Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos !
Alright, so here is what you get when you work hard and well for your company : you get DEmoted instead of PROmoted…! Unfair, did ya say ? You bet ! But since I'm a pretty resilient folk, I'll once again grit my teeth and smile anyway, ignore the bitter aftertaste in my mouth. But will I give 100% of myself into work, from now on ? Given the "reward", I'll say… not so sure ! Damn unfair bosses ! Ah well…
Okay, so as usual, my gratitude to Ana and Sammy for their constant reviews, and welcome to the fanclub to Azerly and…Ravenandbb4ever ! The latter is one of my fav's and therefore one of the dedicatees of this story, so I'm more than happy that she starts following the story I wrote for her and the other five. Always more fans… just awesome !
And all my kindest vibes to those who have started "refreshing" the MBC archive with brand new stories. It was about time, since there hadn't been anything new for quite some time. So yeah, Big Up to the "renewers" ! :D
Where was I again ? Oh yes, here :
N'joy !
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"Gluttony is an emotional escape, a sign something is eating us." - Peter De Vries
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8.6 */*/*/* GLUTTONY */*/*/* 8.6
What a great landscape that was !
A splendid countryside filled with so much greenery : trees, bushes, flowers…
A river nicely meandering in the ocean of green stretching in all directions towards the horizon.
A "sunflood" gently warming up animals, who found it so pleasing to rest in the grass, under this caressing sun.
And of course, nature was filled with birds' chirps, a very pleasing "music" to the ears.
Everything in the surroundings invited the lonely walker to the joy of senses, everything was so agreeable and soothing.
In this peaceful and harmonious landscape, human laughter was in its right place, as a part of the overall harmony.
More precisely, the laughs of two girls who were moving slowly through Nature's welcoming lands. But they were not walking, like people usually do : they were floating !
One had red hair, green eyes and wore a purple uniform, the other one had grey skin and a black leotard which was hidden under a pink cloak.
"Ah ah ah ! You really are so funny, Happy !" shrilled Starfire.
The grinning emoticlone laughed on.
"And so are you, Starfire !" Happy complimented back. "I've always got along just fine with you. Or should I say : Raven has always got along fine with you thanks to me !"
The Tamaranean nodded.
"Yes, it is true ! Friend Raven and me are very different, but we became good buddies with time passing by. I speak and laugh a lot, but she doesn't say much and rarely laugh. So, at first, because of these differences, I didn't think I could get along with her, and I do think that maybe she felt the same about me. That I was too loud and too cheery for her. And we could have kept our distances, staying simple teammates…"
Star recalled the events which had enabled the bonding between the Goth and herself.
"But then, there was this adventure with the switching of the bodies, between her and me. And she at first was grumpy… but then we discussed, and she told me more about her, and I told her more about me, so we could know how we functioned… and we meditated, later on… and so, we finally became more than just teammates : we became friends with each other. And it was… hum, cool ?"
The alien girl hesitated as she asked the last word more than she actually pronounced it.
Happy laughed wholeheartedly.
"Ah ah, yup, it was cool, as you say ! I had always enjoyed your company, but our Master kind of stifled my "voice", as she behaved and thought so differently from you. It was only when you switched body with her that it changed, and the distance existing between you and her diminished a lot. That switching of bodies was so fun, by the way !"
The extravert emoticlone guffawed once more at the recall of that bizarre adventure of theirs.
Something had drawn Starfire's attention in the speech of her interlocutor.
"Happy, why do you call friend Raven "Master" ? It sounds like you are a servant of some sort…"
The Pink Cloak smiled on as she replied.
"Well, Raven is our Master. She leads me and the other emotions, and decides if she will grant us "room" to express ourselves or if she will confine some of us, "stifle" us like I said before. But "Master" is a term of respect that all of us emotions use for Raven. It doesn't imply that we are her slaves or so, but rather that we belong to her and that we have to listen to her directions."
And immediately after ending her utterance, Happy quickly added :
"God, I start to sound like Knowledge, with all that intellectual blah blah !"
After which the cheery girl winked to Star and chuckled, the Tamaranean soon imitating her.
"Tell me, Happy" the red-haired alien then began "what do you think the Keeper looks like, in this world ? A wizard with a cape ? A powerful fighter ? A monster ?"
Happy pondered this, her forefinger set on her chin, eyes raised to the blue sunny sky.
"Mmmmh… Waow, that's a complex question ! Not a clue, really ! But hey, we'll know soon enough what he's like…that is, if we know where to find him in here !"
"Yes, you're right. We have to find him first. I wonder where he is. And there is nobody here to help us with the finding of him."
The emoticlone couldn't help laughing lightly at this.
Star stared at her, somewhat puzzled.
"Did I say anything funny ?"
Happy smiled nicely at her.
"Well, the way you phrase some of your sentences is amusing. Because English is not your native language. I'm not making fun of you, Star, mind you : I'm laughing with you, not at you ! No hard feelings, right ?"
"Ah yes, I get it ! It's okay, no hard feelings, like you said. I know I speak differently than you do, and that you're not completely used to it. And also that you're not laughing at me."
The extravert emotion nodded.
"Thanks for being comprehensive, Starfire. And God, why do I have to sound so much like Knowledge today, using such complicated words as "comprehensive" here or "phrase" before ? Am I becoming intelligent at last, or what ?"
This made both the green-eyed alien and herself burst out laughing once again.
But they suddenly stopped as they noticed a radical change in the landscape.
Both girls came to a halt and looked around them with wide eyes, their sense of humor on standby.
They couldn't believe the complete modification the surroundings had undergone.
Around them, everything had lost its normal aspect to be replaced by…
"Food ! Food everywhere !" stated Happy.
"But how is that possible ?" asked a bewildered Starfire.
The road before them had turned brown, as it was now an endless chocolate bar, stretching as far as the eye could see. The trees were from now on made of cotton candy. The river flowing on the right had turned pink, as it now consisted of strawberry syrup. The flowers had become edible as they had been replaced by marshmallow replicas. And the grass itself could henceforth be eaten, being presently made of a multitude of mint blades.
"But what the heck…?" questioned Happy, phrasing aloud her thought rather than asking the question to her companion, who anyway couldn't obviously supply the answer.
The ingenuous Titan bent down and picked up a flower, which she cautiously started to eat, unsure that it definitely would be safe (after all, a candy-looking stuff can technically still be poisoned or contain any other nefarious substance).
"Mmmmmmh, it's delicious !" screamed Starfire. "Do you want to taste ?"
Happy looked thoughtful.
"Hum, no, thanks ! I'm wondering how the change happened. And why."
They still were looking around them, and that's when the hyper Titan noticed a new element in the landscape.
"Oh, look, Happy ! Over there ! There's someone !"
The grey-skinned one looked where her friend was pointing and indeed saw a large figure in a distance, sitting under a tree and apparently eating, as far as the girls could tell from where they were.
"I'll go ask him if he knows where we can find the Keeper" announced Star.
And with that, she swiftly floated away, towards the stranger.
The smile of the cheery emoticlone suddenly vanished as a thought emerged in her head. It hit her that while Starfire thought that the mysterious person could help them locate the Keeper, she may be wrong, and that the stranger she wanted to get help from could actually be…
"No, wait, Starfire !" called Happy, flying quickly after the ingenuous alien.
But it was too late : the latter had already landed in front of the lonely eating being (A/N : nice rhyming, uh ? XD) and started asking her question : "Hello, we are looking for a Keeper ! Could you…?"
"Star, WAIT !" screamed Happy, louder, as she was urging towards her friend.
The Teen Titan turned around to take a look at her cloaked partner, thus drawing her attention away from the lonesome eater, and…
…she felt a sharp pain in her chest, then let out a cry of pain and collapsed on the side !
Happy landed by her side and put herself in front of her hurt friend, her usual joyous grin replaced by a menacing smirk while she frowned at the enemy.
The stranger, who had stopped eating upon Starfire's arrival and had cast an attack at the red-haired girl while she was busy looking at the grey-skinned girl, snorted when he saw this.
"You want to be hurt badly, like your buddy ?" he threatened.
"Just try and we'll see who hurts who…" retorted the emoticlone.
"We'll see, really !" he mockingly let out, and he grunted loud before opening his mouth and releasing a pink spurt from it.
Happy had anticipated his new attack and dodged it before using her black energy to remove a big rock from the ground and project it at the foe.
But the mineral projectile didn't reach its target : instead, it crashed against some invisible barrier and fell down a short distance from the bad guy.
When she saw that, the Pink Cloak knew she had guessed right when she had tried to warn Starfire, asking her to wait instead of talking to the mysterious figure : she had sensed that the latter, whom the Tamaranean wanted to ask about the Keeper, may in fact be the Keeper himself !
And the fact that there was an invisible obstacle blocking the path to the enemy confirmed this intuition : it was the barrier set around the Keeper and controlled by the aura of a Guardian, in the Subterraneas !
Happy kneeled down by Starfire, her look still on their foe.
"Starfire… are you okay ?"
The addressee of this question winced but managed to sit and give her friend a comforting look.
"I'll be alright. But he attacked me from behind ! Such a treacherous behaviour ! But why did he do that ?"
Happy smiled wider when she saw her companion feeling apparently better, but she kept an eye on their common adversary.
"That's because he is the Keeper ! Isn't it, Big Pig ?"
She had uttered that insult because the attacker indeed had a pig's head over what seemed, at first sight, a man's body. But his arms and feet were pink as well, which suggested that his whole body was a pig's. It therefore looked like a hog able to remain upright, in standing position, like a human.
"Indeed. I am Gluttony and you are in my domain, where you have nothing to do. I will therefore have to kill you. And then, I will eat your corpses."
Happy had healed Starfire, as all emoticlones had that power, just as their Master, and the green-eyed alien felt that she was back in good condition.
"No, you will not !" screamed the latter. "We will fight you and beat you !"
"Quite so !" confirmed the Pink Cloak. "Ready for defeat, Gluttony ?"
The huge Pig snorted loudly, his eyes narrowing.
"Ready for your defeat ! And now, let's fight for good ! Get this !"
And the Pig let out from his snout's nostrils a big blue matter which wrapped around the two girls in no time.
"What is that ?" asked a baffled Happy.
Starfire had already taken some of it in her mouth.
"Cotton candy !" she exclaimed, beaming. "Mmmmh, it's so good !"
"Alright, but we're prisoners from it, so it's not exactly time for a tasting session !" pertinently pointed out the emoticlone.
Gluttony came nearer.
"Actually, it is time for a tasting session : I will taste you as I eat all of your bodies. What a nice way to end your life : to end up as food, the very support of life ! Ah ah ah !"
Star's eyes shone bright and she directed the green ray down to the blue sugary cocoon keeping her still.
The ray made its way through the cotton candy, freeing instantly the Titan.
And on her side, Happy had already let out the three magic words, which enabled a black sphere to form around her body, thus making the blue cocoon explode.
Both fighters were free again.
"Well done !" said Gluttony. "But you're not through yet !"
He opened his mouth and a brown spiraling ray came out of it, aiming at the girls.
Both moved to avoid it and Star cast her bolts at the Keeper. But, just like before, they hit an invisible barrier.
The brown spiral moved swiftly and the two allies had to swiftly fly away to avoid getting caught. They hid behind a large rock made of sugar candy.
"I couldn't touch him !" the Tamaranean said.
"That's because of his barrier. We need the aura which will delete that barrier. I'll contact Master about it."
And the Pink Cloak quickly focused and sent her telepathic message.
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Raven opened her eyes, only to find herself resting on cold stones, in a deserted place.
She sat up and looked in front of her.
To her surprise, she noticed that the mound where the Guardian's lair was set had completely vanished.
At the exact place where that mound was located, there was nothing but a bed of pebbles. As if, by vanquishing Griffin, Raven had also destroyed his "home"…
But there also was something else. Something new.
A portal.
It had appeared right where the monster's lair used to be. And it seemed obvious to Rae that it led to the next Guardian.
The Dark Titan got up and started to float towards the new entryway that had been created… or revealed, after the mound had disappeared.
That's when she felt something inside her head.
A voice.
Master, it's Happy ! Can you hear me ?
The Azarathian focused her inner strength and replied.
Yes, Happy, I can hear you. What is the matter ?
There was a short break before the answer followed.
Star and I are fighting a pig monster called Gluttony. But we can't reach him because there still is his barrier around him. Can you please let me know if you already defeated the Guardian and sent the aura ?
Yes, Happy, I did win, and dispatched the aura to the Vault. I will check with Robin. But I guess the aura should be at your end really soon. Stay alert.
Thank you for your help, Master. We will wait, and contact you if the aura hasn't arrived here in a moment.
Good luck, Happy ! You and Starfire !
Thank you, Master. Back at you !
Raven ended the telepathic communication with a smile on her lips. Happy really had to make her smile. Back at you ! That was really unexpected… and funny ! She liked Happy for that : the amusing moments she created !
And after all, if it wasn't for her cheery emoticlone, she would be dull and creepy ALL the time. So she definitely owed Happy her nicest moments.
Raven focused her mind again to open another telepathic link.
And she soon released her thought to the addressee.
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Robin was still lost in thought when it happened.
He had just raised his head and was staring dreamily at the other side of the Vault…
…when a movement dragged his attention, on the left side.
There was something moving in the frame of the grey portal. Something that was floating and revolving on itself.
The leader got up and slowly walked to the grey portal, his eyes glued to the new element that had just shown up.
He finally stopped in front of the shiny blue blob which floated and continuously changed shape.
Could that be…?
And that's when he heard it.
Robin ! It's Rae ! Can you hear me ?
Rae ! How are you ? Better, now ? I hope you are !
Yes. Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern. Tell me, did you receive the aura through the Subterraneas portal ?
Does it look like a blue shape constantly changing ?
Yes ! That's it ! It's inside the portal right now ?
Indeed. It just arrived here.
Perfect ! You'll now have to focus hard and stretch your arms towards the aura, then move your arms towards the Limbo portal. The aura will follow your movement and arrive to the other side. And once it is in the black portal's frame, it will enter Limbo and fly by itself to the corresponding Keeper.
Alright. I will do that. But Rae… How are you ? Is your body in good condition again ? Could you heal yourself completely ?
He couldn't know it, of course, but at the other end, Raven felt a wave of tenderness overwhelm her, as she realized he was worried about her… and had been worrying all the way. And this moved her. A lot.
Thank you so much for your kind concern, Rob. And don't you be anxious about me : I'm perfectly fit again, now. And ready for the second battle. I appreciate your caring for me. And you, how are you, tell me ?
I'm okay. Although I'd prefer being by your side, helping you fight the Guardians. I hate the idea of being forced to stay here while you're struggling hard against monsters. You shouldn't have to do it all by yourself. I should be helping you. And this frustrates me, as you can certainly sense now.
Yes, I do feel frustration in your personal psyche. And I'm sorry you can't help me. And thank you, once again. (a short break) Now, please help the aura fly through the Vault, and contact me if there are any problems. Okay ?
Okay.
Robin took a few steps back stretched his arms in direction of the aura and opened his hands.
Then he let his arms move to the right and stopped them when they were facing the black portal.
The shiny blue blob obediently followed the direction and soon reached the darker entrance. Then it stopped inside the black frame and…
Everything okay, Rob ?
Yes, Rae. The aura has just disappeared inside Limbo. It's done. Thank you for your help !
No : thank YOU, Robin ! Thank you for your invaluable help ! And for your care !
You're welcome. It's natural. You are my good friend, Raven. And I like you. I…I mean… I like you like I do all my friends.
I like you too, Robin. As a very good friend. Very good, yes…
A short break again. Hot faces. Saliva swallowed, on both sides.
Look, Robin, I… have to go. For the lair of the second Guardian. Take good care of you and… and we'll talk later, right ?
Right. And please, Raven… please… be very careful ! And contact me if need be, okay ?
I will. Thank you, Rob. For…everything.
You deserve it, Rae…
Then the telepathic link ended and Robin remained there, standing in the middle of the Vault, his heart beating fast, his body experiencing unusual warmth… and a curious tingling teasing his stomach.
Maybe some butterflies flying in there ?
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Starfire quickly flew away, dodging another attack from the monster.
She cast another star bolt at him, but it crashed against the invisible barrier.
"It's still on !" she squealed. "Did Friend Raven tell you when the aura would be here ?"
The cloaked teen quickly looked at her companion after avoiding Gluttony's brown spurt.
"She said it was on its way. It should be here soon. But the sooner the better, yes."
Just as she finished her utterance, the Pig made an unexpected move before launching its brown spurt and the latter hit the Tamaranean, who this time hadn't been swift enough in her avoiding gesture.
The arm of the green-eyed alien became all brown. It actually resembled…
"There ! Your arm has turned into chocolate ! Yummy !" yelled Gluttony.
And he opened his mouth wider, giving way to his dark pink tongue, which stretched on and on, wrapped around the now edible arm of Starfire, pulled hard and…
"AAAAAAHHHHH !" screamed Star, a horrible pain pulsating throughout her body.
The monster had broken her arm away from the body and brought it back to its greedy mouth. He began chewing it, a satisfied expression plastered on his features.
"My…my arm !" shouted the Titan, holding the stump having replaced her arm.
The Guardian started to laugh loudly.
"Ah ah ah ! Serves you right, girl ! And this is just the beginning ! I'll transform all of your body into chocolate… or maybe into candy… and devour you completely !"
Happy finally had lost her smirk, that she had kept on all the time up to then.
"You'll pay for that, Gluttony ! I swear you'll pay !"
"Oh yeah ?" the Keeper scorned. "Make me !"
Just then, an unidentified flying object (A/N : yup, that's a UFO indeed ! ;P) appeared in a distance and headed towards the Pig, as if magnetized by him.
The enemy hadn't seen anything yet.
The object closed in fast.
Starfire and Happy just had the time to realize it was a blue and shining stuff…
…before that stuff hit the invisible barrier !
There were sparkles and a loud booming sound… and finally an explosion !
"My barrier !" hollered the voracious being. "It's destroyed !"
And just when he finally snapped out of his stare and looked up, he received a dark energy ball straight in his face !
"OUCH !" he screamed, a mix of pain and fury now inhabiting him.
"That's for hurting Starfire !" screamed the Pink Cloak, the smirk back on her face, as she frowned on. "And be ready for more !"
She cast dark missiles, and the Keeper began moving this way and that way, but he still got caught a few times.
Busy as he was, trying to avoid Happy's assaults, he didn't see Starfire gesturing towards him. And when he realized something was coming his way, it was already too late !
The star bolt reached his face, just like the dark ball cast before by her teammate, and the Keeper howled as loud as he could.
When he removed his hands from his face, there was a mad stare haunting his globes. A lethal stare.
"I will kill you ! I will kill you and eat you !"
Happy snorted.
"Oh yes, really ? Well, I'd be curious to see how…AAAAAAHHHH !"
The Pig had counter-attacked so quickly that the emoticlone hadn't had time to do anything to protect herself.
This time, the humanoid beast had cast her enemy some green liquid. And the latter was now burning Happy's leg.
"Oh my gOOOOD ! It hUUUrts !" shouted the grey-skinned one.
"Isn't it ?" proudly exclaimed Gluttony. "And you know what that is ? My gastric juice ! It's now attacking your skin, and will burn you continuously ! Now get this !"
He started launching several attacks, which the cheery emotion dodged… save for one, which hit her left arm.
"AAAAAAHHHHH !" yelled the cloaked girl.
"HAPPY !" Star screamed on top of her lungs.
The Pink Cloak quickly flew down and hid behind a large rock, just to leave herself time to deal with her burning wounds.
The Tamaranean felt a tidal wave of wrath submerge her mind and heart.
"You will regret doing that to my Friend !" she shouted angrily.
And the next minute she dived down and let the green rays leave her mad eyes.
Gluttony, who wasn't expecting an eye raid, and therefore wasn't prepared for that new kind of attack, couldn't move fast enough to avoid the rays.
The face of the Pig started to release smoke, as the pink flesh was blazed from the powerful rays.
"AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH !"
"I will never let you harm my friends ! Never !" shouted the usually ingenuous, now livid alien.
But Gluttony wasn't down yet, and he released another sudden attack, which reached Star's leg, before the girl could move to avoid it.
The leg turned into a large candy.
And the very next minute, the monster's tongue tore that candy apart from the body, yielding a deafening yell from the Tamaranean.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH !"
The young extraterrestrial was gritting her teeth hard, as tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. The pain was so intense that it made her cry.
"You maybe disfigured me, but be sure I'll dismember you limb after limb to make you pay for that. Get ready to die, female !" shouted a mad Pig.
"Never…never…" painfully enunciated the Titan.
The monster roared with laughter once again.
"And now, I'll suck you up and let my gastric juice digest you. Say hello to Satan for me !"
The Keeper's mouth opened wider…and wider…and wider ! And indeed, an in-draught started, meant to drag her inside.
Starfire tried to fly away but she didn't move much, the fatal attraction preventing her from getting away from her actual place.
"No ! Noooo !" screamed Starfire.
She didn't manage to make it.
She couldn't resist.
And started to dread that it could be the end…
But suddenly she heard something below her.
Three words.
And the next second, Happy was springing up from behind her rock, a large ball of dark energy concentrated in her hands.
"Here is for you !" loudly exclaimed the emoticlone.
And she cast her magical weapon at the Keeper.
Gluttony was surprised, but while he would have just enough time to move off in order to dodge the round black missile, he still decided to stick to his base. He felt he could absorb her ball in his enormous belly. She wouldn't get him. No way. Not a female.
The dark energy sphere got stuck in the gaping mouth of the Pig.
That's when Happy swiftly jerked her head to Starfire.
"Star, please, cast a huge star bolt on my energy ball ! Quick !"
The red-haired one nodded and rapidly gathered a large green orb in her remaining hand, which she cast towards the enemy.
The bolt powerfully hit the black ball…and the latter briskly disappeared inside the monster !
"He…he has swallowed it !" exclaimed Star.
"Yes… and that's what I wanted !" replied Happy, smiling again after a long period of seriousness.
And immediately after saying so, she stretched her arms in direction of Gluttony and uttered her sacred words.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos !"
At first, nothing seemed to occur. The beast wasn't attacked by any magical force. Things apparently remained unchanged.
But then…
"What… what is happening ?!" let out a very anxious Keeper.
His belly was swelling and swelling, gradually, and it now looked like he had a large sphere in place of a regular abdomen.
"What did you do to me ?!" screamed the Pig.
Happy snorted.
"I trapped you. And now, Gluttony… AU REVOIR !"
The Pink Cloak then shouted her three words once again, louder this time, and the body's swelling accelerated instantly, always more, more, more, until…
A loud BANG was heard throughout that sunny world of Subterraneas, as the greedy body exploded in billions of pieces, which landed a bit everywhere !
"You defeated him ! You won, Happy !" shrilled a hyper Starfire.
Her cloaked companion grinned as wide as she could.
"Did you ever doubt that, Star ? Now, give me five !"
Both female fighters then high-fived, smiling brightly.
Then the Titan spotted something on her companion.
"But your body… it's burned here and here (she pointed at the places) from his green juice !"
The enthusiastic emotion took a look at her wounds.
"Oh, don't worry : I'll live !"
And both guffawed.
"Oh, look !" exclaimed the purple-dressed alien.
She was pointing her finger at her friend's body.
Happy directed her purple eyes below… and almost gasped !
The wounds inflicted by Gluttony's gastric juice were vanishing slowly from the grey skin !
And a few seconds later, the limbs of the emoticlone were intact again. As if nothing.
"I guess it's related to Gluttony's death…" explained the Pink Cloak. "Oh, look ! Your body, Star !"
And sure enough, the missing limbs of the Tamaranean were gradually reappearing, out of thin air.
A few seconds later, the Titan was complete again, in perfect shape.
"YAY ! We're just like we used to be ! It is a miracle !" chirped the alien.
"We have made it, Starfire ! We have won ! The first Keeper has been defeated ! It's just the beginning, but still, it's encouraging, no ? Big Up for the Titans and the Emoticlones ! Ah ah ah !"
"It is encouraging, yes !" conceded the alien on a joyous tone. "Oh, look ! The landscape !"
The surroundings, which had been turned into food when the greedy monster had appeared, were now gradually getting back to normal. No more cotton candy, chocolate or caramel around them. Just plain trees, bushes, river, road.
But there was more…
"There's something, over there !" let out the red-haired girl.
She was pointing at a pink flame, which was levitating right where the Keeper had been standing right before his death.
"Could it be Gluttony's vital energy ?" suggested Happy.
Just then the flame rose higher, then parted in two and both parts flew away in opposite directions.
They soon were out of sight on two antipodal lines of horizon.
"Why did it cut it two ? And where are the two parts going ?" asked the Titan.
"Not a clue, Star, not a clue…" replied the emoticlone, perplexed.
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A light green portal.
Set in a mysterious place.
And around that portal, eight circles of different colours. Eight force fields protecting the access to the portal.
And nobody in this vicinity. Absolutely no one. Therefore, no movement.
No movement, yes… until…
A tiny pink flame emerged from the darkness. The half of the Vital Core of the Keeper Gluttony.
The flame floated to the eight force fields and slowed down right in front of the most external coloured circle, which was pink.
The pink flickering flame touched the pink circumference.
Void appeared at the exact spot of the contact.
And started to develop, growing bigger and bigger, slowly making the colour diminish, on and on, until the void had deleted the colour completely.
The pink circle had disappeared, leaving now seven other similar circumferences of various tints.
Everything was now back to normal in the mysterious place.
But an evil thought was lurking around the place, God knows where it originated from…
Not bad for a start, Raven ! Not bad at all ! But this is just the beginning ! You'll have to do far more, and far better. Good luck, Azarath daughter…
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They were stuffing themselves with all kinds of food. Devouring anything edible they could find. Eating up pounds and pounds of various nourishment.
And they didn't seem like they would give it a rest anytime soon.
Those gluttonous people had already hurt many policemen before and even killed two of them. And the police had finally retreated for a while, in order to know how they could contain those half-demented folks.
But where was the long-waited police backup ?
Where on Earth ?
"I've just called them back" stated superintendent Moser. "They say that the reinforcement units are on their way."
"Let's hope that, with their help, we'll be able to control the whole mess…" lieutenant Heathfield let out in a sigh.
"You said it, Victor. Now-"
But the chief interrupted his own speech, as he had spotted something behind Heathfield.
The young man was about to ask what the matter was, but reconsidered it and rather turned around to check it out by himself.
And his eyes widened while his jaw dropped.
A tiny pink flame was floating towards the frenetic devourers.
Both men observed silently, wondering what the heck was that flame.
The latter stopped close to the group of gluttons, who watched that pink flickering flame, wondering what it was doing right under their noses.
And that's when it took place.
Out of all the bodies came out pink rays which targeted the flame and quickly sunk into it.
The flame abruptly swelled, growing bigger and bigger in a wink.
Then it began to shine, its glint turning to dazzling in no time.
And it finally evaporated into thin air with a WOOSH !
Everything was dead quiet afterwards.
Nobody uttered any single word.
But a patent change could now be noticed.
All the gluttons were now looking at each other, then at the food they had in both hands, then at all the greasy stains covering their clothes, and finally at the diverse foodstuff laid on the floor, waiting for them to stuff down their throats with utter haste.
And all of them visibly looked shocked by what they saw. Some were even scratching their heads, their perplexed looks wandering around them, to try and figure out what had been occurring in that place.
And, at last, everyone threw away or dropped the food and wiped their mouth clean.
The policemen finally saw all their fellow citizens come to them, a stupefied expression plastered on everyone's features.
"Good evening ! Can… can you tell us… what happened ?" one of them hesitantly phrased.
Heathfield and Moser exchanged dazed looks and then stared back at the group which, a few minutes ago, was lost in a greed trance, paying attention to nothing else than food.
"You… you don't remember anything ?" asked the superintendent, visibly baffled.
"No, I don't…" replied the man.
"Me neither !" added another one.
"And neither do I !" exclaimed a third one.
The policemen remained silent for a few seconds, then Heathfield spoke up.
"It's as if you had forgotten everything. An amnesia of some sort. Strange…"
"Yes, but you saw what happened, didn't you ?" asked a woman.
"Well, everything we saw was all of you breaking in that bakery, stealing cakes and pastries and wolfing them down your throats, one after the other. You had turned into gluttons. But we ignore the exact reason why. You really have no memory of it ?"
"Apparently not…" a teenager said.
"Why did we do that ?" wondered a kid.
"Nobody knows, it seems…" concluded a mature man in three-piece suit, the latter being all stained by chocolate cake.
There was an uneasy silence, as people realized that no one would be able to explain the precise origin of their sudden excesses.
Then the superintendent spoke up.
"Listen, ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we will never be able to understand that mystery. I therefore suggest you all head back home and grant it no further importance. What really matters is that things came back to normal here. We don't know how this got solved, but it did get solved, and that's the main point. So please get back home and have some rest ! We'll ensure the cleaning of the area."
After a while, all the people had left, after thanking the policemen and wishing them good night.
"They have been… "cured" from their insatiable greed after that pink flame showed up. I wonder what that flame was and where it came from…" said Heathfield.
Moser observed him for a few silent seconds.
"You know, Victor" he slowly said "I ignore what was with that flame, but there is one thing I can be pretty sure of…"
The lieutenant watched him with intensity, hanging onto his long-time friend's every word.
"… it is that the Teen Titans are back ! And that, if this one problem here got solved, it is thanks to them !"
/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\ _/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/ \_/\
And… CUT !
Oh my GOD ! It took me close to forever to write this ! And what a long chapter ! I honestly didn't expect that much. But hey, if I write such a bunch, that's cool for ya all, who will have a lot to read, uh ?
So, down with the first Keeper, eh ? Bravo Happy and Starfire ! But, as it has already been pointed out, it's just the beginning. Tougher struggles are waiting ahead. The Titans and Emoticlones will have to fight much, much more, to even hope meeting Fraktal for good.
It'll be a long path till then, but I do hope you'll enjoy the ride in my company.
Oh, and hay fever and allergies suxxxx to no end, really ! =((( Hope ya don't have these nuisances, Folks ! My sympathy if ya do !
Alright, time to conclude (Gosh, almost 6'400 words…!).
Take care, write more and see ya…hum, soon ?
Peace, Love, Ecstasy !
XXXX
