CH. 7

Beast Boy:

Beast Boy was still supported by Starfire as they made their way slowly through the green woods. Starfire had already offered to fly them both to their destination, but Beast Boy shook his head and said that it was to dangerous. They had been walking in drizzle for hours, and then the storm had come back. By now, the puddles were more numerous and deeper. After a few hours, Beast Boy had to sit down for fear that he would collapse from exhaustion. He and Starfire sat down in the rain and mud.

"We can't keep going like this Star. We need shelter, we need a fire, and we need food and clean water. We're going to die if we don't find those things," he said sadly. Starfire looked up and to Beast Boy's left. She had a funny feeling that if they went that way…….

"Get up Friend Beast Boy. I have a feeling that what we need is in that direction," she said pointing through the trees.

"I can't walk anymore Star. My ankle is killing me and I'm just too tired," he said softly. Starfire reached down and picked up Beast Boy as if he were a rag doll.

"Then I shall carry you," she said in a determined voice. She began to walk through the rain with Beast Boy piggy backing. When she threw the ferns aside, she saw something that made her heart leap to her throat. There was a rock foundation, a small round foundation maybe twenty feet by twenty feet. It had small but long rectangle windows for shooting. It didn't stand to tall either. It stood about three feet off the ground. Vines and weeds covered and surrounded it. Starfire ran through the muck, splashing mud and water over her combat boots and pants. She found the door covered by a small shrub. She ripped it out as if it were a small dandelion and threw it aside. She walked inside and basked in the dry air and floor. Beast Boy could hear the dripping noise of the water coming off their skin and clothes. Starfire set him down gently and looked around. It was amazing.

Racks of every gun and explosive imaginable lined the walls of the in ground bunker. And the most amazing thing was that they were not rusty or damaged in any way. It was as if they were just manufactured and shipped only yesterday. Starfire picked up an M4 rifle and examined it. Perfect condition. She checked the shooting action by aiming it outside the bunker window and fired. It was already loaded. The sound of the gun exploded and echoed through the woods.

"We could hole up here for God knows how long," said Beast Boy contentedly. Starfire handed him the weapon.

"I'm going for wood and food Friend Beast Boy. Hold up the force," she said. Beast Boy chuckled as she left.

"Fort Starfire, fort," he corrected to her retreating back.

Robin:

Robin, Renee, and Raven sat down in their room, thinking, staring into space, or looking around. Renee had her arm bandaged where the laser had shot her. They were in a predicament. They had headed toward Asia to take down General Stuma. Meanwhile, Aha May had giving quite a few orders. He was almost being pigheaded about it. They were not apart of his team. He was treating them like lowly grunts. They were leaders, not dogs sent to do someone's killing. And yet they were willingly going along with it. Robin half wanted to go ahead of schedule and kill them all now. But then what would they do? Take on the rest of the Generals without help? It just wasn't possible. An alarm suddenly blared. An alien ran to their door and threw it open.

"We're under attack!" He yelled. No longer than a second after he said this, there was a muffled explosion and the ship rocked, sending everyone falling to the floor. Robin forced himself up and wobbled to the alien as the ship continued to rock with more explosions.

"Will they board?" he asked. The alien looked up at him from the floor.

"They already have," he said in a shocked voice. Robin helped him to his feet and threw him out the room.

"Take us to the bridge. Now!" He demanded. The alien didn't dare tell him no. He ran off, stumbling as the ship was shot more and more. Raven and Renee followed close behind. They came to a self sealing door which blew open. Laser fire flew through the air. The alien screeched as it was thrown backwards and skidded to a halt at Robin's feet. He took his AK-47 from his back and fired one shot after another.

"Go go go!" He yelled at the others. They ran down the hall with Robin finally running out of bullets. He strapped his now useless gun onto his back and turned tail and ran. They turned once more and came face to face with Aha May and his group.

"What happened?" Robin demanded.

"We were about to destroy General Stuma when He was destroyed by General Zarko's ship. He shot us and boarded us. We have to run, abandon ship!" Aha May yelled in fear.

"Coward!" Robin roared. He whipped out his daggers and sliced General Aha May's throat. The aliens lifted their guns, aiming at him.

"You kill me and you won't survive. General Zarko's men are just behind us. You need us to stay alive. Now help me defend your ship!" Robin demanded. The aliens looked at one another and fired. Robin fell back into Raven and Renee. Raven put up a force field and teleported them to the docking back. There was no one in site, and General Zarko's ship was just outside, connected with a tube. Raven and Renee set Robin down. His chest was heaving with gasps. His left lung had collapsed and blood was flowing freely.

"Robin," Raven whispered in fear and sadness. Robin chocked, blood spewing from his mouth and nose. He grasped Raven's hand with his own.

"Kill Zarko. Blow this place to bits. Tell Starfire… I love her," Robin felt darkness creep to his sight. Raven was yelling something, but he couldn't hear. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered. He felt his head lean to the side and Robin, Boy Wonder, Batman's partner in Justice, died.

Cyborg:

Cyborg was standing on the bridge with General Crole.

"It seems there is a power struggle here Cyborg," he said as he observed a large battle in Asia on his screen. They were slowly coming to destroy the winner.

"Yes. And you are also playing a part in it aren't you?" he asked with a small smile at his new snake friend.

"Yes Cyborg I am," he said, showing his teeth in his own smile.

"Cyborg, I trust you. I want you to take thirty of my men in the fighters and go board the winner. I will be along shortly. You will be distracting them," he said. Cyborg nodded.

"Of course Crole," he answered. As he made his way to the fighters, he couldn't help but smile evilly. Crole was a real rebel. He talked constantly of overthrowing the queen and destroying the mother ship. He had been kind and trusting enough to tell Cyborg that the Mother ship was their home because they had accidentally destroyed their own planet. He got into a purple fighter with another alien. As it climbed down into its bubble, he started it up.

"Aliens here I come," he sneered as he put on his own ear piece.

Starfire:

Starfire had just gotten back with wood and had killed three raccoons. Beast Boy inched closer as she used her powers to dry off the wood. After it was dry, she gave a tiny spark of green energy which caught the wood aflame. She had collected enough to keep the fire going for two days. Making a spit, Beast Boy placed one of the now skinned raccoons on it and began turning it over the fire. He had told Starfire to grab a few plants to add flavor. After they had eaten all three raccoons, they huddled by the fire, basking in its warmth. In his happiness of being dry and warm, Beast Boy had forgotten all about the pain in his ankle.

"Beast Boy?" Starfire asked softly. He smiled at her.

"Yes," he asked lightly.

"Do you think that the others are ok?" she asked.

"Starfire… we've been in this war to long to die now," he said. The night was creeping in on them fast.

"We better get some sleep," he said. Tomorrow we have to assess the situation and find a solution," he said. He leaned back against the wall and fell asleep instantly. Starfire looked around, listening to the sounds of the night. The chirp of crickets, the calls of night birds, the clicking and chirping of bats, the croak of frogs, all together working on the same symphony. Her eyes grew heavy as she leaned back and also fell asleep.

Raven:

Raven shook Robin's form, but his eyes only stared blankly to the side. Tears poured from her face. Renee also had a few stray tears fall down her cheeks.

"Robin!" she wailed as she hugged his still bleeding body. All those years they had fought side by side. She remembered when they had first met. Her friends had just met and were at each others throats. Only Beast Boy cared about Robin. Cyborg was as much a loner as her and Starfire was an enraged alien from another planet trying to get free from her cuffs and captors. They had grown up together for so long, had joked together and fought each other when they didn't agree. Now he was gone. It was impossible to fathom.

"Raven, we have to go," Renee said in a chocked voice. Raven leaned back and closed Robin's electric blue eyes.

"We aren't leaving him," she said in a strangled voice. Using her powers, she lifted him into the air and together, Renee and Raven walked through the tube connecting the ships with Robin in the lead. They appeared around sapphire blue fighters. Raven and Renee ran to one and hid Robin inside it, closing and locking the door.

"We'll be back," she said. They felt the ship rock a bit as they ran. It had just disconnected from the other ship. General Zarko had won. Raven didn't want to see the carnage as the ship, bursting into flames fell to the ground in the pouring rain. She and Renee, Robin's death still heavy on their hearts ran through the ship. Raven had her machete out and had given Renee her .45 revolver. When they made it to the bridge, surprisingly never meeting any aliens, they burst in; machete held high and gun pointing. There stood an alien with its hands clasped behind him. It was General Zarko. He turned with his teeth showing.

"Raven," he hissed darkly, "We meet at last." She glared with hatred. His gaze moved to Renee and then he scowled.

"You are one member short my dear Raven. Where is the one called Robin, your leader?" he asked.

"Dead," she snarled, "Because of you fucking freaks!" she was beside herself.

"But can you not bring him back to life?" he asked with a frown, "You control time."

"That was once on my birthday and I can't just turn it on and off. It was an accident the first time," she hissed.

"Then his loss is regrettable," he said.

"Why?!" Raven shouted. "You don't care for us!"

"True," he said, "I only care for you. It is you that will save my life. The queen has offered a pardon to the one who brings you to her. Now that I have you, I can make my way to the ship." And with that, he manipulated the controls. But before he could make the ship go, there was a loud retort. He was thrown onto the controls and slid down, his armor blown apart and his back shredded by the .45 in Renee's hands. He slumped to the ground.

"How did that bozo become General? He turned his back on weapons," Renee said in disbelief. Just then the alarm went off. Aliens came swarming into the room, guns held up and pointing. When they had produced a long line, another one came in, walking slowly. The click-click of his feet echoing across the bridge.

"Raven and Renee," it said. Then Cyborg came in. Raven and Renee's jaws dropped.

"Cyborg… what… how…" Raven was at a loss for words.

"I will explain later. Right now, you have to come with us to Crole's ship. We have lots to talk about," he said.

"Cyborg… Robin is dead," Raven said. Cyborg stumbled backwards as if he had been hit by a train.

"What?" he asked in shock.

"He was shot. He's gone," Renee said softly. Cyborg fell to his knees.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"In a fighter in the docking bay. The door will be locked," Raven said. Cyborg forced himself up.

"Then lets go," he said, tears coming to his face. They trooped out to get Robin.

Renee:

They buried Robin on Earth at the foot of the Tower. After saying their last few words, they boarded Crole's ship and headed back to where they had last lost Starfire and Beast Boy. No one wanted to be the one to tell Starfire about Robin's death. They scoured and searched until they found Starfire by almost flying into her. She looked scared until Raven teleported outside. They went and picked up Beast Boy, who kissed Raven passionately from worry. When they were all aboard, Starfire looked around.

"Where is Robin?" she asked curiously, "Is he well?" Beast Boy looked to the others as well. He had just had Raven heal his injury.

"Robin…" Renee started. All eyes moved to her, "Is dead Starfire." Starfire stared for a few seconds, and then sank to the floor in a dead faint. Everyone crowded around her to make sure she was ok. Cyborg took her to the ships infirmary while the rest conversed with Crole. There was only Zeng left to deal with. Zeng himself had killed the other when it had attacked him.

"What we have to do," said Beast Boy, "Is destroy Zeng first, take his ship, and then use Crole's and Zeng's to destroy the mother ship." Crole shook his head.

"No. Zeng has returned. He has already given me in as a traitor. I can assure you that if I come within firing range of the mother ship, we will be obliterated immediately," Crole said. Cyborg came back looking glum.

"How is she?" Renee asked.

"She'll live," he said, "But she's extremely weak. Her heart can't take much more. If one more of us dies, she'll drop where she stands."

"I have an idea," Raven said. Minutes later, all the titans and Renee were tied, gagged, and blindfolded. Crole opened a link to the queen.

"Your majesty, I have all the titans but two in captivity. The other two have died in the battle," he said.

"Zeng has put you down as a traitor. I trust Zeng with my life. Why have you betrayed us?"

"Zeng was mistaken. I am no traitor; I have them here behind me. See for yourself," he said. They heard him walking out of the way.

"I told you to dispose of them. I only want Raven. Kill the others and when you get into the docking bay, I want to see their carcasses myself." With that, the link was terminated. Crole undid all the ropes and chains. When they stood up, Crole faced them.

"We're in. and the chances of survival in this small war are slimmer than a hair," he said.