The way that this chapter begins and ends...is very different. It was very unplanned...oh well, I had fun writing it. And Slade's plan is finally coming into the story! Enjoy!
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"So…why do the twins call you June?" Fiery inquired as she kicked the ball over to Junior. Junior caught it and then rather spastically dropped it, remembering the no-hand rule. He kicked it over to Nova.
"Not sure…they just sorta started calling me that on their own." He replied. Nova knocked the ball around with his knees for a minute, then kicked the ball over to his sister.
"June…that's a girl's name." he laughed. Fiery glared at him and kicked the ball rather violently, it hit her brother in the face and knocked him over. The others stifled laughs as Nova picked up the ball.
"Ha ha very funny." Nova replied sarcastically.
"Sorry," Fiery told him unconvincingly, "I couldn't help myself. Nova rolled his eyes and kicked the ball over to Junior.
"Come on guys, let me play." Vibe complained, as he still hadn't had a turn with the ball. Junior nervously kicked the ball over to Vibe, who immediately bounced it back over to Nova, who once again, began to toss it around.
"Quit showing off!" Fiery ordered. Nova grinned, but ignored her. But Junior watched him intensely.
"You're good!" he exclaimed.
"Careful, enlarge his ego anymore and it'll no longer fit on the face of the Earth." Fiery joked. Nova was happy anyway.
"Speaking of skill, you, my newly found 'cousin', suck at this game." Nova observed. Fiery glared at him.
"Nova! You don't have to be so mean about it!" Fiery retorted.
"Uh…no, that's okay," Junior replied, "I…don't really play sports much…um, ever…" Nova laughed.
"No sports? How have you survived?" Nova teased. Junior smiled nervously.
"That is kind of weird," Vibe agreed, "I can't believe you've never played, I mean…you know martial arts." Junior shrugged.
"Well…I know the rules, I've watched some stuff on TV but…it sounds kinda cheesy but I guess I've just never really had people to play with." He explained. Fiery flew over and yanked the ball away from her brother.
"You mean…you've never had like…friends?" she asked Junior in surprise. Junior didn't answer.
"What about Emerald and Luna? They cling to you like glue." Vibe reasoned. Junior thought a moment.
"Well…they don't always-"
"June!!!" Luna shrieked as she dragged Emerald over to them.
"We wanna play too! We wanna play with you!!" she exclaimed. Junior turned to them.
"Hey Emerald…what happened to Starfire?" he inquired.
"She left because Robin offered to take her to the movies." Emerald replied.
"That's weird…you'd think he'd be obsessed with what Slade is planning." Vibe reasoned.
"That's a good point, hey Junior…do you…" Emerald trailed off.
"Know anything about Slade's plan?" Junior finished for him, "No. Daddy dearest doesn't really trust me with most of his plan ideas. But…I did find this one thing under a trap door…I'm not really sure what it was but…"
"Well…what did it look like?" Nova inquired. Junior thought a moment.
"Well…it was like some sort of computer…it had a lot of calculations on it, some kind of formula. I can't really remember it…it was really long though" he replied. Fiery looked over at the twins.
"Well…could you guys do that thing where you go into his head and dig up the memory?" she inquired. Emerald shook his head.
"Sorry, no. There are too many memories to pinpoint just one specific memory, the only time it's easy to find is if it's really recent, like 5 seconds ago or something, otherwise, finding the right memory is just…well it's practically impossible." He explained.
"Shouldn't we…you know, tell the others about this." Vibe asked. Junior shrugged.
"I guess…but it's not much of a help." He replied. Nova and Fiery stared at him.
"What?" Junior asked, backing away.
"Nothing…it's just still really weird talking to you without you calling us names or attacking us." Fiery replied. Junior sweat dropped, but the others laughed.
Later, they did tell the others about the trap door and the computer and the formula…and still, nobody could make sense of it, but is had sent Robin into a craze, he had locked himself up in his study again and was looking over every piece of evidence that had ever had the slightest thing to do with Slade. Until, of course, the others dragged him out to dinner. They ordered Chinese food, and everyone was sitting in the kitchen, on the couch, or on blankets having some weird indoor picnic. Robin was still looking over things even as he ate. Junior walked over to him nervously.
"Um…Robin." He began slowly.
"I'm very busy." Robin replied. Junior laughed uncertainly.
"Heh…yeah…um, I know that my information didn't really help much…"
Robin was silent.
"And, uh…I'm sure Slade has changed the entire security system and such…"
Silence.
"But…I, um, he has become slightly predictable with some things…and I could probably hack the system a litt-"
"You could do that?!?!" Robin yelled, gripping Junior by the arms with his eye's twitching a bit. Junior leaned back, he was very scared right know. The other titans were staring at them.
"Um…yeah…maybe…you're, um, hurting me." Robin didn't seem to hear him, as he started shaking him a little.
"Why didn't you tell me?!?!" he continued.
"Well…I, um, was sort of afraid that you'd attack me…sort of like what you're doing now." Junior replied, trying to wriggle out of Robin's grip. Robin seemed to realize what he was doing and let go of Junior.
"Oh…sorry, but, you can really do that?" he asked again, slightly calmer. Junior backed away from Robin a few feet.
"S-sort of…I mean, maybe…a little bit I mean…it is Slade we're talking about I just…uh, can't really do a lot because he never trusts me and…well…stuff." Sid raised an eyebrow. Robin was practically dragging Junior over the computer.
"Can you do it now?" he asked.
"Robin…I think you don't realize how much of a gamble this really is…I mean I might not be able to-" but upon seeing the look on Robin's face, Junior shut up and began typing, with Robin watching him with intense focus. Metallic and the twins drifted over to them after a while. And Soon, Sid and Cyborg came over, followed by Julia and Fiery, and Nova rather reluctantly.
"Okay, guys, I don't know why you find this interesting but with all of you standing over me I can't really work." Junior told them. Robin quickly shooed them away, but remained himself. Junior opened his mouth to protest but…
"I'm not going anywhere." Robin told him firmly, and Junior sighed and went back to his work. After a while everyone else was busy doing other things, (most had gone to bed since it was around 1 AM) and Robin sat a few chairs away from Junior, still looking over evidence.
"Hey…Robin, this is all I could get…does this help?" Junior inquired. Robin ran over and examined what was on the screen.
"Junior…Robin began slowly, did you really find this on Slade's computer?" Robin asked in an unbelieving tone.
"Uh…yeah, what is it?" Junior inquired. Robin was still staring at it.
"Get the others." He ordered. Junior didn't argue, instead, he ran around the entire tour, rounding up everybody until they were all crammed into the living room.
"I've got some bad news." Robin began.
"What was on Slade's computer?" Sid inquired. Robin paused.
"It was a blueprint for some kind of basic plan…I printed it out, but I'm not sure if it's real." He explained.
"What do you mean?" Beast Boy inquired. Fade's eyes narrowed.
"I think he means that…well, Slade isn't careless, isn't it a little odd that he wouldn't change any codes after Junior left? Unless it was just a way to trick us." She explained.
"But, Slade doesn't use obvious traps either." Julia interjected, "There's no way that he would do something so…obvious." Everyone turned to Junior.
"What do you think?" Robin inquired. Junior was standing next to Robin, he seemed to be having a hard time standing and was looking a little dizzy.
"Just use it!" he whined. Robin raised an eyebrow.
"Are you okay?" he inquired. Junior took a deep breath and attempted to steady himself.
"I'm fine," he insisted, "just use the plan before Slade has a chance to change it." He managed to gasp out.
"June doesn't look so good." Luna observed, pointing at Junior. Emerald nodded.
"Maybe you should lie down." He advised. Junior slowly shook his head.
"Use the stupid plan." He muttered before passing out and falling over. Robin caught him, but as soon as he had, the lights went out and the technology all around the tower started beeping wildly, along with the security system, then the entire tower shut down. Amp's hand glowed with electricity and it lit the room. Robin's eyes narrowed.
"What's going on here?"
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"Tally…why are we doing this?" Terra inquired, as she and Tally sat in their room with the radio on.
"Uh…because I wanted to listen to music?" Tally replied.
"No," Terra began, "I mean…why are we helping Slade?" Tally paused.
"Well…I guess it's because I've got no where else to go." She said quietly. Terra looked confused, but didn't continue with the subject. The door opened with Slade standing before them.
"Ah, my apprentices, the tower's defenses are down, and I have a little job for you." He told them. Tally and Terra immediately got to their feet and stood before him. Terra stepped forward.
"So…what is it?"
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"What's wrong with him?" Sid inquired, as they all crowded into the infirmary, led by Starfire, Fiery, Nova and Amp's light-bearing hands and Metallic and Cyborg's flashlights.
Raven walked over to Junior, who was passed out on the cot and she felt his forehead, but immediately withdrew her hand, shaking it.
"He's got a pretty bad fever." She observed, "But I can't believe he got so sick so soon, he was just fine a few hours ago." Luna looked up at Raven.
"Is June gonna die?" she asked meekly. Raven sighed.
"I don't think so, I don't know what's wrong with him…and we can't use the computer to figure it out, maybe right now we should be focusing on getting the tower up and running again. Cyborg plugged himself into the computer, draining information before pulling the plug and examining the information on the screen on his arm.
"It's some kind of complex virus…this was no accident." He told them. Robin sighed.
"Raven, I need you to stay here and look over Junior. Cyborg, and need you and Metallic to try to fix the tower. Everyone else, I need you to search the tower for intruders." He ordered. Everyone nodded.
"Um…actually…can I stay here?" Sid asked
"Us too!" Luna protested. Robin paused.
"Sure." He finally replied, before leading most of the titans out the door.
Just to be safe, the search party of Titans split into groups of 2, Rikki and Taylor, Starfire and Robin, Midnight and Amp, Fiery and Vibe, Julia and Nova, and Beast Boy and Fade.
Beast Boy and Fade where currently checking the living room and kitchen, since neither of them had their own source of light, they had flashlights. They where quietly looking around, when the window crashed open. Glass flew everywhere whilst Beast Boy and Fade ran for cover, Rikki and Taylor, who where nearby, came running.
"What's going on?!" Taylor yelled.
"Someone just broke in!" Fade responded.
"Who?" Rikki inquired. When no one answered, the four of them turned to the broken window. It was Terra.
"Hey." She greeted monotonously.
"Terra, what are you doing?" Beast Boy asked. Terra was standing on her usual 'floating' rock, staring down at them, but she didn't answer, instead, rocks started pouring in all over the tower, wrecking everything in sight. Beast Boy opened his communicator as he dove behind the counter.
"Beast Boy to Robin! Come in Robin!" he whispered frantically. Robin's face appeared on the screen.
"Beast Boy? What's going on?" Robin inquired.
"Robin! We're in the kitchen! Rikki and Taylor are here too! We're being attacked! You've got to-" the communicator was knocked out of Beast Boy's hand by a stray rock. Beast Boy immediately turned into a rhinoceros and went charging towards Terra, who sent a rock hurtling towards him which he had to doge by turning into a sparrow and flying off.
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"Beast Boy's in trouble! Call Midnight and Amp! I'll get the other two groups, tell them they're in the kitchen!" Robin ordered. Starfire nodded and called Midnight, while Robin contacted Julia, and then Fiery, all while Robin and Starfire both ran towards the kitchen. By the time Robin and Starfire got to the kitchen, Midnight and Amp were already there. And right after Robin and Starfire joined in the fight, Fiery and Vibe arrived, followed shortly afterwards by Julia and Nova, and they were all fighting the onslaught of rocks and dirt from every direction.
"Where's Tally?" Julia screeched over the noise.
"I don't know!" Fade yelled back, as she narrowly dodged a rock.
"But nobody can get to Terra! We might have to call Cyborg and Metallic!" Fade continued. Julia nodded and ducked behind an already fallen rock.
"Julia to Metallic! Come in!" se yelled. She informed Metallic of what was going on, and they hurried over as well. They soon learned that Terra was not alone, a horde of Slade's robots followed her, attacking the Titans and anything that moved. And nobody had any idea why.
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"What was that?" Raven inquired, after hearing banging and multiple explosions.
"I don't know." Sid replied. Raven pulled up her hood.
"I'm going to go check it out, you three stay here." She ordered, flying off towards the noise. As soon as she was gone, the window to the infirmary burst open, Luna and Emerald quickly put up a shield to protect them from the glass. Tally jumped at them and before they could raise the shield again she knocked their heads together, and they fell over, then she sent mud flying towards the twins and attached them to the wall with it, they couldn't move, or breathe. Sid lunged at her but Tally grabbed her by the arm and threw her at the wall.
"Why are you doing this?!?!" Sid screeched. Tally paused, the question ringing in her ears. But Sid didn't notice, she grabbed some shards of glass and chucked them at Tally, who didn't have enough time to raise a shield of earth, instead, she held up her arm as the glass bounced off of her protective armor.
"You stupid girl." She scowled, grabbing Sid by her hair. She flinched, but Sid refused to show how much it hurt. Herr eyes began to swirl in a hypnotic fashion, but Tally slapped her across the face.
"Stop it! I know about your little hypnosis thing! Don't think I'm that easy to fool!" she yelled. Sid grimaced.
"Sorry…you seemed dumb enough." She replied. Tally glared at her.
"I can't believe I lost to you." She thought aloud. Sid's eyes widened.
"What…?" she whispered. Tally's eyes narrowed and she threw Sid to the side, she landed on her arm, and she bit her lip to avoid tears as the glass slit her skin. Tally walked slowly towards Junior, she held up a shot, it was filled with a strange green liquid, and she held the shot out shakily towards Junior's arm. Sid pulled herself up.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded.
"Shut up." Tally ordered, her entire body now shaking. Sid ran over to her.
"No!" she yelled, grabbing Tally by the shoulder and turning her around to face her, but upon seeing Tally's face, she let go, and took a step back. Tears streamed down Tally's face, and she gripped the shot tightly.
"Slade…didn't tell me what it was…" she hiccupped. Sid listened confusedly to her enemy's shaking voice.
"What this is…" Tally continued, holding up the shot, "But, I know what it is…I know…" Sid didn't know what to say. It was then that Terra ran into the infirmary.
"Tally! We have to go! Come on!" she yelled. Tally looked up, she dropped the shot on the floor and shoved Sid out of the way.
"Let's go!" she yelled, and followed Terra out the window, and back to Slade's hideout. Sid stared at them as they flew away on their rocks, and she didn't stop staring, even when the other titans ran in and pulled the now passed out twins out of the mud cocoons and attacked her with questions, when Sid didn't answer, they all silently watched her, and she quietly bent down over the glass and picked up the shot, and finally, she spoke.
"What…is this?"
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Since I'm horrible at creating mysterious plot lines...I'm sure you all know what the shot does...but...I'm not gonna say until later anyway. And Tally's developing a personality, I guess...ah well, see ya next chapter! Pleaaaaaaaaaaassse review.