Resurrection: Phoenix Ascending, chapter 37: First Contact
A collaboration between OoBluebubblesoO and Nitebreaker
"But what was it, Omega?" Robin asked. They were gathered in the kitchenette of the Tower, with some of the Titans indulging in a early morning breakfast.
"I….am not completely sure even now. But it seems I was either the leader of or an integral part of a revolt against the Lords. Quite naturally, being a threat to them and their power, they sought my death, even to the point of eliminating all others of my series of warriors. The warriors we encountered here, the ones I lead to Jupiter, were supposed to be an improved version, improved meaning, of course, that they were incapable of rebellious action such as I exhibited."
"Omega…..these Lords sure don't sound like nice people." This from Terra.
"Apparently, I agreed with you. Agree with you still. We may count ourselves fortunate that their wave was destroyed.
"But….something. While I was connected to the matrix, I was able to Link in with the probe, partially. Its task here isn't over."
"What's it gonna do?"
"Unclear. But it will be hazardous to human life. I have to find out, and take what steps I can to stop it."
That's when the alarm went off.
…
Time: a few minutes earlier: Shelley Kowalski had reported in late for her job at the First National Bank of Jump City. Hurrying to her window, she was relieved to notice only one person in line: a little dark-haired girl of about twelve or so. Pretty little thing. Odd how there was no one else around her.
For her part, Angelique was not relishing what she was about to do, but Slade had explained it all quite well. The bank was behind all the foreclosures she'd heard of in the news, clearly a case of a miscarriage of justice. The bank was robbing people! People went to the bank when they needed money the most, and what happened? The bank took their homes, cars, and all their belongings. How could anyone just stand by and let that happen?
The troublemakers acted to defend the bank, because they were in on it. Probably the bank paid them to keep people, good people, people who only wanted what was right, away. She had wanted to confront the troublemakers themselves, in person, but Slade (who seemed to know what he was talking about) told her that was a bad idea. "Never engage an enemy on their own ground. Always make them come to you." That sounded wise. And so this naturally followed.
She approached the teller. "Yes, I'm here to make a withdrawal, please."
"Certainly, uh, Miss. Do you have an account with us?" Shelley busied herself with the necessary withdrawal slips, for when the girl presented her ID and bank account number.
"Actually, no. But I still need to make a rather large withdrawal." And Angelique went into action…
….
"Okay, simple bank robbery, possible metahuman involved. No need for all of us to go. Terra, you've been wanting to go out on patrol; here's your chance," Robin explained. "You go with Gar, Raven, and Cyborg."
"YIPPEEEE!" She was so excited she didn't notice the look on Beast Boy's face.
It was somewhat less than thrilled.
….
By the time the Titans had arrived at the bank, the place was a scene of devastation. Cars had been tossed about or apparently blasted, and the entire front wall of the bank was missing. Why was not difficult to determine; the heavy gauge vault door had been ripped from its hinges and thrown into the street. "Okay," said Cyborg softly, his arm already morphing into his sonic cannon. "What could've done this?" Even Cinderblock would've had a hard time producing this much destruction in so short of a time.
"Well!" said a cheery voice from within the destroyed lobby, "Took you long enough! I was beginning to think you weren't gonna show. They should dock your pay; slow response time." It came from what appeared to be a little tween-age girl, wearing jeans and a pink "Hello Kitty" tee shirt, standing in the shadow of the wrecked building.
"Do you know anything about—" Cyborg stopped in mid-sentence when the girl's arms both morphed into fusion cannons, and Angelique opened fire.
While the Titans were busy dodging, or blocking her fire, Angelique herself was fighting disappointment. This wasn't all of them. And Slade, whose experience she'd come to respect, had given her clear instructions that she was not to kill them unless she had a chance to get them all. "If you only kill a few, it'll alert other, more powerful beings. They'll be ready for you next time. That'll escalate matters. We don't want that…yet. So just disable them, humble them, let their masters see their hired servants are powerless before you. It'll be enough, trust me, for now."
Raven dodged and levitated a car, hurling it at Angelique, who swatted it aside with almost casual ease, and once more leveled her fusion cannons at the sorceress. Terra levitated a block of solid rock into a shield for them, while Cyborg kept hitting her with his sonic. It wasn't working. He morphed one of his arms into the EMP projector he'd used recently against the HIVE Five, and succeeded in knocking her back on her backside. Snarling, she rose and fired a salvo at him, which he barely dodged, getting behind Terra's shield just in time. "What are we dealing with!" shouted Raven, above the din.
"Just a guess? Not a little girl." It was hard to hear over the noise.
"Really. I'd never have guessed."
A green dragonfly buzzed over Angelique's head, and morphed into an African elephant, its twelve-ton weight smashing her into the ground.
But only momentarily. "You'll have to do better than that," laughed Angelique, as she extended her arms fourteen feet and levered Beast Boy off her, throwing him into the side of the building, into which he crashed, producing another hole in the building's already sundered side. "That's probably coming out of your bonuses!" she taunted, only to be taken by surprise by two granite blocks, which slammed into her from opposite sides like bookends.
The blocks disintegrated under her strength, and she aimed for Terra, only to be knocked off her feet by a green African Cape buffalo. She skidded several yards, righted herself, and, turning to face Beast Boy, aimed for him. "Oh no, you don't," muttered Terra, levitating, not solid blocks, but loose gravel and dirt into her face. It swirled in a cyclone about her, interfering with her sensors and blocking her weapons. Angelique cartwheeled out, faster than human, and sent a sonic burst of her own towards the geomancer.
The force of the blow caught Terra by surprise, and flung her fifteen feet. Groggily, she picked herself up….
Cyborg had been firing salvo after salvo from his EMP cannon at Angelique, with little effect. Now he combined the sonic cannon with the EMP, producing something new. Due to the difference between sound and electromagnetism, it was necessarily short-range, but it succeeded in knocking Angelique head over heels into the alley way. "That does it," she snarled, rising to her feet, already repairing the damage, "I don't care what Slade said; you die NOW." And Angelique began to summon her full power.
Unnoticed in the battle, a small dog darted out of the alleyway, running to get away from the fracas. Overhead, a ledge broke loose, falling towards the running puppy….
Angelique's eyes grew big. "No," she said quietly, "Oh, no." She morphed her body into a protective shell, and flung herself around the terrified animal. The fragment of building crashed down upon her harmlessly, splintering into a hundred pieces.
Angelique unfolded herself from around the dog, cradling it in her arms. "C'mon, puppy, I won't let the bad people hurt you." She turned to the Titans. "You hear me? I won't let you hurt any more innocent people. Or dogs. So consider yourselves lucky. This time." And she activated her teleportation circuits and teleported herself back to the Thinkers' hive.
The Titans looked around, picking themselves up. Beast Boy went over to Terra, concerned. "Honey, you okay?"
"Yeah, just….banged up a little." She managed a shaky laugh. "Be sore in the morning, though." She rubbed her arm, which was already purpling up in a massive bruise.
Cyborg was sitting up, his self-repair circuits busy repairing what they could. He'd taken some considerable damage, and would have to spend time in his own lab for a full refit. "Okay, people, what just happened?" he asked of the group in general.
"We just got served by Dora the explorer," supplied Raven, surveying the damage. It looked like a major war zone.
The whole battle had taken less than thirty minutes.