AN: The Dance with Destiny approaches. What is the mysterious plan of the Tyrants?
Outta This World: Observer's Cut
Arc Three: Teen Tyrants
Chapter Twenty-two: Dance with Destiny (Part I)
Jump City. Nighttime.
A pale-skinned man let out a war-whoop as he pushed his motorcycle to go faster than it already was going, with the Titans—Robin on his R-Cycle, Cyborg and Mikumo in the T-Car, and Terra, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy in their own preferred methods of flight—in hot pursuit.
And who was this man? Allow me to tell you. As you may have already guessed, this man was Johnny Rancid: biker, delinquent, criminal, and suspected cult member.
"Come and get me, losers!" Rancid laughed as he fired a shell at the T-Car with a sawn-off double-barrel shotgun. "If you think that you can catch Johnny Rancid, then you're living in a dream world!"
"Wanna bet?"
Rancid's eyes went wide as he looked towards the source of the new voice…only to have an electrified, steel-toed boot strike him in the face, launching him off of his bike and into a nearby fruit stand. The villain recovered quickly, shaking off of the remains of squashed fruit and attempting to find what had just hit him.
His eyes landed on Blitzkrieg, stationed on his new bike, which had been dubbed by Cyborg—along with Beast Boy, Terra, and the rest of the Titans—as the B-Cycle, a vehicle similar to Robin's own R-Cycle.
Rancid growled as he stood up from the wreckage of the fruit stand. "Didn't you learn your lesson when Bird Boy broke his arm?" The delinquent mocked as he charged forward, right fist cocked back for a powerful punch.
"What can I say?" Blitzkrieg replied as he dodged Rancid's first punch. "I'm a bit too stubborn for my own good." He continued as he dodged a second and a third blow. Then, he fired a lightning-fast kick at the biker's sternum, a punch in the center of his face as Rancid groaned from the first blow, and then launched a powerful uppercut while Rancid was still recovering from the second attack, sending the goon back into the street, presumably unconscious.
The other Titans caught up with the two combatants soon afterwards, congratulating their electrokinetic teammate while said teammate soaked up their praises like a sponge.
None saw Johnny Rancid slowly withdraw a small vial of puke-green liquid from the inside of his biker's jacket. None save…
"LOOK OUT!"
Robin's cry of alarm rang out too late, as the vial had already been sent soaring through the air, and had struck its intended target, enveloping his upper half in a sickly green smoke, while Rancid himself was quickly rendered unconscious via a combination of sonic blast and star-bolts.
"Blitz! Are you alright?" Starfire asked, turning around in order to face her teammate and friend…and finding him without his mask, coat, and shirt.
Cyborg blinked. "Uh…what happened to your shirt?"
"The vial had some kind of acidic compound in it." Blitzkrieg explained while raven lifted a glowing black hand over the young hero's now exposed form, a light blush on her face as some of the streetlights began to flicker erratically. "Extremely acidic. Kinda had to take those off, otherwise I'd have melted into a puddle."
"Uh, guys…" Terra spoke up, catching the attention of the other Titans. "We've got company." Terra told them, pointing towards a large swarm of Mass Media members, who had cameras and microphones out…and of course, they were all focused on the recently unmasked hero.
"How the hell did they get here so quickly?!" Mikumo exclaimed.
"Where there's a story to be told, there's money to be made…" Robin grumbled as he turned to his unmasked teammate. "Alright, we should head back to the Tower. Rancid's out like a lamp, and Blitz, you're…"
"A bit exposed." Said Titan finished as he pinched the bridge of his nose as the sound of snapping cameras echoed in the ears of the heroes. "Its not as big of a deal if my identity is revealed…since I never made an endeavor to keep it secret. But…I would like a shirt."
The Titans gathered around Raven, and three very powerful words later, they were teleported home.
Monitor's Rest.
Councilman Twelve, Six, and another member of their secret group—a black-clad man wearing a silver, cone-like helmet with a red t-shaped visor—watched the entire altercation on a massive blue screen.
"Not a big deal, he says…" The new man let out a small titter as he watched the proceeding events. "I wonder what he will think when the news reaches a certain…someone…"
"So are things going as they are supposed to, then?" Twelve asked Six.
"In a manner of speaking…" Twelve replied. "The 'Date with Destiny' will happen per the schedule…and after that, 'Rise'…though the repercussions of the presence of these 'Tyrants'…I doubt even Lord Insight could have foreseen this."
"Ah, but isn't this what we want?" The new man asked, a slasher-smile on his face. "A little bit of chaos to keep the Big Man and his power-giving lacky distracted, while we begin the enactment of our true plan?"
"…Correct, Ten." Six answered after a moment of silence. "Though we do not wish things to become too…chaotic. Such an event would only serve to either set us back…or expose us entirely."
"And even if we do get caught in the act…" Ten trailed off. "…There's always plan B."
Another moment of tense silence ensued. And then, Ten spoke up once again. "In light of this wonderful conversation, I believe I must return to my lab. Can't be gone too long after all. Not with our glorious 'Lord' Insight as paranoid about me as he is."
And with that, Councilman Ten vanished into the darkness.
Twelve grimaced. "He's right, you know. When Vector and Jacob learn about this—and believe me, they will—they might—!"
"Believe me, I know." Six interrupted. "But that's not something we can stop now. Nor is it something I think we should stop."
There was silence for a bit…until Twelve spoke again.
"…Do you really think we can trust him?" He asked.
Six grimaced as he stared into the shadows that Ten had disappeared into.
"Trust Richards?" Twelve mused. "No. We cannot."
"But for now…he's the necessary evil."
Titans' Tower. The Day Afterwards…
The sun was not even high in the sky, and yet the Titans were already strewn about the common room with no crimes to bust, no chores to be done, and no outside activities to be accomplished. Such were the perils of the teenage superheroes.
As such, most of the Titans had decided to occupy themselves with their various hobbies while Beast Boy and Mikumo were on mail call. Cyborg and Robin had chosen to play an old fighting game while Terra watched from the sidelines, meanwhile Raven and Blitzkrieg were on the couch reading Doctor Sleep by Stephen King and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan respectively.
"You know…" Blitz began as he turned another page. "I really hope that I'll be able to write like this guy someday."
"We should all be so lucky." Raven commented somewhat absentmindedly.
Then, the door to the common room opened, and both Beast Boy and Mikumo entered the room with an announcement of, "Mail call!"
The Titans dropped their activities, attention focus on the rather large back that Mikumo was hauling over his shoulder.
"Damn, man! You need help with that?" Cyborg asked, an impressed look on his face.
"Thanks, but I should be fine." The green-haired teen grunted out as he set the several-pound bag on the floor.
"…That bag is bigger than any garbage bag that has ever been hauled out of BB's room." Blitzkrieg observed. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Totally." Mikumo smiled as he flexes his biceps. "I'm hella strong."
"…Adding superstrength to the list of things he has…" Robin muttered under his breath as he once again turned his attention to the bag. "So what's all of this then? Fan mail?"
"Mostly." Mikumo replied. "I took the liberty of looking through it earlier, separating the important stuff from the fan stuff."
Beast Boy handed Robin a small collection of envelops. "Here's the important stuff."
Robin took the envelops and set them on the armrest of the couch. "And the rest?"
Mikumo smirked. "We've got a few fan letters for all of our other members…but mostly, it's Blitz's fans."
Said Titan's eyes went wide. "My fans? Jesus, usually my bags are a bit…"
"Smaller?" Cyborg asked as she eyed the bag with a whistle. "Yeah, usually Robin has all of the fans.
"Might be because of this." Beast Boy said, tossing a magazine at the electrokinetic.
Blitzkrieg's eyes went wide as he stared the title for the main article for the magazine.
A Hero Unmasked: A Hottie Hidden underneath.
"…Please don't tell me this is the actual title on the news articles." Blitzkrieg spoke as he stared at the magazine.
"Nah, that's just a gossip magazine, actual newspaper just keeps it at A Hero Unmasked." Beast Boy informed his teammate, a bemused expression taking over his features.
"And thank god for that." Blitzkrieg muttered.
Before anyone could say anything further, the alarm began to sound. Cyborg's arm panel opened, and he turned to the rest of his comrades. "We've got a robbery on 5th!"
"Well no shit, I thought it was time dance!" Blitzkrieg said. Robin ignored his comment as he ran towards the door. "TITANS, GO!"
Jump City. A bit later.
The Titans used their various methods of transportation as they closed in on their target, with Robin and Blitzkrieg taking the lead.
"Range to target?" Robin asked.
"About two-hundred meters and closing." Cyborg replied. "We should have a visual in about—!"
"I see him!" Starfire announced as the collected Titans came to a sudden stop.
Clinging to one of the buildings was what could only be described as a man with a spider for a head.
"Correction, you see IT." Raven said as the man-spider-thing whipped out a high-tech, green colored pistol and fired at them. The destructive red beam caused the Titans to scatter—all save Blitzkrieg, who had to jump off of his bike and onto the roof of the T-Car as the energy blast totaled the B-Cycle.
"I just got that you bastard!" Blitzkrieg screamed as the man-spider scuttled away, the rest of the Titans in pursuit.
"You've got your board?" Cyborg ask as the T-Car followed the ongoing chase.
"No, left it at the Tower!" Blitzkrieg spat out. "Stupid mistake!"
"Incoming!" Beast Boy's voice cried out from above. Blitzkrieg, Cyborg, and Mikumo looked up just in time to see the green-skinned shapeshifter slam into the T-Car's windshield, wrapped in some kind of spiderwebbing.
"I can't see!" Cyborg shouted as the T-Car began to swerve. "Get off! Now!"
Blitzkrieg did so as Terra retreated to help with the current situation, creating a few rock platforms from the road. The electrokinetic took the opportunity to leap on to one of those platforms, while Cyborg pulled the T-Car over.
As Terra and Blitzkrieg flew after the man-spider, Cyborg and Mikumo exited the car.
"Get after 'em! I'll cut BB loose from this…webbing!" Cyborg said as his right forearm shifted into a buzz-saw.
"Already on it!" Mikumo said as the black tendrils extended from his arms, and he began to swing away in a similar fashion to a certain spider-themed hero.
The robotic teenager turned back to his shapeshifting friend and began to cut away the webs. "Aw man, what the hell happened to you?"
"I don't know!" Beast Boy replied. "This stuff is…well, it's some kind of super-loogie!"
With Blitzkrieg and Terra.
"Do you see them yet?" Blitzkrieg asked as both of the teenage heroes flew over the streets of Jump city.
"Not yet…" Terra replied as her eyes scanned the area, attempting to find her fellow heroes. "Wait—There!"
Terra pointed at a duo of figures running across the rooftops. One was the man-spider that they were chasing earlier, and the other was Robin.
"Can this thing go any faster?!" Blitzkrieg shouted.
"Making it so!" Terra responded as the floating rocks picked up speed.
As the two Titans picked up the pace, the man-spider turned around and fired a pair of pink beams from its mandibles, striking Robin in the chest just as he was preparing to jump across another rooftop.
"SHIT!" Both Blitzkrieg and Terra scream as the flying boulders sped up, both hoping that they would catch the young apprentice of Batman before he hit the ground…
Only for Mikumo to come in and catch him at what might have been the last possible second.
"Oh, thank god." Terra gasped out as they both flew down to the now apparently paralyzed Robin, with the rest of the Titans catching up.
"He is...okay?" Starfire asked, a look of deep concern on her face as Robin attempted to move.
"He will be…" Cyborg said as he performed a quick scan. "Venom's effects should only be temporary.
"Getting…away!" Robin groaned out. "Have to…go after him!"
The teenage hero toppled forwards, with Starfire catching him before he hit the ground.
"You mean WE have to go after him." Raven spoke as Starfire stood him back up.
"YOU need to chill until this stuff wears off." Mikumo stated.
"But—!"
"Dude." Beast Boy interrupted. "He's got a giant spider for a head. He won't be that hard to find."
"…Point." Robin conceded as he stopped struggling.
"I will head back with Robin. Tamaranean acupressure might help him recover quicker." Starfire told her teammates.
"I can teleport us back." Raven offered.
"Bring me with you." Blitzkrieg said as he stepped towards the trio. "I need to grab my disk since the B-Cycle is currently a wreak."
With that, the Titans separated, all with their current objectives in mind.
And yet meanwhile, up above…
"Ravager." Death Hand's voice crackled through the radio as Rose Wilson watched the Titans separate into their two groups from her rooftop vantage point.
"They split up." She replied, holding the device close to her mouth. "Just like you said they would."
"Excellent. Prepare for phase two of the operation."
The radio clicked off as Rose Wilson turned away from the teenage heroes with a small smirk on her face.
"Seems like everyone's got a plan these days."
Titans' Tower, Blitzkrieg's living quarters. With Blitzkrieg.
"…Getting the disk isn't the only reason why you came back here, isn't it?" Light asked me as I sat down on my bed.
"No. I needed some privacy so that I could ask a question." I replied as I took a short breath. "The white fire. What. Is it?"
"…If you weren't already sitting down, I'd have told you to do so." Light sighed. "Alright. Remember when Slade told you about how he got to your world?"
I noted Light's usage of the word 'your' instead of 'our'. "I do."
"I was…there." Light revealed. "At the lab."
"…How? Aren't you—aren't you just some…split personality…that also likes prancing around as some girl-fox thing…?" I trailed off as my eyes went wide.
"…Light…what the hell are you?" I asked as my own breathing stopped.
"A Kitsune." Light admitted. "Slade didn't just put the chip in you, Sean. He linked my soul to you as well, via a small bit of blood from…well, my original body…my very DEAD body."
"Then…why didn't you tell me this?" I asked her.
"…Because I didn't know how to tell you…any of this. Especially when we were on your—OUR Earth…and no time ever seemed like the right time."
"And the white fire?"
"Magic. My magic. Something that only I can do."
"Was—is Zero like me?"
"I don't think so. The fire wasn't magical in nature."
"So why am I able to access it then?"
"Because we are…merging."
"…What do you mean by that?"
There was silence as Light took a deep breath.
"You know that resonance thing we can do?" Light inquired.
"I do."
"From what I can tell, that's what's causing this. I believe it may have started when we first resonated against Starfire, and ever since then, our beings—our two separate souls—have begun merging into one being. A slow fusion into something new. That's how you were able to use my magic, something that—I reiterate—only I can do."
"…Once this process…finishes…what's gonna happen to us? Personally, and physically, I mean?" I asked Light.
"…I don't know."
I jolted at the response. Don't know? DON'T KNOW?!
I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to…
"…Are you angry? At me?" Light asked. She sounded so small. Like my little sister…
I took a breath. "No. I just…I just need time."
At that moment, Robin's voice came over the intercom. "Blitzkrieg. Get your gear and get up here. We've got a…situation."
Elsewhere.
"She's ready then?"
"As ready as she'll ever be."
"Excellent. And the teleporter?"
"Ready, Master Death Hand."
"What about the boyfriend?"
"He's standing by."
"Good…now we begin phase three."
With Blitzkrieg.
"What is it? Did they find that creepy spider bastard?" I asked Robin as I walked through the doors that lead into the common room.
The Boy Wonder turned away from the monitor and spoke. "They didn't find him, but they did find…something considerably worse."
I looked at the screen…and almost immediately agreed. The screen itself displayed a swarm of giant, ugly, and very angry-looking moths gathering around one of the several over-water bridges around Jump City. Cyborg, Beast Boy, Mikumo, and Terra were attempting to handle it, but it was not a battle that they could fight forever.
"We need to help them." Starfire proclaimed, already heading for the door.
"Agreed." Robin said, heading towards the door as well with both Raven and Blitzkrieg trailing behind him. "Titans, G—!"
The battle cry of the world's youngest detective was cut off by a burst of static coming from the TV screen as a new face overtook the live feed. The face of a man dressed in an outfit that imitated the same moth creatures that were attacking the bridge.
"Do not bother leaving, Titans." The rather broad-shouldered man commanded. "For even if you defeat my force at the bridge, you will not be able to stop the entire swarm." The camera panned away from the moth-man and towards several tanks filled with giant moths.
Robin gritted his teeth as he slowly turned back around. "What do you want, Killer Moth?"
"Oh, so you do remember me." Killer Moth said, a smug smirk probably under his helmet. "Then you know my demand: The Teen Titans will surrender, the city will proclaim me it's ruler, and either you or that Blitzkrieg kid will take this young lady to her junior prom!"
Time seemed to slow as a smaller window opened on the screen, displaying a blonde-haired, blue-eyed teenager with a Cheshire-cat grin. "Hi, Robbie and Blitzy poo!"
Robin blinked while Blitzkrieg let out a strangled gasp. "Uh…could you repeat the last part?" The Boy Wonder asked, his right eye twitching with irritation.
"Robin, who is this girl and why is she calling you poo?" Starfire asked, her voice tense.
"Her name is Kitten…" Killer Moth began. "And one of you damn teenagers will take her to prom!"
"…This prom is some manner of duel, yes?" Starfire asked, her eyes set in a stern glare.
"No Starfire…" Raven growled out, her eyes flashing a slight red as the lights flickered on and off. "A prom is a date."
Starfire's eyes went wide as she let out a gasp. "They do not accept! THEY DO NOT ACCEPT—!"
Robin grimaced and held up a hand. "We're gonna need a minute."
AN: To be continued!