I can't apologize enough for how long it took to get this out. But it's out now! So that's good! ...Right?
Anyway, I apologize if this chapter is a little confusing. Since I would spoil a big chunk of it up here, I will leave something at the very end of the chapter for reference if any of you get confused (You'll see what I mean when you read it). This chapter, without the author's note, is a whopping 6,596 words. The biggest chapter I have ever made for this story.
I didn't want to cut this chapter in half because I couldn't think of a good stopping point, and I made you guys wait this long for some action, so I didn't want to be too cruel.
I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
"MAIL CALL!"
Latias nearly jumped out of her skin, the rude awakening not welcome at all. She sat up on the couch, glaring daggers at the boys. She wore her regular outfit again, looking completely untouched. Raven was picking herself up off the floor, also glaring at them. Starfire was just smiling, as usual.
Latias's eyebrow rose when she noticed the box in Cyborg's hands. It was large and, well, it resembled a crate more than a normal brown box. It looked pretty big, too. There was a tag that said it was for the whole of Teen Titans, so it must be some sort of fan mail. Latias doubted bills would come in a wooden box.
"Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy! You are back!" Starfire exclaimed happily after floating over to them. "It was...quiet, while you were gone."
"Not that quiet," Raven stated, brushing any dust that got on her outfit from her fall.
Latias yawned, waving at the three returning members before falling back onto the couch, closing her eyes in an attempt to go back to sleep. However, it seems they didn't want that. More specifically, Beast Boy didn't want that.
"Come on, Latias, aren't you curious?"
Latias sighed. 'No more sleep right now, I guess…' She swung herself onto her feet, then floated over the couch and to the table they were gathered around.
"Check this out! It was sitting by the front door. And you know what that means!"
'Fan mail.' Latias wrote, holding up her notebook.
"Exactly!" He looked to Raven and moved his eyebrows up and down. "Probably a gift from my many admirers."
Robin glanced at the note taped to the side. "Actually, it doesn't say who it's from."
"Only one way to find out." Cyborg lifted the top open and everyone peaked inside.
"Woah, cool!" Beast Boy reached in and took out a mini puppet of himself, strings and all. The others followed suit, examining the intricate details.
"They must have had a lot of time on their hands…" Raven muttered, pulling her puppet's hood back to reveal painted-on hair.
Latias stared at hers. It was of her human form, obviously, and Raven had a good point. Everything about her outfit was so spot on it was kind of creepy. She had only joined the Titans recently, so someone must have put a lot of hard work into this one.
The boys started to battle with theirs, surprising Latias with how they were able to do that without tangling any of the strings.
"Would you like to battle my replica with your replica?" Starfire asked her. Latias smirked and held up her puppet with one hand while the other made a 'come at me, bro' motion.
Their fight didn't last long. Latias somehow was able to get her puppet's strings completely tangled while Starfire's remained untouched. 'Seriously, how do they DO that?!'
The boys' excitement even moved on to dinner, where they all ate by the couch.
"Seriously, mine could beat yours anyday!" Beast Boy explained, pointing to everyone with his fork. Latias rolled her eyes with a grin.
"Yeah right. You totally lost!" Cyborg exclaimed.
"Those boys are so immature…" Raven muttered, taking a bit of her food.
"I think it was nice of someone to make something for us. We must find them and thank them!"
"Not tonight," Raven said, giving her friend a look. "It is late. I'd rather not look around for some random person in the middle of the night in a large city."
Latias yawned, poking at her food. "You okay?" She looked over to Beast Boy who sat next to her, looking at her worriedly. He was still worrying for her even though she assured him, multiple times, that she was fine.
She was about to wave off his concern when she yawned again. She brought her hand up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Starfire looked over to her. "Perhaps you should get some sleep." Latias raised an eyebrow, pointing to the couch they were all sitting on. It has been dubbed her 'bed' until they could get her a proper room. Starfire smiled nervously.
"It is getting pretty late. We should all turn in soon," Cyborg said, looking at the time on his arm.
They all finished their food and headed their separate ways. Starfire, however, remained behind. Latias was lying back on the couch, her eyes closed though she wasn't yet asleep. Starfire floated over to her. "Latias?" Said Pokemon opened one eye. "Perhaps you would like to sleep with me in my bed? Your wound has yet to fully heal, and it would be unwise to sleep on anything but a proper bed."
Latias gave a small smile. How could she pass up an offer like that? She sat up and stretched, wincing from her wound. She followed Starfire out and down the hall, leaving her creepy puppet behind. They got to Star's room, the door closing behind them.
"No one usually comes in here, so if you wish to use your true form no one will see it. You might be more comfortable." Latias shook her head. "Why not?"
Latias hummed, looking around for a piece of paper. Starfire quickly caught on and directed her to a desk. She quickly found what she needed.
'Transforming while I have an injury could make things worse. Some wounds aren't translated well between forms. The reason I transformed earlier must have been because of how weak I was and how much power I used to heal myself. Besides, I would take up more bed space.'
"If you are certain…" Star floated back to her bed with Latias following behind. The two were able to fit onto the bed with some room to spare. "Goodnight, Latias."
She received no reply.
Latias woke up to Starfire shaking her. "Latias, get up. Someone's here." Latias sat up, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. She watched Star float over to the door. It opened and she looked around the hallway, but saw no one. Latias stood and followed, looking at her friend in confusion. Starfire turned to her. "Can you sense anyone?"
Latias closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt a flicker of something, but it was so small it was hard to determine what it was. She was able to get an idea on where it was, though. She pointed down the hall to their right. Starfire nodded and they both made their way carefully.
They stopped by Raven's room, looking around in confusion. Latias was sure she felt the strange presence here…
Hehehehe…
They both jumped and went back-to-back, looking on either side of the hall. "Who is there?" Starfire asked. "If this is your idea of a joke, it is not-"
The door next to them slid open and they screamed, though one was silent. They calmed down, however, when they saw who it was. "Oh, Raven. You are awake?"
"With your loud voice on the other side of my door it was hard to stay asleep." Starfire smiled nervously.
"Forgive me, I thought there was someone-"
Latias's eyes widened. She quickly pushed the two down as a blue beam shot right where they had been, leaving a hole in the wall. The three looked over and saw Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy running towards him. Latias quickly stood and held her hands in front of her, a blue shield forming right as Robin went in for a kick. He bounced off, the shield holding strong.
Beast Boy morphed into a dinosaur and roared, slamming his head into the shield. Latias winced, noticing a small crack in the shield.
"Friends, what are you doing?" Starfire asked worriedly. Raven was equally as shocked.
The boys didn't answer. Cyborg held his cannon up and fired another blast that continuously hit the shield. Cracks continued to spread. Latias knew the shield wouldn't last long. She had to think of a way out of this, and fast. Her eyes went back to her friends who were preparing to fight; they could probably tell the shield wouldn't last long, either.
A loud roar broke Latias's thoughts and she looked forward just in time to see green before the shield was smashed to pieces and she was pushed back by a hard slam to her stomach. She felt her stomach churn when the bruise was hit.
"Latias!" Starfire exclaimed, turning to her and Beast Boy. Latias was lying on her stomach, trying to get up. She felt a clawed foot press down on her back and she grunted, her head spinning from the pain.
Starfire turned in time to dodge Robin's kick and floated higher in the air, her fists surrounded by green energy. Robin tossed a couple disks at her which she quickly destroyed. He threw one at the wall next to her and it exploded, sending her into Cyborg's tight grip. Raven followed soon after with another swift kick from Robin. The two girls struggled but couldn't break free.
"Friends, why do you attack us?" Starfire asked, looking at the three boys in confusion.
"Oh, they are not your friends anymore." The girls all stiffened at the new voice. Latias had to strain slightly to be able to see him. Or...it. A strange puppet-man walked out of the shadows, the creepiness reminding her of a Banette. "They are my puppets. These are your friends!"
The girls' eyes widened in horror when the Puppet King pulled out three puppets. The same ones given to them that day.
"Star...fire…"
"Ra...ven…"
"H-Help…"
Latias stared at them, unable to look away or even blink.
"Release them!" Raven growled.
"Sorry, you're not in charge here. You don't command me. I command you."
Robin and Beast Boy held up three puppets; Raven and Starfire's were in Beast Boy's hand, while Latias's was in Robin's.
An aura surrounded the three girls, making them groan as they felt something start forcing its way out.
"And with the Puppet King controlling the strings, the Teen Titans will control the entire city."
Latias shut her eyes tightly and tried to remain grounded as she felt her very being start to be pulled from her. She opened one eyes and watched in horror as her friends' souls were ripped from their bodies. If this keeps up, her-her friends will…
'No…'
Her eyes narrowed, the pink aura turned to blue as her eyes turned the same shade.
'I will not let him take them away!'
Her body glowed white, alerting the Puppet King. "Enough!" He held out his control. Latias ground her teeth together as she felt her soul slipping away. She turned her eyes to the Puppet King in fury.
"You will not...have my FRIENDS!"
A wave of energy shot from her body, pushing everyone back and knocking the control from the Puppet King's hand.
"My control!"
The dots on the controls lit up as the souls of her friends flew out and returned to their bodies. Latias stood, watching her friends return to their senses, then turned her eyes to the Puppet King who had regained his control.
Latias's eyes narrowed and she stepped toward him, glaring down at him. He looked up at her in fear, but it did nothing but make her angrier. She grasped his neck and lifted him up, listening to the rattling sound he made as he shook. Her amber eyes were ablaze with fury.
'You dare try to take my friends away?'
"Starfire…?"
"Raven?!"
Latias frowned and turned in confusion at their voices, her anger momentarily forgotten. What had them sounding so hysterical?
"What is happening?" Raven asked, but her voice came from… Starfire?!
Her jaw dropped.
"How did I get so tall?" Robin asked, looking at his new machine-covered body.
"Why am I wearing a cape?!" Beast Boy asked, looking at Robin's cape.
Latias dropped the Puppet King in her stupor, unable to think as her friend's bodies were switched.
"You are me! And I am you!" Starfire exclaimed, pointing to Raven. The boys also looked at them, then each other.
"No way!" Robin exclaimed.
"What's going on here?!" Beast Boy shouted to the ceiling, scratching his head in confusion.
'Their spirits didn't make it back to their original bodies? But how?'
Behind her, the Puppet King retrieved his remote and narrowed his eyes at the girl who let the Titans go. She was going to be a problem. And she needed to be taken care of. Immediately.
And he had just the tool to do so.
He grabbed the girl's puppet and turned to the unsuspecting Titan. "You will pay for ruining my plans." He held out the remote.
Latias's eyes widened, her body stiffening as it lifted off the ground, the pink aura surrounding her once more. The other Titans looked over and gasped.
"Latias!" Beast Boy exclaimed, stepping towards her.
Latias turned her head slowly to the Puppet King who glared back. "You will not escape me this time. If I can't have all the Titans, then you will suffice." He moved the remote closer to her, the aura surrounding her growing in intensity.
Her body felt like it was on fire, the pain in her stomach growing intensely and weakening her. She shouldn't have let her guard down; it was a stupid mistake. Her mouth opened, her soul being torn forcibly from her body.
The aura disappeared and her body fell to the floor with a thud. Her soul shot into the small puppet, and a pink light shone on the Puppet King's control.
Starfire gasped, covering her mouth in horror. Robin ran over and knelt down next to Latias, shaking her shoulders. "Latias? Latias!" Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy watched in shock.
Suddenly, Latias's body shot up, launching a Shadow Ball at Robin and sending him into the wall.
The other Titans looked to Robin, then back to Latias. She was standing in front of the Puppet King, her eyes glowing blue with a blank look on her face. Cold, lifeless…
"Latias…" Starfire took a step toward her but Robin blocked her with her arm.
"Don't go near her, Starfire," Raven warned. She took a step back, making the others do the same. "You remember what the guys were like when this happened, right?"
"But she's-" Robin shoved them down as a Hyper Beam shot past them.
"Now, destroy them! I do not want them interfering." The possessed girl nodded blankly and raised her hand, getting another blast ready.
"We have to go NOW!" Raven exclaimed. The Teen Titans reluctantly fled, using the smoke from the Hyper Beam as cover.
"After them!" Latias nodded and went in hot pursuit.
She stopped a few hallways down, looking around for any sign of them. She walked slowly, keeping an ear out for any noise. She stepped over a grate, and stopped.
Beneath her, the Titans were dead silent. Starfire's and Beast Boy's mouths were covered by Robin and Raven respectively, all their eyes trained on the feet above them. For a moment, they thought she had found them. But she continued moving down the hall, her footsteps growing quieter and quieter until there was no sound.
Robin and Raven removed their hands, allowing their friends to finally breathe.
"What are we going to do?" Starfire whispered, looking to her friends worriedly as her magic seeped from her body.
Raven held her shoulders firmly. "First, you need to calm down. My powers are driven by emotions. If you feel too strongly, it will lash out."
"O-okay…"
The Titans were able to get into the city through the sewers and hid away in an alley.
"This isn't good. This is NOT good!" Beast boy said as he paced within Robin's body.
"Beast Boy, calm down," Raven ordered, "We'll think of something."
"I hope she is okay…" Starfire said quietly, looking down at the pavement.
"Her? What about US?" Cyborg exclaimed. "I'm over here with green skin and a skin-tight bodysuit!"
"What's wrong with the way I look?"
"How do you use this thing?" Robin asked, poking his arm trying to get anything to pop up. Cyborg quickly grabbed his arm.
"Stop messing with it!"
Starfire was trying to calm herself down as Raven had instructed. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. "Peace, calm, tranq-"
Her magic suddenly burst, causing a car outside the alley to fly into the air. It landed with a loud crash that stopped everyone in their tracks. They all looked to Starfire in surprise, the girl taking more deep breaths.
Robin composed himself quickly and looked to the others. "Okay, we need to come up with a plan to get Latias back and quickly before the Puppet King decides to get rid of her."
Cyborg gave him a look. "Well, that's a great idea. Except for a few things… We've got no clue where she is, no clue how to get her back, and worst of all, none of us know how to use our powers!"
A Shadow Ball landed a few inches away from them, destroying a pile of trash instantly. They all looked up to see Latias rushing towards them.
"Run!" Raven exclaimed, grabbing Starfire's hand and going further into the shadows. The others quickly followed.
They turned a couple corners in an attempt to shake her but she kept on their tail.
"I do not wish to fight her," Starfire said as they continued to run, "In our present condition, we will certainly be defeated."
"Well we're just going to have to…" Robin said, then held up his right arm and turned to Cyborg. "Cyborg, how do you turn this thing into a cannon?"
Beast Boy stopped suddenly and looked around, eyes narrowed in concentration. Starfire noticed this and turned to him. "Beast Boy? Are you-"
"Shh!" He paused again, lifting his head up to scan the sky, then turned and ran to a pile of trash. "Everyone, we need to hide! Now!"
They glanced at each other before following him. They hid behind the wall of trash, hugging close to the bags so as to not be seen.
A few seconds later, they could hear footsteps in the alley, no doubt their pursuer. The footsteps stopped. Raven looked at the wall and saw Latias's shadow; she was right behind them.
A bead of sweat slid down Beast Boy's face, the tension almost too unbearable.
"Enough."
Latias stopped, turning around and walking away from them, but still remaining in the area.
Beast Boy couldn't help himself and leaned over the garbage just a bit to see what was going on, making sure he wasn't too visible. He saw Latias standing in front of the Puppet King. He was unable to see her face, but he could see a good portion of the Puppet King. His eyes narrowed darkly. That bastard was holding the real Latias in his hand.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Beast Boy, calm down," Robin whispered. Beast Boy backed down, though his tense muscles never relaxed.
"We will hunt them down after the ceremony is complete, and this nuisance is gone forever."
Beast Boy's eyes widened when the Puppet King looked to Latias's puppet as he spoke his last words. Gone… Forever?
Even when the two had left he was still frozen in place. Those last words rang in his ears like a mantra.
"Okay, what do we do?" Cyborg asked.
"We need to stop him before he performs this ceremony," Robin stated.
"But how?" Raven asked. "None of us know how to control each other's powers, or abilities. Even if we found them, there's no guarantee we can save her. We know nothing about each other's strengths."
The others were quiet.
"Then we need to learn." The others looked to Beast Boy, who was staring at them in determination. "We need to save her. She risked her life to save us and this is what happened! We need to help her no matter what."
"Beast Boy is right," Starfire added, looking at her friends. "And if we are to learn how to use our powers, we must know everything about each other."
"Good idea, Star," Robin said with a nod.
"I guess I'll go first," Raven volunteered. They all sat in a circle. "I was born in a place known as Azarath…"
It was cold, dark… She couldn't move. It terrified her. She was dangling in the air, suspended only by the strings that stupid puppet guy was holding. She was probably in a very, very bad situation, but she couldn't help but think about the Titans. They were trapped in each other's bodies, unable to use their powers correctly, and they had her actual body attacking them. Thankfully the Puppet King stopped her search for them, but it would only be a matter of time…
She was horrified at the idea of her body going on a rampage.
But what could she do? She was trapped…
She was just about to give up hope when an idea popped into her head. It had been years since she used this ability, and even then she was always on the receiving end. She never activated it first. But if she didn't, then they most likely would never find her.
She tried to concentrate, ignoring the Puppet King's ramblings, ignoring her body's presence, ignoring the strings attached to her. All she needed to do, was focus on her eyes.
"This is getting us nowhere."
The Titans were still in a group, searching the whole city for Latias. Cyborg, in Beast Boy's body, was flying through the air as an eagle, with Starfire, in Raven's body, next to him. The others were on foot.
"We don't have any other leads to go on," Robin said with a sigh. He didn't like it any more than they did.
"Please have faith, friends," Starfire said, looking down at her companions. "We must believe that we will-" She cut herself off with a gasp, her eyes widening. Her body stiffened and her concentration broke.
Raven, in Star's body, looked up just in time. Her eyes widened. "Starfire!" She jumped up and hovered long enough to catch her bridal style. The sudden impact forced her back to the ground but she quickly regained balance. The others joined them as Raven set Starfire back on her two feet. Star's hands were gripping her forehead. "Starfire, what's wrong?"
"I-I don't know…!" Starfire bit out, the pressure in her head increasing. It wasn't...painful, but it was very uncomfortable. "It's like...something's trying to get inside."
"Hang in there, Star," Robin said worriedly, a large hand hovering over her but afraid to touch her.
Her head suddenly shot up, eyes wide and glowing an ethereal blue. The others pulled back slightly in surprise. Suddenly the world warped around them. Everyone, minus Starfire, was looking around in worry and surprise.
"What's going on?" Beast Boy asked, pulling out his staff just in case. They didn't have time for this!
After a few moments the area around them completely changed. They were floating-at least, that's what it looked like-and they were inside a warehouse. Looking at each other, they noted that they all had a strange glow around them, and the area around them seemed more like a movie. As if...they were seeing from someone else's eyes.
"Soon…"
The five jumped in surprise at the booming voice. That was the Puppet King!
Beast Boy was unfortunate enough to be the first to turn around, and screamed in surprise. The others quickly whipped around as well, though Star was still a little out of it, and saw said madman towering above them!
"What are we seeing?" Cyborg muttered in shock.
Raven was able to tear her eyes away from the madman to get a good look around. It was definitely a warehouse. Very run down, full of boxes, dark… Why were they seeing this?
"Very soon the ceremony will commence." The Puppet King's voice boomed in their ears. Suddenly the world moved around them once again, Beast Boy nearly losing balance because of how jarring it was. The Puppet King was now facing them closely. The green boy glared at him angrily. "And once you're gone, the Teen Titans will be child's play to get rid of."
"Gone?" Robin repeated.
"Guys, I think I know-"
"Look!" Beast Boy shouted, pointed to the right of the Puppet King. The others followed his finger and found Latias's body, standing there emotionless and soulless.
"Latias…" Starfire whispered, a hand going to her mouth. She realized what happened.
The world suddenly warped around them again and, in a flash of light, they were back to the alley. Star's eyes lost their glow and she collapsed to her knees with a gasp.
"Are you okay Starfire?" Robin asked, kneeling down and putting a hand on her shoulder. The alien girl nodded after a moment. "What was that?"
"It was Latias," Raven stated. The others looked to her, seeing the worry that usually isn't shown in her eyes. "It had to have been. She must have been trying to tell us something. Did anyone recognize where they were?"
"I did," Robin said, "That warehouse was where I first met Latias. She brought me there to heal after the fight with the Hive."
"Then let's go."
Cyborg sniffed the ground, his body that of a green hound. His head lifted and stared at the abandoned warehouse. He hid behind a large crate where the others were and morphed back.
"Well?"
"She's definitely in there. And that Puppet King's most likely there, too."
"This was where you first met her?" Starfire asked Robin.
"It was her home before she joined the Titans."
"Kinda glad we took her in, then. The place looks ready to collapse any minute," Beast Boy added, staring worriedly at the structure, or lack thereof.
"Come on, let's go."
Cyborg morphed into a fly and flew in through the front door, followed quietly by Beast Boy and Robin. Starfire and Raven nodded and, with some difficulty, managed to get to the roof. They unlocked the door and made their way inside to a balcony. Cyborg was on a pillar closest to the Puppet King while the other two were hiding behind a pillar and a few boxes, waiting for the signal.
"Finally, the time has come for your grand finale," the Puppet King said, pouring a strange blue liquid into the fire and making it bigger.
Up in the rafters, Raven's eyes widened. "No…"
"One you are gone, your body and powers will belong to me." He grabbed the strings of Latias's puppet and held it over the fire. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. "Farewell, Titan." He let go of the strings. The puppet plunged toward the fire, but before she even touched the flames she was surrounded in a black magic sphere. "What?"
The puppet flew up to the rafters and into Starfire's arms. "Latias!"
"Nice work," Raven said, grinning at her ability to use her magic.
Beneath them, the Puppet King turned to Latias's body. "Go, my puppet… Capture them!"
She nodded and turned to the balcony. She jumped up, a mist ball forming in her hand. The girls gasped and stepped back from the edge. The possessed Latias brought her hand back, but was stopped when a blue beam hit her back, sending her past the girls.
"Come on!" Raven said, grabbing Starfire's free hand and running down the balcony. Latias shook her head then pushed herself out of the wall, turning towards her next enemy.
"Booyah!" Robin exclaimed, his cannon pointed at Latias's body. A small trail of steam came from the end. His eyes widened when a Shadow Ball came at him. Beast Boy stepped up and threw a birdarang at it, the impact forcing the Shadow Ball to explode before it reached its target.
Behind her, Cyborg morphed into a gorilla and jumped toward her. Latias turned around, her hand becoming engulfed in a purple-green energy that shaped a dragon's claw. She swiped horizontally, sending him to the ground with a loud thud. She followed him down, punching his cheek harshly enough to break the concrete beneath him.
She turned back towards Beast Boy and Robin, flying toward them. Robin readied his cannon, pointing it at her. His eyes widened when she slammed her foot down on the ground then flipped around him and shot his back with a Shadow Ball, pushing him away. She landed on the ground and turned to Beast Boy.
"Latias, we don't want to attack you," Beast Boy, said, holding his hands out in front of him. She threw a punch at him but he quickly dodged and took a step back. He kept dodging until his back was against the wall. She approached him slowly, eyes glowing eerily in the darkness. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "But I will if I have to."
She threw a punch and he dodged, grasping her wrist. The same happened with her other wrist. The two fought for a minute, pushing against each other. Latias suddenly shoved her knee into his stomach, making him gasp in pain and lose his grip. She punched him in the cheek, then grasped his neck tightly and held him tightly to the wall with his feet in the air.
Beast Boy grit his teeth, grasping her arm and trying to pull it off. He glanced up for a split moment then smirked, coughing. "H...Have a nice... flight."
Latias's body was suddenly lifted into the air by Raven.
"Sorry about this." Raven threw Latias further into the air and into a pillar. "You okay?" she asked after floating back down to Beast Boy.
He nodded, rubbing his sore, bruised neck. "Y-Yeah."
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" A black sphere formed around Latias, trapping her. Starfire had one hand out, the same magic surrounding her hand as she fought to keep it from breaking. In her other hand was the true Latias.
Latias's body looked around at the sphere surrounding her. She clenched her fists and shot a Mist Ball, the attack causing the barrier to falter but not break. Starfire winced, then looked to her friends. "We must hurry! I will not be able to hold onto it for much longer!"
Robin fired another attack at the Puppet King who quickly sidestepped. The Puppet King dodged another attack by Cyborg, backing himself into a corner.
"Give it up!" Cyborg growled.
"Release her!" Robin ordered, his cannon pointed directly at the Puppet King's face.
Their enemy was silent for a moment. "Very well. I will release her." Robin's eyes narrowed.
Suddenly there was a loud bang and a scream. The Titans quickly looked to see Starfire falling from the air with a smoke trail following her, the puppet no longer in her hands. The possessed Latias still floated, her arm out signalling she had fired an attack, the barrier gone.
"Starfire!" Robin pointed his cannon at Latias's body and fired it, the blue beam hitting her Shadow Ball and causing another explosion. Two more Shadow Balls shot through the smoke and hit him and Cyborg.
Beast Boy ran over to the puppet, reaching for it. A swift kick to the back, however, sent him past it and to the ground.
Latias landed next to the puppet and picked it up.
"Now, my puppet! Destroy it!" the Puppet King ordered.
"Don't do it!" Cyborg yelled, but it fell on deaf ears as she walked over to the fire.
"Stop!" Beast Boy said desperately, reaching toward her. Latias's body seemed to pause, looking over to him.
"Enough."
The Puppet King walked over, sensing his puppet's hesitation. Once the true nuisance was gone, there would be no more hesitation…
"Now, the Puppet King is in command." He held the puppet over the fire.
"NO!"
Raven threw a starbolt at him, unable to contain her anger. The bolt hit the fire and destroyed it, the explosion forcing the Puppet King and Latias's body back, the small puppet Latias and his remote being flung into the air. Beast Boy stumbled to his feet and caught the former, ending up on his stomach again.
The Puppet King watched in horror as his control was destroyed in the explosion. The Titan's souls were returned to their original bodies, including Latias. She fell back onto the ground, mentally exhausted.
"Latias!" Beast Boy ran over, finally back in his body. He slid onto his knees next to her and picked her upper half off the floor. "Hey, wake up!" He shook her, worry flooding through him. It was quickly replaced by relief when her eyes did open, no longer the glassy blue. He couldn't help the smile form on his face from relief. "You're okay!"
She looked over to him, eyebrows creasing when she noticed the large bruise on his right cheek. She brought her hand up and brushed her fingers against it.
'Did I...do that?' She winced and brought the same hand to her forehead. 'It's so fuzzy… I-I can't remember…'
"Nooooo!" The Teen Titans looked over to the Puppet King. His eyes and mouth were glowing. "My control! Without it...I'm just a-" The glow disappeared, and his lifeless body slumped to the ground before he could finish.
Latias and Beast Boy stared at it for a few moments longer. He stood up with her, a hand on her stomach and around her back to help her stand. "You okay?" he asked, looking at her worriedly.
She looked at him blankly for a second before her eyes widened and she shoved him away, stumbling back a bit from lack of support.
Beast Boy looked at her in confusion and hurt. "Latias?"
"Is something wrong?" Starfire asked as she and the others walked over. She took a step closer but Latias kept her distance and moved back.
"Man, you really pack a punch," Robin praised, rubbing his stomach. His comment, despite his joking tone, only made Latias feel worse.
'I hurt them… my new friends…'
"Hey, what's wrong?" Beast Boy asked, walking toward her. She backed away even further, staring at them in horror. Her eyes scanned each member and any wounds they got. Beast Boy looked at his teammates as well and quickly realized what she was thinking. "C'mon, it's okay. You had no control over your body."
His words fell on deaf ears as her mind was screaming at her. 'You hurt them. You hurt them. You tried to protect them. And you HURT THEM.'
"Latias, you can't keep doing this. You need to eat." Bianca put her hands on her hips as she stared at the sad Pokemon. Latias was up in her usual tree, facing away from her. "You haven't eaten in days. If you keep this up, you'll die." Still nothing.
Bianca sighed. "Latias, come down. NOW."
After a moment Latias did come down, though it was slow due to how weak she was and the fact she didn't want to move at all. Bianca placed the food down in front of her and she looked at it. She grabbed a piece and played with it between her claws, completely uninterested. She wasn't hungry anymore. Hasn't been for a while.
"Latias, if you don't eat, I'll force you to," Bianca said angrily, finally fed up with her attitude. Latias just stared at her. Bianca grabbed some of the Pokemon food and held it up to Latias's mouth. "Just eat already! I know you don't want to but you NEED to!"
Latias moved her mouth away, not caring if it smeared all over her white fur. She wasn't hungry. Why couldn't Bianca understand and just leave her alone?
"Ugh, you stubborn Pokemon! Do you want to starve to death? How would Latios react if he saw you now?!"
The very mention of her brother sent her over the edge. Latias turned to her friend in a blind rage and slashed her with Shadow Claw. Bianca screamed in pain and held her arm. It had two gashes in it, both deep and bleeding.
Latias's eyes were wide in horror as she stared at what just happened.
Bianca stood, looking at her friend in fear and rage. Finally, she snapped. "Fine then! I tried to help you Latias but if this is how you repay me then you can starve for all I care!" Bianca turned and ran off to get some help, still clutching her arm. Latias reached out for her but was too shocked to go after her. She had hurt her friend… Her only friend… And it had cost her that friendship…
Her arm lowered as did her eyes. Her gaze fell to the food, still sitting on the plate waiting to be eaten. She reached down and grabbed it with one hand and looked at it. She brought it closer to her mouth…
...then tossed it back onto the plate.
Tears formed in her eyes. She shut them and shook her head. She hurt them. She actually attacked them. They weren't going to want her to stick around. Not after this! She was going to be abandoned again… What was she going to do without any help? She wasn't able to talk… What was she going to-
A firm hand grasping her wrist stopped her train of thought almost immediately. Her head whipped up to look at the gloved hand and immediately tried pulling away but couldn't. Gold eyes met green and she froze.
"Don't blame yourself for this; please." She didn't say anything, her body trembling. She was scared…so scared… "None of us blame you for this, Latias. If it wasn't for you… Well, we would all be puppets burning in a fire. That's a pretty crummy way to go, if you ask me," he joked lightly, hoping to soothe her. It didn't. Her breathing was heavy and her hands were trembling like mad.
Behind Beast Boy, Starfire was looking at her worriedly. She was the only one who knew why Latias was reacting in such a way and it made her sad knowing what Latias was thinking. She wanted to tell her everything was alright but had a feeling it would only make things worse. She didn't want that.
Beast Boy finally managed to calm Latias down after telling her a few terrible puns and assuring her that none of them blamed her for what her possessed body had done. She was still a bit shaken up, though. She was clinging onto his arm like he was going to disappear any minute.
"We should head home," Starfire said, looking up at the sky from a hole in the roof. The stars were easily visible.
"Good call. Let's go," Robin agreed. He turned and walked out of the warehouse, followed by Raven and Cyborg. Starfire stayed with Beast Boy and Latias as they dragged behind the others.
"Latias?" Star called gently, trying to get the attention of her friend. She didn't respond, though, as if she were in her own little world.
"I never thought she would react like that…" Beast Boy whispered. Starfire frowned.
"Neither did I…"
Latias took one arm away from Beast Boy and wrapped it around Star's just as tightly, surprising them. She brought them closer to her as if she were hugging them.
"My friends… I-I'm so sorry…"
Beast Boy's and Starfire's eyes widened, their steps faltering for a moment before they continued onward.
They could have sworn they heard something.
And there we go! For those of you who may be confused, here's a list of the Titans and the bodies they inhabit. Please keep in mind that during the story, I still refered to them by their names, despite the body swap.
Robin - Cyborg's body
Beast Boy - Robin's body
Starfire - Raven's body
Raven - Starfire's body
Cyborg - Beast Boy's body
Thank you all for being super patient with me. I love you all~! Please review and let me know if I did good with the fight and if you have any ideas for the story going forward.