CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

            "Keeper Otho," the voice hissed. "Why am I not surprised?"

            The air was already cold and thin, but Otho decided that it only grew colder when he heard the familiar voice of his archenemy. His eyes popped open, and he found himself staring at the markings he had drawn with the aid of the spirit forces of this world. He knew Rancor stood behind him. The dwarf-mage gave a heavy sigh, and with the aid of a hand to his knee, rose to his feet.

            "You know me well, Rancor," he replied, turning to the Dreamwalker, "but you should know me better. Where you go, I am bound to follow."

            "Pity. Tell me, where is your guardian?"

            "Patrolling, or at least she was." Otho grabbed his staff and approached. He was not afraid of Rancor; he sensed that the Dreamwalker did not have the Gem of Ages, and that was a great relief. He still had time to find Numara and seize the stone before Rancor could. "I must admit, Rancor, I thought that by now you'd have found her. Tell me, how do you intend to do it? Trick her to fight and slit her throat?"

            Rancor raised an eyebrow. "I am impressed. You have managed to use the powercrystal to shield her from my mind. I never knew of such power from a dwarf."

            Otho frowned. "You do not know where she is, do you?"

            "I had her…for a moment. She is quite slippery. You chose your guardian well." The dwarf-mage frowned, and then turned to walk away. Rancor followed. "Where do you think you're going? You and I are not finished here."

            "I am going to find Shani. You know as well as I you cannot defeat me, not while I have a powercrystal. Yet, there is also nothing I can do to you." The dwarf-mage stepped to the edge of the rooftop and held out his staff, sweeping it through the air. A wisp of light appeared, rotating until it formed a round disk, glowing brilliantly, parallel to the ground, far below. He jumped out onto the disk and turned to face his enemy. "The game is afoot, old friend. Just as you promised all those years ago."

            Rancor smirked. "Ah, you remember."

            "How could I forget?"

            The glowing disk lowered toward the ground and Rancor disappeared from view.

            Otho couldn't help but notice the Dreamwalker was smiling.

*          *          *

            Starfire gazed hopefully at the small, metal disk J'Onn J'Onzz had placed in the palm of her hand, and for the first time since party the morning before, a true smile crept onto her lips. Members of the Justice League—Superman, Batman, the Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter—gathered around the girl. It was an exhilarating experience. After so much negativity, there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel.

            "And this tiny device will remove the Dreamwalker from Robin's mind?"

            The Martian nodded. "It is a neural inhibitor. When attached to the base of Robin's skull, it will emit a high frequency shock that will interfere with foreign brain waves. It will allow the boy to regain control of his mind."

            "Then it is a good plan. I trust in you, friend."

            "What about the rest of us?" Flash asked. "Even if we can get close to him, Rancor will see us coming from a mile away."

            For once, Batman agreed with the young speed demon. Watching Metropolis, his eyes narrowed. "Rancor's good. Given the opportunity, nothing will stop him from stepping up to his challenge."

            "He came here looking for me," Superman said. "Let's give him what he wants."

            "I don't think so, Supes." The Flash crossed his arms over his slender chest. "We don't want to risk him getting in your head, remember?"

            "That's where these come in," J'Onn announced, producing seven mechanical headbands. "These are also neural inhibitors. They contain the same circuitry as the one I gave to Starfire. They emit the same frequency, but less intensified. So long as we wear these…" The Martian began to hand out the equipment. "…Rancor will not be able to enter our thoughts."

            Superman took one of the headbands and slipped it over his head. "You're sure this'll work?"

            "Positive."

            "Then let's do this," the Flash said, grinning. He fixed a headband atop his crimson dome. "I'll scout the city. Keep in touch, guys." Seconds later, he disappeared into the city, a scarlet blur.

            Batman put on his neural inhibitor and turned to slip one on Starfire. The girl gazed longingly to him. "Robin has said very little about you," she whispered.

            "Try not to let it bother you," he said. "We'll get him back."

            He slipped a tiny, black device from his belt, turning away as he put it to his lips, walked toward the ship Bruce Wayne had donated to the Justice League. "Car," he said. The belly of the craft slid open and the Batmobile roared out onto the pavement. "Starfire, Lantern, we're going to look for Robin, Numara, and Cyborg. Take the skies. I'll take the streets. Superman, you take the others and try to draw Rancor out into the open."

            "Sounds like a plan," Hawkgirl said, glancing to Superman. "What do you think?"

            The Man of Steel grinned. "I'm not going to argue. Let's go."

            Starfire watched as Superman, Hawkgirl, and Martian Manhunter leapt into the clear, blue sky and disappeared over the city skyline. She looked to Green Lantern, who watched her with a raised brow.

            "Looks like it's you and me, kid," he said, and reached into his belt. He pulled out a communicator and slipped it gently into place against her ear. The Batmobile shot by and took a nearby road into the city. Starfire smiled up at him. "You ready?"

            "Ready and able," she replied as emerald light appeared in her eyes. "Let us kick the butt."

            She shot off into the sky, and Green Lantern joined her.

*          *          *

            From the giant, bronze globe atop one of Metropolis' finest buildings, the Daily Planet, Rancor watched the small superpowered army as they appeared on the western horizon. He stood, a sinister grin on his face, and rested a hand against his pet's shoulder. He brushed his fingers through her jaw-length, red hair and arched an eyebrow.

            "Oh, look, my dear. Your boyfriend has brought along all his buddies to play." The girl stared blankly at him. Rancor smiled. "No matter. They will all belong to me shortly, just as you do. Just as it is meant to be."

            His thoughts switched to Robin, and he sent his next message.

            Return to me, Dick. I have another task for you.

            He looked again to girl. "Do you remember what I told you?"

            "Of course, Master."

            Rancor laughed. "Then get going, my dear. I'll be waiting."

            As she disappeared through the door, Rancor smirked. This was all too fun.

*          *          *

            A red blur cut through the side streets of Metropolis, rapidly weaving in and out of traffic. All the while racing toward the city's tallest buildings, the Flash scouted the area around him, though he was pretty confident he already knew where the Dreamwalker would be waiting. He fully expected to be duking it out with Robin any time now. Of course, Robin wouldn't stand a chance. He simply wasn't fast enough.

            Flash grinned. No doubt he would never meet his equal on the racetrack, especially not since Barry Allen passed away.

            Something hissed in his ear. With a frown, he touched the lightning bolt on his hood. "Flash here."

            "We found Cyborg. His power cells are drained. Looks like sabotage. He's alone."

            Flash considered John's message. If Cyborg was alone, that meant the Nasserian was out there on his own, and there was no way to trace his steps. That could be a problem. "Got it, GL. I'll keep an eye out for ole blue."

            As he signed off, he felt the earth shift beneath his feet even before he heard the explosion. Lifted up, off his feet, the Flash was hurled off the street and crashed back first into a nearby building. His head spinning, the crimson hero slid down until he was seated, unmoving, against the sidewalk.

            The outline of a person appeared in the smoke. The silhouette slowly approached. The Flash couldn't quite make out who it was. Two cars that had been nearby were burning, flames leaping toward the sky. He tried to move, but found himself pinned down by an invisible, undeniably powerful force.

            The dark figure leaned forward. Flash's eyes widened as he recognized his assailant. He tried to struggle as two, gloved hands reached out toward his head.

            A moment later, a mysterious presence slipped into his conscious mind.

*          *          *

            Otho knelt to the pavement, having caught sight of a small droplet of crimson liquid. He touched it, rolled the sticky substance between his thumb and fingertips, and realized he was looking at blood. Whose blood, he did not know. He arched an eyebrow as he investigated the scene, and found what he was looking for.

            Another droplet. A little beyond that, he spied another.

            He soon found a thin trail of blood leading into the building from which he had just descended. He gazed upward, but from this position the tower was so tall that he couldn't tell for sure where it ended and the sky began.

            He had left Rancor there, on the rooftop. Perhaps that was where he preferred to wait and where he would make his last stand. Otho drew a deep breath, readied his staff, and dashed inside. He headed for a nearby stairwell and began the long, tedious journey to the top, testing the air for the scent of the blood he had found.

            Otho had to admit, Rancor had a knack for bloodshed.

*          *          *

            "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

            Beast Boy yelped and spun away from the life-support monitor. Wide-eyed, the green changeling stared gasping for breath, clutching at his chest. For a long moment, there was no sound other than his heavy breathing.

            "Well?" Raven prompted, fixing him with a Medusa-like stare.

            Beast Boy wiped the sweat from his brow as his breath returned to normal. "Dude, don't do that! You scared the crap out of me!"

            "You don't exactly make me feel very comfortable right now."

            "Chill out, Raven. J'Onn asked me to monitor your condition while he was away."

            "What?!" Raven paled, which was quite a sight for someone who was naturally pale. "They left me in your hands? I thought they had more sense than that."

            Beast Boy looked hurt. "Raven, I would never do anything to hurt you," he said. "We fought because he forced us to. He took control of my mind and–"

            "That your mind is so easily manipulated is enough for me." Raven put a hand against her forehead and groaned. "So where are they?"

            Beast Boy hesitated, wondering if what she said came out to an insult. He sighed. "Metropolis."

            She closed her eyes, remembering. A soft moan escaped her pale lips and she clasped her hands over her chest, remembering. "Superman," she said with a breathy whisper. Everything rushed back to her in the blink of an eye. Beast Boy was on the right side, but she for how long? Any moment now, Rancor might slip back into his mind and seize control of his body. With her injury as it was, she didn't think she could do anything on her feet, if she could walk at all. Her mind was still numbed by medication, so she couldn't focus enough to use her power.

            She hoped Beast Boy would leave her be.

            "Look, I want you to know, I do trust you, but you have to understand, your mind is very feeble right now. Rancor could slip in and out at any time of his choosing…"

            "Raven–"

            "I just don't think it's a good idea for you and me to be in the same room. If he takes over now, I would be forced to fight you, and I don't think I could control my powers well enough to keep from killing you. If I don't fight, you would surely kill me."

            "No, Raven, you don't understand." The changeling sat at her bedside, gazing down to her. "I'm fine. Rancor can't get inside me anymore."

            She frowned. "What do you mean?"

            He tapped his skull. For the first time, Raven noticed the strip of metal wrapped around his brow to the back of his head. She wondered what it could be. Her frown heavy, she reached out and let her fingers glide along the smooth surface of the headband.

            "J'Onn called it a neural inhibitor."

            Raven actually smiled. She understood. Closing her eyes, she reached out and took the changeling's hand. "I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I should have known."

            "Well." he blushed. "It's kinda my fault I used your ankle for a chew toy."

            "You're forgiven." Her smile quickly faded. "Where are they?"

            "Pretty much scattered throughout Metropolis. And they're all wearing these things, including J'Onn, so we have to use the communicator to speak with them."

            Raven considered his report and rubbed the pain of her headache away by gently rolling her fingers of each hand gently against either temple. "Dammit."

            "What?"

            "Headache. Can't get rid of it."

            Beast Boy looked at her with concern, but said nothing. He stood and moved away to monitor her life-support. When he did, Raven sat up. Her head was still spinning, but at least she had enough energy to move. She rubbed a soar spot on the nape of her neck, where the pain was intensified.

            Raven gasped as her fingers touched the little round disk that had been pressed against the base of her skull. Trembling, she looked to Beast Boy.

            "What did they do to me?"

            The changeling looked surprised by her outburst until he noticed what she had discovered. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that thing. J'Onn said it's a neural inhibitor. I think he was afraid a headband wouldn't be enough."

            Raven grit her teeth, glaring. She felt violated. "They had no right to do this to me. They inhibit my powers more than they inhibit Rancor." She threw her legs over the side of the bed. The blanket fell away and revealed her bare legs. She realized that she wore nothing but the cast around her right leg and a T-shirt that rested high on her hips when she was standing. The pale girl went bright red and grasped for the blanket.

            Beast Boy was blushing as he spun away.

            She glared at him as she finished adjusting the blanket around her slender form. "Where are my clothes?"

            "He took them off so he could put on the cast. Nobody watched him do it. Besides, they were torn to shreds and soaked in blood. He couldn't just leave them–"

            "All right, all right. He did what he had to do."

            For a time, neither spoke. Raven sat there, brooding, staring angrily at the floor. She felt somehow responsible. While she hadn't been the cause, she should have been able to stop all this infuriating madness. She felt the cast between her leg and thought back to the explosion atop the Labrador Apartment building.

            She should have suspected something. Why wouldn't Rancor be better prepared? He hadn't set a guard there because he knew they'd be going through the door. All he had to do was booby trap the damn thing.

            "Dammit," she muttered again.

            "You gonna be okay?"

            She looked up to the shape-shifter. Beast Boy stood back, away from her, watching with sympathetic eyes. She gazed back, numbed by the intensity of his gaze, and for a long moment, she was lost in her regret. The painful effects of the metal disk attached to her skull only stole away the peace that she would have required. She could meditate, and settle the evil tendencies inside, but there were things to do. She closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and nodded. "I'm all right."

            "This isn't the easiest thing we've ever done," Beast Boy said. He sighed and leaned against the counter, inspecting his friend's vitals. "Watching from the sidelines."

            "It could be harder." The changeling glanced up. Raven forced a smile, or at least the semblance of one. "There was nothing more difficult than having to fight a friend."

            Beast Boy grinned. "A friend?" His smile faded. "But, Robin's fighting us."

            Raven nodded. "I realize that. We have to help him." She looked hard at the shape-shifter. "Where's my communicator? I want to have a little visit with our friends."