High time we move to the next chapter of Doomed Titans, and this time it will be a lot more shorter then the others
Yelp, got a chapter up today and it was shorter then all the other chapters I did in this story. I know it took long and all, but I was able to get it up and running. And just in time too. I'm going on a trip to Canada for two weeks and I had to get everything ready before we start to leave, including updating all the chapters I need to do. It might be a little messy, but I was able to finish them in time. So if you think it's a little off, I'll just let you know that I would apologize for the quick rush and see if I could fix it when I get back. Now let's see what happened on the last chapter. Sadly I don't have any reviews on the last chapter but the hit counter is up to 36 since I last updated. At least I'm glad that people are reading my material. But if you guys want to give me props, and no flames, please review me to see how my story's doing, Now, it's high time we move to the next chapter of Doomed Titans, and this time it will be a lot more shorter then the others. One of Dr. Cray's assistance managed to translate the glyphs on the Primitive and knows how to stop Betruger and the main teleporter. Now all the Titans have to do is to head to Delta 4 and destroy the portal before the Earth fleet gets to Mars. But Cray is keeping a heavy dark secret the team doesn't know. What could it be?
Chapter Notes
I remember one reader saying if the few other demons from Doom 2 would make an appearance in this story. I've been thinking about this one for a while and decided to add the characters to this chapter. But the catch is that they'll be making an appearance and not attacking the Teen Titans. I might be saving that for the sequel, if I ever do one. There would also be another monster from the fourth installment of The House of the Dead series, and that thing would attack the team later in the story. Also I'm going to add a character from the Doom movie. Trust me, you will know this character when you read this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans and Doom 3
Chapter Thirty-six: The Solution
Delta Labs Level 3, Lower Storage: November 16, 2145, 2:23 A.M.
Down in the confines of Delta 3, everything was completely quiet in the lower storage area. In the middle end of the wall, a strange platform sits idly by and waited for something to happen. Suddenly, siren like lights started spinning around in bright red and a quick flash of red lightning zapped in the middle of the platform. But coming out of the platform was not a demon, but a lone marine who made it this far in reaching the main teleporter. He pointed his weapon left to right to see if there were any hostiles in this area. After the place looks completely cleared, he lowered his weapon and took a deep breath.
Main Marine: "Whew… That was too close for comfort. Those damn demons never learn to quit do they?"
He took one last look around at the place and noticed it was jam pack with ammo for his weapons, a health station, and some armor. He also spotted a door that could take him out was locked, but showed a panel that states, "Unlock Door". With the door lock, the marine felt quite relived that he won't get attacked, at least until Betruger decided to summon more demons into closed areas. And being low on ammo and his armor completely banged up, he decided to catch a brake and grab some ammo along the way.
Main Marine: "Well at least on the bright side, I can finally get a break from killing demons. Not to mention gathering all the ammo and armor plating. I got so banged up from the last battle at the second teleportation chamber; I thought I would never get out of there alive. And besides, the fleet won't be coming any time soon. Right?"
With that said, he decided to grab all the ammo he could carry and put on a fresh plate of armor. When he was done with that, he rested on the cold steel floor and took a quick nap. But even though he would sleep for a little bit, he knows that could lead to being defenseless at the moment. So he held on to his pistol incase he heard something around him. Once he was armed, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, so that way he would be restful and ready to reach Delta 4.
Delta Labs, Cray's Laboratory, Airlock Entrance: November 16, 2145, 2:23 A.M.
At the same time, both Rhino Squad and the Teen Titans entered Cray's lab. After a few intense battles at the entrance way both teams were finally able to stop them all and get into the lab in one piece. Once they all enter the airlock safe the door closed behind them and locked itself up. Once the steam cleaned their bodies and the scanners search them, Voss looked at the teens and gave them some basic instructions.
Scott Voss: "A word of warning Titans. Once you enter Cray's lab, you're going to see some things that are truly shocking. Trust me, my squad and I saw all this and were completely speechless. Still speechless to tell you the truth. When you enter, make sure you don't freak out on what you will witness. Understand?"
The group nodded as the squad leader looked back at the entrance of the lab and waited for it to open. While they waited, Alex turned his eyes at Robin and felt a little disappointed at what he did back at the entrance way. After the plan he cooked up to kill the Vagary and its spider army and successfully accomplish it, he couldn't help but to feel a tad guilty at what he just done. Not only did he blew up half the entrance, but almost killed both Rhino Squad and the Teen Titans. And when Robin told him what he done, the guardian regretted pulling a crazy stunt like that. So he was sorry about what transpired and decided to tell Robin about that. So Alex began clearing his throat and begins apologizing.
Alex: "Um, Robin? Listen about what happened back there. I know you're pretty much upset about that, I could tell. But I just want to let you know is that what I was doing is protecting you guys. That Vagary had its army surrounding you while you were outnumbered. Now what I did was the only option that I have to stop that thing and I know it was a little dangerous. But think of it like this for a moment. If it wasn't for me, you and the others would've been spider chow by now. Do you know why? Because I am your guardian. And as a guardian it is my duty to keep an eye on you and protect you no matter what. Do you agree?"
There was pretty much a harsh and awkward silence through out the airlock when Robin heard the entire thing his guardian said. After giving this much thought, Robin decided to answer him.
Robin: "Alex, I could strongly agree that what you did saved us all. But how you did it just got me on edge. Now I know you were trying to help us in stopping the Vagary. But the way you defeat it almost got us all killed, even yourself. You should think first before you decide to blow something up."
Alex: "Normally, I always think first before I could do something. But I rarely had time to think when a mutated humanoid spider is trying to eat you up."
Robin looked back at Alex partly and explained to him a little more on the lesson.
Robin: "Still, you should've thought first before destroying the ceiling. You must remember that before you decide to rush ahead and go out guns blazing, you have to come up with some kind of strategy to fend against. Remember, think before you act."
Alex nodded to Robin, understanding what he meant. While they were talking, the airlock systems were just finishing up on scanning the two groups. When it finished with that, the safe door in front of them started turning its gears and opened up. When the two teams left the airlock safe, the Titans were completely shocked at what they saw. They were on a catwalk in the middle of the hall and around them were tubes containing many different creatures that appeared to be dead. There were monsters, demons, aliens, and humanoid beings all crippled and decayed in a watery substance. Everyone was pretty perplexed at what they're seeing and wasn't sure on how to react to this. That's when Alex broke the silence and asked about this place.
Alex: "Whoa… What the hell is this place?"
Voss looked at the guardian and shook his head.
Scott Voss: "Sorry Alex, but that question I can't answer."
The guardian looked at the squad leader and wondered about that.
Alex: "Then who's going to answer my question?"
Dr. Cray: "That would be me."
Everyone heard that very familiar voice and position their heads straight to where it was coming from. What they saw was someone slowly approaching them in an automatic wheel chair who was way beyond their ages. That person was none other then Dr. Winston Cray himself. As he made it to the teams, Alex pushed out to the front to greet him while the other Titans were behind their guardian. Cray looked up at the group and was pleased to see them alive and well.
Dr. Cray: "Ah… Mr. Kelly and the legendary Teen Titans. So nice to finally meet you face to face."
The doctor took out his gloved hand and showed it to Alex, offering a small handshake. The guardian then used his hand to grab the doctor's and shook very slowly, so that he won't break the fragile hand.
Alex: "Dr. Cray, it's an honor to finally meet with you too."
They let go of the handshake, as Cray looked at each of the team members, lucky that they're still alive.
Dr. Cray: "I see everyone else is still in one piece."
Alex: "Not everyone Cray. I heard Beast Boy suffered from a concussion during battle. How is he? Is he all right?"
Cray looked at Alex and smiled.
Dr. Cray: "Don't worry about him; he's fine. He's recovering very well in the med bay and he'll be up and about in no time. Though I'm quite surprised at the fact the changeling was heeling very nicely. Perhaps it's his cellular make up that heals up wounds pretty quickly. This requires some intense research."
Raven: "Yeah… You go ahead and do that. And could you please check to see if Beast Boy does have a brain?"
Robin looked back at Raven, who was still resting on both shoulders of Cyborg and Peter Chew and shut her up.
Robin: "That's enough Raven. At least we know Beast Boy's fine, we don't want anyone to make of fun of our fallen comrades."
Rae just turned her eyes to the Titan leader and sighed at what he said.
Raven: "What? The green punk made fun of me and pulled a few pranks on me for months. I thought it was time to give him a little payback."
Robin: "Just zip it."
Rae decided to shut her mouth before she gets a little too cocky. The Boy Wonder then looked around at the dead beings in the tubes and wanted to ask Cray about it.
Robin: "So what is this place anyways? Never seen anything like this before."
Cray looked at Robin and had a very curious look on his face.
Dr. Cray: "Ah… So I see you're wondering what this place is by any chance huh? Very well… Please follow me."
He turned his automatic chair around and started moving down the catwalk while the two teams followed the doctor. As they walked down the catwalk, Cray started talking about this place they're in.
Dr. Cray: "Welcome to my secret laboratory! This area of the UAC is a high-classified lab where a few delegates like my science team use to analyze and record any known data in past events. It involves artifact research, teleportation studies, spices anatomy, and other projects that are extremely top secret. As you can see when you enter my humble abone this is the rejected halls, or as your people refer to as the Freak Show. This is where we store and analyze aliens, monsters, and these demons that have invaded this installation. Some of these beings came through the main portal in Delta 4, while others were created by the UAC by combining demonic tissue with cybernetic technology. I'm pretty sure you had seen both the Revenant and the Mancubus in battle."
Alex: "Yeah, we're pretty aware of that. But I didn't see these type of creatures before."
Cray looked at the creatures the guardian was talking about and shook his head.
Dr. Cray: "Those Mr. Kelly were the failed projects."
Alex turned his head quickly to the elderly doctor and wasn't sure what he meant by that.
Alex: "Failed projects?"
Dr. Cray: "Yes. I'm pretty sure you've heard about the military and the science teams creating powerful weapons by combining genetic engineering with demonic DNA."
Alex: "I've heard rumors, but I never thought it was real."
Dr. Cray stopped the wheel chair and turned around to get a good look at Alex.
Dr. Cray: "It's incredibly real Mr. Kelly. Believe it or not, these abominations were created by the UAC for war purposes. At one time, it would've work well, but when the first tests began the results were completely tragic. After the first tests they've done, the humanoid demons started to attack real people, destroying buildings, and killing millions of innocent people. The projects were a complete and utter failures. So they were put into this lab and left to rot their lives away. Such a shame… These things were meant for peaceful purposes, to end all wars, and save lives. I never expect to go this deadly in the testing area."
He sighed as he rolled his chair around and continued on with the tour.
Dr. Cray: "Both the Revenant and the Mancubus were by far the most advance mechademons we'd ever created, but there were others that were too dangerous even for us to control."
He looked up and saw a large group and spider like machines in the small jars and a bigger spider being behind them. The little humanoid's bottom halves were completely mechanical with what appeared to be plasma canons attached to the front while the top halves were fleshy mounds with small arms and big green eyes. The bigger one was the exact same thing, except in the front of the mechanical half was a whopping chain gun. Looking at the group, he shook his head and explains about these beings.
Dr. Cray: "Take these technademons for example. Those little things are called the Arachnotrons, and the big being behind them is called the Spider Mastermind. They were inspired by the discovery of the Vagaries and the spider armies they command. We were able to capture those creatures and study them, seeing if we could create these monstrosities."
Cyborg looked at the beings in the tubes and remembered something.
Cyborg: "That could explain the secret lab we discovered deep within the military wing."
Cray lowered his head and shook it.
Dr. Cray: "Yes, another secret we kept from the UAC for so long."
He turned his head to the left and saw a dead demon in another tube. It was some kind of beast that looks similar to an Imp, only a little bigger. It had long thick spikes on its arms, knees, and the top of its head, glowing yellow eyes, and razor sharp teeth that could eat through anything. Looking at this creature, he started explaining about it.
Dr. Cray: "This one is what are researchers call the Baron. It's sort of similar to the Imps, but there's a slight difference in them. They are more aggressive, violent, and deadly, and can pack green fireballs that has more of a kick then the Imps. They were too destructive the moment we caught them and took them to our world, so we killed them and store them here, where they would never hurt anyone again."
The others looked at this Baron and were amazed they never seen this one before. Robin decided to speak to Cray about what happened in the past.
Robin: "This was before you realized the portal in Delta 4 was actually a gateway to Hell."
Dr. Cray: "Indeed, it was before we realize what the other side of the portal really is. If I knew that was Hell's gateway, then I would've had the power to shut it down immediately and stop Betruger from activating his last test. But sadly I retire from the teleportation experiments and remain in this lab to watch these abominations and work on reports. Every time I look at these demons and mechanical brutes, including the Baron, I feel more sorry for doing what I have done in the past."
Alex took a closer look at the Baron and thought of a much better name for Cray.
Alex: "Well then, since you now knew that the other dimension was Hell, guess you could call this beast the Baron of Hell from now on."
They continued walking down the catwalk as Cray looked at the next creature they passed. It looked like a Cacodemon the team fought against, but there were a few differences. For instance, this creature had tiny arms on both side of its bodiless head, one big red eye, and two horns sticking out on the top of its head. The doctor explained about the next demon they've passed.
Dr. Cray: "This one is another demon we've discovered in Hell. We call this one the Pain Elemental."
Starfire flew up to the tube containing this Elemental for a close observation. After inspecting it, she looked down at the two teams and the doctor and explained to them that it looked very familiar.
Starfire: "They almost look like the Cacodemons we've encounter many times before."
Dr. Cray: "Indeed they are, but there are a few slight differences about these entities. For instance, the Pain Elemental can only see with one eye while the Cacodemon has dozen. This being has two small arms be that the Cacodemon has none. And unlike the Cacodemon spitting out energy blasts out of its mouth, this one can spit out hoards of flaming skulls to attack its prey."
Alex: "In short, these things can spit out Lost Souls."
Dr. Cray: "Quite right. A shame you guys never faced anything like this. Since we were containing these things after one of the first teleportation testing, we had no choice but to dispose of the first threats, including these Elementals. And though we were successful in stopping them, I was able to gather up a few surviving beings and put them here for research. What we were able to find was truly fantastic."
Raven: "Yeah, very fantastic…"
They kept on walking down the catwalk, getting closer to Cray's lab. While they were walking, Cyborg noticed another creature that looked completely surreal. It was completely black skin with a blue like tinge around the edges and had two red glowing eyes starring at him. To the hybrid, it looked almost human, but it was too big to be a human in the first place. He wondered what type of creature it was, so he pointed at the thing in the tube and asked Cray himself.
Cyborg: "Yo Cray. What the heck is that thing over there?"
Cray turned his head to the right where Cyborg is pointed at and was surprised to see the hybrid looking at that creature. He lowered his head and shook it, sighing to what he saw then answering Cy's question.
Dr. Cray: "That my dear friend was our ultimate failure. We use to call this one, The Empress. It was a prototype we were using in hopes of creating highly powered super soldiers in an effort to stop many wars. But when the first test began, things didn't go to well as expected. It went on a complete rampage destroying the testing area and killing a number of casualties. It was too dangerous for words to speak of. So we had no choice but to sedate it and keep into these tubes for self inspection, just so we could find the cause of our problem."
Alex: "Um… Shouldn't you be worried about that fact that it might get out of that tube and goes back on its trail of destruction?"
The doctor looked at the guardian and tried to ease his concern.
Dr. Cray: "Do not fear Mr. Kelly. That tube is incased in polymerized glass, completely unbreakable. Why the only thing that could destroy it would be a possible attack in my lab."
Alex just starred at the huge creature and was a little e skeptic on what Cray said. Indeed this Empress could be completely dangerous from what he heard. But he should know better then to kill it instead of keeping it alive for further research. Although it might be a really bad idea, he understood the Cray knows what he's doing.
Alex: "Let's hope nothing bad happens incase this Empress escapes."
Everyone continued walking down the catwalk, getting closer and closer to the lab. What none of them didn't know was that the Empress's eyes were really glowing a bright blood red color. It was a real good sign that this creature is alive and well but the large group didn't know it. And if that thing got loose, it would spell disaster to everyone.
Back to the group, Rhino Squad, the Teen Titans, and Dr. Cray was moving down the path, passing through all the dead and undead creatures in tubes they see. That's when they spotted a pair of blasts door that had some type of retinal scanner next to it. It was then that the Titans know that that's the door leading to Cray's secret lab. Cray slowly approached the door then turned his automatic wheel chair around to look at both teams.
Dr. Cray: "Well, this is it. This is the real entrance to my laboratory. Let me remind you that this lab is a secret lab. That means no one except a few delegates in the UAC knows of this, including your father Mr. Kelly. So I advice to you never to tell of this lab to anyone, if there are any survivors in this facility. Do I make myself clear?"
Everyone nodded in unison; including Rhino Team that already knew the rules the first time they saw the lab. To that end, Cray turned his wheel chair around and slowly approached the retinal scanner. He then leaned forward to place his eyes into the peek holes on the top as the machine begins scanning. Once the scanner picked up the readouts on Cray's eyes, it approved and the two doors opened up and down, giving the team clear access to the lab. As the doors opened, Cray turned back around to the teams and gave them a real warm welcome.
Dr. Cray: "Welcome! Welcome to my laboratory!"
Both teams passed through the doors and entered the lab. When the Titans entered the lab, they were completely surprised at what they saw. The lab was a big room and that was filled with all the scientific materials needed for research. There's a computer lab where they have multiple screens with the big screen in the middle and many consoles for work, a table that was filled with test tubes and chemicals for experimentation on the left side, and on the right side are three doors that lead to different places of the lab. Down at the monitoring area, two scientists and arguing with each other. One was a man in his forties with messy gray hair and a stature build while the other one was close to his fifties with a baldhead and glasses. Those two were Dr. Karmak and Dr. Cloud, part of Cray's assistance. As the team walked into the lab, the two scientists started arguing about something.
Dr. Cloud: "This is ridiculous! This is utterly ridiculous!! Why do we have to do this anyways? We got the teams we need to stop Betruger. Why can't we do that?"
Dr. Karmak: "Because Cray told us to. Why are you so worried about it? Look it's just that simple. Once we get the data we need from the Primitive, we'll move on to phase two. Easy as one, two, three."
Dr. Cloud: "Yes I know that, but still… Look I know we're suppose to follow orders and all, but can we just break at least this one. I mean look at this team. They got the right stuff. And after observing them at the entranceway fighting along side with Rhino Squad, they might team up and help stop Betruger. Do we really have to do this?"
Dr. Karmak: "We don't have much of a choice. This place has already gone to Hell and it will only be a matter of time before the demons attack this lab. So if Cray wanted us to do this phase, we'll do it. All we have to do is wait until it's time to initiate it."
The two continued talking to each other, unaware everyone was in the lab. But the Titans were completely amazed at this lab that they didn't hear their conversations. Well, all except for one individual. Alex was busy looking at the lab as well, but he heard the two talking about this phase and wondered what is it. When Dr. Cray approached the two scientists, he cleared his throat and started getting their attention.
Dr. Cray: "Gentleman…"
Both turn their attention to Cray as he gave them a short talking.
Dr. Cray: "Let us not argue about this. We got more pressing matters to attend to."
Both Karmak and Cloud nodded in agreement as Cray turned around and tried to get the teams attention.
Dr. Cray: "Titans, would you kindly come here for just a moment?"
The Titans looked at Cray and the other two scientists and approached them as fast as they could. When they were around them, the doctor introduced the teens to the other two scientists.
Dr. Cray: "Now, allow me to introduce two of my finest men in this lab to date. This is Dr. Karmak; he's head of the research division here in the UAC and a close and personal assistant of mine. And this individual is Dr. Cloud; he's in charge of the artifact research within the caverns. I pretty sure I remember telling you about him earlier."
Alex approached Cloud and got a closer look at him. After looking up and down, he smirked and knew what Cray meant.
Alex: "Of course we know. You told us about him the first time you met. Nice to meet you Dr. Cloud."
Alex lifted his hand up and offered a handshake of his own. Cloud accepted the offer and took his hand to shake it.
Dr. Cloud: "It's a pleasure seeing you still alive, and in one piece too. I was afraid for sure that you wouldn't make it."
Alex: "You wouldn't have to worry about me Cloud. We Kelly's manage to survive the harshest of environments, even getting out of this man made Hell by the skin of our teethes."
They let go of each other's hands, as Cloud was about to ask the Guardian something. But before he could say something, Cray bumped right in, and wondering about something.
Dr. Cray: "Now where is Marcus? He should be here to witness this once in a lifetime opportunity."
Before he could hear an answer from anyone, he heard a different voice coming from one of the doorways that just opened up.
Marcus: "Coming! Coming!!"
That's when another scientist came out of the doorway and approached the group of scientists. He was in his thirties with light brown hair slicked all the way back and a five o clock eye shadow around his eyes. As he approached the group, and bent down panting breathlessly, trying to explain himself.
Marcus: "Sorry… Sorry doctor. I was really busy putting the final arrangements for our experiment. I didn't really mean to take so long."
Cray looked at Marcus and shook his head as an apology.
Dr. Cray: "Don't be so sorry Marcus. The team is already here."
Marcus got up and lifted his head to see the Teen Titans with Rhino Squad and was pleased to see them alive.
Marcus: "Oh, thank god. They're all alive. I'm thought they wouldn't make it, what with all the demons trying to kill you and all."
Cray lifted his hand up to stop one of his members there to introduce Alex.
Dr. Cray: "Mr. Marcus, I would like to introduce you to the son of master sergeant Thomas Kelly and assigned guardian for the Teen Titans, Alexander."
He then looked at Alex and introduces him to the scientist.
Dr. Cray: "Mr. Kelly, this is another one of my associates in the science team. His name is Marcus Sponzeraly. He's in charge of the species research and abodimization."
Both Alex and Marcus shook each other's hands after they were introduced as Alex smiled.
Alex: "Pleasure to meet you Marcus."
Marcus: "Please, you can call me Pinky."
Alex blinked a couple, not quite hearing that nickname.
Alex: "Wait, did you just say Pinky? As in the big bull beasts that were trying to kill us along with all the other zombies and demons?"
Pinky: "That's correct."
Cray approached the two and explained about that name.
Dr. Cray: "Believe it or not Mr. Kelly, Marcus was the one who names all the demons and cybernetic beasts you've encountered through out the facility."
Alex turned his head to see Cray and was amazed at what he said then turned back to Pinky still in the same expression.
Alex: "Really?"
Pinky: "That right. Since I'm in charge of analyzing and cutting up creatures, I had the chance naming each of them by their characteristics, the way they fight, and the powers they posses. Kind of a bit of a free time for me."
Alex: "Wow… That's pretty impressive."
Pinky: "You thing that's interesting, you should see what I can do with a surgeon knife. I'm really handy at cutting demons up."
As the two were talking about Pinky's line of work, Dr. Cloud cleared his throat and tried to get their attention.
Dr. Cloud: "I'm sorry if I'm interfering this little conversation, but I need the Primitive to figure out what we're up against. So if you please…"
Alex looked at Cloud and nodded, knowing to get this over with. He searched his pants pockets to see where he put that item Cloud needs. Finally, he took out the Primitive from his pocket and handed over to Cloud.
Alex: "Here you go. Took us all the trouble in getting it out of the Delta museum and surviving all aspects of death."
Cloud took the Primitive and examined it, wanting to see if it's in good condition. After inspecting it, he looked at the guardian and nodded in approval.
Dr. Cloud: "Thank you."
He then approached one of the terminals where they have a built in scanner and placed the artifact into the scanner. Once it was ready, he typed down a few key sequences and pressed the enter key. Soon as he did that, an announcement was made on the computer.
'Scanning will commence in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…'
The scanner started examining the Primitive as digital waves moved up, down, left, right, and all around to make a complete scan. As the computer was scanning all the hieroglyphs, Alex wanted to know if it would be ready.
Alex: "Exactly how long is this going to take? My team and I really need to stop Betruger and there's no way I'm going to wait until the Earth fleet gets here."
Cray turned his electric wheel chair around and told Alex that everything's taken care of.
Dr. Cray: "Not to worry Mr. Kelly. The scanning will be finished in five minutes; it will leave you plenty of time to put an end of Betruger's plans. In the mean time, I suggest that that you take good care of your wounded comrade."
Robin: "Cray is right? Beast Boy is injured and we have to see if he's all right. We should head to the med bay and see if he's in good condition."
Hearing that, Peter walked away from the groups and headed to the door where the med bay is. He then turned around and looked at the Titans to tell them where Beast Boy is.
Peter Chew: "If you want to know where your friend is, I could take you to him. Follow me please."
He turned back and entered through an automatic doorway where the med bay is as the team followed them, including Alex. As they were leaving, Cray reminded them one more thing.
Dr. Cray: "I'll let you know through the speakers when the scan is complete."
The team left with the medic expert as the door closed behind them. When they all leave, Voss approached Cray and asked him something.
Scott Voss: "Hey Cray, can I ask you a question?"
The doctor looked at the Rhino Squad leader and answered his question.
Dr. Cray: "Go ahead Mr. Voss. I'm listening."
Scott Voss: "I was wondering when are we going to start your latest project? I'm getting a little at widths end here."
Dr. Cray: "Soon Mr. Voss, soon. We just have to make them feel comfortable until we're ready to begin."
Scott Voss: "All right, but how soon? I don't know if you notice it, but these demons are a whole lot tougher then before. We ran out of ammo faster then ever and we lost McCan in battle. If this keeps up, we'll be the next casualties on the list."
Dr. Cray: "I can understand your concern Mr. Voss, but we can't jump in and create problems. Be patient and we'll get started as soon as we could."
He turned his wheel chair around and looked at Pinky, wanting to know one last time about the project he was doing.
Dr. Cray: "So Marcus, are you sure everything is ready for today?"
Marcus looked at the kind doctor and nodded.
Pinky: "Yes doctor, everything is prepared for the Teen Titans."
Dr. Cray: "Excellent. Now all we have to do is wait."
Delta Labs, Cray's Laboratory, Medical Bay: November 16, 2145, 2:31 A.M.
Down in the med bay of the lab, Chew and the Titans entered into the room to see if Beast Boy's in good condition. When they entered, Peter pointed at the bed the changeling is in.
Peter Chew: "There he is."
The team looked at where Peter pointed at and saw their favorite green elf resting on the bed real well, enjoying his hospital meal that is strictly tofu and vegetables. What they also notice was that he was wearing a bandaged that was wrapped around his head, be that it was the area where the impact occurred. When they saw him, they were pleased that he's fine and rushed to him.
Teen Titans: "Beast Boy!"
BB looked to his left and saw his friends still alive.
Beast Boy: "Hey guys, nice to see you all in one piece."
Cyborg: "See us in one piece? Dude look at you. It looked like you survived a demolition derby."
Starfire: "Indeed. Are you okay friend Beast Boy? Are you damaged in anyway?"
Upon hearing all of that, Peter approached the team and told them his condition.
Peter Chew: "He's going to be fine. Like I said before, Beast Boy suffered a small concussion, nothing more. My guess is that the turtle shell he used as his animal form must've absorbed most of the impact. If he hadn't changed into a turtle, it would've gotten a whole lot worse. He'll be up and about right after he gets some sleep."
Alex turned around and shook Peter's hand for a thank you.
Alex: "Thanks for the help Peter. You are really good at saving lives."
Peter Chew: "Well I am a medical officer. It's what I do for a living. That and repairing tech of course."
The two let go of the shake as Chew left to join with Rhino Squad in the monitoring room. The guardian looked back at the Titans, still relieved that their comrade is still alive.
Cyborg: "Man dog you should've seen the end of the battle we were in. Alex and Crispy were in the cannon torrents, ripping all the zombies and demons in half, finishing them off one by one. But before it was all over, that last Vagary that got away in the basement warehouse returned and brought along some of its friends. We hold them back as long as we can, but the Vagary kept on sending more. We thought we were dead by now. But what Alex and Crispy did was completely unthinkable. They used what's left of their ammo and destroy the ceiling, creating a cave in that flattens both the Vagary and the spider army it commanded! It was crazy!"
Beast Boy: "You're serious? Man, I can't believe I missed all that. I should've come back and helped you out stopping that thing."
Robin: "Sorry Beast Boy, but doctors orders. You can't go out until you're fully healed. Besides, even if you were there, it would've made the difference. We still won't stand a chance against something like that."
Raven: "But on the bright side, we didn't get annoyed by one of your jokes."
The changeling looked at Raven and was a little bummed at her comments.
Beast Boy: "Ha, ha, ha… Very funny Raven."
Alex decided to join in on the conversation and approached the group, wanting to apologize to the changeling.
Alex: "Well all and all, we're glad you're still in good condition. Too bad I wasn't there to back you up while you were battling those brutes. If I was in the battle field instead of getting the ammo packs for the cannons, you wouldn't have suffered a concussion and stuck in this med bay in the first."
He lowered his head and shock, knowing it was inevitable in the first place. Beast Boy, watching the guardian's reaction smiled and told him that everything would be okay.
Beast Boy: "Hey, it's not your fault. None of us weren't prepared to fight large hoards like the ones just recently, not even me. I got a little too cocky not knowing what I was up against. And because of that almost cost me my life. You don't have to apologize for what happened to me, it was my fault that got me in trouble. Besides, when I'm up and on my feet I'm so going to kick some serious demonic butt!"
Alex looked up and smiled too, almost about to burst out in tears. He then places his hand on the green elf's head and rubbed it hard, joking around a little bit.
Alex: "Now that's the Beast Boy we all known and loved."
Everyone laughed about it and was having a good time, even Raven couldn't help but to chuckle a little bit before her emotions would get the best of her. But before they could enjoy themselves, there was a sudden announcement coming from the speakers.
Dr. Cray: "Mr. Kelly and the Teen Titans, this is Dr. Cray. Report back to the main monitoring room immediately. Dr. Cloud found some interesting discoveries from the Primitive you retrieved. Please hurry, time is short."
Everyone looked up at the speaker as the guardian sighed to himself, knowing what that meant. He then looked at Beast Boy and told him what's happening.
Alex: "Sounds like one of Cray's assistants is finished with his research. We better go and see what he wants. You all right if you wait for us here?"
Beast Boy: "What choice do I have? I mean I'm not going anywhere any time soon."
Alex giggled for a sec and shook his head, knowing that part was true.
Alex: "That makes some perfect sense."
The group then left Beast Boy behind and was about to exit the medical bay. But before Robin could leave, Robin looked back at the changeling and told him something.
Robin: "We'll give you the details once we get back."
BB nodded and gestured back in a salute.
Beast Boy: "Take your time, I'll be right here."
Robin then left the room as the doors automatically closes. As the place was empty, Beast Boy rested comfortably and enjoyed his none meat meal. But what he didn't know was that a strange gas came out of the air vents and slowly engulfed the room. But BB didn't notice it because he was just concentrating on his food. While he was eating, he felt a little disoriented as the gas seeped into his nose. His eyelids felt heavy on him and his body starts to move around a little bit.
Beast Boy: "Feeling woozy…"
Before he could figure out what's going on, Beast Boy let his head fall to the pillow and went to a major deep sleep.
Delta Labs, Cray's Laboratory, Monitoring Room: November 16, 2145, 2:37 A.M.
Back at the main monitoring room, Rhino Squad, the Teen Titans, and the science team gathered around Cray and Cloud, hoping that what they would say is good news. Cray moved his wheelchair forward and gave of the introduction.
Dr. Cray: "Now I'm pretty sure you know why I called you all here for."
Everyone looked at each other, then looked at the doctor to nod for a yes.
Dr. Cray: "Well, Dr. Cloud was able to scan the entire Primitive and the results were quite fascinating. Dr. Cloud, if you kindly explain to everyone what I mean?"
Cray moved back so that Cloud would begin his theory.
Dr. Cloud: "Thank you Cray. As you all ready know, the entire Union Aerospace Corporation is being under attack by a demonic army from Hell. But one has to question how did they come in and why now of all times? For hours I've been trying to gather information about what the demons, lead by Betruger, were up to and so far it lead me to one dead end after another. But thanks to the Titans handing me the Primitive, I was able to make a scan to see how it all connected. What I found was truly magnificent."
He turned to the control console and typed down a few keystrokes to gain access to the Primitive research. When he did that, the huge computer screen showed the Primitive inscriptions along with a few pictures from other artifacts. When the team looked at all the works of art, Cloud turned around and explained everything to them.
Dr. Cloud: "Now as you all know, the Mars civilization was attacked by these very same demons that are destroying this base right now. And though the Mars people tried their best in stopping them, their weapons were no match for the creatures' fury and power. But that was until a brave warrior descended from the heavens and uses the ultimate weapon known as the Soulcube to banish the demonic emperor and send the demons straight to Hell for all eternity. At first, we all thought that it was the very end of this story, but we were wrong. Apparently the Soulcube wasn't only a weapon of vast unimaginable power, but it's also some kind of key."
He started clicking on a few keys and begins analyzing each tablet as the computer gave exact matches of the story as he continued on.
Dr. Cloud: "According to the Primitive, the Soulcube was somewhat of a gateway. A one-way portal from Hell to another dimension, mainly this one. But in order for the Soulcube to send the demons back to this plain, it needs a portal built by man to send this artifact to Hell."
Listening in on everything, Alex knew what it all meant.
Alex: "So the main teleporter in level 4 was the gateway to Hell and the last test to see if the Soulcube had any connections to it was really the key to fully open it for the demons to come through."
Cloud looked at the guardian and nodded on his assumption.
Dr. Cloud: "Quite right…"
Cray then lowered his head and rubbed his chin a little, processing all the information he could carry in his elderly, yet intellectual brain.
Dr. Cray: "Hmm… This could explain Betruger's obsession with the main teleporter in the first place."
But Crispy came in and needed to know something about the whole thing.
Crispy: "Wait, this doesn't make any sense what so ever. If the civilization knew about the truth of the Soulcube, shouldn't they at least destroy it before someone else would use it?"
Cloud look back at the screen and answered Crispy's question in a way he could understand.
Dr. Cloud: "Technically, the ancient people of Mars knew it, but they didn't want to destroy it. They feared that if they do, the demons would come back and the remaining survivors would be completely defenseless. So under precaution, they buried the Soulcube with their warrior into the Chamber of the Hero, deep within the Main Excavation site, believing if the demons would come back once again, this warrior would be resurrected and finish the job."
The teams talked about it to each other as they get the pieces all together.
Ramirez: "So instead of destroying the very thing that saved them from extinction, they buried it in hopes of their hero being resurrected and stopping the demons that would be reawakened."
Robin: "But they were able to give off messages into these tablets and tried to warn outsiders about the dangers that would be reawaken, thus repeating history all over again."
Johann Strauss: "And now we know it, yet we had no idea that this was going to happen. How ironic…"
Dr. Cloud: "Indeed it is, but there's more to this then we think."
Everyone once again paid attention to Cloud as he gave them more information.
Dr. Cloud: "The Primitive also says something about a dark and powerful emperor that rules Hell. From what we could tell his name is Tri, Tre…"
Alex: "Trigon the Terrible."
Everyone looked at the guardian as Cloud had a suspicious look on his face.
Dr. Cloud: "Who?"
Alex: "That beast that you're talking about is called Trigon the Terrible."
Scott Voss: "And how do you know that?"
Alex looked at Voss and explained everything.
Alex: "Before Cray found us, the Titans and I were in Betruger's office investigating and gathering clues. When Raven noticed a safe behind a poster and opened it, she discovered an ancient book that was from within the caverns called the Book of Scath. In the book contained spells and ancient prophecies. But there's a story that tells about the war that happened on Mars a long time ago. Trigon was mention on it. From what we could understand is that this demon led his army to destroy the universe and rule it on his own whim. He was going to succeed until this warrior appeared from a world called Azarath, that's Raven's home, and banished him and his hoard to Hell."
Everyone listens to what Alex was trying to say and could tell that what's going on is completely serious. But Raven, she lowered her head down and shook, wanting to tell them the truth. But if she does, they would turn on her for real, so she kept her mouth shut until its time to say it. Soon after Alex told about Trigon, Strauss approached him and was shocked in horror.
Johann Strauss: "You mean to tell me that not only we have to kill these demons, but we also have to destroy a demonic emperor that leads them!?"
The guardian looked at Strauss and calmed him down with the other half of the story.
Alex: "Not likely… You see, the portal Betruger created was only meant for Trigon's demons to enter our world. The only way for Trigon to be released is by opening his eternal prison on Earth, where no human would ever go. Another thing is that the only way opening his prison is to bring someone that shares the same bloodline as Trigon. Though if it is true or not, I don't think there was no way we would find someone that shares his blood."
Again, Raven turned her head away, not letting everyone know what she was thinking. Cray listened to the whole thing and sighed in complete relief.
Dr. Cray: "At least we got one less thing to worry about."
Voss then looked at Cray and still wanted to know something.
Scott Voss: "That's great and all doctor. But you should know that our main goal is to destroy the main portal before the Earth fleet comes and gets overwhelmed. So how are we going to shut it down?"
Cray looked at the Rhino Squad leader and smirked with his wrinkly old face.
Dr. Cray: "I'm so glad you asked that Mr. Voss. Now then, with the main teleporter still online, we don't have much of an advantage against the invading hoards. But like all other things there is a weakness. And after much research, I think I found one. Please observe."
Cray move his wheelchair to the center of the console while Cloud walked away, finished with his research on the Primitive. The doctor then clicked on a few key sequences and the computer showed the blueprints of Delta's main teleporter. Once he was done with his typing, he turned to look at the two teams and scientists and gave his hypothesis.
Dr. Cray: "Now as you all already know, the main portal in Delta 4 is highly impenetrable. None of your weapons won't even lay a scratch on this machine and if the portal opens up, it will suck you into the very Hell the demons were once trapped in. Now I've been analyzing ways in shutting the portal down and had come up with a solution. Take a look at this."
The doctor turned around to click on a couple of more keys to show the teams what he meant. That was when the schismatic showed the stabilizers on the ceiling of the teleporter. Everyone kept on watching the screen as Cray turned back around and discuss his details.
Dr. Cray: "From what McCormick, God rest his soul, told me that when the Soulcube was place into the portal, the stabilizers started to fail and Hell went loose. But from what I can understand is that those stabilizers are the ones that are keeping the teleporter online. So if one of the stabilizers are destroyed, the others will all go offline, thus shutting down the portal permanently."
Everyone heard all of it and now knew what must be done.
Scott Voss: "So if we damage one of the stabilizers the main teleporter would stop working."
Dr. Cray: "That's correct, but of course that's my theory."
Alex: "Either way, this is the ultimate opening for us to stop the demons from spreading to Earth."
Robin: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get down to Delta 4 and put an end to this nightmare!"
But before anyone could do something about it, Dr. Cray stopped them in an instant."
Dr. Cray: "No, not yet at least."
They all then looked at the doctor and were in shock.
Everyone: "What!?"
Dr. Cray: "I know you want to stop all this at once, but it's getting late. And I could tell you Titans haven't gotten any sleep yet. I got a dormitory for all of you to sleep in until you are freshen up and ready for an assault."
The Titans couldn't believe all of this. They want to stop Betruger from destroying Earth and now Cray is telling them to get some rest. That's completely ludicrous. So the Titan leader stepped forward and started complaining to the doctor.
Robin: "Are you serious?! You want us to get some sleep when you damn well know that we have to save the world, let alone the universe from Hell itself? We have to go there and stop it once and for all!
Though Robin and the other Titans were upset on it all, Alex was the worse for ware. Since he now knew that the only way to stop the portal is to blow up the stabilizer, his surviving instincts stated that he and his team must stop it at once. But Cray wanted them to get some rest before the big attack. At first he wants to argue with Robin, but he decided to keep calm and decided it would be all right to sleep for a few hours. Meanwhile, Cray kept on listening to Robin's distress and started to ease him at once.
Dr. Cray: "Don't be to worried about it Robin, we got no word that the Earth fleet was coming any time soon. So we don't have to worry about them coming to rescue us from this nightmare. If we heard of anything, we would be in a frenzy. So it's safe to assume that the UAC hasn't gotten the signal just yet. So I suggest you guys get some sleep until I call you that it will be time to attack. I'll have Karmak take you to your room. Mr. Karmak."
Karmak then came out of the group and nodded for approval.
Dr. Karmak: "Of course doctor. Follow me please."
Karmak left the area and headed to the door that will take everyone to their sleeping quarters. The Titans, knowing they don't want to sleep, have no choice and decided to follow the doctor and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep. But as everyone left, Alex approached the doctor and asked for a favor.
Alex: "Dr. Cray. As much as I like to sleep with the others, I would like to check up and Beast Boy and keep an eye on him. Just incase things get a little worse."
Cray thought about it and then told him things will be fine.
Dr. Cray: "Mr. Kelly. I could understand your concern for Beast Boy and I respect it. But I will make the decision on having someone watch over him. Meanwhile, you should get some rest before you decide to put an end on Betruger's reign once and for all."
Alex was a bit surprised and this and argued back.
Alex: "But I think I should-"
But Cray shut him up and told him it's going to be all right.
Dr. Cray: "Relax, your Beast Boy in perfectly healthy as far as I know. If he's in any danger, I'll let you know. Now you better follow the group before you loose them. Good night."
Alex wanted to continue arguing about this, but decided it was best to cool off and followed the doctor's order. So he ran back to the Titans and followed them out of the main room. As they left, Cray moved the wheel chair around and looked at Marcus, A.K.A. Pinky, to ask him something.
Dr. Cray: "So, is our first patient ready."
Pinky nodded and had the smile on his face.
Pinky: "Of course doctor. We got our first patient a sleep and we're about to move him to the operating table."
Dr. Cray: "Excellent! Once the others fall asleep, I'll have Rhino Squad move them to your lab and we'll get started on our project."
Pinky: "And what about their guardian, you know he'll be suspicious at what we're doing."
Dr. Cray: "He won't notice anything. We'll just perform a few experiments on the team and put them back where they belong. I'm sure they will survive the operations. And even if Mr. Kelly gets suspicious, we'll have to pull some very serious strings."
And that takes care of this chapter. It might be a little long for a short chapter, but at least you got some good information on it. And on the next chapter there will be a twist. What will this twist be, you just have to wait to find out. Well, I'm heading off the Canada! See you in two weeks and please review.