Ch 3: Toll
"So, is it over?" Raven asked, looking out over the flames caused by Cyborg's self-detonation.
"Looks like it. I don't think anything could have survived that." Robin answered.
"So we won. But somehow, it doesn't seem like it," Beast Boy said in regret. "Starfire and Cyborg, its too hard to believe."
"I know. I'd give anything to have them back, but we have to accept they're gone," Robin said with a heavy sigh.
"Like I said," a voice spoke from the flames, "you'll join them soon enough."
The three remaining Titans looked out, and saw CAIN walking through the flames. His hair had completely burned off in some places, still on fire in others. The armor on his right arm and head was completely blown away, revealing blackened skin and charred eyebrows. He stopped, and the fires began to swirl around him.
"RUN!" Robin commanded. Raven took to the air, and Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and took off after her, picking up Robin.
"Where do we go?" Raven asked.
"To find Slade," Robin answered.
It didn't take long. Slade was waiting for the Titans at the Tower, propped against the door. Robin seemed as if he were ready to tear him limb from limb.
"What the Hell is that thing?" Robin demanded to know.
"Something that never should have existed. I thought I could control, obviously I was in error," Slade replied.
"Obviously your 'error' has cost my friends their lives!" Robin yelled.
"Your not the only one who's lost here, Robin. CAIN has killed Cinderblock, Mammoth, Gizmo, Jinx, and destroyed all my labs. Not only that, but I've received reports that his rampage has also claimed many other super-beings, Fixit, Killer Moth, Mad Mod, Control Freak, not to mention countless civilians." Slade sighed, for the first time sounding remorseful, "I never meant it to go this far. I programmed CAIN only to hunt down and capture you, not lay waste to the entire city and slaughter thousands!"
"Then how do we stop it?" Robin asked.
Slade paused, and looked away. "I'm afraid we can't.'
"Wrong answer, Slade!" Robin said, grabbing his shoulder.
"CAIN had bypassed all my fail-safes! I've tried everything, the remote kill switches, the passwords, the manual shutdowns, EVERYTHING I built into him!" Slade was becoming hysterical.
"He has to have some weakness!"
"He doesn't. His skin is impenetrable, immune to the elements, his weapons are designed to neutralize all your known powers, he has your attacks programmed into his brain, he can come up with algorithms to neutralize incoming threats faster than a human mind can think. He's perfect in every way!" Slade ranted. "He's too perfect. Oh God, what have I done?"
"Of course, father, it is only natural to be jealous of one's progeny," the familiar mechanical voice called out. A crimson beam pierced the air, and found its way through Slade's chest. "A feeling you'll not long suffer." Slade let out a gasp for air, reaching to his creation. He fell, bleeding profusely from the gaping hole in his chest. "Now, which of you will be next? Will I take Robin, the strong, stoic leader, or Raven, the strong, stoic follower, or you Beast Boy, the goofball? Yes, it will be much more fun to weed the weak."
"Weak? I'm not weak!" Beast Boy yelled.
"Titans, attack him all at once!" Robin commanded. Beast Boy transformed into a mighty Tyrannosaurus as Raven began hurling boulders, and Robin assaulted with a flurry of thrown weapons. CAIN batted away the boulders, sending them into Robin's weapons and into Beast Boy. With him distracted, he followed up with a thunderous punch, knocking Beast Boy down and turning him human again.
"Ouch..." Beast Boy said.
"Beast Boy, look out!" yelled. Too late, CAIN stood above Beast Boy, and with a single swift motion, fired a blast straight at him. A bright flash blinded the other Titans, and in an instant, Beast Boy was gone.
"Beast Boy! Nooooooooooooooooo!!!" Raven's voice broke the silence. Momentarily, she let herself go. Giving into her anger, her frustration at not being able to save her friend, she uprooted the very cliff where CAIN stood, flipping it over, and driving it into him and into the sea.
"Raven, lets go!"
"Where?"
"The one place we have the advantage," Robin said looking at the Tower. "If he's as tough as Slade said, that won't keep him down long."
Robin and Raven ran inside, sealing the door as they entered. Wasting no time, they made their way to the Tower's central computer, where Robin quickly activated the security System. Images from cameras hidden all over the tower flickered on, one showing the view just outside, where the waterlogged CAIN pounded the door.
"We make our stand here," Robin said.
........................................To be concluded!
"So, is it over?" Raven asked, looking out over the flames caused by Cyborg's self-detonation.
"Looks like it. I don't think anything could have survived that." Robin answered.
"So we won. But somehow, it doesn't seem like it," Beast Boy said in regret. "Starfire and Cyborg, its too hard to believe."
"I know. I'd give anything to have them back, but we have to accept they're gone," Robin said with a heavy sigh.
"Like I said," a voice spoke from the flames, "you'll join them soon enough."
The three remaining Titans looked out, and saw CAIN walking through the flames. His hair had completely burned off in some places, still on fire in others. The armor on his right arm and head was completely blown away, revealing blackened skin and charred eyebrows. He stopped, and the fires began to swirl around him.
"RUN!" Robin commanded. Raven took to the air, and Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl and took off after her, picking up Robin.
"Where do we go?" Raven asked.
"To find Slade," Robin answered.
It didn't take long. Slade was waiting for the Titans at the Tower, propped against the door. Robin seemed as if he were ready to tear him limb from limb.
"What the Hell is that thing?" Robin demanded to know.
"Something that never should have existed. I thought I could control, obviously I was in error," Slade replied.
"Obviously your 'error' has cost my friends their lives!" Robin yelled.
"Your not the only one who's lost here, Robin. CAIN has killed Cinderblock, Mammoth, Gizmo, Jinx, and destroyed all my labs. Not only that, but I've received reports that his rampage has also claimed many other super-beings, Fixit, Killer Moth, Mad Mod, Control Freak, not to mention countless civilians." Slade sighed, for the first time sounding remorseful, "I never meant it to go this far. I programmed CAIN only to hunt down and capture you, not lay waste to the entire city and slaughter thousands!"
"Then how do we stop it?" Robin asked.
Slade paused, and looked away. "I'm afraid we can't.'
"Wrong answer, Slade!" Robin said, grabbing his shoulder.
"CAIN had bypassed all my fail-safes! I've tried everything, the remote kill switches, the passwords, the manual shutdowns, EVERYTHING I built into him!" Slade was becoming hysterical.
"He has to have some weakness!"
"He doesn't. His skin is impenetrable, immune to the elements, his weapons are designed to neutralize all your known powers, he has your attacks programmed into his brain, he can come up with algorithms to neutralize incoming threats faster than a human mind can think. He's perfect in every way!" Slade ranted. "He's too perfect. Oh God, what have I done?"
"Of course, father, it is only natural to be jealous of one's progeny," the familiar mechanical voice called out. A crimson beam pierced the air, and found its way through Slade's chest. "A feeling you'll not long suffer." Slade let out a gasp for air, reaching to his creation. He fell, bleeding profusely from the gaping hole in his chest. "Now, which of you will be next? Will I take Robin, the strong, stoic leader, or Raven, the strong, stoic follower, or you Beast Boy, the goofball? Yes, it will be much more fun to weed the weak."
"Weak? I'm not weak!" Beast Boy yelled.
"Titans, attack him all at once!" Robin commanded. Beast Boy transformed into a mighty Tyrannosaurus as Raven began hurling boulders, and Robin assaulted with a flurry of thrown weapons. CAIN batted away the boulders, sending them into Robin's weapons and into Beast Boy. With him distracted, he followed up with a thunderous punch, knocking Beast Boy down and turning him human again.
"Ouch..." Beast Boy said.
"Beast Boy, look out!" yelled. Too late, CAIN stood above Beast Boy, and with a single swift motion, fired a blast straight at him. A bright flash blinded the other Titans, and in an instant, Beast Boy was gone.
"Beast Boy! Nooooooooooooooooo!!!" Raven's voice broke the silence. Momentarily, she let herself go. Giving into her anger, her frustration at not being able to save her friend, she uprooted the very cliff where CAIN stood, flipping it over, and driving it into him and into the sea.
"Raven, lets go!"
"Where?"
"The one place we have the advantage," Robin said looking at the Tower. "If he's as tough as Slade said, that won't keep him down long."
Robin and Raven ran inside, sealing the door as they entered. Wasting no time, they made their way to the Tower's central computer, where Robin quickly activated the security System. Images from cameras hidden all over the tower flickered on, one showing the view just outside, where the waterlogged CAIN pounded the door.
"We make our stand here," Robin said.
........................................To be concluded!