A/N: Times up! Here's the Easter egg from the last chapter.
None life threatening, of course, or they would be joining their adversaries resting in a drug induced sleep at Sacred Heart.
Sacred Heart is the name of the hospital in which the characters of the TV series Scrubs work. I looooove that show!
The Beast Within Us
Chapter Twelve: Outbreak
Police Stg. Craig Hank was skeptical when the Titans first formed. The sunny coastal city had once been one of minimal crime. There were robberies, drug busts and the occasional homicide, of course, but they were seldom lacking in man power to handle such occurrences. That was before Jump City found itself host to a criminal sideshow.
Plasmus was the first. Otto von Furth had been an innocent man, choosing to live his life peacefully as most do, until an accident had transformed him into a monster. No one was prepared when Plasmus attacked. The accident had taken up some of the police resources as several rescue calls had been issued. Hank had a feeling it would not have mattered. Their weapons had proven useless against the puddy like creature. It had gone on a rampage that lasted for several hours. Many citizens were left homeless or injured and it appeared as though it would not stop until the entire city was reduced to rubble. Finally, the creature passed out from exhaustion and reverted to the man many had presumed dead. While kept in a sedated, near sleep state, Otto eagerly offered himself over to the authorities in hopes that this would never happen again, and for a while it appeared so.
Most of the city had been untouched and there were no casualties, but it was too late. Jump City's vulnerability to supernatural creatures had been exposed. While similar monsters such as Cinderblock and Overload rampaged, super criminals such as Mumbo robbed banks and easily evaded the police. With the criminal activity rising and decrease of available man power, Hank had begun praying everyday for some form of relief or help from the chaos.
Eventually he got it, though it was not quite what he was expecting.
He had not believed the rumors that Robin had been spotted dashing in and out of the city's shadowed alleys. There was little reason to believe that Robin, as in Batman's Robin, had taken up residence. First of all, there was the fact that Gotham City was on the opposite side of the country. Second of all, the Boy Wonder had disappeared for a year prior to the rumors and presumed by many to be dead, though his death was never confirmed. In spite of all that, the police force was desperate enough to hope. That hope was soon to appear founded as random criminals were discovered restrained and 'gift wrapped' for the officers apprehending them. Other reports came of a masked green child rescuing people in trouble from small time muggers and the likes. At the time, neither of the reports could be confirmed but the city's beaten and battered citizens were openly embracing the hope that they were true.
The first visual confirmation of the two vigilantes came when an alien girl, later accepted by the public as Starfire, had crash landed downtown. The city watched in amazement as a ragtag team of five teenagers fended off a terrifying alien threat. Many were optimistic that they would be the answer to the ongoing problem of super villains and monsters and were pleased when the team announced their position of city defenders under the title of 'Teen Titans'.
The Titans had proven to be just what the city needed. Any and all supernatural criminals were quickly taken care of. The crime rate returned to a steadier pace though the occasional super villain kept the Titans busy enough to justify the state financing the team and providing them with a place to live. The citizens had no problem paying the tax required to provide the teens that saved their lives with food and shelter.
Hank had found the Titans very easy to work with as well. He was half expecting them to be the same rebellious snots he normally had to face. To his surprise, Robin had politely shaken his hand and introduced the team one by one; each regarded him with a respectful nod and hand shake of their own. Their cooperation with the police was absolute, though as vigilantes they had the ability to overstep the boundaries as needed. There were the few formal complaints when a Titan would unwittingly use someone's car as a weapon in battle, but the majority did not mind at all.
Just as the city had done, Hank found he had a soft spot for the kids in spite of himself. That was why it was so hard to arrest them. The charges would be dropped if Robin were speaking the truth. There was no doubt in Hank's mind that he was and the two Titans would not be held accountable for what had happened. Regardless, it did not make his decision to incarcerate them easier.
"Sir!"
If Hank had been startled by the abrupt entrance the lower rank officer had made, he did a flawless job of masking it. Whether he had actually been taken by surprise would be impossible to determine. As his head snapped up at the entrance of Officer Jen Lowe and locked with uneasy look in her eyes, his heart rate jumped considerably. Even as a rookie, Lowe had seldom allowed critical situations to get to her. With just one glance at the steel-nerved woman's features contorted by urgency and panic, he knew instantly that something was very, very, wrong.
-----
"Help! Please!"
The sound of Beast Boy's cries and frantic banging on the cell door reverberated through the hall. The officers on duty responded fast and inside they found Robin lying motionless on the floor and Beast Boy near hysterics. They summoned paramedics while Lowe ran to alert Hank. "His heart has stopped." She brought him up to speed as they reached the Titans' holding cell. "We've begun resuscitation and the paramedics are on their way." Hank nodded calmly, his demeanor belying the worry he felt for the motionless teenager.
His eyes flickered towards Beast Boy. To say he looked beyond perturbed would be putting it lightly. With his ears folded back and eyes pulled wide in panic, his expression was easily reminiscent of a cat caught in headlights. "Beast Boy, what happened?" Hank asked as he approached him.
"I don't know." Beast Boy's voice struggled on feeble gasps of air. "We were just talking and he collapsed. I knew he wasn't joking. He'd never joke about anything like this. I asked if he was okay, if he could hear me and I shook him but. . . he wasn't. . . he wasn't moving."
The hurried sounds of wheels and footsteps echoed through the hall. Everyone cleared a path for the paramedics and they quickly strapped Robin to the gurney. Once he was secured they began a swift retreat for the ambulance waiting outside. "Wait!" Hank turned to see Beast Boy's arm reaching out to the retreating paramedics as an officer pushed him back to his cell. "Please! Let me go with them!"
Hank was by no means a softly, but the look of absolute desperation and fear in Beast Boy's eyes was hard to ignore. He was dangerous, Hank reasoned with himself. True that neither Robin nor Beast Boy was at fault for their actions, but they were not in control of it either. That, in essence, made them more deadly. Hank could go on listing all the reasons why they needed to remain secure to himself for a good while. However there was something that told him, after everything the Titans had gone through from the moment of their formation and up to this point, that it would be worth the risk.
"Let him go. He's coming with us."
-----
As anticipated, the newshounds had crowded the police stations stoop like starved hyenas. Thankfully, they had sense enough to clear a path for the paramedics wheeling Robin to the waiting ambulance. Beast Boy skittered nervously behind as Hank gently pushed him forward, waving off various microphones and cameras all the while. They climbed into the emergency vehicle and Hank could not help feeling a twinge of satisfaction as the doors slammed shut, muffling the ceaseless inquiries from the press. With the screech of the ambulance siren they were off and Beast Boy was left to fidget nervously as the medical staff attempted to revive Robin.
Unable to watch, the green Titan shut his eyes tightly and looked away. Hank placed a hand on his shoulder but decided not to mumble words of false hope. Instead, the seasoned officer focused his gaze straight ahead, forbidding his eyes to waver even slightly. He often found it easier to concentrate when in the thick of an emergency when he could afford to. As the frantic sounds of medical equipment, paramedics, and the siren slowly faded into the back of his mind, Hank was left with himself and his accusing inner voice. How could this have happened? Was he neglected medical treatment?
Hank made a mental note to check the competency of medical staff that had treated Robin and Beast Boy. It was true that the former appeared to be perfectly healthy in spite of his injuries, but cardiac arrest would not have come up out of no where. Perhaps he had a pre-existing condition they didn't look into. It would not hurt to have someone look Beast Boy over again, he decided, just to be on the safe side.
It was a mistake to bring him along. Hank narrowed his eyes at this thought. These internal battles were both unpleasant and unavoidable. In some ways he had thought of that as a good thing. They would force him to second guess himself and to look over his actions. While that was beneficial, he could go without arguing with himself. What if he transforms in the hospital? His conscious pressed on.
He won't.
How do you know that?
I don't, but he's under police supervision. That aside, I believe he can keep from transforming for a little while.
You trust him so much that you plan to keep him and Robin incarcerated until this is over?
This is different. He's under supervision and this was an emergency. He'll only be out for a short while.
And what if this 'short while' is long enough for him to mutate? Police supervision or not, you know you won't be able to stop him if he does.
Hank found himself without an answer.
So make up your mind. Do you trust them or not?
I do.
But why?
Why?an heif Hank mentally echoed to himself. Before he could ponder the thought any longer, an abrupt veer to the right tossed him out of his thoughts as well as his seat. Both he and Beast Boy flew forward off the small padded bench and into the nearest paramedics. Like a domino effect, people and medical supplies there thrust to one side of the cabin and an unfortunate pair of doctors found themselves between the side of the vehicle and Robin's gurney. The ambulance was caught in a fishtail and the occupants found themselves toppling left and right. Not that it mattered much, as a loud bang caused the medical crew to duck and cover.
"Who's shooting at us?" one of them cried.
"No one. A tire's blown." Hank said as the ambulance teetered uneasily. Another violent strike hit the vehicle and it tipped over on its side. The same two paramedics cried out in pain as the found themselves crushed beneath everyone's weight.
"Is everyone okay?"
"Did we get in an accident?"
Before any of the inquiries could be responded to, a thick cloud of mist covered them and a venomous voice snarled from behind it. "It's payback time, you scum!" Beast Boy looked up, his body slightly contorted from the impromptu dog pile. He recognized that voice as well as the figure shadowed by the water veil. It would not have mattered if he did not, because the mist spread quickly to reveal the side of the cabin completely missing and the owner of the voice glaring down from outside.
"Shimmer!"
-----
Shimmer winced at her bruises as she walked down the street. News had broken of the Titans' arrest and while she would have liked nothing more than to enact her revenge on the two, the thief in her would not allow her to miss out on this opportunity. As she casually browsed through the stores, deciding which to loot first, a distant explosion flared up from behind a short skyline. "Looks like I'm not the only once seizing the day." she said to herself. "I'll have to thank whoever that was for the distraction later."
Sure enough, all heads were turned towards the orange glow stretching above the distance roof tops. She slipped unnoticed into an electronic store and made her was towards one of the security cameras. With a subtle wave of her hand, she transfigured the camera's inner electronics to putty like substance, disabling it quickly and quietly. Once the other two cameras had met the same fate, she made her way towards the cashier. The televisions on display had replaced the Titans' well known arrest with images of the very explosion that had and continued to deter everyone's attention. Some customers had left, others were glued to the wall of screens and the cashier on duty was nearly oblivious to everything else. No one paid any mind as Shimmer discretely turned the air around him into knock out gas. She quickly slinked behind the counter to gently lower him to the floor as he slipped from consciousness. She reached up from her crouched position and turned the lock on the register into water vapor.
"We have a new development in our top story." The words carried by a female anchor's voice perked Shimmer's interest, even as she carefully pulled the register open. "Robin, one of the two Teen Titans incarcerated following a violent disturbance down town, collapsed in his holding cell. Paramedics are on the scene though his condition is currently unknown." Shimmer looked up from the roll of bills she was counting and at the live feed from the screens. Sure enough, Robin was shown being carted out on a gurney with a timid looking Beast Boy in two. Though the latter was still conscious, both were obviously injured, weakened and the former was all but defenseless.
"Perfect."
-----
"Shimmer!"
Shimmer grinned wickedly as she glared down at the injured Titan. Her smile only widened as she saw Robin lying limp against the gurney's restraints. "Stand aside, Green Jeans. It's your friend I want." Beast Boy's eyes were wild with fury.
"You can't! He's dying!"
"Well, that makes my job all the easier."
With a strangled growl, Beast Boy morphed into a jaguar and lunged towards the girl. Shimmer summoned a club from the air and struck the cat's side, sending him flying. "Freeze!" Hank barked, his hand gun posed dangerously at the criminal. Just as quickly as the command had been shouted, Shimmer extended a hand towards Hank, instantly turning his gun into Styrofoam. Hank dropped his gun as if he had been burned and stared at it with startled surprise. "What in the world. . .?"
"Look out!"
Overtaken by surprise, Hank only noticed Shimmer leaping towards him at the last second. She struck him across the head with her club, which evaporated shortly afterward. The strike had left him conscious, but the resulting concussion had him slumping over helplessly. Shimmer turned her attention towards the gurney, knowing well that the paramedics were not about to fight back. A quick wave of her hand reduced it to sand and Shimmer slipped an arm around Robin's waist. She waved her other hand and the sand molded into a firm platform, which she unceremoniously flung him over before climbing on herself.
Hank regained his composure just in time to see the mysterious villain escape with Robin at her mercy. With a shaking hand, he reached for his hand radio. "All available units respond! We have an emergency on South Brine Avenue." As Hank frantically summoned for assistance, his only hope lay on the green hawk he spotted as it pursued the villain.
-----
Shimmer touched down on a rooftop and tossed Robin's limp body across the concrete. "You're still warm and haven't gotten all rigor mortissy yet." she said as she swiftly stomped towards him. "Good thing too, or I wouldn't have had the pleasure of finishing you off myself." Her hands rose over her head, but no sooner did her trademark sparks begin swirling around her fingers did she hear a loud hawk cry. Turning towards the source of the sound, Shimmer was unable to determine what animal the bird had morphed into before a pair of green feet filled her vision. An angered cry ripped from her throat and as she tumbled on her back, she watched a green kangaroo morph into humanoid form. The mixture of pain and frustration coursing through her body caused it to tremble viciously. "I was going easy on you before, so it's only fair to warn you that I've had a really bad day, and I'm not playing nice anymore." Beast Boy told her as she slowly picked herself up. She glared at the Titan but managed a smirk.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you or something?"
"Actually, I do." Shimmer's eyes flared at the statement but Beast Boy held his ground. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Shimmer."
Not another word was spoken as Beast Boy morphed into a cheetah and sprinted towards her. With the distance between them closed so quickly, Shimmer had no time to react before he turned into a small goat and rammed her. The force was small but enough to knock the wind out of her and send her stumbling back a few feet. Beast Boy quickly morphed into a boa, before she could recover, and wrapped himself around her. As she choked for air, Beast Boy took care only to prevent her from taking in air without unwittingly crushing her insides. She would recover fast enough if she were to just pass out from lack of air as he hoped, but a broken rib or punctured or organ could have proven too much for her body to handle.
Shimmer struggled against the pressure and dizziness that seeped her strength away. What had remained of her air supply left her in an angered hiss, though her rage was only fueled further. Her hands began to spark and Beast Boy felt the warmth against his currently cold blooded body. Spikes appeared from between her fingers and would have stabbed his serpent body, but he had fortunately taken the warning sign as his queue to act. As a squirrel, he quickly scampered his way to a good foot of space between Shimmer and himself. I can't keep using animal forms. Her body can't take it. His mouth twisted as he watched her recover her breath before making a shaky attempt to get up. And I can't tie her up. She'll just morph anything I use.
"Guess I'm doing this hand to hand." He muttered to himself. By that time, Shimmer had risen to unsteady feet. In spite of her lack of skill in combat, she was relentless, ruthless, and Beast Boy knew nothing short of a knock out would stop her. Feeling a tug of reluctance, he clenched his fists and eyes shut before forcing himself forward. Rita, I know you've taught me never to hit a woman, but I hope you'll make an exception for this. Beast Boy pulled a fist back and threw the punch before he could have second thoughts. He was expecting himself to cringe at the feeling of his knuckles on a girl's cheek. As it turned out, he did cringe, but for another reason entirely.
Beast Boy let out a sharp cry as he pulled his hand back and rubbed his busted knuckles tenderly. Opening his eyes, he saw a stone wall standing where Shimmer had previously been. Said stone wall disintegrated before his eyes to reveal the thief making a frantic and unsteady escape. "Oh, guess she does know when to quit after all." The immediate threat gone, he turned his attention to Robin and rushed towards his comatose companion. "Robin, can you hear me?" he asked, shaking his form for emphasis. When Beast Boy received no response, he pressed a finger to his neck to feel for a pulse. He held it there for several seconds before feeling a faint, slow pulse. With an unceremonious breath, Beast Boy released the air he had been holding. "Good, he's coming out of it."
With that thought in mind, Beast Boy perched himself on the roof and waiting for Robin's body to re-animate itself. The first two minutes ticked away uneventfully before a shallow and ragged breath racked Robin's chest. Beast Boy had perked up at that, thinking the agonizing wait and concern for his friend could be put to rest, but Robin slipped back into a motionless state. Five more minutes and not much had changed. Both his pulse and breath had become some what deeper and more regular but the boy remained unresponsive. Beast Boy squeezed his ankles as he sat cross legged next to him. Another three minutes and what little patience he had were more or less depleted.
Like a predator pouncing upon its prey, Beast Boy grasped Robin's shoulders and began shaking him. "Robin! C'mon, Robin, wake up!" Beast Boy had given up keeping track of time and, while it was only little more than a minute, it seemed like forever before a low moan slipped from Robin's mouth. His enthusiasm rejuvenated, Beast Boy began rattling is friend with more vigor. "Robin, I know you can hear me! Say something! Anything!"
"Stop shaking me!"
Beast Boy grinned sheepishly and threw his arms behind his back as Robin regained full consciousnesses. "It's not easy coming out of a trance like that, you know." He grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder. Beast Boy only chuckled nervously in response as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't believe Shimmer took the bait like that." He said, deciding to redirect the conversation.
"I told you she would." Robin smirked as he slowly sat up.
"Well aren't we smart?"
"I like to think so."
Robin got up and brushed himself off. Shimmer had all but disappeared after her fight with Beast Boy. It was obvious that, despite her powers, she was not at all trained or suited for combat. He could only figure that as the reason why the Titans had never faced her before. "Still, a large part of our escape goes to you. That's some pretty good acting you displayed there."
"Are you kidding? That wasn't nearly as good as you playing possum!" Beast Boy responded. "Even though I knew you were in a trance the whole time, for a while there I seriously thought you were in trouble."
"Yeah, I've found knowing how to stop your heart through meditation to be rather effective."
"So, what now?"
Having finished sweeping the accumulated gravel from his uniform, Robin formed a fist with one hand and slammed it into the open palm of his other. "Now, we make sure the bad guys don't get any ideas."
"Yeah, about that . . ." Beast Boy said scratching his chin lightly. "I don't know if you saw, what with you feigning death and all, but the streets are a mess already. They didn't waste anytime."
Robin gritted his teeth slightly. "I was afraid of that." He mumbled softly. He turned and approached the building's edge to survey the damage. The city was a far cry from a war zone, but given what he saw, he had a feeling that could easily change. Fire sirens hummed gently from several blocks down where a dark column of smoke rose. Burglar alarms could be heard ringing from their otherwise anonymous pockets on the streets and the trade marks of the more notorious villains were already echoing their chaos through the city. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us." Robin sighed and placed his fists on his hips. "And we've still got our generous friend to track down as well. No sense in wasting any more time."
"Just the two of use against all of them?"
"We'll take them out one at a time. Maybe if word spreads that we're out, the criminals will take a hint."
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To Be Continued . . .
Okay I know that a 16 year old being able to put himself in a meditative trance and stop his heart is a little farfetched, but I tend to suspend my belief in a world where people can fly and shoot lasers from their eyes.
I know, long wait. I'm a slacker. There, happy now? This chapter was originally going to be longer, but I decided the wait had been long enough. The rest will be in the next chapter, I promise! Thanks to all who reviewed and I hope to see some more (reviews that is).