Teen Titans; Life After Death.
Chapter 4: To Run To Fight
/AA
"Hmm."
She sat across from an ethereal orb glowing in the center of the table. Despite all the best luck they'd acquired over the time warp to earth he still had his pride...that brat was going to give her wrinkles! Or, worse...
She bit her red lips as the make up started to fade. The look was all her. No need for mascara or prissy blush. It came naturally. The years had been good to her. But Roku was only going to scare the poor boy to death! Why not take his power already! Such a drama queen...
Sighing quickly she talked cooly.
"I've been most patient with he who is all powerful. Is this what you're after? That power source! Then .Back. It seems-
He the dragon shook his head. The long hair falling from his shoulders. "You don't know the half of it. He, the son of mine owes me a life. One pure of heart. And untouched by time. They must be taught a lesson yes, yet...your fiance's ward impresses even I." his grin was very crooked. Almost uneasy as she was, Veronica stayed put.
"This orb of magic souls connects you to him and I." He spoke with such ease as if this were a thought. Without an actual plan?
"And yes, I thank you for allowing me ease of way to this world. You shall be rewarded upon your return to the kingdom-
"sure..."Ronnie tried to mutter to her self.
"I cannot go back just yet..." he continued. His fingers clutching a staff and blade of the king. "Whence I return, she will be in my care. You realize this? The demonic aid I have in store for the night?" as he asked this cryptically as he could she stood up to face the orb's true face. "There is a problem though." She said to the face.
"I can see that Alice is among the rabbits...she intends to kill."
"Really." A somewhat shocked Roku wondered if this were false. Yet did she train in the mountains as a result of such power? Powerful teaching had made her blind before in his keep while the dragon was dormant. Could she face the fear of it all? Going back to her great home, rebuilding lost ties and losing memories lost forever?
She would be unstoppable, yet that boy Richard held her steady. Why was he never mentioned before during their last encounter...was she trying to forget?
"Alice questions her fate. I shall show her my own sort of answer to that." He turned to the gates and set forth to the courtyard. Where he would await his opponent. The child losing as many memories as the boy.
/A
She turned a corridor towards the grand hall in a flash. Her boots padded against the tiles as she led herself past many cooks, cronies and servants of the great kingdom of sky and earth.
Stop right there.
She swiveled to her right. There was someone supposedly watching her performance.
"You...are that girl-
She whispered aloud in shock. The girl with trailing hair now wore a cropped up spiked hair style. Her dress was now more like a uniform, she wore boots shorter than Alice's. And her whip of a blade was tucked nicely into its mistress's ankle strap pouch.
"I am Piper the Bound ." She said without emotion. "You are no longer a student here-
her tone turned darkly as she began to find that this may be the girl everyone spoke of when she'd first arrived here.
"How did you?- Never mind that!" Alice rebuked. Her eyes forwards and eying the girl violently.
"Where is Roku?"
"There are rumors that 'X' the unworthy has given up his life to become a vessel to my king' other, assassin..." She fiddled with the traces of her spiked loose bun. ~What did she mean...rumored?~ Alice quizzed while she remained in tact.
"So, you are here to put an end to his life? This should be fun..." A blade was holding up her part! Using the sharp item she guided it to fly towards the girl across the grand hall. Allie continued to dodge the blades as they came from the same piece that flew right and left. With a small hand gesture the sharp shards transformed into more.
She stood panting a bit, not too much for she had trained as a rebel as well. Malchior's people had joined her in the mountains. Hoping that there would be someone mage or not to teach her magic, and how to attack and defend others she ran into a bit of luck. A good guy who was partly both and one and the same was there to guide her on her journey towards enlightenment. Towards the fall of the dragon king. Towards the recovery of her friends and her rightful king. Descendent of Warrior king and Sorcerer extraordinaire; Richard- which was also Robin's true name and guise; Rokuro's name was of east and west. He was one and the same. Hopefully the king would give up and in one day to his wrongdoings of the people...the killing of Lorelei the first of the spirit of the west...of earth's daughter...
It had to end.
"Come and get me!" Alice fought bravely as she attacked and defended passing servants of the deranged king...they were still her people. Nevertheless, this was wrong.
"Piper! I know who you are, you are not a killer! You are a-
"SHUT UP!" With a scald from her whip blade the other girl descended towards the ground as her arm began to throb.
She winced in pain as she tried to hold her staff proudly. The mark was already beginning to set. She would be marked if she stayed to fight longer than needed. Piper had won the wrong match. This was a casualty. It would scar her with tainted darkness as a reminder. Of who she'd been after.
Holding her self up with the staff she looked down to spell and cast out the girl from her sorcery. She had to leave.
More guards were coming. This was not good. Piper smirked as the spell broke and her body slipped into unconsciousness...
/B
"Did the blade's poison stun her? Where is she now-
"Calm down my dear..."
Regis!"
That is what she could muster out of the crying of a shadowy thing in the darkness. Like a whip she watched now as her eyes popped open. Wildly she looked about the room. Where was she...
It was a ward of some kind where a nefarious doc was administering a stinging solution onto her arm-
"No-!"
She shoved the cloth away and and dashed messily with her hair in tangles towards the door.
"Where ya goin princess?" The voice was mocking her as she saw who's it was. The god had called in gender bender, age changing, Rokou the cursed. He wasn't very unhappy with that crooked smile on his face.
Almost like he'd wanted her here...
"Let me leave, you don't understand! The Mark!-
"We were, getting rid of it..." he sighed slowly. "But then you had to wake up- poor sleeping beauty!" Chuckled the demi demon.
"This isn't funny!" as she was about to start up again she began to cough madly up some blackish gook from-
"What did you do to me? She rushed towards the doc and screamed while her hands were in fists. The cough had come again, this time more fierce than before.
"Like I said," Rokou explained again. "You were sick from never being exposed by a mark before now..Reggie here was gonna cure you but you tried to high tail it back to the-
"We are, Cough! Rebels...ugh...my head..." she groaned trying not to lose sight of Rokou but the fatigue feeling-
Regis frowned a bit as he reseated her highness once be told."Sit back down princess. You can talk when you wake..."
So dream she did, and boy was she tired...
/B
The train, it had taken a bit of time...money etc energy but it was going to be worth it.
A new life...he was almost eighteen spring was upon them, and then...he sniffled as the rain stopped then started to pour again.
"Don't cry...i have to do this-
"But aren't you running away from them?" Asked a voice. "Your family?"
The light version of Rokuro/Richard ,Hakuro was floating by his suitcase. The trains were busy today. As if the next day all the world would just-
"Stop, OK? You dragged me into this. And now..."he sighed with a croak. "And now, I don't even have a family-
"That's not true! You're lying to yourself! He'll find us...you! You've got to go where its safe. I don't want to see you hurt..."
"YOU NEVER CARED! I was a pawn in someone else's game, Roku...he's crazy! He'll come after me? But he already has a son?" Richard stomped over to the tracks. "I've got my ticket. And you know what?
"What?.." Whimpered the sad little light angel as he scrunched his eyes to look up.
"IT REALLY WORKS! Ha...I've never felt so in control-
He said loudly as the train conductor began to take passengers in. The kid angelic shook his head. "If our aura grows stronger...you'd be in control again. But giving up so he can destroy the real you?" frowned the angry boy spirit. "You're no hero or human! You're a-
Richard grunted angrily"Stop...i have to leave-
"YOUR JUSTA LOST SOUL!" he screamed as the last train came by.
"Who is he talking to? The conductor scratched his skull curiously. Oh, this city..."
The lost spirit huffed back to the grown up."You're friends...they are gonna die over this because of-
"DONT. Leave my friends out of this!" His fists ached over this conversation. It was over. "What friends? You don't want anyone!-
"Good..." he gasped and huffed. "Good BYE!"
Only this time he was half crying out his feelings. As he boarded the tears began to flow. "goodbye..." he sobbed to himself.
/
Raven's view was high up to the ceiling. More people gathered as spirit as the show was about to end. The cheered on the act as if it were cake candles being blown out at a birthday party.
Mumbo cleared his throat."Now...for my last and final trick of the evening...i will need a volunteer?"
"Hmm...how shall I pick from all of you lovely people- oops! I mean, spirits!" He chuckled not realizing that the rope to the children's fate was becoming shorter.
Rini had the sharp object in her hand-
"Ready? Now!" Will or Slade stumbled from the torment of the binds. Then finding a sec to watch out for Rini, who was face to face with The Shifter imp. Shifter.
"Oh no...um!" She panicked as soon as he grew in size to the size of an elephant!
"Take that!"
Will had the sharp blade as his aim took hold to hit shifters sagging shoulder.
"OWWWWWWWWWW!" The imp now revert to his old size trying to warn Mumbo in the process.
~They are planning to ruin big man's show! Get them!~ the scraggily thing used his magic to tie them down, but something shielded the girl. A magic glass eye? Slade had power whether he wanted it or not.
"Y-you-your...!-
Raven had been trying to escape when she saw that the boy's eye to the right was a fake. With the power of a dragon coursing through it with red energy he protected Rini from certain doom!
"Will...Or should I say, Slade!" As she said this it struck at the bond that held the children together.
"Let's end it! Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The room filled with her power as the two faded into the light the Magician fell to his knees in shame. His minions all diminished into mist, he had to go bring himself to justice.
"Raven? Your Cloak! It's all white?" Starfire had just met up with them. Her hair was soaked from so much rain! Raven smiled with a nod. "We also have a spying traitor-
"Will!"she called out but instead of a helpful; 'I'm right here!'- she was pained to see that in the old William was a little Slade! And he had Rini!
"You will not- Starfire trailed off as he came from the cloud of dust.
Instead he brought the girl who was unconscious and being piggybacked over to the team.
"Next time work on your aim-
Cyborg stopped Bb from going full beast on his behind."You little!-
"Shh, she's not going to be happy when she wakes up. That is, when I leave." still he seemed quite desperate to go, but he'd leave behind the one person who might save his hide after all.
"We can't do that...Slade...um...mini." Cyborg shook his cybernetic brain as he frowned down. He tried to piece together the piece of info indicating how Slade, had gone kid! No answer.
"It was magic, Roku stole my real body to use for his own. He's warped by any other name. So I was sent to capture the Boy Wonder...seems that my eye tells me he's-
"Your eye? Liike...a crystal ball..."proclaimed the team's sorceress. "You were given a magical relic." She said. "But why?"
He wasn't that worthy. In fact he was the most distrusted and unbelievable of them all. In some way because he had once had a connection to her leader lost, that is why Roku and and his crew were so keen on helping with the master plan.
But Slade was now a worrisome servant of the dragon. He wore his jeans and tee like all the rest of the world. But this...meant he was willing to help them or be on his own again? Did he tell Rini; poor helpless Rini!
"And that girl...Rini," he continued aimlessly. Not thinking but looking out into the city skyline. "She's quite the tough act to follow, she's the one who helped free me."
"She's just a naive teenager at heart." Cy exclaimed. "She trusted you to be her-
"Friend? I could never put her in danger! She was so kind to me...even after she found out." Little Slade snorted with a grin planted on his lips. "She's better off going home. Don't know if this was part of the master plan-
That we can count on being true." Said Raven as the old villain stepped through a portal made by that blasted eye!
"When she's fully aware, send her home...all worlds aren't safe. If he can bend time...well. You'll understand his real intention. Soon enough-
"Waaait!" Bb and the others called out. "Don't!-
"Go.." Stomping off with a bare knuckle pound to the air he wanted to know before that dragon got to big for his...own good.
"Well great, cryptic Slade is a happy Slade, even when the dragon lizard king shrunk him!" he shouted with each footstep closer to the station since it was close to night fall. There was a chance, a slim witty bitty one that they had a chance. Yeah as long as the dragon didn't devour their souls first!
/
Gotham, a home to those that wish to gain power not responsibility. To be in fear, that's the work of the city. The world would soon be like this one. So desolate and engulfed in too much noise of sirens wailing off into the night.
Yet there was a chance of hope , at the top of a hill on the outskirts of town lived a man who had double lives. That of a man and a hero time and time again. Though those that had other plans for the city were the villains- once known through their achievements. But there was always another story...
Villain like Veronica was off to stop and trap the bat. "Where could he be?" Looking high and low for those wretched...-
Her thoughts were erased as he came back into her life.
"Ronnie! Listen.." Bruce bit his lip. This was going to be for moral support She needed to be there.
"He's out there, But I want you to let someone else, find out." she smiled sweetly to her puppet.
"Huh? Ronnie, that isn't-
"LISTEN. To me."
As the power over her dear husband to be. She caused his mouth and ears to shut. No one, especially the puny butler would know that Bruce WAS hers.
~You will do nothing for the next 48 hours, we will be together...that's what you wanted right?~ Her necklace orb was glowing red and shimmered from the moon and sun's end. "The boy means nothing. You know nothing." She left his mind a blank sheet. Which changed as soon as she snapped her fingers with a wave.
He saw her. Bruce blinked numerous times before waking up partly. "Sweetie? The stress really is getting to you, why don't you go rest up..?"
"Sure...if that's the plan..-
"Bruce! Master Bruce! You look awfully tired. Is everything-
Suddenly the shimmer spoke. And poor Alfred worried all over as it swung under by her throat.
Her look made him back away.
"Um, Miss Veronica...where did you get that lovely gemstone pendant? It's very..."
"Oh!" Her look softened "This was passed some time down to me by my, mother." she worried now, who was he to ask?
Guessing that she was hiding some thoughts inside, Bruce held up while clutching his skull up to the stairs and eventually to his room.
/
"Shoot!" Ronnie would only wait till the groom keeled over. But when would that happen? She was cursed, just to obey some silly vermin.
~Well, power or no power I still have the shard...~ she thought as a cunning grin passed over her cheeks. She backed over to bookcase in the left corner of the living area.
She spelled which would lead her to the boss.
~Take me to the Titan's Richard.~ she transported, but not as far as she thought it would be. A rainy thrown out of whack train station. He'd been here. That...well. It was no use to argue, she would just go mad!
Flying without the passerby interested; since they couldn't see spirit at the least- insects...she glided off over to the nearest train . She was visible now. "Time to do some snooping around. The dragon's wait is over." she whispered and head over to track, the sliding doors her passage into his domain.
/
The rickety trail made the boy's stomach shift, his knees were not able to stay on the ground so he curled up and waited for the final stop. "Must...stay...awake.." he groaned as his side began to ache from the rocking of the tracks to the side. Here was a chance to start...anew? Well besides his vocabulary switch to that of a 19th century student, Ronnie played her European self well enough to fool them all!
That made Dick sit up, there was danger around him. But he decided to wait it out when nothing appeared at all. So he then laid down his head onto his luggage backpack he'd also taken with him on his journey. Soon lulled into a fidgety sleep and with no way of waking up.
He was about a while from the next stop. Dick didn't care, wherever the train decided to take-
SCHRRRREEEEEEECH! The train almost halted to cause the passengers to fall over on top of their belongings. "What the!-
"Agghhh!-
The conductor! Dick lifted himself to full height and waited like all the rest as the doors slid open. There was only the conductor standing with his eyes open wide and his breath shallow.
"Run..."he whispered as the rickety old car made him fall face flat to the front. Someone was from behind! And that wasn't all.
The people were in a panic! They didn't even try to grab their belongings as they head for the door to the next and possibly last stop.
Only Dick was knocked to the floor as the mob swarmed around him. Someone gave him a hand. Soon they were all gone, Richard was holding the gloved arm of none other than who the white spirit boy had tried to warm him about earlier.
"You gave us all quite a shock." Roku said with a frown. Though he would not let go of the young man's arm.
"Come, we are going."
As he was dragged with brute force no one seemed to care or see that he was in pain from the markings.
They burned like acid fire. He was unable to protest and kicking like before by all means did not faze this fierce warrior assassin. He tugged and tried to curse between his teeth or as a spell, the words he'd been shown from that piece of paper to control the fire.
WHACK!
Tears from the pain- he had to bite his lip to ease the tension. Roku, had smacked his own captive. Son or not that was not right or fair at all. His cheek was starting to bruise a bit, and his eyes!
They only saw red, were red...with those black rings in the center!
"Wha-
"Kind of hurts doesn't it? The god sighed. "To feel helpless, lost, alone-
"A-
Roku started to finish. "Like I said, quite. A scare...only you can make it better. I only need you. Bruce as you call him is none other than a puppet. Veronica won't let him leave unless I tell her to let, him go.
He used that damn hand to make the boy look up to him. Robin was angry, Dick was actually afraid. Nervous and tired as well as alone now he knew going back would finally happen. Waiting for the final blow he said not a word.
"Why, don't I heal that mark and that blow. You gave me no choice when you tried to curse yourself-
"What? But, cough...but someone gave it-
He clasped his hand over his mouth. ~STUPID STUPID! He's going to tear me to shreds, even if I tell him!~
"You don't have to tell me, smiled the god and demon. "I already know." He placed the tip of his finger onto the boy's brow and waited.
"Your walls were impenetrable only when you left the guardians. Veronica was able to make her mark, the shard of course made it easy to peek into your head. But, that fowl that cares too much..."he said with disgust; "made getting by not so simple... easy as it was."
The god hovered face to face with the teen. "Where is your spirit light? He has a name you know."
"Get away...get away!"
Roku let his guard down giving Richard enough time to escape.
Though he remained everywhere Robin decided to be the stubborn kind and decided to run away anyway.
/
He still couldn't believe he'd bitten the demon on the wrist. Giving the god an answer would have made him forget where he needed to go! But Raven...she'd been there all along. And he was such a brat! Leaving in order to forget all the good times with his friends! To...just forget EVERY thing he'd ever known...
~I'm stronger than that.~ He thought as he was just about last one to the door...
SLAM!
"And where do you think you're going?" With each step of those boots the teen became ready to defend himself.
"Actually" started the god "If you won't participate, ill just have to ask Veronica to destroy your mentor...from the inside out. The wedding will be canceled and it will, be all your fault." With the comment and prediction made Dick 's fists uncurled slowly as he let his arms hang limp. His eyes grew with despair etched over his brow.
Could he really take control like that?
"The city will have your house investigated. The Bat's secret will be out. And no one will ever speak of it again. Maybe to increase the numbers that view the television. He yawned. Or to overtake your precious world by storm. It's your choice. You've seen what my world can do to your earth. Crush it to dust!" He hissed. Stepping ever closer towards his objective made the little mouse frightened. Richard was this close to escaping...he would not-
"Oh, also that spell only lasts for a few hours..." Roku pointed to the teen's skull center. "The so called, fire will return unless you decide now." he said as Dick tried to fight the fear.
~He'll have everything! I've got to warn,-
"Follow me, the center circle was meant for you. Richard-
"Stop that!" He cried with his eyes still dry but becoming quite moist with tears. "They were my only family! You can't-
"YOUR ONLY Family?" Huffed the god ."You have more than enough fans on both world I assure you."
Dick thought back to his adventures in the spirit world. Why did they all seem to refer to him as my lord? If he was king back then that had nothing to do with the present!
In fact, what did he know about that guy to begin with? Nothing, and it should stay that way. Forever.
Just then those tears felt like ice and as he blinked them away the father of the prince before him was sent aback into the seats around them. The doors opened and Richard had no choice but to find out where he'd ended up. So he left the god on the floor to the dark shadowy world he called home.
The god Roku though was not unconscious. Still waiting he would have that boy's soul even if he fell to the ends of the earth.
There would be no mistaking it. He was ever so close to his goal he could taste it.
/
~Ding dong.~
The door to the manor off in the other section of Gotham city was dark with not a person or security guard in site.
"Not a very secure area, huh Rae?" Asked Beast boy as they waited with impatient
thoughts still dancing around in their heads.
The door to the front remained closed. So Cy was there and decided to scan the place with a regular security systems' check. Scanning...
"Whoa, you guys aren't going to believe me...but-
"But? We are not too late are we?" Asked Starfire who had come along too. She knew of an evil lady who had taken control of Gotham, feeding the city and its people lies was almost like how her sister Blackfire had treated she and her friends. It as unmistakable. She was pure distrust. A soul stealing monster like the Ro-kou...
She wanted to scream! There was too much so much to do. And time was running out! The wedding would take place...
/
"It's this week?" Verra grabbed the paper pulling it from Wiz's hands.
Wiz sighed."Not only that...but we should be with him. We are the Guardians. We protect all!"
Kay only growled under his breath they let Malchior of Knoll tag along...that's stupid!" he cursed out loud.
"How's Rini?" Asked Vee as the teddy bear guardian ran his mouth in many languages.
Wiz sighed with a cough this time. Her true name is Princess Mini Moon Chibiusa. She is not from the realm of human nor gods.
Kay interrupted was from his rant. "The heck! Where did she come from then? Another planet?-
"Actually yes. How did you know?" Asked the wiz as he tended to the magic elixir of life in a vile.
Ugh! Grouched the guardian with a groan. He did not like it when he was right. A guardian out of whack was no more than a human demi god!. And Rob being out made him seem...
We have to go there!-
"Even if we could." Brought up the mixed a light powder into a mortar with his pestal "Rini cannot go home. She is in our care. And Miss Maya is-
They were silenced for a moment.
Wiz tapped his foot impatiently. "Who was watching miss Maya and little Nina?"
Uh oh!
The young men looked at one another. Kay slapped his hand over his brow. And Verra went out to the next room and sighed when he was away from the two.
He looked down at his hands. The paws were no longer fury but fiercely fluffed up with spiked mayhem surrounding them. The dark power that he felt...was it getting stronger? He was after all a former servant of the dragon. So were those two. But...why was the aura all but a miasma! Was Roku winning?