Chapter 96: Demise of the Heart; the Plot Thickens
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Starfire rushed to the side of the broken hero. "What happened?" Her face filled with the same type of worry she had harboured throughout the journey. Her friend's face was littered with confusion of every kind. How was it that the man and emperor was now laying dead on the stone cold ground?…
"Star?…What…….Happened here…?"
She clutched the side of his shoulder. "I do not think I believe how someone I know could be –
What?"
It was Verra. "A killer? Yes! That's the whole point here!" Wiz grunted next to them as he came over. "What my friend is trying to say is that, help us all….That your friend delibrately did the unthinkable without anyone's consent…"
Beastboy could not see over Starfire's shoulder. "Did what—
What!"
It was too late to hide anything from the team. The cat had said it…
"You…KILLED him? Why?" Beastboy slapped a hand to his forehead. Cy frowned as he looked at his leader, seriously. "After all we did to get you back…you find a way to get caught and—
But it wasn't my fault!" Robin pleaded. "He was going to hurt his people—
They were never his. Roku held the cards, remember?" Kayu had entered the circle and huddled. Robin sighed with a fearfulness in his voice. "But!—
"NO buts. Cy crossed his arms. "Explain."
Robin gulped down what he was able. "I…Was helped to escape after I had gotten myself free, and a spirit…Hajii was able to help find a way into the castle…the emperor found us and gave me a warning note from Slade to return to him…"
Starfire clenched her teeth. Slade… It was him…
"Who was this spirit?" asked Kayu. At the time of first meeting the desguised fox, the guardian had been out cold.
Raven was still as she listened. The wind poured onto them as it blared, mercilessly. "You said he was a spirit, but how did you find out? He must have not told you, not until recently…"
I am well…The team turned as the fox reappered from behind. You have heard of the god kyubi, no?
Robin gasped when he saw the god holding its arm and in a limp. As have you…
Robin lifted slowly from the ground in a short time. Turning to run over to the fox god.
"NO!" The fox was bleeding as his eyes shut and his mind closed down. Robin hugged his comrade as if they were never apart for long. The boy was now crying over a pool of blood and clothing. Hugging his arms to his sides. "Help…Someone help!" He called to his team.
"Raven…Please…"
It was not until the form of the fox turned to mist that the child now bawled out.
An old friend…older than it seemed, had died that day…
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"I'm sorry…there was nothing I could do…" After the hero had calmed Raven had the chance to converse with ease. "He wasn't human so, I had trouble looking into his—
Mind. I know…" Robin got up, his heart already far past hurting. Only knowing that someone would pay fo—
Hey man, we'll find Slade. You've jut gotta be…Hey! Where are you going?" Cy borg looked over to Starfire as she nodded and floated over to her departing love.
"Robin, you must have faith in us…Robin!"
The hero ignored as his mind had been set as soon as the mist had parted. He would find what ever power the curse spoke of, use it to fight for his losses. Then home would never be the same. In that short time, he'd become a companion to the lone fox. It was time to repay the favor, what they had set out to do…
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"So, what are you going to do about your 'missing link?" Veronica stood up and then took a sip of her wine. Slade was pacing in the same room, right in front of her. "He's got the amulet you sent him, it's only a matter of time before he figures out its use."
"I won't lay down any cards until the first strike." He said. "You know as well as myself that there isn't time…" by this time his pacing had grown unsteady. Something was up as Veronica realized misfortune upon them.
"Ahh, so you are afraid of the dragon's bite…wouldn't have guessed it on you." She swirled her glass. "But maybe returning to us isn't the key, ever thought of sending them all back home?"
Slade chuckled deply as his pacing again slowed. "You are quick witted my dear, how could I have thought of doing any of this alone…unless….
The girl leaned in to hear more on the old man…
BY THE BOWELS OF HELLS YOU WISH TO BE LEFT TO MERCILESS MASTERS OF YOUR PAST! THEN KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!
"Hm, Dragon's power gets the best of you, huh?" The man plopped into a seat by the woman's. He rubbed his temples, arms later outstretched onto the chair arms. "Pour me a glass will you?" he sighed.
As she did this her voice reached him just in the knick of time. "He can't sing yet or blow things up with his mind…What good is a boy like that?"
Slade paused for a second holding his glass until he put it to the side of his chair by a table. "What is control to the dragon?" he wrasped angrily. "He'll drive me into a lunatic…" Veronica huffed at him.
"Well, I know reasoning with a god takes all your energies away from the body…believe me. Maybe he'll take over Robin's and destroy us all! Hands down, the kid's got guts if he's setting sights on a destructive path…"
Slade jolted up from the chair, bolting to the door. "WE shall see." He said within his menacing image.
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"Please…Let us go together to find the one you seek! It is not very far, right?" Starfire's answer was given a glare and a not so positive attitude. This making Robin's guilt worsen. Wiz had just made his appearance after a meditation session with Kayu and Raven. Verra rushed up to her.
"Robin's going on alone! Stop his major-ness from progressing…" Raven opened an eye as she sat in cross legged position, floating. Landing with eyes shut, she was able to contain her fears and work alongside her friends.
"Listen, he's not dead—
Robin turned around quickly. "No. I saw his mind, he was lost like me…" lowering his head he saw not as Raven gaped. "That- that's impossible…you,you can't have seen into his head like I see into minds every day!"
Fists to sides she was hoping he'd turn to her again. "Maybe I've been a victim for too long, Rae. He can't have any of us, I won't let him…"
Shaking her head the gothic mistress sighed. "Who? Slade? Roku? Robin, they ARE the same person!" she shouted at him.
"But…why was Slade chosen as a body for the beast?" asked a timid Starfire.
"Cause Slade was the first to have Robin under his wing with tricks of his own." Verra shrugged.
Robin's fists grew tighter. "I warned you not to mention that again! It's over! He doesn't own me….anymore…" Thoughts were blank in memory as if it had all been a dream. When was that again?
"But it could be a key to unlocking the past of the young prince's! You must reconsider…" Wiz looked up at the sky from below. "There is so much planning to go into. We must be quick about this." Sensing a foolish way to end and begin in his words, the guardian decided to begin again.
"Did Slade ever tell you about the vessel?" Robin leaned against a tree for support. "What? Isn't
he?—
Nope." Verra stretched out his limbs once more. "Wrong on all levels, kid."
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"Sooo…let me get this straight….Robin?…What is he now?…You said—
WE SAID…v-e-s-s-e-l. Verra spelled out the word with his nails outstretched. At least Cy was onto something big enough to matter in the least. Robin was dumb with a blank and empty mind. Beastboy shook his head. "Is a vessel even living?" he asked anxiously.
"Sometimes it isn't even a thing at all." Replied the cat. "It can be a catalyst, a trouble to begin and end in disaster." He looked up at star and Bb. "Does that answer your question?" The two looked at Robin, then back to the guardian bunch. Something didn't fit that they had to know within hours only to seconds. Time was running out.
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The Titans had gone through a portal thanks to their guardians…thought Hsari. Musing about the blankness of the plan was enough to drive any god mad with power! That, and they had escaped the castle to be brought to a new plane. Hsari's men were standing from behind the panther god. My master knows of the escape to the China plane, there will be no regrets…
The gods nodded back to the lead and left him to think out things again. Still, no one would be safe from that menace of a god. By far his birth powers had doubled even as he slumbered…Boy and king alike.
How long must I suffer…Hsari whispered unhappily. Turning his head to a sound from the doorway, he saw Slade's men approach the castle gates. He was here…!
"You, my friend are little known to these cats…maybe ever so weak to show up at all. Would be silly if you…dissapeared!—
VERONICA!
She was like a bullet in sooner seconds. "Yes, I know…" she bowed. Slade on the other hand backed away from the formalities of the girl. He was not that kind of person. Period.
"I have given you warning to stay your dagger Hsari, panther god." Hsari snorted as he withdrew his weapon. How formal my lord. He smirked.
"Remember how much our friend hates to lose…you have some nerve." Spat the demoness. The god huffed as his men went to the door on the other side of the enourmous room. Avoiding Slade's commando army. The androids pushed past to get a second view of their master.
Coming back from your true home I see? Well this should be a home enough for you two. As so the dragon decrees. Once Hsari had stated his whole point, he decided to retire to his own abode. But someone stopped him. "Angra haunts other's dreams as a demon god. I've sent him to follow my apprentice."
Hsari turned dark. WHAT? He will be mortified by even having set foot in bed tonight. You will kill him in his dreams, the god is unworthy of control in that realm. Don't let his majesty down.
"Relax. I have it all planned out." Taking out the same orb that he had used on Kayumon in the desert, he placed it on the floor where it bean to glow. The draon's mark appeared. "With that seal in place, he will be punished any way I see fit." Slade told them with the mark glowing even more brightly than before. Angra appeared on the orb body as if it were a screen. "Tonight." He began to the creature. "Tonight, make everything he sees a lie. I don't want any of this getting out to the gods. Hsari will go after Alicia while I command the warbots. The gods' kingdom with fall, in their dreams…"