothing that anyone has ever said to Sly made any bit of difference to him. Ever since his problems started with Scaly, he hasn't exactly been 100% Sly. He needs to find what's missing, without help from anyone else. Whatever it is, he needs to keep it close to him and never let it go for the sake of the team."
Felix nodded. "Right now, nothing's getting accomplished here."
"Right..." Mooch uttered, unsheathing his zanpakutō and preparing to release it's shikai form. "Transcend, Zen no Kyoudoutai. Come on, bros."
The nine Titans inside the Danger Chamber began a training session. Trio Bravo was left out.
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The reference list will be shown just like in BTA Part 10, at the top of the page. I will list the references from this chapter and then reveal the new ones in the chapters to come... starting in Chapter 2.
Go ahead and review if the need arises.
