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"If he's being uncooperative, you should just let us have him."
"Uh-huh. Sure. And what happens when you two dweebs suck him dry and neither of you have all that data stuff we need? Like all those other geeks you gou . . . go . . . goog-"
"I think you mean 'gorged,' lumpy. Look, I know I'm new here and everything, but if our boss is such an uber-genius, why're we stealing tech for her?"
"Just the smallest of tastes . . ."
"Keep yer nasty mitts off my hostage!"
The aforementioned hostage, forced to sit in an uncomfortable plastic chair, quailed at the massive limb of clay that slammed into the ground, cutting off the purple figure who hissed at him but receded at her partner's touch. Grunting, the massive figure retracted the arm that was as thick as most people and looked down to the scientist who seemed prepared to sink to the floor were it not for the dolls that clutched his arms with steely grips, keeping him upright. Deep within the bowels of STAR Labs, he had suffered the distinction of being the one to capture the attention of the young villains as they had invaded the compound. The dolls had seized him as the others took part in rampant destruction about the facility, joined by their new member, Virtuoso.
The Parasite Twins, both adorned with several belts, had drained all the faculty members they could lay their hands upon as Clayface rode through the halls like a wave, gleefully smashing aside security and anybody else unfortunate enough to get in his way. After he had been reminded of the mission by the dolls accompanying him, looking disturbingly akin to overgrown children in outdated dresses and schoolboy uniforms. With most of the inhabitants of the facility unconscious, a number fled, and others in hiding, they had settled for the unfortunate man.
"Whatever we're going to do, it should be soon," murmured Troy, the green member of the energy-devouring pair. "The longer this takes us, the more likely some sort of hero is going to interrupt us."
"Let them," Virtuoso smiled. "I composed an overture for such an occasion."
She was a gawky girl still growing into her body and she slouched forward slightly as she sat upon one of the tables in the break room they had overtaken. She was attired in a dress as black as coal, matching her stringy hair, and its long sleeves flowed down her arms, stopping at her hands. Obsidian nails tipped her nimble fingers and one slid along a string of the violin at her side, a masterfully crafted instrument that shimmered in the sterile. Near her other hand was the violin's bow, her fingers lingering at its side as though fighting the urge to lift it and set it across the strings.
"All right, hold up, hold up. I think I got this," Clayface grumbled as he a tendril dropped an apple that it had stolen from the fridge into his large palm.
Presenting it to the scientist, he growled slightly and fixed his gaze upon it as his face scrunched up in concentration as the room fell silent. Eyes focused on him as he cradled the innocuous apple, and the captive took a quick survey of the other villains, wondering if he should feeling dread or not. They seemed as perplexed at him, staring at their comrade in varying degrees of wonderment and impatience as the apple wobbled in Clayface's grip as his entire body began to tremble with his focus upon his bizarre task.
Finally, the silence was broken by Trina as she set a hand upon her hip and observed dryly, "Well, that was a most impressive display. Are you done embarrassing yourself?"
"Shaddup! I can do this!"
"Of course you can. Until then, how about you just let Troy and I sip from him until he talks or -"
"I got it!" he interjected excitedly, a grin suddenly consuming his wide face. "It's going!"
As he spoke, the apple dribbled and began to melt in his palm, transforming into a thick goo that pooled and then began to spill from his palm, splattering against the floor. When the last of it had melted away, he shook off his hand and then held it in front of the man's face.
"Now, what do I got to turn into protoplasm before you spill?"
"I don't even work here!" he squeaked, trying to lean away from the fingers that could envelope his head only for hands to press upon his shoulders and force him forward again. "I told you! I was applying for a job and then you guys suddenly attacked!"
"Hmm. I don't buy it," Virtuoso mused and then brightened, swinging her legs to and fro. "You should start the freaky stuff with his feet. Work your way up."
The man opened his mouth to protest before his breath caught and he shuddered, body jerking as much as the dolls holding him would allow. After a moment, he sagged in their grasp and Troy retracted his hand before moaning appreciatively. He was silent as he savored the taste of the life force that he had consumed before looking to the agitated Clayface.
"He was telling the truth. We weren't going to get anything good out of him. Well, you weren't," he said, clenching the hand he had lain upon the man into a fist.
"I do believe that your performance has a heckler, big boy," Virtuoso chuckled.
"Listen up, ya overgrown leech," he snarled, raising up to his full height to tower over the green teenager. "I'm in charge'a this outfit. We do things my way."
"Sorry if I didn't want to waste time, but I thought this was supposed to be a smash and grab," he retorted, refusing to back down. "Now, you can keep throwing your tantrum if you want, but I'm going to go find the people who do work here and keep sucking them dry until I find what we're looking for."
"Yeah, there might be a slight problem with that. Since, I just saved'em all."
A flash of red suddenly erupted through Clayface and charged the dolls, disappearing just as suddenly with the captive and the dolls' arms. The automatons looked at each other in what might have been confusion as Clayface reformed himself and turned just in time for a series of batarangs to imbed themselves in his body. Blue lights blinked upon them before they detonated, coating him entirely in ice as he surged forward. Troy surged forward only for a large figure to rush into the frozen villain, toppling him onto the slim man who grunted at the weight that pinned him to the ground.
"Trina, give me a hand!" he commanded, looking about the room for her. "Trina?"
Bolts of violet energy slammed into a number of the dolls, launching them into the wall and cabinets as Virtuoso shrieked and rolled out of the way, grabbing her violin and bow. She ducked behind an upturned table and peered out cautiously from behind it as the Teen Titans faced off against the remaining dolls.
"Well, these are new. And creepy," Abuse noted as he rolled out the shoulder that he had used to slam into Clayface. "Very creepy. I think their eyes are following me."
"Stop being such a big baby," Robin commanded as the blur reappeared, pausing at his side and sending his cloak flapping along his back. Impulse posted her fists on her hips and whistled at the sight of the dolls arrayed before them.
"Wow. Super creepy."
"See? Thank you."
"But then again, all dolls are. And most puppets."
"Oh, definitely. And you know what else -"
"Guys, while I'm sure this is a fascinating conversation, how about we focus on the guns popping out of their arms?" Nightstar suggested gently, floating above them as starbolts glowed in her fists.
"Allow me," Wyld hissed, stretched into the form of an immense serpent that slid in front of his allies, spread his hood, and covered his body in a thick exoskeleton as their bombardment began. He flinched at the gunfire, but gave no other sign of feeling it. Facing his friends, he noted, "We're getting better at this. We - arrgghhhhhh!"
SKREEeeEEeeEEeeEE . . .
A single note tore through the air, bringing a pause to all combat as the Teen Titans and Troy clutched at their ears and the dolls shuddered. Virtuoso emerged from behind the table, her bow gliding along the string to maintain it as she grinned viciously. Shifting back into his human form, Wyld whimpered and crashed onto the floor, thrashing about before he could dull his ears' sensitivity. As girl advanced and persisted, cracks began to appear in the ice and clay pushed them through before they shattered.
Clayforce tore from his icy imprisonment with a roar and his arms shot forward, catching Robin and Nightstar and shoving them through the wall before they could recover. He charged after them, bowling through the other Titans as he shouted over his shoulder.
"I'll take these dweebs! You losers handle the rest of 'em!"
"Looks like he's on percussion," Virtuoso grinned as she lifted her bow again. "So, I'll handle the strings."
She stopped as green fingers wrapped about her wrist, body stiffening as pain surged through her nerves and she weakly glanced at Troy who growled, "How about you let the rest of us clear out?"
"Hey, nice t'meet'cha. Name's Impulse. How's it goin'? Neat thingy. Mind if I take a look?" rushed the heroine, swiping the violin from the villain.
"I'm Virtuoso," she said as she pressed a button on the inside of her sleeve. Impulse yelped and dropped the instrument, which the villainess grabbed before it hit the ground. "And keep your mitts off my strings, motor mouth."
Behind them, a monstrous rhino with spikes sprouting from its thick hide thundered into the crowd of dolls, Troy barely dodging aside. Before he could land, a heavy fist protected by brass knuckles caught his stomach and launched him through the door. He skidded into the hallway and groaned before the kick sent him sailing through the hole in the wall, crashing into a desk. Infused with the energy that he had absorbed in their assault, he simply grumbled again and rolled out of the way as Abuse leapt into the room that held the ravages of Clayface's battle that appeared to have spilled elsewhere.
"Hey, didn't you used'ta be two creepy Parasites?" wondered the massive boy as he lobbed a filing cabinet at his foe who nimbly ducked beneath it.
"I am," he muttered. "Trina probably went looking for a snack."
Abuse dodged the sapping touch and placed his boot in Troy's chest to launch him away.
"Huh. That kinda sucks."
"In a sense," he conceded as he darted forward again and leapt into the air, arms outstretched towards the Teen Titan. "In another, it just means more for me."
In the previous room, Impulse dodged out of the way, avoiding the sonic blast that shredded the wall and laughed at her opponent.
"Wow. And my brother thinks that I stink at anything musical. At least I don't blow up walls!"
"Why waste my talent on a philistine such as yourself?" she demanded as she sent her bow arcing across the strings to produce another sonic blast that Impulse dodged again, appearing in the doorway to taunt her.
"I'm American, thank you very much," she retorted. "Well, Korean on my mom's side, but we've been here long enough. So, there."
Another note smashed into the doorway and Impulse evaded it, dashing forward to lay an uppercut upon the dark-haired girl who snarled and whipped the bow at her, catching her cheek with a razor upon the end of it. A line of blood trailed down it and she darted away as the villain forced herself calm and closed her eyes to play a haunting melody across the violin. Low reverberations emerged from it and Impulse froze, gritting her teeth as she felt the force shake through her bones. Pain shot through her head and she pressed her hands to her ears even as Wyld toppled over in an agonized howl. The dolls that had not been smashed in his rampage gathered about him as he began to dwindle back into his humanoid shape.
Grimacing, the speedster forced herself to straighten and dashed forward, catching Virtuoso and then sprinting from the room with her in tow, taking the sound far away from her friend. She hurtled down the labyrinth of hallways before her passenger adjusted herself and kicked out against Impulse's knee, throwing her off balance. A cry broke from her mouth as she crashed to the floor and her cargo went sailing across it, curling protectively about her violin until she rolled to her feet. The bow was immediately upon the strings to send a keening screech through the air, preventing Impulse's rise.
"You aren't the most appreciative of audiences," she noted with a cruel smirk.
"Well, maybe you should take the note and quit playing," she suggested through gritted teeth.
"Oh, very well. Just one final song. Your requiem."
"Hrrnh. I'd like to make a request for the Sound of Silence."
Drawing from the depths of her willpower and endurance, she stood against the onslaught of sound waves and tried to step forward. She inched forward only to be knocked off her feet by a sudden blast that threw her into the air.
"Please, hold all applause until the end of the show," Virtuoso sneered. "Presuming that your life doesn't end first."
"Either would be a kindness to my ear drums. Which, by the way, can carry a tune better than you," she retorted before throwing herself forward and ducking down a hallway. The sound diminished and she breathed easier before shooting away as Virtuoso followed her.
Within the room that they had abandoned, Wyld recovered from the sound only to found the firearms of the dolls all pointed at him, and much of his armor lacking. He readied eldritch energies to teleport away, hoping he would be fast enough until his mind was wracked with pain, hunger, and a disquieting affection. A purple hand rested upon his forearm and another moved up to tenderly caress his cheek, leaving flashes of pain all the same and a sibilant voice cooed to him.
"I knew I smelled you, my tasty boy," Trina purred. She glanced up with narrowed as he gasped for breath, veins growing prominent beneath his oddly hued skin, and she snapped at the dolls. "Go finish up. I'll handle this."
The dolls did not immediately move, but after a second, their weapons disappeared into their arms and they shuffled from the room. Trina watched them disappear before turning back to her treasure, smiling brightly.
"There we are. Alone at last."
"P-p-pl-pl-pl-plea-"
"Hush," she said, removing her hand from his arm to press a finger against his lips. "There's no need for words."
He snarled, seizing the arcane forces that she had disrupted and then desperately jumped. With a grunt, he landed atop a counter, knocking aside a number of devices, and he groaned as he opened his bleary eyes to study his surroundings. It was a moderately sized lab with several consoles located periodically about it while a glass cylinder stood at its center. Within the tube that reached from the floor to the ceiling, a glittering cloud flowed about the containment on a gentle current. There was a sudden breeze overhead and he shoved himself roughly off the table as Trina landed atop it, stumbling as she recovered from the jaunt. Straightening, she offered him a dark smile.
"Playing hard to get? That's all right. I enjoy a good chase."
Elsewhere in the building, Nightstar swooped under the pillar-like arm of Clayface and sent a starbolt at it, tearing through it and causing it to splatter against the ground. Upon the floor, Robin launched a number of batarangs that their foe evaded by forming holes in his vast body. As they detonated behind him, he reformed the arm he had lost and shifted it into a hammer, smashing it down on the lithe boy who was pulled out of the way by his ally. Their fight had carried them into a large cafeteria with a high ceiling and Nightstar was thankful for the room as she swooped out of range, evading a table he lobbed at her.
"Any chance you brought along more of those freezing batarangs?" she asked.
"Not enough," he grunted sourly.
"There has to be something we can - whoa!"
She tried to pull short as a catcher's mitt molded from clay suddenly arose in the air before her, but it swept forward, seizing her, and morphing her into an oversized fist that delivered her roughly to the ground, splintering a table. Clayface chuckled as he retracted his limb, revealing a clay splattered Nightstar who had curled protectively about Robin.
"Man, that was almost too easy," he scoffed. "I'm a little disappointed."
A dark shape whirred through the air to lodge itself where his head connected to his body and he had a second to notice the blinking red light upon the batarang before it exploded. His lump of a head disappeared along with a sizable chunk of his body as he toppled over, landing heavily upon the floor. Still trapped in the hybrid's protective embrace and ensured of her life by the gentle breath that ran across his forehead, Robin made a sound of disapproval at the villain.
"Tt."
Slowly, he began to wiggle from Nightstar's grasp, placing a hand upon her side to gain leverage and slide free, his escape facilitated by the slick clay staining them both. Once free, he kneeled at her side and shook her shoulder gently while checking for injuries.
"Mar'i. You need to wake up. Mar'i."
"Mmmm," she croaked as she began to shift slightly. Her eyes fluttered open to take in the close visage of Robin and she stiffened, a small sound slipping from her throat. "Eep."
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he demanded. Before she could answer, a thick limb shot forward and slammed into him, driving him against a hall.
"That hurt, ya big jerk!" Clayface bellowed as he rose from the ground, towering over the others. His fingers each morphed into their own limbs, pinning down Robin's arms and legs before smothering his mouth as the villain growled to himself. Suddenly, a force slammed into him, sending him hurtling across the room and through tables that separated his malleable form. He retracted his arm to stop himself and Robin fell to the floor, spitting out the clay that had been filling his mouth. Upon coming to a halt, the villain turned his glare upon Nightstar, whose fists and eyes blazed with violet energy.
"Back off, mush mouth," she ordered calmly.
"Make me!" he shouted before charging forward, gathering several tables to launch at her. She slipped between them or blasted them out of the air before shooting forward and he smirked as he lowered his head at her. As she drew near, he began to open a hole in his body only to find it suddenly harden before her fists caught him, carrying him into the air before delivering him roughly to the ground. He grunted as he lifted his head only for her to land, foot stabbing into the rough equivalent of his gut and causing him to separate. Heedless of his sudden dismemberment, he swiped at her, but she lifted out of range to launch a starbolt bombardment at him.
He lifted his arms to defend himself and failed to the notice that whirred into his stumpy legs before exploding him, throwing him onto his back. Landing heavily upon the ground, he was left open to the rain of starbolts that fell with increasing speed, ravaging the floor. Finally, Nightstar ceased her assault and allowed the smoke to clear, revealing a small crater in the linoleum that was suspiciously lacking in any Clayface. The tiles beneath Robin's feet trembled and he immediately produced his grapnel, firing it at the ceiling and lifting into the air just as the floor exploded in a writhing mass of clay limbs and weapons.
"You jerks aren't playing fair!" roared Clayface in a voice that seemed to shake the entire room.
In a different room, Abuse took in ragged breaths as he stared into Troy's dark eyes, searching for the signs of his next move. The Parasite held the advantage of speed and agility, but most of the hero's opponents did, and he had been learning to fight against such adversaries his entire time as his hero. Unfortunately, he knew nothing to counter the pain-inducing touch that pulled at him with even the slightest of brushes. Shrugging his broad shoulders to lift his heavy jacket to cover his neck, he charged forward, lifting a fist into the air.
Troy dodged aside only for a long arm to reach out and grab his ankle. Fighting through the pain, Abuse growled as he spun his foe through the air before launching him into the wall, cracking the cinderblocks. Slumping to the floor, Troy shook his head and looked up as Abuse thundered forward again, but was distracted by a flashing light upon his belt. He threw himself out of the way at the last second and flowed towards the doorway where he lingered for a second.
"I hate to eat and run, but it's time for me to go," he said before sprinting down the hallway.
Removing his fist from the pulverized wall, Abuse leapt after him, swinging into the hall and hurtling after the jade figure. His footfalls shook the floor and Troy broke into a sprint, not daring to glance over his shoulder as he released mumbled curses on each exhale. A light on a strap reaching over his shoulder flashed as he came upon an intersection and he turned suddenly, fingers scrabbling at the floor before he stood straight again. Almost immediately, a light on his other side blinked and he threw himself down another hallway as Abuse skidded by the first intersection before charging down it again, hesitating at the next until he saw the flash of green. Growling slightly, he set his hat firmly upon his head and pounded forward, following the turn of the hallway.
Ahead of Troy, a there was a hole in a wall where a door had formerly stood and he tilted inside of it, nearly colliding with the cluster of dolls.
"Get out there!" he commanded and they lurched into motion, spilling from the door as Abuse skidded to a halt. His thick fingers curled into fists and his gaze narrowed as their limbs began to morph into weapons.
"Sorry," he grumbled. "I don't really play with dolls. Especially creepy ones."
Troy shuddered slightly at the battle cry that was followed by the shriek of metal and turned to look at the metal vault that the dolls had been gathered about. It stood taller than him and was broader than even Abuse's daunting frame and after inspecting it for a moment, which was interrupted by a doll head being lobbed into the room, he hurriedly opened one of the pouches upon his belt. Removing a small dial from it, he placed it upon the safe and it started flashing an emerald light. He glanced back worriedly as the wall behind him shuddered and he saw half a doll flung pass the doorway. There was a small beep and he looked forward again as the door silently slid open.
Pushing the heavy portal aside, he cautiously stepped into what felt like a walk-in freezer with its depth and chill. However, in place of food, the shelves were lined with metallic boxes, a dark grey with small screens upon them, set over keypads. He glanced through them, moving with a sense of urgency before stopping at one and removing it from the wall. The readout turned an angry red and he fished through one of his pouches for another device that he placed upon it, converting it back to its neutral state. Turning to exit, he hesitated and then dove deeper into the vault to pick another pack, slapping another of the minuscule gadgets upon it when it turned red.
Emerging from the vault, he froze at the sight of Abuse looming in the doorway who peeled a doll, which had been reduced to a torso and was missing half its face, from his leg and crushed its head. He looked up and sighed, "Well, I think I have a new phobia. I don't suppose I could convince you to drop whatever you got there and surrender?"
"As much as it pains me to say it, no," he sneered and then shouted, "Pris! I need an out!"
Abuse leapt forward as a burst of light emerged from a volumetric flask upon a nearby table, blinding him and his fists slid through the air as he landed. After a moment, his vision cleared to reveal that he was alone in the room and he scowled as he turned about, gaze inadvertently falling upon the disabled dolls. He shuddered and immediately looked away as its remaining eye seemed to fix upon him and began to sidle away from it.
"Hey, how 'bout you Bach off before I really have to hurt you?" Impulse snickered, positioned at the end of a hallway. As the sound ripped towards her again, she darted around the corner and made her way to the next intersection where she paused again, waiting for the huffing Virtuoso to catch up.
"Would - ehh - would you shut up?!" she roared and unleashed a spidery tune that caused the walls to crack and begin to splinter. With a small yelp, Impulse threw herself aside and winced as the sound slithered through her ears. Pushing herself to her feet, she surged forward and tried to recall the map of the building that she had glanced in their chase. Pausing at the next turn, she cupped her hands about her mouth and shouted.
"Don't look now, but I think you're startin' to lose your compose-ure!"
Giggling to herself, she waited for Virtuoso to come into view before giving her a wink and racing away, leading her from the cramped corridors. Their twists prevented her from picking up the speed to escape her adversary's attacks, but a lesson from Robin on using all playing fields to your advantage had sparked an idea within her. Pausing again, she allowed Virtuoso to appear and then unleashed her taunt.
"I've been thinkin' - maybe you should take up the air guitar. That way, even when you suck, nobody will be able to tell!"
There was only a shriek of rage to accompany the sound that lashed from the violin and the speedster ducked both by cutting down a new alley. She hurtled forward as Virtuoso skidded into the hallway, already sending her bow gliding over the strings to unleash a swell of sound that lifted Impulse off her feet and sent her crashing through the doors ahead. Tucking her extremities into her body, she rolled along the floor before coming to a halt within the large lobby. The domed front was covered with triangular panes of glass, allowing the sun to bathe the tiled floor in golden rays. Virtuoso swaggered into the room, glancing about with appreciation as she listed to the echo of her measured footsteps.
"Such wonderful acoustics," she appraised before looking to Impulse as she stirred. She raised her bow to her violin and said, "However, I'm afraid we've come to your end. I hope you enjoy your requiem - Carnage in C Minor."
"Actually," she grinned as she pushed herself upright and flashed a smile. "I'm about to drop a beat-down on you."
Impulse's form suddenly blurred from vision with a boom that shook through the very bones and caused Virtuoso to cry out. Before she could cover her ears, another rocked her and a third quickly followed upon its heels as the speedster began to circle her, trapping her in a wall of streaking red and white. She periodically slowed before accelerating again to smash through the sound barrier, producing another boom that soon reduced the villain to a huddled figure upon the floor. Her instrument lay before her and she clutched desperately at her ears, futilely attempting to block out the noise that shook through her body.
Finally, Impulse broke from her laps to dash forward and deliver a punch that knocked Virtuoso unconscious. The speedster skidded to a halt just before the windows and turned to ensure that her foe was not raising. With a pleased nod, she set her hands upon her hips and said, "Y'know, I don't think I'll be askin' for an encore."
The redhead hesitated and tilted her head to call out, "Hello? . . . I think I deafened myself."
As she pondered such implications, she failed to notice the figure sliding through the glass until there was a flash of light to blind her though her goggles staved off much of the harshness. When she blinked her vision back into full functionality, Virtuoso and her instrument were gone and her shoulders slumped as she groaned.
"Ah, man."
"Don't you obsessively read your dad's files? How do we stop a Clayface with any sort of ice things?!" Nightstar demanded of the boy in her arms as she dodged more spikes of clay that burst from the ceiling.
"I don't - wait. No, there is something. Deposit me at one of the openings and then distract our foe," Robin demanded, pointing at one of the holes that Clayface had ripped through to swipe at them. Swooping by it, she dropped him beside it and then turned to fire back towards the spires, unleashing starbolts along with a battlecry. The wall exploded as the slammed into it and a clawed limb extended to catch her, wrapping about her body. Heat poured from her body, hardening the clay before she shattered free and that tried to do the same to the rest of the arm only for it to slither back into the wall.
There was the shriek of metal tearing overhead and she instinctively dodged aside, evading the panel of the ceiling that toppled to the floor. Directly on its heels was a spike of clay that sprouted more spines along its form, one lancing along her shoulder. She growled at the pain but pushed through it to grab the clay spire and pull, ripping Clayface from the ceiling. He slammed against the floor but recovered quickly, rising upon a pillar of his body to charge at her and she brought up her arms to defend against the hammers that his fists had shifted into.
"I'mma crush ya!" he roared. "Smash ya! Grind ya into dust!"
"Not anytime soon, you're not," she returned before she launched a starbolt that tore through his arm as he pulled back for another strike. He glanced at it before glowering at her only to find her fist crashing into his face and sending him to splatter across the floor once again. Reforming with a groan, he noted her approach and then spotted the boy fiddling with the exposed interior of the wall. Smirking cruelly, he rolled across the floor, gathering speed before rising above the Boy Wonder, arms morphing into axes. Suddenly, his form constricted as Robin turned and drove the wires that he had stripped away into Clayface's torso.
Electricity surged through his body and he swelled, his body morphing sporadically as a shriek bubbled from his great maw. Suddenly, he dropped down again, his face disappearing as he oozed along the floor, all cohesion gone from his body. Nightstar hovered over the lump of clay, inspecting it before looking to Robin who explained, "Electricity temporarily disrupts his control over his body. He'll restore himself, but by the time he does, we'll -"
He broke off suddenly to send a batarang spinning through the air, smashing through one of the panes of the glass at the food line, startling Nightstar. Before she could question his actions, he ducked behind his cloak and yelled, "Close your eyes!"
She responded promptly, clenching them shut, and she could feel the intense light through her eyelids. Once it had faded them, she opened them to find that Clayface had disappeared and Robin lowering his cape with a scowl.
Within a lab, a pair of drakes circled each other, one a deep purple and the other a grey hue tinged green. Powerful talons gouged the floor and prehensile tails covered in armor flickered about restlessly. Snorts and threatening growls escaped the fang-filled maws that occasionally snapped at the other with the speed of a serpent striking. Heavy scales coated their form, but as cumbersome as their forms appeared with its heavy body and multitude of spines, they moved with a feline grace. Suddenly, the purple member of the couple barreled forward, lowing the horns of her head at the other.
Wyld deftly dodged aside and his tail wound about her thick neck as he rolled onto his back, throwing her into and through the glass column. The metal swarm buzzed and flew into a frenzy, dancing above their heads as Trina stood, inspecting the gash along her belly that the shards had opened. She settled back onto all fours and lowered her head, gazing up at the weary shape shifter, drained from her score of touches upon him.
"What wondrous power," she cooed. "It's enough to drive a girl mad, sweetness."
"Don't call me that."
"And this - when you're changed. So stern. So demanding," she shivered excitedly and a ribbon-like tongue flickered over her teeth. "You don't feel comfortable in your own skin, do you? I can feel it."
Flowing into a new shape, Wyld charged forward and battered the Parasite, throwing her against the wall. She recovered and smiled at the powerfully built creature that stood before her on hooves of steel. Metal grew across its heavy hide and curled into a quartet of wide, uneven horns. The remainder of his body was covered in thick, shaggy fur that glittered as though lined with slivers of metal and lengthened into a darker mane along his humped back. A long tail ending in a voluminous tuft dragged along the floor behind him as he shifted and huffed, releasing an acrid green cloud from his nostrils.
"You're not meant to be a human. You're a monster," Trina purred as she slithered forward. Her claws raked along his hide but were unable to pierce it. She slid through the broken container and perched upon the other side of it as he maneuvered about to face her grin. "But so am I. Don't you get it?"
She charged forward again and he lowered his head, but she weaved about it, coiling about his body and throwing him onto his back. Her claws seized about his face and his body went rigid in shock as it cracked and shriveled back into his humanoid form. Following suit, she sat upon his chest and her fingers traced his face as she leaned down, gazing into his pained eyes as her wispy lock of hair traced along his forehead.
"We could be monsters together. We could forget everything else. So, sweetie, won't you please be mine?"
"Hey, sucker! Stop playing with your food and let's bolt! We're done here."
Lifting her head with a snarl at the harsh voice, Trina glared at the image of Prismatik appearing in the shattered glass. Looking back to Wyld, she grumbled, "Not yet."
"Hey, if you don't catch a ride now, you're walking back."
"Then he is coming with us," she hissed.
"Yeah, no. Now, move on your butt," Prismatik demanded, folding her arms over her chest.
The Parasite hesitated, ready to disobey before nodding her head.
"Fine. But, first . . ."
Her head dropped and she pressed her lips to Wyld's, holding him in place for a moment before lifting her head with a sudden vigor, eyes glowing scarlet as a ruby droplet slid from her lip. She smiled at her captive, giving his cheek one final tender stroke as she promised, "Something to remember me by, sweetness."
She looked back to Prismatik and nodded, "Let's go."
There was another flash of light and she was gone, leaving Wyld to recover from her touch. For a moment, he did not stir and merely rested upon his back, eyes closed with his only sign of life being the unsteady rise and fall of his chest. His lips stung from where she had bit it and he could feel it leaking his crimson humor and his tongue slithered out to lap at it, its taste salty and metallic. Finally, his eyes opened, looking at the eddying and flowing cloud over his head and he reached back with his hands, searching for a support he could use to stand. Instead, his palm found the jagged glass that split open his skin and he hissed at the pain, quickly pulling it away and sitting up. He squeezed his wrist to staunch the flow and rose to his feet, staggering from the room.
As he sought out his teammates, he was left ignorant of the swirling nanomachines that curiously descended upon the blood smeared along their former prison.
Whoa. This chapter's a doozy. Maybe that'll get us some reviews!
Yeah, who are we kidding? Gula's just gonna go cry in her corner. Anyway, pieces are coming together! Things are happening, and they are not looking good for the Titans. We're gonna be out for the next two weeks, but we'll still be writing, so for our readers who (hopefully) are simply to shy to post, keep an eye out!
