The blow came hard, fast, like a bolt of lightning. No indication, no
preparation. The pain shot through him like a bullet. His insides
screamed as he spat out an endless stream of blood. He tried to get up, to
ignore the agony that coursed through him. His knees quivered as he
reached his feet. An arm reached over, gave him support. He glanced over,
grumbling in pain, to see a soft face and sympathetic eyes.
"You okay Kon?" she asked.
"Yeah Cass," he said, wiping some of the blood from his mouth. "I think I've stopped bleeding." He looked around casually, trying to regain his bearings. He could see Empress clutching her arm, a visage of pain carved in her face. Secret was slowly rising to her feet, obviously regaining consciousness and none to happy. He looked back at Wonder Girl, and noticed several deep bruises and a sliver of blood at the end of her lips. He looked down at her shirt, soaked in blood. He told himself it wasn't her blood, that she had beaten Shiva. That she had won.
"Wha...what's happening, anyways? Did you win?" He asked her. She shook her head.
"She....beat me," Wonder Girl said, her head down.
"But wait. I thought she killed everyone she beat. So, if she beat you, then why are you still here?"
Wonder Girl averted her gaze elsewhere. "Someone took my place."
Superboy and the rest turned their attention to the center of the room, helpless spectators to what was transpiring.
****************************** They stood motionless, like statues, each anticipating the other's move. The tension was so thick it could only be cut with a chainsaw. Sweat trickled down Robin's bare chest, each muscle tensed, his breathing steady. Shiva stood, braced for an attack. Her hair, black as sackcloth, hung slightly over her eyes, but she made no movement to adjust it. Her face was blank, like a bare slate of marble.
Time moved at a snail's pace, each sound amplified a thousand decibels louder than normal. The soft sound of a cockroach's footsteps sounded like a stampede. The hum of the central air system boomed through like a large explosion.
"What are they doing?" Superboy asked Wonder Girl in whispered tones.
"They've been like that for almost five minutes," she responded.
"They're gauging each other," Empress said. "It's a psychological test mostly, but it also serves to determine strategy."
"Look," Superboy started, "why don't we just jump in and...ack!" Wonder Girl caught his attention with a slight pat on his stomach.
"You're in no condition to fight, and neither is Empress. Besides, we'd just get in the way."
"But....but what if Robin should need our help?" Secret asked.
"Robin knows what he's doing," she responded. "I hope."
The two combatants remained stationary, circling each other with their eyes, mentally envisioning their first moves, each parry, each jab, each final blow.
Superboy went over to the table, looking for better support. His arm reached over the table, and he put his weight onto its edge. Unfortunately his balance was off. The table leaned, his body weight shifted, and like a stack of dominos....
*CRASH*
Robin and Shiva lunged, meeting each other in the center before anyone could gasp. Robin gained the first blow, striking Shiva firmly in the jaw with a front jab. He was quick to follow up with a left hook. Shiva's head cocked back from the strike. Using momentum, she reeled back with a bicycle kick. Robin fell back, but quickly regained his composure with several back flips into a crouch position.
Shiva was on top of him in an instant, leaping at him with all her might, her foot extended forward. He sidestepped, catching her leg and tossing her aside into a nearby wall. She pivoted in mid air, leaping off the wall and into Robin. She tackled him to the ground, but Robin flipped her off of him. Shiva landed in a hand stand position, as Robin leapt to his feet and faced her.
"Impressive," she said with a smile. "You HAVE improved." She slowly moved from handstand position to her feet. "Now we can have some REAL fun."
She vaulted into the air, flipping over Robin's head and behind him. Before he could brace himself she spun her leg between his, tripping him on his face. Robin moved just in time to avoid a falling knee to his back. He tried to rebound with a double kick to her mid section, but she ducked just in time. He spun on his heels, and was met with her heel to the side of his face. He tried to use his momentum to his advantage, delivering a devastating backhand, but she caught his arm. All it took was a quick twist and a sharp elbow and....
*SNAP*
Robin cried in pain, his right arm went limp, broken. He tried to fend off a flurry of punches with his only good arm, and fought valiantly. A drop kick to Shiva's shins sent her to the ground. He rolled away, trying as best as he could to not further injure his arm and buying time before Shiva got to her feet.
He felt something grab the short hairs at the back of his neck and yoink him down to the ground. Shiva was clutching him by the back of his head, her nails dug deeply into his flesh, as she saddled him. Her face was inches from his, and he could feel her breath against his face, chuckling like a child.
"You have improved, my little bird," she whispered, "but it's still not enough."
She smashed her head into his, knocking the back of his skull to the ground. She then pulled him to his feet, and tossed him into the wall. The cold grating of the air conditioning system did nothing to soothe the pain that coursed through his body. He got to his feet, and, with adrenaline as his only source of strength, launched one last salvo at his opponent.
In less than a minute, it was all but over. Robin was on his knees, bleeding and broken. He cradled his broken arm in his hand, out of breath and out of time. He tried to get to his feet, but he knew it was for nothing. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him, and he knew he had failed.
"You had such potential," Shiva said, standing above him. "If you had only let me train you some more, you might have become as good as me." She moved behind Robin, setting her hands behind his chin and neck.
"I am almost tempted to let you live, for old times sake. But I DO have a reputation to protect."
"If it's any comfort, your death will be painless. It is, after all, the least I could do."
Robin closed his eyes, and braced for death, the sounds of his teammate's, his friends, voices in the background. A rush of wind flew through the air.
"YOU!!!" Shiva screamed. Robin peeked his eyes open to see a familiar shaggy-haired youngster in red and white tights. Standing next to him was a figure clad in black.
"Hey Rob," he said, smiling and waving at his partner. "I got who you wanted me to. Uh...what's wrong with you?"
"Finally...." Robin moaned, smiling.
"Imp!" Superboy said. "I never thought I'd be glad to see you. What took ya?"
"WellRobintoldmetogofindthispersononthepapersoIwenttoGothamtofindherbutitwas reallreallyreallyreallyreallyhardbutIfoundherandIwaslike..."
"Whoa whoa whoa. WHO did Robin tell you to pick up?" Wonder Girl asked.
"Her," he said, pointing back. "Batgirl."
"What are YOU doing here?" Shiva addressed Batgirl.
Batgirl slowly, calmly, approached her. "Fight," was all she said.
"You want to fight me, now?" Shiva said, not so certain of herself. Batgirl nodded. Shiva glanced back at Robin, kneeling on the ground, easy prey. She glanced back at Batgirl, the only person that could possibly challenge her. She then gazed back at her first target, Wonder Girl. She scowled, then rushed as fast as possible to the nearest exit.
"Meddling kids," she mumbled to herself. "I'll get you next time. Next time." And, firmly outmatched, she made a hasty retreat.
"Wow, she's off in a hurry," Impulse said. "So, what've I missed?"
"I'll explain everything later," Wonder Girl said. "Right now I think we'd better get Red Tornado online and head to the med center. Hey, Batgirl, thanks for...." But Batgirl was gone.
"What's up with you bat-folks anyway?" she said to Robin, helping him to his feet.
"Hey, I just saved your life," he said jokingly. "The least you could do is cut me a...little...slack...." He passed out in her arms, exhausted.
"ROBIN!"
******************************
"About fraggin' time they opened the doors," Lobo said walking inside the base. "Thought they could keep me out. Heh. Don't know what was up with that bat chick though." He wandered around the place, but found no one around.
"HEY!! WHERE YA MOOKS AT?!?" He entered the med lab, to see Wonder Girl, Empress, Superboy, and Robin taped up and resting in the beds. Red Tornado was repairing himself, while Impulse and Secret tended to their needs. Batman, Max Mercury, Wonder Woman and Superman were being appraised of the situation, when they all turned their attention to the pale teen that entered the room.
"Krikees, what happened to you losers?"
Lying in the bed, Wonder Girl allowed some calm to run through her. She had been too tense for too long. She glanced over at Robin, the person she said wasn't fit to lead the team, and the man who saved her life. He weakly returned the glance, and, as if reading her mind, smiled and nodded.
She returned her gaze to the ceiling, the sounds of their mentors berating Lobo for his absence. She thought about how her mother would react to what had happened, but shrugged it aside. One challenge at a time, after all.
Life was back to normal. Closing her eyes, and with Lobos cursing in the background of her mind, she let sleep take her.
"Ya mooks wanna mess with the Top Teen, I'll blah blah blah blah....."
Life was back to normal again.....
The End
"You okay Kon?" she asked.
"Yeah Cass," he said, wiping some of the blood from his mouth. "I think I've stopped bleeding." He looked around casually, trying to regain his bearings. He could see Empress clutching her arm, a visage of pain carved in her face. Secret was slowly rising to her feet, obviously regaining consciousness and none to happy. He looked back at Wonder Girl, and noticed several deep bruises and a sliver of blood at the end of her lips. He looked down at her shirt, soaked in blood. He told himself it wasn't her blood, that she had beaten Shiva. That she had won.
"Wha...what's happening, anyways? Did you win?" He asked her. She shook her head.
"She....beat me," Wonder Girl said, her head down.
"But wait. I thought she killed everyone she beat. So, if she beat you, then why are you still here?"
Wonder Girl averted her gaze elsewhere. "Someone took my place."
Superboy and the rest turned their attention to the center of the room, helpless spectators to what was transpiring.
****************************** They stood motionless, like statues, each anticipating the other's move. The tension was so thick it could only be cut with a chainsaw. Sweat trickled down Robin's bare chest, each muscle tensed, his breathing steady. Shiva stood, braced for an attack. Her hair, black as sackcloth, hung slightly over her eyes, but she made no movement to adjust it. Her face was blank, like a bare slate of marble.
Time moved at a snail's pace, each sound amplified a thousand decibels louder than normal. The soft sound of a cockroach's footsteps sounded like a stampede. The hum of the central air system boomed through like a large explosion.
"What are they doing?" Superboy asked Wonder Girl in whispered tones.
"They've been like that for almost five minutes," she responded.
"They're gauging each other," Empress said. "It's a psychological test mostly, but it also serves to determine strategy."
"Look," Superboy started, "why don't we just jump in and...ack!" Wonder Girl caught his attention with a slight pat on his stomach.
"You're in no condition to fight, and neither is Empress. Besides, we'd just get in the way."
"But....but what if Robin should need our help?" Secret asked.
"Robin knows what he's doing," she responded. "I hope."
The two combatants remained stationary, circling each other with their eyes, mentally envisioning their first moves, each parry, each jab, each final blow.
Superboy went over to the table, looking for better support. His arm reached over the table, and he put his weight onto its edge. Unfortunately his balance was off. The table leaned, his body weight shifted, and like a stack of dominos....
*CRASH*
Robin and Shiva lunged, meeting each other in the center before anyone could gasp. Robin gained the first blow, striking Shiva firmly in the jaw with a front jab. He was quick to follow up with a left hook. Shiva's head cocked back from the strike. Using momentum, she reeled back with a bicycle kick. Robin fell back, but quickly regained his composure with several back flips into a crouch position.
Shiva was on top of him in an instant, leaping at him with all her might, her foot extended forward. He sidestepped, catching her leg and tossing her aside into a nearby wall. She pivoted in mid air, leaping off the wall and into Robin. She tackled him to the ground, but Robin flipped her off of him. Shiva landed in a hand stand position, as Robin leapt to his feet and faced her.
"Impressive," she said with a smile. "You HAVE improved." She slowly moved from handstand position to her feet. "Now we can have some REAL fun."
She vaulted into the air, flipping over Robin's head and behind him. Before he could brace himself she spun her leg between his, tripping him on his face. Robin moved just in time to avoid a falling knee to his back. He tried to rebound with a double kick to her mid section, but she ducked just in time. He spun on his heels, and was met with her heel to the side of his face. He tried to use his momentum to his advantage, delivering a devastating backhand, but she caught his arm. All it took was a quick twist and a sharp elbow and....
*SNAP*
Robin cried in pain, his right arm went limp, broken. He tried to fend off a flurry of punches with his only good arm, and fought valiantly. A drop kick to Shiva's shins sent her to the ground. He rolled away, trying as best as he could to not further injure his arm and buying time before Shiva got to her feet.
He felt something grab the short hairs at the back of his neck and yoink him down to the ground. Shiva was clutching him by the back of his head, her nails dug deeply into his flesh, as she saddled him. Her face was inches from his, and he could feel her breath against his face, chuckling like a child.
"You have improved, my little bird," she whispered, "but it's still not enough."
She smashed her head into his, knocking the back of his skull to the ground. She then pulled him to his feet, and tossed him into the wall. The cold grating of the air conditioning system did nothing to soothe the pain that coursed through his body. He got to his feet, and, with adrenaline as his only source of strength, launched one last salvo at his opponent.
In less than a minute, it was all but over. Robin was on his knees, bleeding and broken. He cradled his broken arm in his hand, out of breath and out of time. He tried to get to his feet, but he knew it was for nothing. He could feel the eyes of his teammates on him, and he knew he had failed.
"You had such potential," Shiva said, standing above him. "If you had only let me train you some more, you might have become as good as me." She moved behind Robin, setting her hands behind his chin and neck.
"I am almost tempted to let you live, for old times sake. But I DO have a reputation to protect."
"If it's any comfort, your death will be painless. It is, after all, the least I could do."
Robin closed his eyes, and braced for death, the sounds of his teammate's, his friends, voices in the background. A rush of wind flew through the air.
"YOU!!!" Shiva screamed. Robin peeked his eyes open to see a familiar shaggy-haired youngster in red and white tights. Standing next to him was a figure clad in black.
"Hey Rob," he said, smiling and waving at his partner. "I got who you wanted me to. Uh...what's wrong with you?"
"Finally...." Robin moaned, smiling.
"Imp!" Superboy said. "I never thought I'd be glad to see you. What took ya?"
"WellRobintoldmetogofindthispersononthepapersoIwenttoGothamtofindherbutitwas reallreallyreallyreallyreallyhardbutIfoundherandIwaslike..."
"Whoa whoa whoa. WHO did Robin tell you to pick up?" Wonder Girl asked.
"Her," he said, pointing back. "Batgirl."
"What are YOU doing here?" Shiva addressed Batgirl.
Batgirl slowly, calmly, approached her. "Fight," was all she said.
"You want to fight me, now?" Shiva said, not so certain of herself. Batgirl nodded. Shiva glanced back at Robin, kneeling on the ground, easy prey. She glanced back at Batgirl, the only person that could possibly challenge her. She then gazed back at her first target, Wonder Girl. She scowled, then rushed as fast as possible to the nearest exit.
"Meddling kids," she mumbled to herself. "I'll get you next time. Next time." And, firmly outmatched, she made a hasty retreat.
"Wow, she's off in a hurry," Impulse said. "So, what've I missed?"
"I'll explain everything later," Wonder Girl said. "Right now I think we'd better get Red Tornado online and head to the med center. Hey, Batgirl, thanks for...." But Batgirl was gone.
"What's up with you bat-folks anyway?" she said to Robin, helping him to his feet.
"Hey, I just saved your life," he said jokingly. "The least you could do is cut me a...little...slack...." He passed out in her arms, exhausted.
"ROBIN!"
******************************
"About fraggin' time they opened the doors," Lobo said walking inside the base. "Thought they could keep me out. Heh. Don't know what was up with that bat chick though." He wandered around the place, but found no one around.
"HEY!! WHERE YA MOOKS AT?!?" He entered the med lab, to see Wonder Girl, Empress, Superboy, and Robin taped up and resting in the beds. Red Tornado was repairing himself, while Impulse and Secret tended to their needs. Batman, Max Mercury, Wonder Woman and Superman were being appraised of the situation, when they all turned their attention to the pale teen that entered the room.
"Krikees, what happened to you losers?"
Lying in the bed, Wonder Girl allowed some calm to run through her. She had been too tense for too long. She glanced over at Robin, the person she said wasn't fit to lead the team, and the man who saved her life. He weakly returned the glance, and, as if reading her mind, smiled and nodded.
She returned her gaze to the ceiling, the sounds of their mentors berating Lobo for his absence. She thought about how her mother would react to what had happened, but shrugged it aside. One challenge at a time, after all.
Life was back to normal. Closing her eyes, and with Lobos cursing in the background of her mind, she let sleep take her.
"Ya mooks wanna mess with the Top Teen, I'll blah blah blah blah....."
Life was back to normal again.....
The End