My friends who have followed my weak attempt at a story, I thank you for your reviews, and for the hours spent plugging away at my story. I must say, though, that real life calls for my attention, my writing will continue, but i cannot garauntee at what pace. As being military, I do not know what sea time will bring with it. Who knows, it may even increase my writing time since I truly can't go anywhere else. Anyways, if you feel the need to contact me, feel free to, my email onboard the ship is morcomj(at)lpd13.navy.mil. Hopefully you all enjoy this next installment into the life of Ryk and the Titans. New villians, new friends, and new powers are all being brought to bear in these next chapters, along with old fears and torments.Enjoy
-The Dark One
Chapter 14
Welcome to my Nightmare
Nightmare expertly spun the pair of dual headed hand axes in her agile hands. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at the tiny little boy hovering halfway across the arena.
"You want to play rough?" she spat, "Well, two can play at that game."
A flash of red and silver shot across the arena, and Gizmo's eyes bugged out in pain. Nightmare's body flew across the arena at an unbelievable pace, and the flat side of one of her axe slammed mercilessly into his gut.
"Omph!"
She spun like a ballerina, and buried her other axe deep into the pack on his back.
-ZZzzzztt!-
Gizmo screamed as his pack shorted out, sending rivers of electricity across his body.
"AAAAAAAAAaaaahhhhh!"
Nightmare spun silently, and brought a violent kick down on the boy's head, propelling the now weaponless boy into the floor of the arena.
-S-Slam-
"Ugh"
Gizmo lay in an unconscious pile on the ground. Nightmare hovered above his body, spun the axes once more in her hands, looking down with a bloodthirsty glare at the downed boy.
The crowd went wild. Screams, cheers and everything in between exploded into Nightmare's ears, and snapped her out of her bloodlust. She smiled proudly out at the cheering crowd, and slowly lowered herself back to the ground. She landed standing over top of Gizmo, who was just starting to stir. He sat up just in time to have Nightmare's long tail wrap around his throat, and pick him up off his feet. He clawed desperately at the red scales, gasping for air. Nightmare turned her gaze to where Brother Blood sat. Gizmo turned blue. The headmaster slowly rose from his chair, and slowly…slowly began to clap.
The crowd got even louder.
Gizmo's face turned purple.
Nightmare glared at the little genius, snarled at him once more, and flung his body like a rag doll across the arena.
The crowd went wild.
-----------------
I stared out the window of the Titans Tower overlooking the city. I had been sitting still for far to long. I rose with a jerk, and waved to the boy wonder, catching his attention.
"I'm going out for a bit." I said, "I've been sitting around far to much."
"Anything in particular you have in mind?" he responded.
"Naw, just gonna go see what the city has been up to these last few days, just wander a bit if you catch my drift."
Robin nodded, and turned back to the quiet conversation with Starfire I had interrupted.
I turned to the elevator, and made my way down to the garage where my suit was set up.
The elevator door opened to the lower level of the Tower, and I strolled calmly out. I glanced once at where my suit stood, glanced twice, shrugged and walked out the door in my old black combat armor, still missing the trademark jacket.
---------------------
Downtown was very quiet that evening. I was early enough to be before all the nightlife would start, but after general working hours. The city was still very much alive, though, and I took it all in. The smells, the sights, and even the way the wind changed as I walked from in between one set of buildings to the next.
A small diner sat open before me, and I realized it had been a long time since last time I had a good burger. I smiled and walked into the little place. The patrons gasped at first, but I merely waved, and sat myself down in one of the corners. A nervous young waitress girl-stepped up to me, and I smiled back gently.
"Can I help y-you sir?" she stammered, her face burning red.
Damn…never knew I was this famous. I mean c'mon, don't I at least get a chance to be around for a little while?
I quickly read over the menu, and placed my order. Stephanie, as her nametag identified her by, scampered off, whispered something to the cook, who's eyes went wide, and he went into a frenzied action.
The burger came back to me in record time, and I had the pleasure of enjoying the best burger that I had probably ever had in my life. I couldn't help but notice the shy stares from people all over the diner, and I did my best to return each stare with a smile. I finished my meal, stifled a belch, and walked out, leaving a hefty tip for the shy waitress.
The streets passed silently under my feet, as I wandered towards downtown. A pawn shop passed by and something in the window caught my eye. I stepped in, made a quick purchase, and moved on, toying with the set of throwing daggers I had just bought. 4 black K-Bar throwing knives, and one very intricate, solid silver throwing blade. The black knives looked like any other throwing knife, but the silver one was different from anything I had ever seen. The blade had no handle to it, but instead had a bar at the base of the blade that curved up alongside the sharpened edges, ending in a pair sharpened points as well.
I smiled, placed the blades into my back pocket, and continued my walk.
It had been another few hours when I heard a scraping sound in an alleyway off to my side. A muffled scream caught my attention, and my eyes flew wide. I ran full tilt, down the alleyway, following the noise.
A group of thugs stood at the end of the alley, a frightened girl backed up against a fence. One of the thugs pulled something from his pocket
-Snap-
The switchblade snapped open, and he glared dementedly at the girl.
I snuck closer.
The girl cowered against the fence, her clothes had been tattered and torn, and she was desperately pulling her shirt down to cover herself from where her skirt had been ripped from her body.
The thugs stomped closer, menacingly.
I leapt over their heads, producing both of my daggers from seemingly nowhere. The fight was over before it started.
Two of the thugs stumbled and were downed from a vicious kick I threw into their faces, one more ran for it, and the one holding the switchblade sweat as he held the blade out in front of him.
"Don't fuck with me, man." he growled. "I'll slit your throat dude."
I stood my ground, now between him and the girl. My hands calmly placed my pair of daggers into their hidden sheathes behind my back.
The thug's eyes watched me carefully.
-Step - SLAP!-
In half a heartbeat, I had disarmed the crook, and was now holding the would-be rapist at the point of his own knife.
His eyes grew abnormally large, and he turned to flee from where me. My hand reached into my back pocket, and produced all four of the black throwing knives.
-TH-TH-TH-THWIP-
I released each one individually in a blazing succession, pinning the crook to a dumpster by his clothing, one on each shoulder, and one in each pant leg. I pulled the silver blade, and held it in front of me.
"This," I snarled at the pinned man, "is what sets us apart, moron. This blade," I held the intricate blade up for him to see, "is my mercy for your kind of scum."
I slowly pocketed the silver throwing knife, and calmly pulled the two knives out of his pant legs. I pulled one out of the fabric of his shirt, caught a shifty look in his eyes a moment before I pulled the final one, elbowed him in the face…
-WHAM!-
…pulled the last of the black blades from his clothing, and let him slump unconsciously to the ground.
The girl's body rattled the fence she leaned against. I looked over, only to finally recognize the same uniform of the diner I had just eaten at…and the same brown hair as the waitress that had waited on me. She was curled up in a corner of the fence and the building adjoined to it, still pulling her tattered uniform down, and sobbing. I turned my back, not wanting to embarrass the girl, and quickly disrobed one of the thugs lying on the ground.
-FLOP-
A pair of jeans and a shirt landed in front of the crying girl.
"Put them on…he won't be needing them where he's going."
The girl nodded silently, and quickly pulled the 'acquired' clothing on, choosing to just pull the baggy shirt over her tattered one instead of taking more of her clothing off.
In the meantime, I cleaned the thugs of any kind of ID, and tied them up against the dumpster I had pinned their ringleader to only minutes earlier. The sounds of a police siren caught my ears, and I turned towards the girl, who was now wearing a very baggy, very…thug…looking outfit.
"C'mon, let's get you out of here before things get to out of hand."
The girl simply stared at me. I held my hand out to her, and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be right here for you, ok?"
She finally took a shaking step forward, and took my hand. I held hers like a father might hold a daughters to protect and comfort her. We walked out of the alley, and back into the lighted side of the city.
"So, may I walk you home…Stephanie, right?"
Her tear stained face blushed ever so slightly. "I wouldn't mind at all," the corners of her mouth turned up just a little bit, "and you can call me Steph."
-----------------------
"So….does anyone know where our assassin went?"
All eyes turned towards where Raven sat behind her book.
"Uhhhmm….Rae?" Beast Boy started.
The dark girl dropped her book just enough so that her eyes could be seen over the top. "What." She droned.
Beast Boy turned sharply back towards his game. "Nothin….just wonderin' why you were all of a sudden the first one to ask about Ryk, you know he can more than handle himself out there."
Raven let out a long, agitated sigh, and disappeared behind her book again.
And the war against the Covenant raged on behind the protective glass of the television.
------------------
Nightmare lay staring at the ceiling in her room. Gizmo…he was supposed to be good? He had barely been a joke, and she knew now the fact that she had just beat the stuffing out of one of the HIVE's elite. She tossed and turned, wondering about this establishment that that she had chosen to ally herself with. Was it truly worth the risk of fighting with a group with these ones? She shrugged, and rolled over towards the wall, and stared sleeplessly into oblivion
-----------------------
I stopped silently, knowingly, in front of Stephanie's apartment complex.
"You ok now?"
She nodded, staring up into my silver eyes.
I smiled gently down at her. "Don't be afraid to say hi if you see me out wandering around."
"And you," she smiled cutely, "should stop by the diner and say hi again some time."
I laugh silently shook my shoulders. "I'll do that."
Her face turned red, and she darted to the door of her apartment. She smiled and waved from the doorway, then turned, and disappeared inside.
I turned and walked away, a smile spread across my face. I know I couldn't do it for everyone, but did it feel good to make an impact on the people of this city.
-------------------
Inside Stephanie's apartment.
A blonde head and a red head sat with their backs to the door, watching and giggling at the television.
Steph cleared her throat.
The blonde turned about, her sapphire blue eyes wet from the laughter the two on the couch had been sharing. "Hi Steph! You're home…la---te..." her voice trailed off at the sight of her friend in the dirty t-shirt and the overly large, baggy pants with chains hanging from them. The glow on the girls face seemed exactly opposite of what one would expect from someone dressed as such.
The blond poked at the red-head sitting next to her, her eyes wide.
"What's up 'Ness?"
The blonde headed "Ness" didn't respond, but instead gaped at the dirty girl standing in the doorway. The other girl turned her head, looking to where Stephanie stood in front of the doorway, and started.
"What's with the new get-up Steph?"
The brunette in the doorway ignored their stares and their questions. "Vanessa, Jessy…you are never going to believe what just happened to me!"
-----------------------
I stood at the edge of the town, staring down the long, narrow drive that lead to the Titan's Tower. I smiled, shoved my hands in my pockets, and trudged across the land bridge.
-----------------------
Nightmare rose from where she lay, and started early into the morning. The alarm clock next to her head read 3:48am, and it was a long time before classes or even breakfast. Undeterred, she quickly suited up in her silver combat gear, and slipped out to the arena for a little early morning training.
-----------------------
I tossed the damp towel into a clothes basket at the side of my room, and collapsed onto my bed, feeling quite good about how the evening had gone. I glanced at the glowing red numbers of my alarm clock. 3:48am. I was out much later than I had expected, but I had stopped a horrible situation, and earned my keep as a Titan for one more night. I rolled over, and closed my eyes, letting sleep overtake me.
------------------------
Nightmare gasped, staring around the packed arena. The headmaster sat at his seat, glaring down at the combatants tearing at each other in a massive free-for-all in the arena. His eyes caught her where she stood, and a wicked grin cracked his face.
Rising to his feet, Brother Blood motioned to the audience of the massive fight. "My students, we have us a surprise visitor, and volunteer for the grudge match."
Nightmare's eyes grew wide.
"Nightmare!" the wicked grin turned her way, "Welcome to the real H.I.V.E. training matches."
Gritting her teeth, Nightmare walked up to the door in the clear wall. It slid aside silently, and with a grin, and a flash of a pair of hand-axes, she joined the fray.
--------------------
I sat bolt-upright in bed, a cold sweat pouring down my face. I stared wide eyed at the wall, my eyes betraying my confusion.
--------------------
Nightmare growled as she soared over the horde of battling opponents. Like a bird of prey, she waited patiently, her leathery wings carrying her effortlessly, waiting for the right moment to make her move.
The mass of bodies below her fought without hesitation, blood spattered the ground from a broken nose or two, and screams of the battle resonated throughout the building.
Nightmare glanced downwards, glaring at a particular pair fighting off to the side, away from the rest of the group. Absorbed in each other, they were unaware of her murderous smile and the change in her flight. She turned her body, adjusted her grip on the hand axes, and dropped like a falcon towards the two.
-WHAP!-
-SMACK!-
The two bodies crumpled to the ground from the devastating blow of the side her axes.
A smirk, and she crouched to take to the skies once again.
"rrrrrRRRRRAAAAHHHHH!"
The girl turned just in time to see a monster of a boy bearing down at her, the very same stocky one that had been ignoring her earlier with that little techno brat she had swatted the day before.
She smiled, motioning a hand towards his rush.
To the crowds surprise, Mammoth stumbled in his rush, tripped over Nightmare's outstretched foot, and was fast asleep before he even hit the ground.
--------------------
"Nnnnggghhh."
I gripped my head, squeezing my eyes shut as a tremendous pressure applied itself to my skull.
---------------------
Nightmare's gaze fell across several more opponents, and they slumped to the ground in a forced slumber.
Brother Blood stood to his feet, watching his newest student decimate the ranks of some of his most experienced students. The silver-clad girl's eyes rose up to meet his, and she smiled seductively. With a grunt, each and every one of the combatants suddenly, and unexplainably, dropped to the ground, fast asleep.
---------------------
A howl destroyed the silence of my room, screaming from my throat. I convulsed on the bed, gripping my skull.
---------------------
In awe, the HIVE headmaster watched as even the audience themselves began to fall to the induced slumber.
---------------------
A knock at my door.
Raven's voice "Ryk? What's going on?"
My body shook and convulsed on my bed. My mouth opened, and snapped back closed. I tried to scream, but all I managed was a weak whisper. "h-h-help me"
Another wave racked against my head, and my back arched in agony. I curled again on the bed, assuming the fetal position. "please….help me"
Raven's voice again, "Ryk? Are you ok?"
'For the love of God, just open the damn door!' shot through my head.
And yet, the girl respected my privacy.
I managed to roll over to the side of the bed, dangling one arm over the side…trying…struggling…
------------------
Raven stood outside of my door "Ryk?" she called, one last time.
She waited a moment, then turned to walk away.
-THWUMP-
Raven gasped, spun back towards the door, and slapped her palm over the access panel.
-Swish-
The door slid quietly to the side, and Raven's eyes widened. I lay there on the floor, where I had managed to roll off the side of my bed.
I was a mess, sweat ran in rivers down my face, my clothes soaked.
"Ryk!"
-------------------
Robin's communicator vibrated next to his bed
….and vibrated
….and vibrated
….and -BAM-
Robin's hand slammed down on top the annoying, buzzing device, opened it, and mumbled incoherently into it.
"Robin," Raven's voice droned from the other end, "Ryk's room…now!"
The urgency in Raven's voice drug the boy wonder instantly from his bed. He ran down the hall in nothing but his sweatpants he slept in and his eye mask.
-------------------
I gripped Raven's robe with an urgency. "Y-you have to….t-t-to get me away f-f-from here" I mumbled painfully.
Raven held my arching body down to keep me from twisting myself in half. Robin shot into the room at full speed, and slid to a stop just shy of where Raven held me down.
"RYK?" he exclaimed.
"I n-need to be outside."
"Nonsense, you need to be in the infirmary."
"O-outside….please"
My voice was becoming weaker, more desperate.
"If you say so."
Robin and Raven both draped my twitching self in between their shoulders, and carried me out the back doors of the Tower, and away from the tall building. They stopped on the beach, both panting from the effort of carrying my convulsing body.
"Leave me here, go back inside"
"No chance in hell, Ryk, and you know that."
"Get inside NOW!"
Both the boy wonder and the dark sorceress jumped back from the sudden roar that escaped my throat. All four eyes fixed on my pair as they slowly turned from the seemingly normal silver eyes to a solid silver, almost as if someone had replaced my eyes with flowing mercury.
"I CAN'T HOLD BACK MUCH LONGER" I roared, "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Both of my friends turned and ran back into the tower, leaving me to convulse on the ground.
Forcibly, I stood to my feet, and let out an earth-shattering scream.
-------------------
Nightmare looked around the arena at the entire building full of sleeping people. With a smirk, she turned her attention back towards the last person awake.
"Brother Blood, Headmaster, whatever you want me to call you…have I not already proven myself to you?"
The aging man on the balcony looked harshly back at her, but his eyes were getting heavy. He shook off the feeling, and glared back at the girl. She smiled, and shrugged at him.
He yawned.
---------------------
I screamed, a silver aura appearing around my body.
---------------------
Nightmare looked on as the headmaster struggled for his conscious side. She knew long ago that she already had him in her grasp, and only now had to prove it, to show him of her worth.
And Brother Blood…was sleeping.
---------------------
Rocks lifted from the earth, and shattered around me. I held back, and held back…and held back…
"RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"
A single thought ran through my head. "I'm sorry…I can't hold back anymore."
And yet I held back…and held back…and held back…
---------------------
Nightmare smirked.
---------------------
And I finally released, unable to contain myself any longer.
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!"
The earth flattened, and fled downwards from my feet. I stood on mid air, not that I had moved, but that the ground had exploded away from me. A crater formed beneath my glowing, silver body, the very ground disintegrating around me. I looked blindly out, away from the tower, and let the scream roar on.
Two pair of eyes watched out a window of the tower. Deep within Raven's mind, a demon fled into the darkest recesses it could find, hiding from this raw display of power, and an influenced vision.
Outside the window, I forced my mind to dwell on things. A tree I felt not far from me.
-CRAAAAACK--BOOOOOOOOM-
Splinters of a destroyed tree flew across the island.
I focused my thoughts on solitary items
-C-C-C-C-C-C-CRAAAAACK-
-B-B-BOOOOOOM-
-C-C-C-CRUUUUUNCH-
Everything my mind touched was destroyed instantly.
'I have to focus' I thought to myself 'I can't let my mind wander to the Tower or my…'
-SMAAAAASH!-
The closest doors leading into the Tower were thrown from their hinges, mangled, and destroyed.
I forced the thought from my head.
--------------------
Nightmare looked proudly around the arena at her handiwork…
…but no one else enjoyed it, they all were fast asleep.
---------------------
'Focus…focus…find the cause of this…'
My mind was performing in its most destructive state, and I would continue on forever, it seemed. That is, unless, I cut off the power that was tormenting it, or killed myself from the expense of my energy.
I chose to cut the torment.
'There…I've got it.'
In my mind, I could 'see' a red glow emanating from the northern side of the city. One tiny tentacle from the dome reached out, and stretched all the way to the side of my head.
I sent my own rainbow colored stream rocketing alongside the red one, but was stopped solid by a mental block...the entire red dome was a mental barrier…
But it was…human
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
And let go.
The red tentacle of power turned silver as my power shot through it in the form of a feedback. The red dome instantly shone silver…
-----------------
…And Nightmare screamed. She dropped to her knees, gripping her head firmly between two petite hands.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"
The headmaster yawned, rubbing his eyes.
---------------------
I howled into the outpouring of my mental wrath
"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA--
---------------------
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
Nightmare's knees buckled, and she fell to the ground. The student body there in the arena stirred as a whole.
And as quickly as it began…the pain was gone. Nightmare was left kneeling in the center of the arena, suddenly looking very bashful for the outburst she had let escape.
The headmaster stood to his feet, and slowly started clapping. The entire audience followed suit, until a roar of approval echoed around inside the arena.
End of Chapter 14