So this is episode four of the Teen Titans Phosphophyllite Chronicles series and this features one of the most impactful parts of the original series, 'Final Exam.' That's right! This is where the team gets their asses kicked by the HIVE, before the whole HIVE Five or any weird or dumb characters were added. Just the first three of Gizmo, Jinx, and Mammoth. Course, I will be adding a new character within this episode and most of the story in general. Now I'm certain that some of you might be wondering, who's this character I'm referring to. Well, keep a close eye on 'her' as you might be surprised.
Looking to the last chapter, so far so good. Got myself one review and over 150 hits tops. And trust me, it is still climbing even when this chapter is up and running. Course I've been getting the same reviewer after a few chapters and no one else isn't responding. Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, but I would like to see other people's feedback of my work. I just hope that this next chapter is where people will start talking.
Now let is go on ahead for the first part of this fourth episode.
Chapter Notes
As mentioned before, the next three chapters are going to take place in the episode, 'Final Exam'. But I will add my own flare to the mix and make some alterations. The character I mentioned is going to be there, but there is another that should be a better fit here. You need to read to see what I am talking about. As for the apprentice herself, I was thinking that the uniform would be a combination of Robin's and Terra's with a few additional things to make this apprentice unique.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or Land of the Lustrous
Episode 4: Final Exam (Part 1)
In a blank screen, static started to appear as the visuals were slowly coming to. It was then that there was an octagon logo with a fancy yellow border and two checkered black and white picture with an 'H' in the middle and a banner that reads 'H.A.E.Y.P.' A female voice came out of the audio as she introduced the school and the graduates.
'The Hive Academy for Extraordinary Young People is proud to introduce this years top graduates.'
A podium soon rises up to reveal three young teens, three of which are different. The one in the middle is a small young boy with a baldhead wearing a green jumpsuit with tech on him and goggles over his head. The one on the left is a young teenage girl with pale skin and pink hair done up like dragon horns and pink eyes with slitted pupils, wearing a black and purple witch like dress complete with a shoulder drip to expose her shoulders and stockings with boots. The third on the right is a bigger creature that would be older then the others, but is somewhat of a teenager with long orange hair complete with a goatee and wearing a black combat suit with a yellow holster engraved as an H and yellow combat shoes. All three of them jumped off the podium as the young boy went first while the announcer started the introduction.
'Gizmo, the boy genius, whose intellect can conquer any problem with an inventive solution.'
He pushed a button on his chest and a pair of metal wings came out from the back of his pack. Getting his controller out, he took off and flew through a yellow hallway that almost looked like a honey cone. Compartments soon opened up and mini turrets came out and aimed at him, firing on sight. Gizmo flew around to avoid the shots before getting in range. Hitting a button on the control pad, a small missile launcher came out of the middle of his pack and fired multiple rockets, taking down all the turrets on the walls. He flew passed the smoke and landed on another podium, showcasing his work. But then, four compartments opened up and white robots with H's on their faces, X's on their chests, and pincers for hands came out and surrounded the boy. He soon took off as the young teen girl came down with her arms stretched out.
'Jinx, the enchanting sorceress, whose powerful hexes mean bad luck for her enemies.'
With a ballerina like spin, she distributed pink like energy hexes to the walls above the four bots, causing pieces of them to detach and fall. They didn't have the time to process what just happened as they were easily crushed by the yellow octagon pieces. Jinx soon jumped off the podium and did a back stand to get herself upright. But looking back, she could see that a few things rose up from the floor as small cannons came out to aim at her. But before they could fire, the huge creature came down and smashed the cannon end, saving the sorceress.
'And Mammoth, the genetically-enhanced giant, whose unstoppable strength speaks for itself.'
With a bit of a smirk, he grabbed the damage cannon and lifted with his sheer strength, tearing the weapon itself off its foundation. With a quick spin, he tossed it to the other two as it landed and skid to them, hitting the first one before moving to the second. With all cannons destroyed, Mammoth stood proudly of his job.
'Well-organized, highly-trained, and combat-equipped, these new Hive Agents are the perfect fighting force.'
Just then, one of the Hive bots came up from behind and grabbed Mammoth in a bear hug. But soon after that, Gizmo came down and attached a strange device to its back. The moment it was armed, it sent electric shocks to the bot, shutting him down completely. Gizmo jumped off and landed on the ground in front of him while Jinx approached the big guy. Mammoth saw her and got his hands together, letting her step on them and launching her off to the hall. She soon pulled some flips down the hall while more turrets folded open and fired at her. She managed to avoid them, but the turrets hit each other, causing them to explode. Once they were all destroyed, Jinx landed on the floor feet first and turned to the camera with Gizmo and Mammoth joining her.
'And, for the right price, this ideal team can be yours.'
Soon enough, the screen went back to static and returned to the logo of the Hive Academy. That's when an older woman with gray and silver hair tied up in a bun came in wearing a teacher uniform of the academy and a clipboard and finished with the presentation.
"As you can see, Mr. Slade, these three are the top students within our Academy. They worked hard to achieve a chance in working with the best, and considering you are looking for top tier agents to help you in your need, Brother Blood approved your paperwork and the heavy transaction you gave him. Now, these three are within your command."
She soon turned to the three students who are next to her and they bowed in the spotlight. Up on the thrown room, the person by the name of Slade was sitting there with the gears turning and smoke billowing out of the pipes behind him, feeling really pleased with the presentation.
Slade: "Thank you vice president. I was impressed, truly. However, robots and obstacle courses only prove so much. What I demand are operatives who can function in the real world and handle strict orders from their superiors. If you students are going to serve me, they'll have to pass one final exam… Destroy the Teen Titans, and then we'll talk."
The vice president heard him and looked to the students, wondering if they can handle such a feat. But Brother Blood spoke highly to these three graduates and wanted to see the best in them. Turning back, she gave a slight bow and agreed.
"Understood, Mr. Slade, we'll begin the mission immediately."
But before they could leave, Slade asked for one more small favor.
Slade: "One more thing… I am aware that these students function well as a team. But as extra credit, I think that they should work with someone who is outside the school itself."
She looked on and wondered where he was going with that.
"I'm not following."
It was then that Slade motioned his hand and a spotlight was drawn with nothing on it. But on cue, someone stepped into the light and revealed herself as the outsider. It was a female soldier with a curvy body with the only skin exposed is her mouth. The rest is covered in titanium armor that has an orange and black paintjob. She has a breastplate that covered her chest and upper back area with the left side black and the right side orange with an 'S' on the orange side. Silver body armor down her waist and legs with heavier plating on the lower waist area with the same black and orange color and a utility belt around the waste. Orange and black metal protectors are attached to her legs, knees, and the right upper and lower arm to protect her from falling. A metal glove on her right hand and a pair of metal boots on her feet. But on the left side is some kind of robotic arm that's made out of titanium that moves with gears on the arm sockets and mechanical fingers that move through thought. On the arm is a built in computer and slots for a small number of weapons including a blaster, mini rocket launcher, lasso, net, grappling hook, and a small blade. She is also sporting a sword strapped to her back and a black and orange helmet that covers her entire head and hair with holes to help her see. She stood at attention as Slade introduces her to the student.
Slade: "This is Poison, my apprentice. I brought her in many months ago and trained her to fight and survive. She will be of valuable use for your students and is close to one of the Titans. Let her assist your students in disposing the Titans. I assure you that she's the most trusted fighter I recruited."
The vice president of the academy looked to the apprentice and was a little hesitant about it. She never seen this Poison before and she was never a part of the Hive itself. But Slade worked hard in training her and she does look professional enough to assist the graduates in this mission. So with that, she bowed her head gracefully and told him that she understood.
"Very well, Slade. I'll go speak to Brother Blood of your apprentice to see if she will assist our students with your final exam. Course, she would need be to debrief on attack protocols and tactics, but I assure you that we will not fail you or your apprentice."
The three students soon bowed as well as the spotlights disappear. Once they were gone, Slade turned to his apprentice and asked her if she's ready.
Slade: "Are you ready, Poison."
Poison remained silent and didn't utter a single word. All she did was give a small nod as to say yes.
Slade: "Good… Now remember, you need to focus on your mission. As much as you want to confront one of the Titans, you cannot get distracted. Work with the Hive and make sure that your assignment is complete. I have high hopes in you."
Poison soon tightened her fist and was ready for her first mission out in the field. All that training, all that hard work, it's going to finally bore fruit. She will do anything to make her master proud. And if that Titan, that gem, gets in her way, she won't hesitate in destroying them.
Meanwhile, in Titans Tower, it was another clear day and no much of crime is going on. This gave the team a chance to relax, even after the whole Blackfire mix up. In one of the hallways, Robin, Starfire, and Phos were walking down it, approaching the living quarters to meet up with the others. Star decided to entertain the other two by explaining a very important fact of deep space, finishing her explanation.
Starfire: "And that is the secret to traveling faster than light."
Phos heard that and was really intrigued.
Phos: "Wow! Thanks, Starfire. I never knew that were was a speed deep in space. I'm sure if my Agate legs can regain their speeding function, I might as well try that."
Robin turned to them and was curious about that.
Robin: "You move faster?"
Phos turned to the leader and was a little sheepish.
Phos: "Well, yes. But that was a long time ago. I lost my legs due to a Lunarian attack and got these Agate shells as replacement for my legs. Somehow, they gave me the ability to run faster. So fast that I was like Yellow Diamond when running. A complete blur. Sadly when I lost my arms and replaced them with the gold and platinum alloy, it removed my speed and I had to run normally. It is something that I cannot bring back, even if I try."
Robin heard their side of the story and was completely understandable.
Robin: "Sometimes, you got to sacrificing one thing in order to protect those you care about. Speed and strength won't go together."
Phos sighed and got the idea.
Phos: "Maybe you're right. Still, the idea of speeding faster than light would make a great article for my encyclopedia. Maybe if you help me with that Star, I would place a footnote of your help at the end. I'm sure Yellow would love to read something like that."
Star blushed and was eager to help the gem out. Since the whole Blackfire incident, Star tended to assist Phos with what they need for Encyclopedia research, mostly space considering the Tamaranean lives there.
Starfire: "I am honored. For saving me and stopping my sister, I will aid you in your studies and give you what you need for your Encyclopedias."
The three soon approached the side entrance to the living room as the doors opened for them. But when they were in, they could hear a lot of arguing coming from the other three teammates.
Cyborg: "Good, 'cause it wasn't funny! Now either help us look for the remote, or go back to your nasty old book-"
Raven: "This is a pointless argument over a useless device. You are wasting your energy and disrupting my concentration."
Beast Boy: "I'm telling you, I didn't lose it! You were the one watching TV last. So if you want to blame someone, look in the mirror!"
Star gasped as she turned to see something that was unexpected. Robin and Phos did the same as they noticed that the place went through a hurricane. The entire living area is filled with garbage and books while the kitchen has a lot of dirty dishes and utensils. But the main focus is the three teammates as they were arguing over something and one is blaming the other. Robin soon went ahead and tries to calm everyone down.
Robin: "Whoa! Take it easy, Titans. Combat practice is this afternoon."
Phos looked to all of this mess and was completely shocked by it all.
Phos: "What is going on here?! It's almost like a Lunarian Shiro came in and wrecked the place."
Cyborg soon pointed to Beast Boy and explained to the gem what happened.
Cyborg: "This little green stain just lost the remote! I wanted to watch something and that remote was nowhere to be found. And he said he blames me when he always loose stuff in the Tower."
The changeling turned to him and told him that it wasn't his fault.
Beast Boy: "Me? I never lost it. If I recall, you had the remote last time. So it's obvious that you had something to do with it."
Cy turned to him and complained back.
Cyborg: "Oh, like I wanted to loose the remote when I usually place it on the coffee table. That was the last place I saw it and now it's gone. So who's responsible for that?"
Phos heard the arguments and turned to Raven for help. But the telepath shrugged her shoulders and told them that they're on their own.
Raven: "Don't look at me. I just wanted to read my book. These two nincomputes just won't leave me alone."
Starfire looked at this and decided that the only way to stop a squabble is to give them something to eat.
Starfire: "We must mend your dispute by the sharing of unhealthy junk foods. I shall fetch them."
She soon headed to the kitchen to find something in the fridge, much to Cyborg's dismay.
Cyborg: "I don't need food! What I need is the remote to watch TV! Isn't it too hard to ask for?"
Both Robin and Phos walked down the step as the gem surveyed the area.
Phos: "Well, you can't find this remote with all this in the way. I mean, look at this! There's trash everywhere, books scattered about, the dishes haven't been cleaned in a week. It looks like Lexi had their way with this place after looking at Lunarians for too long."
Robin looked around too and knew that they have a point.
Robin: "Phos is right. This place is a mess. How are you going to find the remote when all this is in the way?"
Cyborg and Beast Boy looked to the two and started the blame game.
Cyborg: "Hey! Don't look at me, all this trash is Beast Boy's. You should see his room. He hordes so much that it's spreading to here!"
BB heard that and tried to cover that up.
Beast Boy: "Me? What about Raven? She has all her musty books here too, she leaves them anywhere she pleases."
Rae overheard him and tries to reason with him.
Raven: "For the record, I don't have any room to place these books somewhere. I'm leaving them here until I get a new shelf for these books."
Phos soon decided to give these three an idea that might work.
Phos: "Hey, this is just me, but why don't you three… oh… I don't know… Clean up?"
There was an eerie silence throughout the lounge as all of them looked to them with strange stares. So silent that the only sound would be Beast Boy's coughing. Phos could see that this isn't getting them anywhere and rubbed their forehead in annoyance.
Phos: "No wonder why none of you can't find the remote. You three are a complete mess."
BB soon decided to joke around with what they said, trying to lighten the mood.
Beast Boy: "Like the Tower."
Phos had it and snapped at the Changeling.
Phos: "YES! ESPECIALLY THE TOWER! Oh, may the Lunarians take me to the moon and use me for decorations."
Soon enough, the group started to argue with each other as nothing is getting done. The only time they all stopped is when Starfire freaked out and fired her star bolts at the inside of the fridge, causing it to explode in some blue goo that was within. Soon enough, the entire living area was covered in the disgusting stuff as the group was just as messy as the place. Knowing lunch in the Tower is a no go, Robin decided on a better way out of this and maybe cool some heads.
Robin: "Maybe we should just go out for pizza."
Thirty minutes later, the team arrived at the pizza place where they all encountered Starfire months ago. After all that destruction, Jump City recovered from it all. The buildings were completely repaired, the streets are clean, and even the outside balcony of the parlor that's shaped like a pizza was reconstructed. It was quite a recovery from someone that wreaked havoc. And now they are back, as fellow pizza guest, wanting to order some pizza. However, there was still an argument going on. This time, it's for the toppings they want on their pizza.
Robin: "Black olives and mushrooms!"
Beast Boy: "No way, dude, I'm in the mood for some onions on mine."
Cyborg: "You all got it wrong, let's have pepperoni! That a pizza favorite!"
Starfire: "I am more interested in having a pizza with anchovies."
Raven: "Can we please just order something already? I'm getting hungry of you talking about your toppings."
Beast Boy: "As long as its vegetarian, I'm good."
Cy was annoyed and asked why he won't have anything meat related in a pizza place.
Cyborg: "Come on, man. How can you deny me the all meat experience?"
Beast Boy turned to his friend and explained why he's not going to have meat toppings.
Beast Boy: "Dude! I've been most of those animals! You want me to eat a pizza with murdered creatures?"
Starfire soon chimed in and came up with an alternative.
Starfire: "I suggest a large pizza with pickles, bananas, and mint frosting."
She soon smiled after thinking of a pizza like that. The rest of the team, however, was disgusted at a pizza the Tamaranean thought of. Robin soon approached her with a menu and told her that it's a no go.
Robin: "Uh, Starfire, not everything on the menu is a pizza topping."
Star looked to the Titan leader and realized her mistake.
Starfire: "Oh…"
She soon rubbed the back of her head and blushed a little. As they were discussing on their toppings, Phos looked to them and was amused. Even after leaving the tower, they still argue over petty things. Makes them wonder if all teenagers behave this way. As they were watching, Raven, who was next to the gem, turned to them and was curious.
Raven: "You seem awfully quiet when we got here. Didn't even decide on an order yourself."
Phos turned to the telepath and gave a bit of a chuckle.
Phos: "Well, as much as I want something, I'm afraid I can't. I don't have the parts necessary to digest food you know. Still, just the way they are behaving makes me miss my home. Most of us gems always argue for such trivial things. But in the end, we worked it out and help each other. That's how life is back there. A shame this group can't get a break."
Rae heard them and sighed at the thought of it.
Raven: "Can you blame them? They act like children wanting to get whatever they want. They always behave that way. Even if we are a team, we all have our weaknesses."
Phos turned to her and remarked something she said to them when they first met.
Phos: "Or curses… You told me that you were cursed with something the day we met. I'm pretty sure that keeping it locked tight won't change anything and the others will find the answer out themselves."
Raven turned to them and reminded them the reason why she's keeping it.
Raven: "Well, I have a dark past I wish to getaway. It's never really that easy to accept it. But regardless, I keep pushing forward and do some good in this city."
Phos nodded and looked to this squabble.
Phos: "You and me both. Sigh… Just wish that Cinnabar would be here to see this. I know they don't want to be in crowded areas because of the mercury, but I'm certain that they would make a great teammate with our friends. If they stop fighting that is…"
So the group kept on arguing on who wants what on their pizza. Unknown to them, someone was watching on the rooftop, spying their every move.
Up on the roof, two people were looking down on the group. The first one is Gizmo as he was using his binoculars to see the group as Poison, Slade's apprentice, was starring at the one team member that's is a primary target. Gizmo looked to the group and wasn't impressed.
Gizmo: "Pft… This is the team Slade wants us to take care of? They don't seem to be working as a unit. They're just acting like a bunch of bratty kids. What a waste. Still, if he wants us to take them down so we can work for him, that's fine by me."
But he soon turned to Poison and was a little hesitant with her. Ever since Slade announced that she would assist the Hive in this assignment, he and the others were unsure to trust her.
Gizmo: "Though I don't know about you, Poison. I know your boss brought you here to assist us, but you are not part of this team. We Hive students work together and are one cohesive unit. You just got dragged into our mission. So let me give you a bit of advice to you. Stay out of our way! Got it?"
Poison remained in her position and was eerily quiet. That's another thing Gizmo and the Hive doesn't get. This Poison never says anything, not a single word. Almost like she has a vow of silence for her boss. Gizmo sighed and could tell that she won't talk.
Gizmo: "Still not talking? Figures… I don't get someone like you. Just give us a sign that you understand, okay?"
Poison heard him and was still silent. Almost on cue, she lifted her robotic arm up and pointed to something. Gizmo was curious and look back down to what she's pointing at with his visor. Looking down, he could tell that she was pointing at the green-minted gem that was with the team. Seeing this, he knew what she wanted.
Gizmo: "Oh, I see… So that's why you're with us. You want to fight that one, huh? Very well. You handle that one; we'll take care of the rest. Do we have a deal?"
Poison turned to the little kid and gave a nod for an answer. Gizmo smirked back and was relieved about that.
Gizmo: "I'll take that as a yes."
He soon got on the comm. and started to initiate the mission.
Gizmo: "Gizmo to Jinx. Begin phase one."
Back at the parlor, the team was still trying to figure out what they want to order. But then, Phos picked up a strange sound from close by, the sound of an engine roaring and a horn honking. They stood up and asked the others what they were hearing.
Phos: "Guys? What's that sound?"
Everyone else stood up and heard that sound as well.
Robin: "Sounds like a bus, and it's driving out of control."
Beast Boy soon heard the sound of crying and looked down to see something even more unexpected.
Beast Boy: "Down there!"
They heard him and look down to see a discarded baby carriage with a baby inside crying. They soon look up and saw the bus driving down the hill, approaching the carriage in the middle of the street. Seeing the situation, Robin told the others to take action.
Robin: "Titans, Go!"
Soon enough, the group jumped of the balcony and proceeded in saving an innocent life. Starfire started to fly down and pushed the carriage away from danger. Meanwhile, Cyborg jumped down and was in front of the bus with Raven landing from behind. He soon grabbed the bus by the front to stop it. But he was being pushed down with his metal feet skidding. Phos soon joined in, as they were high in the air with their heels launching and was over the bus. Immediately, she stretched their golden arms and wrapped the bus around by to the ground and their hands merged together. Landing on the ground, their heels cushioned her fall and anchored them to slow the bus down a little more. But it wasn't enough to stop it. That's when Raven came in and outstretched her hand. Inside the bus, the crankshaft was coated in black magic and automatically pulled down to park, stopping the bus completely. Cy and Phos was relieved that it was over and relaxed for a bit. As they approached the bus, they noticed the door was opened and no one is driving it.
Cyborg: "Um, don't buses normally have bus drivers?"
Robin, Starfire, and Beast Boy were at the carriage and didn't see a baby. Just a green and yellow teddy bear that Robin just picked up.
Robin: "And don't baby carriages normally have babies?"
It was then that they heard a voice of a young kid in that teddy.
Gizmo: "Aren't you pit-sniffers normally this stupid?"
The teddy's yellow eyes started to glow and immediately fired at the three teammates. The three didn't see it coming and was flying over the rest of them and right into an ally. Cyborg, Raven, and Phos saw it all go down and wondered what just happened. Just then, the bus lifted up in front of them and hovered over them before crashing back down. Soon enough, Mammoth, who was the one lifting the bus from the back, came out of the smoke to dust himself off while Jinx and Gizmo joined him, feeling accomplished with their handiwork.
Gizmo: "That was too easy. What a bunch of clutch heads. You guys want to get pizza?"
Before they were successful with their work, they could hear Robin's voice from the distance.
Robin: "This isn't over!"
In the ally they flew into, Robin and Starfire were dusting themselves while Beast Boy was in the garbage can with a banana peel on his head. At the same time, the bus Mammoth crushed the other three blew up as a blue beam of light came out of it. It was at that time that the hybrid came out with an angry look on his face while Raven came out as a black raven before rematerialized while Phos was in their protective golden spear as it opened up and they appeared.
Cyborg: "We're just getting started!"
BB removed the peel off his head and was confused on those three individuals.
Beast Boy: "Who are these guys? And what's a clutch head?"
It was then that the three joined together with their poses and introduced themselves to the team.
Gizmo: "We are the Hive."
Mammoth: "Your worst nightmare."
Jinx: "And this is Attack Pattern Alpha."
Almost immediately, all three of them charged in for an all out assault. Gizmo soon flew with his jetpack and wings out and fired multiple projectiles at Rob, Star, and BB, nearly burying them into the rubble. Raven was fighting with Jinx while Cyborg has a test of strength with Mammoth. Meanwhile, Phos saw what happened to the leader and his teammates and had to do something.
Phos: "Oh no you don't. You're not getting away with this so easily, you know."
With their arm out, it formed a sword and they swung it, causing it to stretch long. That sword slice one of the wings and caused him to fly out of control.
Gizmo: "What the-?"
He soon falls to the ground and was going to crash. But with a push of a button, spider like legs came out of the pack and he landed right on the floor. Looking at the gem, he was a little upset about that.
Gizmo: "Smart move, greenie. But don't think you got the last laugh!"
With that, he controlled his legs and a proton cannon attached to the front was fired. Phos immediately jumped back with one of their heels extended the height and landed at a farther distance. Looking on, they could see the young genius turning to them and firing another round. Quickly, they formed their hands together and created a huge shield to deflect the shot. When the projectile was fired, the blast pushed them and caused them to fly to a car. The gem managed to recover quickly and formed a half a spear to their back, crashing into the side of the car and causing a serious dent. They soon shake off that attack and were a little annoyed.
Phos: "For Sensei's sake, these guys are starting to become a major pain. Looks like I have to-"
Before they could finish what they were saying, multiple silver projectiles appeared out of the blue and barely missed the gem, with the last one grazing their cheek and formed a scratch on that spot. All of them hit the lamppost as they all have the S like shape on them. Phos turned to it and was confused by it.
Phos: "Huh…?"
Turning to the direction of the throw, they saw some kind of female soldier in fitting armor with orange and black attire that sports the same S standing on a theater marquee. Looking at that, Phos was questioning who this one is.
Phos: "What in the world! Who are you?"
The female soldier look down to the gem and didn't utter a single word. That's when Gizmo came in and told her to handle this gem.
Gizmo: "Poison, handle this lame-o. We'll handle the Titans."
With that, he scurried to the battle to assist Mammoth in removing Cyborg from the equation. Phos looked back before turning to this Poison and hold their ground.
Phos: "Look, Poison was it? I don't know about you, but I don't have time facing you. Why don't you leave me alone so I could help my friends?"
Poison's response was a bit more aggressive as she got her hand on the hilt and pulled her sword on her back. The gem looked to this and could tell that this was bad.
Phos: "Guess I'll take that as a no."
They soon got their golden sword up and were raring for a fight. With that, Poison jumped off the marquee and flew high, doing a flip below the sun. By the time she got down, she positioned her sword to break them in the middle. Phos lifted their gold sword up and blocked the strike. Poison was soon pushed off as she did a somersault to land on the ground. She soon charged in and went on the attack, swinging her sword in many directions, trying to slice them. Phos blocked each attack with their weapon and trying not to get crack. However they need to remove that sword from her, otherwise it would cause stress in their gem like body. They try to swing the sword to her midsection, only for her to jump up to avoid it and rolled on their back. Turning around, the two clashed with both weapons and sparks started to come out of the swords. The two starred at each other and could tell that they are evenly matched.
Phos: "You got skills, Poison, I'll give you that. But I am more experience than you in many ways. Here, let me show you!"
With that, their other arm created a whip and got a hold of the sword. With a bit push, Poison stumbled back as the sword was removed from her hand. Phos tossed it aside and was pleased with what they done.
Phos: "Looks like you're defenseless without your weapon, huh? This is going to be easy."
Poison looked to her sword and had to get it back. With quick thinking, she lifts her robotic arm up and a compartment opened up. It revealed an arm-mounted blaster as she was charging it up for an attack. Phos saw that and immediately got their arm up to create a shield to spread up to their entire body. By the time it was fired, the red beam hit the shield and pushed the gem to a building, smashing into a storefront window and through a display case. When the smoke cleared, they shook off the attack and reverted both arms to normal, rubbing their forehead in unexpected occurrence.
Phos: "Okay… Definitely didn't see that coming."
Getting up, they looked up to see Poison firing at the gem with quick projectiles. Quickly, they formed another barrier. The blaster shots deflected the projectiles, but then, one of them broke through it and barely missed the green minted gem. Phos was caught by surprise and never expect that to happen.
Phos: "No way! That shot went through my alloy! That has never happened before. Whoever this Poison is, she's really resourceful. Better get out of it before she really destroys me."
With that, they quickly ran away and hid from cover, jumping over a cashier and put their head down to avoid the projectiles trying to figure out how to retaliate. Meanwhile, Poison continued to fire until she stopped and notice that the gem wasn't around. That could give her time to get to her sword and finish her off. She immediately ran to sword and grabbed the hilt. But as she got it, a table came flying out of the store and heading towards her. Looking up, she immediately got into position and slices the table in the middle, cutting it in half. Looking on, she could see Phos standing there with her arms split into multiple, carrying random objects in and around the store.
Phos: "All right, let's see if you can handle this!"
With that, they tossed a cash register, mannequin, box shelves, bench, newspaper vending machine, and mailbox right at her. Poison saw this and her sword in position and armed her blaster. With that, she sliced half the objects thrown at her while shooting down the rest in quick and graceful moves. Once that was in the clear, Phos launched themselves up with their heels and came down with their sword ready to slice. But Poison saw that coming and jumped out of the way. The gem missed her as she did a handstand on a truck and landed on her boots. With her robot arm out, she fired her blaster and performed an onslaught on the gem. They quickly ran to cover and, jumping and sliding on the hood of a car and hid behind it. As they hid, they turned to team to see how they're holding up. Already, the team was having trouble as it is with the Hive. They didn't see Cyborg or Starfire, and Beast Boy, Raven, and Robin are already having their hands full. Seeing the situation, they had to do something.
Phos: "This Poison is starting to annoy me! I got to help my friends."
Looking to the car they were hiding in, they decided to loose this person and get back to the team. Getting their feet to the side of the car, the heels twisted and curled for form a pair of springs. The springs soon pushed the car and it headed right to the truck Poison was on. She saw that and pointed her blaster to the car, charging it up to full blast. Firing a charged shot, the blast hit the car and exploded in a huge plume of flames and smoke. She soon started to wonder if the gem was with that car? She soon got her answer as Phos was through the smoke in the air and headed straight to the female soldier. Poison didn't have the time in avoiding it and got her sword in a defensive position. Phos connected with force and pushed Poison right off the truck and crashed into a newsstand. Quickly, the gem jumped and landed on a balcony railing over the newsstand. Reaching both arms out, they extend and wrapped around the truck, pulling it down to the damaged newsstand and it fell in a tilt, trapping Poison completely. Phos looked to this and was glad they got it out of the way.
Phos: "Love to chat, but I have something else to take care of. Talk to you soon!"
With that, they jumped off the balcony and landed on the sidewalk, with the alloy cushioning the fall. They soon ran up to the battle, hoping that they won't be too late.
Back to the main fight, the Titans were having a hard time against the Hive. Cyborg was lifted up by Gizmo's jet pack and flying around while Starfire chased after him. Meanwhile, Robin, Raven, and Beast Boy were easily outgunned by the student's strategies and weapons. Beast Boy, who was already on the ground after getting thrown by Mammoth when he was in his elephant form, was getting annoyed.
Beast Boy: "Is it me, or are we getting our butts kicked?"
Both Rob and Rae turned to him and responded at the same time.
Robin: "It's just you."
Raven: "It's just you."
Robin: "Listen up, team. I have a plan."
Before Robin could explain that plan, both Raven and Beast Boy were shot down and blasted them off the ground and far from the leader. Rob saw that and turned to see the Hive standing there with confidence with Gizmo armed with a mounted laser cannon over his shoulder.
Gizmo: "Gee, Scrumbuffer, sure hope your fancy plan includes getting fried."
Robin stood his ground and was prepared to fight solo.
Robin: "You'll just have to find out the hard way."
He got into a fighting stance, gesturing them to bring it. With that, they responded by attacking him at once. Gizmo pointed his laser cannon down on the ground and fired at it, causing it to crack. Jinx soon joined in and waved her hands out to expand the crack with her hexes. Mammoth completes it by jumping high and pounding the cracked ground with both fists. All combined into a huge shockwave that surround the leader and gave him little time to escape. He started to fall through the hole and was screaming for his life. But then, out of the blue, a golden arm stretched out and grabbed Rob by the foot. The three saw that and was surprised.
Gizmo: "Whoa! What the crud?"
All three looked up and saw Phos standing on the lamppost with their other arm wrapped around it. Gripping, they try to hold Robin up as much as possible.
Phos: "Hang on, Robin! I'll get you up!"
With a quick pull, the arm retracted and lifted Robin up. In moments, they got the Titan leader up out of the hole and he was in the air. Once he was in the air, he tossed multiple silver balls from his utility belt and they threw down to the three. Gizmo quickly aimed the laser cannon and fired at them. But when the blast hit the balls, they all exploded in a blinding light, causing them to be blinded temporarily.
Gizmo: "Ah! Can't see!"
Pretty soon, but Robin and Phos landed back on the ground in front of the hole the Hive created and was relieved that they got some breathing room. The leader turned to the gem and was thankful for what they did.
Robin: "Thanks for the save, Phos. I thought I was a goner."
The gem rubbed the back of their head and did their best.
Phos: "Don't mention it. Though I would've been here sooner if Poison got in my way."
Robin heard that and wondered what they meant. But before he could say something, Beast Boy came in with a bit of worry.
Beast Boy: "Robin!"
He turned to see Beast Boy and Raven heading to check on him.
Raven: "Are you okay?"
Robin nodded and decided to leave before the Hive could recover.
Robin: "Titans, fallback!"
The three heard that and was confused.
Phos: "What? You kidding me? We can take them!"
Robin turned to the gem and told them that there will be another time.
Robin: "For now, we retreat and fight another day. Fallback!"
With that, he took out a disk and threw it to the ground, administering smoke to cover their tracks. At the same time, the Hive regained their sights and looked around to see what happened. That's when they saw smoke in front of them dissipating and not a soul around. It was then that the three knew what happened.
Gizmo: "Crud… They all got away. That's just our luck."
Mammoth though crossed his arms and was confident at what they did.
Mammoth: "Why the sour face, Gizmo? We beat them so much; they ran away to lick their wounds. That's a success in it of itself."
Jinx soon placed her hands on her hips and agreed with her large student.
Jinx: "Yeah, Gizmo, don't get too worked up about it. Those Titans have learned their lesson. They should know that they never mess with the Hive."
The two laughed it out while giving each other a high five. But Gizmo turned to them and told them of the situation.
Gizmo: "Don't you two klutz get it? Slade hired us to take out the Titans, not let them flee. We can't let them recover and counter attack us. We need to finish them off while the iron's hot."
He soon looked around and noticed that someone is missing.
Gizmo: "Hey! Where's Poison?"
By the time he asked that, a huge blast came from the tilted bus and got everyone's attention. Turning to the direction of the blast, they saw Poison walking out of the blast dusted herself up. Gizmo looked to her and demanded what happened to her.
Gizmo: "There you are. Just where the scrud were you? The Titans have gotten away and you were nowhere to stop them. I know you are Slade's apprentice and have a grudge with one of them, but that doesn't mean you can abandon this group. This is the reason why the Hive don't work with outsiders."
As he was arguing, Slade's apprentice took out some kind of device from her utility belt and was working on it. Gizmo noticed it and asked what she was doing.
Gizmo: "Are you listening to me? We have to find the Titans and destroy them before they can retaliate on us. What the scrub are you doing?"
Poison didn't respond to his questions. Instead, she tossed something to Gizmo, leaving him to catch it. Once caught, he looked to the device and gave a bit of a smirk followed by a chuckle. Both Mammoth and Jinx looked to each other, wondering what's so funny. That was when Gizmo turned to them and told them to get back to the hunt.
Gizmo: "Jinx… Mammoth… Prepare for a second assault. This time we won't wait until the Titans return. For we will see them, sooner then we think."
He soon lifted up the device and it turned out to be a GPS map with an S symbol on it that's on the move. Turns out, Poison planted a tracker on Phos during the fight and is following their every move. It is already evident that the team was on their way back to the Tower. A perfect place to finish them off.
That will end the first part of Final Exam. Already, you can see that I made some form of changes. Specifically, Robin getting saved by Phos since in the actual episode, he fell and disappeared. Then there's the whole Slade apprentice thing. I know you might be thinking that Robin would be it, but I think I have something special in that future apprentice episode that would include a twist so epic that none of you won't see coming. It might be a bit different, but I have something in store for the next part, where the Titans must face the Hive in their own home. Stay tune to find out. Please Review. #WherearetheGoodCartoons?
