Part 8: Counterattack

A grey dawn arrived the next day. Clouds blanketed the sky and unleashed a downpour from the heavens. It made for a depressing day for city dwellers. It was even more depressing for the Titans in their island tower within the bay. The recent defeat at the hands of their enemies, Slade and Saevan, had sapped them somewhat of will. However, that didn't destroy a certain Boy Wonder's determination, and it was his tireless urging that kept what little morale they had alive. More training was slated for the morning and afternoon. He would scan the city again and again for any clues as to where their enemies were hiding, and where they would strike next.

Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire went about their training without complaint. Memories of the past few days' battles haunted them. Fear of what the future would bring drove them to hone and improve their abilities as much as they could. Raven also felt the uncertainty of her teammates, though she did not show it as readily as they. She spent the time slated for training either in her room, perusing her more business oriented books, the ones she had been given while in the keeping of the monks of Azarath, or meditating. The books that she read held much ancient information, about past empires, notable figures, and powerful artifacts. Through one book after another, she searched for references to the Sceptre of the Adamant King and the King himself, ancient Solavon, and the Solvani people. Understandably, references were few and far between. So, meditation dominated her time. While meditating, she couldn't help but feel the presence of Naveas, who sat outside in front the tower beside his ever faithful golem familiar. The pouring rain did not appear to faze him as he sat and stared straight out across the waters of the bay, his posture and expression unchanging. She knew he was in the middle of his own brand of meditation and left him to it.

Naveas himself was indeed deep within a meditative trance, part of a spell that allowed him to see unerringly his surroundings both immediate and distant. A spell of scrying, centered on the Sceptre. His questing aura extended out in streams from the pool of his mind, crossing the distance from the Titan's island to the mainland and the city. Seeing every person, every item, hearing everything spoken and everything thought. And while the spell worked, Naveas delved deeply into contemplative thought. He reviewed the past forty eight hours, attempting to sort the events and analyze them. There was nothing of import about the first twenty four hours, though he began to achieve wonderful insights into these "Titans" he was thrown together with. They held latent potential, that much he was certain of. But, would such potential blossom and flourish if Saevan achieved that which he was attempting? Naveas, disgusted with the way his thoughts turned to defeatism, decided to not pursue that line of thought again. Instead, his mind turned to the logic of defeating his enemies. If only... If only he could find them, he would visit upon them such terrible destruction and vengeance! It frightened him, to feel with such passion the need to inflict harm. His soul shuddered, as an errant thought returned to him...

On a distant world bathed in the light of twin suns, a pair of youthful children sit with their legs folded in the courtyard of a high tower. The tower sits upon a hill, overlooking a vast metropolis of stone, crystal, and glass buildings. The ancient city of Ath Helios, most grand capitol of the Empire of the Eternal Sun. The tower is part of an old network of citadels, the Arx Stella, centers of the magic arts on Solavon. Home of the Solvani idaltu, eldest of an already long-lived race. Here, those children born with the Talent are instructed in the underlying power they hold. For, only those who wield the Talent can master the raw arcane power of the Solarii. Those entrusted with the utmost levels of near-godlike power. The two young boys who sit in the light of the twin suns gaze up at a tall, imposing figure. An undescribably ancient man, clad in the pure white and blazing gold robes of his station, stands before them. Having finished their exercises for the day, the ancient one allows a hint of a smile to show on his lips. "My children, you have done exceedingly well this day. As the future of our order in this world, you would do our people proud."

"My the stars shine brightly upon you, master." the two children intone, bowing their heads in solemn reverence for the old man.

"Yes, even now, I can tell that the fate of Solavon is well in hand with Solarii such as you. You two are almost precisely identical in your potential. Isn't that splendid, to be exactly alike? Naveas, Saevan?"

The two boys, one silver haired, his eyes the natural azure and gold of the Solavon race and the other, hair as black as night, his black-red eyes an unnatural oddity from birth, nods and smiles...

Even though then, the thought of being the same as Saevan was not as revolting, now the thought filled Naveas with sickness. He was not Saevan. Perhaps they were both Solvani, perhaps they were both Solarii, but Saevan had violated every sacred precept held dear by both his people and his order. The fact that he would recklessly endanger world after world for something as trivial and transitory as personal power and glory was proof alone of his unworthiness to live. Naveas had to remind himself that he was different. He cared for the people of this world, of every world he had ever visited. His works promoted life and progress, instead of death and stagnation. He did not hunger for personal might or glory. All he ever wanted was justice for a countless number of the dead, and peace for his own mind and spirit. Peace most of all.

Suddenly, his searching aura flashed in alarm. It had found the Sceptre, and in doing so had found Slade's hidden lair. It sensed the presence of legions of improved android soldiers, the cunning mind of Slade, and the beacon of arcane essence that was Saevan. Naveas turned to the real world, the trance falling from him swiftly as he stood. He ignored the fact that his robes were soaked, his hair dripping wet in his face and at the back of his head. He turned purposefully, and went straight inside the tower. He passed through the main room, took the elevator down a level, and entered the training room. Upon his entrance, the titans present ceased their various activities. They looked to him, dripping wet though not appearing to care. He looked back at them and slowly, ever so slowly, he smiled.

Elsewhere, across the city, Slade sat upon his metal throne in his lair with the Sceptre of the Adamant King in his hand. He held the humming, vibrating artifact as it threw off an intense amount of energy. He could feel it as a warmth, dancing across his nerves. Saevan was not far away, watching his associate as he handled the device. He knew that Slade was very much pleased by the turn of events. This substantial victory gave his claims credence, and assured him that the cunning criminal mastermind would continue along this path laid for him until the very end.

"It is time, Saevan. Instruct me on how to activate the Sceptre!" Slade abruptly demanded. Saevan smirked and nodded, "Of course. To activate the artifact, you must simply search for three specific runes etched upon its surface. Pressing these runic markings in the proper sequence will engage the device, commanding it to unleash its navigational enchantments."

"Which runes?" Slade demanded, staring at Saevan. Saevan chuckled, amused. "No need to get so worked up, Slade. I have no need to keep anything from you, do I? Now, the runes are the characters used to describe a planet, a star, and a third symbol describes flames."

Slade searched over the Sceptre's surface and found runes that resembled a stylized planet, a burning star, and a ball of raging fire. When the three runes had been touched, they glowed, the light spreading until all the etchings glowed from within. Then, the Sceptre lifted up out of Slade's hands and hovered in mid air, the hum from inside rising to an angry pitch. Suddenly, without warning, a beam of pulsing light shot out from the device and struck the nearest bank of computer terminals. Words, numbers, and diagrams of all sorts flashed across the screens as the computers were manipulated by the powerful Solvani artifact. Slade watched, rapt, as the device finished the information transfer and slowly lowered to the ground, spent of energy and now still.

The criminal mastermind turned to the dark sage. "What just happened, here?" Slade inquired. Saevan gestured to the computers and replied, "The device has done what it was designed to do. The information upon the location of the Shaper's Forgeworks was given to the nearest vessel capable of containment. In this case, the technology of your computer network."

Slade's eyes fell upon the lifeless Sceptre upon the ground. "Then, what about this?" Saevan picked it up and replied, "It, is put a key now. We need to take it with us to the gates of the Forgeworks. It will allow us passage beyond them, and deeper within."

"Excellent, then. Let us make ready. I wish to be in possession of the Adamant King before the new moon." Slade said, his tone authoritive. With that, he strode over to the bank of computers, and set about preparing translation and encryption programs to process the precious data held there within. It was merely moments after the programs ran and finished that something completely unexpected occurred. Saevan felt a rush of arcane energy, sensed an incoming teleportation spell centered on the Sceptre, and cursed loudly. Slade turned in time to be knocked against a distant wall by a shuddering of the air mere feet in front of him. An outrushing of air threw Saevan back as well, but he was better prepared and landed in a crouch. As the unnatural air currents died, a flash of light and a crash of sound erupted and then there, in the middle of the lair, appeared the Teen Titans and Naveas, in full battle readiness.

Slade pulled himself up, shaking off the stunning affects of his impact with the rock wall. His own visible eye started with rage, "How! How is this possible!"

Robin smiled where he crouched in his battle stance, "Simple, Slade. Naveas found your hideout out with a spell of his, and then he proceeded to drop us right on your doorstep. You've had no prior warning, no time to set up ambushes or escape routes. By the time you call for your androids, you'll be dead. It's over!"

Saevan laughed, and said, "Over? Surely not, my fine young mortal! While true, there is no contingency plan prepared for such a crafty maneuver as the one you've just performed, and reinforcements would take time to marshal, you are too late! We have already unlocked the Sceptre of the Adamant King and we know where we must go."

"Saevan, I will not allow you to escape. I've already cast a spell of spatial anchorage here. No magical teleportation of any sort will carry you away from retribution!" Naveas said, with obvious great satisfaction.

"Magic or not, we've come too far to be stopped now!" Slade exclaimed, removing something from a compartment on his belt. Robin recognized it and darted forward with a war cry, "Titans, go!"

Saevan cried out a arcane symbol and a encirclement of fire leapt up around the Titans. Slade then threw down a smoke grenade, to veil their movements in secrecy. Starfire and Beast Boy flew over the barrier of flames to pursue. Naveas uttered a spell of negation and dispelled the flames, allowing the rest of the Titans out from the trap.

"Well, now what? They've already used the Sceptre, and they've run off somewhere in this place!" Cyborg said.

"We find them, that's what." Robin replied, voice steely with determination and resolve. "Then we'd better hurry, because I sense a summoning ritual being performed." Raven announced.

Naveas felt it too, and said, "We will have other problems to worry about, friends. Saevan is summoning a Daemogaunt!"

"That doesn't sound good." Raven deadpanned. Robin grit his teeth, and hurried off in the direction of Starfire and Beast Boy's flight. "It won't do them any good! We've beat everything they've thrown at us so far, and we're not going to stop now!" Naveas shook his head, cursing the Boy Wonder's headstrong bravado. They would once again learn the hard way, it seemed.

Ahead of them, farther into Slade's lair, Starfire and Beast Boy, in the form of an eagle, hover and search for their foes. "Do you see them, friend Beast Boy?" Starfire inquired, peering down at the floor of the cavern.

"No, I've got nothing. It's like they've disappeared, or something!" Beast Boy replied, searching this way and that. Suddenly, from the floor of the cavern, beams of energy shot up at them. Starfire and Beast Boy avoided the opening fullisade and looked down. Below them, a veritable army of Slade's androids had mobilized, their ranged energy weaponry belching forth a barrage. Wordlessly, the two airborne heroes dove from above to engage them. Starfire hurled her energy bolts, creating devastating area of affect explosions to destroy five or six androids at a time. Beast Boy dove as a eagle, but then morphed in mid air to land as a gorilla and began to unleash a serious hand-to-hand beating on the nearest androids. Robin swung in next, leaping into the fray with a berserk fervor. Cyborg and Raven began a heavy bombardment of the android soldiers, shattering them with sound energy or crushing them with errant pieces of machinery and stone. Naveas joined the battle last, his golden staff switching into voulge mode as he raced fleet-footed into the thickest of the fight, where he began to whirl and spin like a dervish, the gilded blades of his chosen weapon flashing this way and that. The carnage was brutal. Androids were smashed, slashed, blasted, crushed, and shattered in every variation possible. And still, more androids answered the call to defend their master's domain. Then, the whole cavern shook. The strange tremor caught the attention of Robin, who struck off the head of his latest android foe with a deft blow of his bo staff and paused, brow furrowed. "Anyone else feel that!"

Another tremor, this time so close and violent that it knocked an unprepared Beast Boy to the ground. "Um... Guys? What's causing that!"

Raven projected a shield to defend the unsuspecting shapeshifter from a trio of androids. He cringed and cried out in fear as their metal claws scraped the energy field mere inches from his face. With another thought, Raven converted the shield into a razor blade at waist level, bisecting the three machine fiends with a single attack."Something of pure evil, that's what."

Naveas ceased his annihilation of androids long enough to peer ahead through the oncoming waves of enemies. "It's done. Saevan has finished his summoning. A Daemogaunt has arrived!"

"Excuse me? A Daemo-what!" Cyborg exclaimed, incredulous. Naveas pointed at a distant form as it approached, towering over the veritable horde of androids still able to fight. "That... is a Daemogaunt."

The titans, one and all, stared in horror at the malevolent thing that approached them now, wreathed in a foul looking fog bank of noxious sulphur. The Daemogaunt stood nearly to the ceiling and seemed to be a giant walking automaton with four arms and a domed head, with a steaming daemon's visage for a face and onyx metal for horns. It's eyes shone a menacing red, and seemed to pulsate within empty metal sockets.. It's hulking body was fashioned from gleaming hellbrass, and it's joints clanked and whined as it's many legs took another thundering step after another. It's upper, smaller arms ended in wide-bore cannons while the larger, lower arms were tipped with a pair of massive metal claws with razored blades for fingers, and it moved forward on what looked like the legs of a spider. It trampled the androids before it as it approached, and when it got within range, it uttered a furious sound like tortured metal crashing from it's head and loosed a volley from it's gun-arms. A pair of hellish fireballs came rocketing toward the titan's battle line, leaving smoking contrails in their wake.

"Titans, move!" Robin shouted, wasting no time in getting his teammates out of the line of fire. All of them, save Naveas, scattered in the face of the approaching projectiles. With a shout, he raised a shield of mystic energy before him upon which the fiery assault impacted with fearsome force. The heat was tremendous, even behind his hastily erected Mage Wall spell. The Daemogaunt was not impressed, however. It surged forward, shrieking its metallic fury, gun-arms firing volley after volley at the shimmering field before the Solvani mage.

Gritting his teeth at the great strain of will it took to keep the shield active in the face of such power, Naveas called out over the sound of battle, "Strike it at the core, while you have the chance! I will draw it's wrath to me!"

"Robin, this foe seems more fearsome than the last! Perhaps we should take Friend Naveas's advice?" Starfire said, hovering several feet above the ground, hands clenched into glowing green orbs of energy.

"Dude! We'd better do something, 'cause he can't hold up forever!" Beast Boy remarked. Robin looked, and sure enough, the Daemogaunt rammed both its claws into the shield projected by Naveas. The force feedback knocked the young mage unconscious, rocketing him backwards at an astonishing speed, slamming him into the rock wall behind him. Stunned and incapacitated as he was, he didn't see the Daemogaunt's follow-up attack soaring at him. Robin took his own cue. "Titans, go!"

Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire charged as one, twin fists and a triceratops horn struck the Daemogaunt in mid-charge from the flank. Cybernetic, reptilian and alien strength worked together to pound the Daemogaunt into the distant wall, to be followed by a punishing barrage of telekinetically thrown items, explosive birdarangs, sonic energy, and starbolts. So much firepower unleashed at one location caused parts of the wall around and the ceiling above the Daemogaunt to crumble and collapse, burying the struggling killing machine under tons of rock. Robin breathed a silent breathe of relief as Starfire clasped her hands in mid-air, smiling radiantly. "Aw yeah, booyah! Put that in your pipe and smoke it!" Cyborg cried, triumphantly pumping a fist as he surveyed their handiwork. Beast Boy did a little victory dance, "Who's bad? We're bad! Oh yeah, oh yeah!"

"Um, I wouldn't start celebrating just yet..." Raven droned, staring at the Daemogaunt's burial area. Cyborg and Beast Boy stopped respectively, while Starfire cast a worried gaze in that direction. Robin turned and prepared himself for further mayhem. He was certain that such a beating could have stopped even the Demolugon. But, they were prepared for the battle to continue. With an explosive surge, the Daemogaunt did not disappoint. Rock went flying in all directions as the malevolent construct rose up on its eight legs and fired forth twin hellfire shells at them. The resulting explosions nearly engulfed the titans, as they scattered once more. The Daemogaunt charged forward, firing its ranged weaponry and twitching its vicious bladed limbs.

"What shall it take to stop this abominable monstrosity?" Starfire shouts over the sound of chaos.

Dodging particularly ferocious claw swipes and a leg thrust, a green panther transformed into a panting emerald elf. "Didn't Naveas mention attacking it's core thingy?"

"He did, did he not? Well, that is what I shall do!" Starfire exclaimed, before charging a starbolt easily three times the size of her head. Robin saw the incandescent flare of her attack from where he stood in the battle. "Raven, Cyborg! Concentrate your fire with Starfire!"

His teammates silently complied, streaming forth the raw fury of sound waves and a barrage of telekinetically launched missiles. Robin added a double handful of his explosive birdarangs just as Starfire unleashed her special attack. With a resounding battle cry, the large orb of energy adds the coup de grace. The Daemogaunt attempts to shield it's vulnerable core, crossing all its arms before it to absorb the brunt of the murderous firepower being exerted upon it. Amidst a cluster of earthshaking explosions, it's shriek echoed in pain and defeat before being silenced forever. The smoke and fire cleared, revealing a charred metallic hulk, devoid of the animating evil presence that had inhabited it.

"Starfire, good work!" Robin called up to the hovering warrior princess. She smiled tiredly, and floated down to stand on solid rock. "That... was a most taxing ordeal. But, I am most elated to see our foe defeated at last."

"That wasn't our true foe, however." Raven reminded them. "Somewhere in this complex, we still have Slade and Saevan to deal with. And, Naveas might need medical assistance."

Cyborg pounded one fist into the other, his face grim, "That's right! I nearly forgot, but this thing was only a small fry, and we've got bigger fish to catch."

"Taking all that into consideration, it looks like we might have to split up." Robin said at length, his tone business like. "Raven, Beast Boy... stay with Naveas. Make sure he's not to badly injured, then join Starfire, Cyborg and I as soon as possible. We'll continue deeper into Slade's lair."

Raven sighed, irritated, "You had to pair me with Beast Boy, didn't you?" Before Beast Boy could angrily retort, Robin replied, "Try and get along. We've got more important things to deal with at the moment."

Raven and Beast Boy watched them leave, heading down to the far end of the large cavern before disappearing into the mouth of a tunnel. Thus, the two of them were alone. Raven looked at Beast Boy, he looked back at her. Raven sighed, and Beast Boy cleared his throat nervously. Then, they turned and started for the fallen form of Naveas. He stirred as they neared, a hand to his head where a gash had been opened. "Ugh... A most painful experience, that."

"Dude, a lot of good you did during that fight!" Beast Boy said, smirking self confidently, "We took that big walking ashcan down all on our own, didn't we Raven? Uh, Raven...?"

Raven ignored the shapeshifter and applied a glowing hand to the wound. "I guess you took more than you could handle. The others have gone after Slade and Saevan, so we should attend to those wounds."

Naveas waved away her attempts to heal him and stood up, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Never you mind. My mere flesh wounds pale in comparison to the prospect of allowing our enemies to flee!"

"Dude, she was just trying to help you!" Beast Boy cried, offended by Naveas's apparent lack of gratitude. Raven silenced him with a look. He made to say something more, but she stared all the harder until he relented. After all, she was used to such responses, or she should have been. She didn't take it personally. "In that case, let's hurry. The others must have run into them by now."

At that moment, across the complex, Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire come to a halt inside another large chamber cut in the stone. A large airship had been constructed and been supplied, and the chamber served as a hangar for it. The three heroes had arrived just as Slade had begun take off procedures.

"They are attempting to escape!" Starfire cried, hands and eyes glowing as she prepared for another battle.

"Oh no you don't, bastard!" Robin growled, and ran over to a nearby control panel. His hands flying over the console, he shouted over his shoulder, "Cyborg, help Starfire! Make sure he doesn't get off the ground! I'll seal the hangar doors from here!"

Cyborg unfurled his sonic cannon, taking aim with a grim smile, "You got it! One grounded bird, coming right up!" He and Starfire loosed a barrage of starbolts and sound energy against the large aerial vessel, only to have their attacks rebuffed by some invisible energy sphere encasing it entirely. Starfire held her fire, "Where is that coming from?"

As if in response, a crimson bolt of lightning struck her from the side. With a pained and surprised cry, she was through back to the ground. Cyborg whirled with his cannon in the direction of the ambush only to have a second energy bolt strike the ground before him causing an explosion, knocking him up and back with its concussive force. A third attack, directed at the hangar controls, decimated the console and blew Robin backwards. Grunting in pain, he turned and saw the source of the assault. Saevan hovered in mid air, the Rod of Blight in one hand while the Onyx Grimoire floated before him. Robin's eyes narrowed through his mask as he picked himself up slowly, his body protesting at the rough treatment. "You! I though Naveas had sealed all magic from being used here!"

Saevan laughed at the wounded Boy Wonder. "Fool! I only am restricted in the use of magic methods of transportation. However, I am completely free to pelt you and your pathetic team of crusaders will all manner of evocation spells! Prepare for your imminent annihilation!"

"Oh yeah? Well, the only one that's going to be annihilated imminently, is you! Booyah!" Cyborg exclaimed, before unleashing his sonic cannon directly at the evil Solvani mage. Saevan smirked and chanted something from the Onyx Grimoire. Cyborg watched in horror as his own attack turned in mid-flight, swelled in power, and was redirected back at him in multiple volleys. He shouted in pain and confusion as the beams of sonic energy, malevolently magnified, fell around him, knocking him down and inflicting grievous damage. Angered, Starfire attacked next, forgoing energy attacks for a more direct approach. To her credit, she did manage to land a terrific uppercut against Saevan's smirking face. With a cut-off grunt of surprised pain, the mage was thrown against a nearby wall. The Onyx Grimoire fell from the air, no longer in tune to it's masters fell wishes. Starfire pressed the attack, flying after the shaken Saevan to pound him again and again into the wall, her fists flying in a blur. Robin watched in horror as the sudden onslaught ended as quickly as it had begun as with a shout of rage, Saevan slammed the Rod of Blight into the side of Starfire's head with surprising force. A second savage attack, just as inhumanly strong as the first came in the form of a thrust to the stomach. This doubled her over and left her open to Saevan's finishing blow, which was a double-overhand chop with the gem that topped the rod at one end. She plummeted like a falling stone to the ground and did not move thereafter.

"Star!" Robin sprinted for her fallen form, but was stopped in his tracks by a wall of fire that rose before him. Saevan strode through the flames, smirking once again with the Rod of Blight in hand. "I would not fear for her, my young vigilante. She is quite unconscious, I believe. I see no reason to harm her further. However, you on the other hand, are not as lucky as she."

Robin quickly removed his bo staff from his belt and extended it, lowering himself into his battle ready stance, "You're going down, right here and now! I won't let you hurt anyone else with your sick scheme!"

Saevan laughed, and to Robin's eyes seemed to grow in stature, easily towering over the mystified Boy Wonder. To his terrified gaze, Saevan became something altogether monstrous, with massive fangs, gaping jaws, and flaming eyes. With a scream of utter fear, he dropped his weapon and skittered to put distance between them only to fall onto his back helpless. Before him, the beast that was Saevan loomed and laughed in a fell voice. "You dare face me in personal combat, little boy! Haaaaugh! I am more than you can possibly imagine, more powerful, and more terrible than even your darkest nightmares! See how you tremble before me?How could have hoped to stand before me, puny weakling of a human! Haaaaugh!"

Another voice other than that of the frightened Boy Wonder answered him. A voice that was all too familiar. "Saevan!" There was an accompanying blast of white light, a lancing beam of fire that struck the swirling image of horror before Robin and cast it away in a burst of intermingling shadow and light. Naveas, Raven, and Beast Boy entered the battle at that moment. Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex and charged Saevan as he stumbled backwards, his concentration disrupted and injured from the spell unleashed by Naveas. Seeing the charging changeling, he performed a agile backflip that brought him clear of the attack. Raven flung some nearby spare parts and empty fuel drums. Naveas began another casting. The airship rose up then on pillars of forcefully directed air. Saevan leapt once more, catching a hold of an open door hatch and pulled himself inside.

"They're going to get away!" Beast Boy shouted, transforming back into his elf form. Raven looked on and replied, "Not if Naveas and I can help it!" Her eyes glowed grey. Simultaneously, a pitch black surge of power erupted from his raised hands as a blindingly bright bolt of azure lightning leapt from the hands of Naveas. The twin blasts missed as the airship maneuvered suddenly, and the resulting explosions parted the immobile ceiling hangar doors.

The airship, along with Slade, Saevan, and the Scepter of the Adamant King, escaped into the falling night outside.