Author's Note: Hello, ladies and gentlemen! :D

Wait, what is this? *GASP* A new "Titans: Rise" chapter? 0.0 Yes, after much, much, MUCH debating, whether to revamp the story or not, I just decided to continue on with what I have. I realized, if I were try and revamp it, it would simply be a lot of flip-flopping of scenes and chapters, not much of a difference, to be honest.

And so, without further adeu, I bring to you, a NEW chapter in the "Titans: Rise" story!

I hope you all enjoy it!

Your friend, Cody.

"You can't be serious!" The Headmistress objected. "You want that beast and his friends to fight together? After what he just did to one of our best soldiers?!"

"It's brilliant!" Blood replied.

"It's madness!"

Silence developed in Blood's office as the two Headmaster's stared each other down. The Headmistress was still in shock over what had transpired in the Arena, the brutal assault that Beast gave to the Private H.I.V.E. And now Brother Blood wants that same Beast to battle with his friends! Does he not know what could happen?!

If he did, he either didn't care, or he did, and just wanted to see them die. Blood turned his back on the Headmistress to look out the window, contemplating something the Headmistress wasn't sure of. He was silent as he stood, his hands behind his back. After a moment of silence, he spoke once again.

"Cyborg defeated Cinderblock in his first match, and Plasmus in his second. Beast-Boy destroyed everyone in his path in The Crypt, and the Private H.I.V.E. The only one who hasn't proved himself, is Richard."

That was true. Richard had surrendered in his fight against Red-X, and nearly killed himself in the fight against Plasmus.

"So?" the Headmistress wondered.

"We have yet to see Richard's true potential. He appears to work best with a team. If we were to send all three of them to the Arena, perhaps we could witness the true power of our newest Titans."

The Headmistress thought over what Blood had just said. His only wish, is to see their true potential at Richard's command? She remembered their victory when they first arrived, against the H.I.V.E. 5. They hadn't worked together, per say, but they were still victorious. Perhaps if they were to work together again, Richard's failure could be redeemed, in whatever leadership Brother Blood hopes he possessed. But there was still one question lingering...

"But who would be their opponent?"

A mischievous smile crept on Brother Blood's face.

Beast-Boy turned on the faucet, washing the blood off his hands before washing away what was on his face. He turned the faucet off and looked at himself in the mirror. What happened in the Arena still lingered in his mind, playing and replaying like a horror movie. The only thing that was making it worse, was the Beast's voice, echoing in his mind once again.

The Private H.I.V.E. was a fool.

Beast-Boy shook his head violently to try and get rid of the voice, but it still lingered.

He caused you your glory, your victory, your chance at freedom. You were right to destroy him.

Beast-Boy growled in anger, running his hands through his blood-coated hair. He looked at himself in the mirror again, it was a mess of green and red. He needed to get rid of the blood, so he turned on the faucet again, wet his hands, and ran them through his hair. Tears and drops of the red fluid fell from his hair and hands, mixing with the water as it swirled down the drain in a red spiral.

"Beast-Boy!"

He looked up at the mirror again, his hair spiked with water, and noticed Cyborg and Richard standing at the doorway to his cell in the reflection.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice showing that he really didn't want to talk.

"What the hell was that?!" Cyborg asked.

Beast-Boy turned swiftly to face his friends, "It was nothing."

"How can you say that was nothing?" Richard shot back, pointing outward to nowhere.

"He got in my way!"

"You killed him!"

Beast-Boy marched over to Cyborg and Richard, looking at them straight in the eyes when he said, "Look, you guys don't know what I went through down there! This is who I am now! You don't like it? Tough!"

"So this is the new and improved Gar, huh?" Cyborg crossed his arms as Beast-Boy brushed past them to walk down the walkway. "What do you think Rachel will think about him?"

Beast-Boy stopped dead in his tracks. He slowly turned around, "What?" he asked in a say-that-again tone.

Cyborg replied, "Were you thinking about Rachel when you were down the Crypt, doing whatever you did to survive? Did you think about her when you destroyed that H.I.V.E. soldier? I bet you didn't. So what do you think Rachel will think of you now?"

Cyborg could see the anger building up inside his friend. He knew he was in dangerous territory, but he had to make Beast-Boy see the truth.

"Do you think she'll still want to be friends with you? Do you think she'll still want to see you? How do you know she isn't afraid of you now after what you just did? How can she feel like she can trust you?" he knew the next words he spoke would be crossing the line, but he knew he had to say it in order to get his Gar's mind straight, "How did you think she'll feel, if she cant trust you... with Red-X?"

That set Beast-Boy off immediately. With an animalistic roar, he charged at Cyborg. He couldn't transform because he had his collar, and so did Cyborg. But that didn't matter, as a single clothesline across the chest was enough to bring the green elf down, and stay down with a metal foot planted firmly on his chest, but not enough to choke him out.

"Listen to us, Gar!" said Richard, kneeling down to one knee. "Whatever's going on in that head of yours needs to stop!"

"I'm fine!" Beast-Boy rasped out, trying in vain to push Cyborg's foot off him.

"No, you're not! You're acting like an animal!"

"I am an animal!"

"No, you're a man! And unless you realize that..."

"Richard! Cyborg! Beast-Boy!" Dr. Light's voice broke Richard's. Cyborg lifted his foot off Beast-Boy, making him able to stand. They looked down at the prison floor below to see the Overseer, and were worried that they were to suffer consequences for fighting.

"To Brother Blood's office! Now!"

"You want us to WHAT?!" Cyborg exclaimed, with the same wide eyes that Richard and Beast-Boy had on.

Blood, however, remained calm. "I want the three of you to fight together in the Arena."

"You can't be serious?" Richard said.

"Oh, but I am." Blood smiled.

"I can't work with them!" Beast-Boy replied, pointing to his 'friends.'

"You will need to to face your opponent."

Richard asked, "Well, who's our opponent?"

Another mischievous smile grew on Blood's face, "That is a surprise. Now, get ready! Your fight starts at dawn!"

WHAT?! How can they prepare for a fight when they hate each other, and don't even know who they're going to be facing?!

"Well, don't just stand there! GO!"

The three prisoner's left Blood's office in silence, even as they walked down the hall. The tension between them made the walk to the elevator uncomfortable. Neither of them knew what to say. They entered the elevator, Richard pressed the bottom floor button, the doors closed, and the elevator began its descent. There, probably, would have been more silence between the three if Richard hadn't spoken first.

He sighed, "Okay, look. I know things aren't, exactly, good between us."

"What was your first clue?" Beast-Boy mumbled, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. If Richard cared about that statement, he didn't show it.

"But we need to work together on this. We don't even know who we're facing! How are we supposed to win if we can't work together?"

He didn't receive an answer, only an intense stare-down between Cyborg and Beast-Boy.

Richard sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Guys...if we don't work together, how are we going to get out of here?"

At first, he thought he wasn't going to get an answer. Or anything, seeing as how intense Cyborg and Beast-Boy were looking at each other, as if they were just waiting to tear the other apart. But after a moment, Cyborg sighed.

"You're right, Richard. If we don't work together, we can't win. I'm in." he held up a fist, and was granted a fist-bump from the young billionaire. They both looked at Beast-Boy for his answer, and as if on cue, the elevator opened.

And Beast-Boy walked out.

Dawn broke upon Steel City, bathing the metropolis in gold as it peaked through the morning gray clouds. The three boys could already hear the Arena outside the armory. The roar of the crowd still gave them butterflies. Cyborg sat on a bench with his hands laced together under his chin, like he was in deep thought. Gar was standing next to him, garbed in his Arena uniform, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Richard, also in his Arena uniform, was finishing wrapping his utility belt around his waist, filled with weaponry he was used to.

"You guys ready?" he asked.

Cyborg stood up, "Almost. Just gotta make sure everything's in order."

Beast-Boy shrugged and nonchalantly replied, "Whatever."

That gave him two disappointed looks.

"You just finish whatever you need to do, Victor." Richard insisted. "Come on, Gar."

Both Richard and Gar exited through a door that would lead to a staircase. As they were leaving, Cyborg looked at his arm, scanning himself to make sure everything's accounted for. Everything was at 100%. Good. Now time to...

"Need to make sure your gas tank's all filled up and ready to go?"

That voice.

Cyborg turned to where the voice originated, and saw the one man he didn't want to see.

Xavier.

"What do you want?" Cyborg asked.

"What? Can't a guy just wish his fellow prisoner good luck?" Xavier casually walked over with that cocky grin on his face, like always.

"Not if that prisoner's a scumbag, like you."

Xavier jokingly hissed, "Ooh, that hurts." that smile never faded, "Look, I know what I've said before was wrong, but I only do that to keep up appearances. You have to hold your own in this prison, everyone knows that. You do, too. So, on behalf of every one of us here, I just want to say..." he held out his hand, "Good luck."

Cyborg was, of course, hesitant. He had no reason to trust Xavier, let alone shake his hand.

"I should beat you down, you know."

Xavier put up his hand in defense, and shook his head, "Hey, I don't blame you. Plenty of guys want to kill me, believe me. But seriously, I wanted to wish you good luck."

Cyborg looked into Xavier's gray eyes, trying to find any hint of mischief in them. Surprisingly, he couldn't. He looked down at his hand, then back at his face. After a moment of hesitation...he accepted the gesture.

"Thanks." he said, though with distrust still lingering.

"No problem, buddy." Xavier casually patted Cyborg's back, before quickly placing behind his own, "Now go on. You got a match to fight."

Cyborg still wasn't sure if what Xavier was doing was either genuine, or trickery. With each backward step he took, his eyes remained fixed on Xavier. He groped for the door handle and found it, opened the door, and with his eyes still watching, slowly closed it.

That was when a mischievous smile crept on Xavier's face.

Everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be. Thousands of people, ready to witness a fight. Richard, Cyborg, and Beast-Boy standing at the center of the Arena, preparing for battle. The Headmistress sitting next to Brother Blood, with Rachel and Kori standing at the doorway. And Brother Blood himself, sitting on his throne. Everything was ready, until...

"Mind if I join you?" both Headmaster's turned in their chairs to see Wintergreen standing at the doorway, posh as always in his gray suit.

"Wintergreen!" the Headmistress greeted him, "Please, take a seat."

The gray man did as was wished, taking a seat on the throne behind the Headmistress.

"May I ask why you are here?" Brother Blood asked, trying hard to hide his disappointment.

"Your Headmistress invited me to partake in the festivities. She explained to your proposal, and it interested me. But it wasn't until she told the opponent, did I become truly intrigued. Tell me..." he leaned over in his chair, "Is it true? Do you have him?"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I was just about to introduce him when you arrived."

"Ah." Wintergreen sat back in his chair, lacing his hands together over his lap, "Well then, carry on."

Blood nodded, "Thank you, Winter..."

"Hey, everybody!"

It was at that moment, that Blood's heart just stopped. Once it started a split second later, he had to turn around to make sure it was real. That shrill voice could only belong to one person.

Kitten.

Why?! Why is she here?! WHY?! Her stupid pink dress and stupid, shrill voice, just...!

"Kitten! How lovely it is to see you!" just play it cool, and smile. "Please, have a seat. I was just about to start the match."

"Why thank you, Brother Blood." Kitten took the seat next to Wintergreen. "I heard that there was going to be a huge match this morning, so I just had to show up!" she gasped, "Richie-poo! Oh, I can't believe he's fighting again!"

"I thought you wouldn't want to see him after his failure from before." the Headmistress pointed out.

Kitten waved her hand nonchalantly, "I can't stay mad at Richie-poo. Besides, I'm sure he'll win this time!"

"Very well, then." said Blood, standing from his throne. "If you'll excuse me, I have to start the match." he raised his arms to quiet the crowd, which eventually did quiet down. Once things were silent, Blood spoke. "Today, is a very day! Here, are three of our most extraordinary Titans, Cyborg, Beast-Boy, and Richard..." the crowd cheered and booed at once, they could probably guess which reaction belonged to them.

After the crowd silenced, Blood continued, "They are here, together, to face an enemy unlike any they have ever faced! An enemy, that cannot be beaten! An enemy that cannot be outmatched! An enemy...that cannot be broken."

It was then the doors across the Arena opened.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you..."

From the shadows of the entrance, out stepped a man. He looked to be Cyborg's height, and very well-built. His tanned muscles were visible, thanks to the black tank-top. His whole attire was as black as the night; boots, leather pants, fighting gloves, even a mask. The mask covered his entire face, aside from his eyes and mouth. It was decorated with a white, Lucha Libre design. The man looked intimidating enough, given his size and stature. But that immediately changed. Tied to his wrist, was a band of green viles, a single tube linked them together. The man gripped the tube, and stuck it to the back of masked head. That was when everything changed.

Like something out of a horror movie, the man's body began to grow. His entire body began to grow enormous in muscle, everything from his arms, his legs, his chest, this one man grew to the size of a monster, and as he towered above the three boys, Blood shouted his name for everyone to hear.

"BANE!"