Chapter 3
Raven's cry cut through Beast Boy's anger. "Raven?" He whipped around to watch as she and Starfire plunged into the water, "No!" Instantly he leapt into the water changing into a shark as he jumped. One of Slade's cronies slammed into him, forcing him back onto the stage.
"No! Raven!" he cried as he was forced to change into a lion and defend himself. Moments later, a surge of relief hit him as he saw Raven surface. He caught her frantic look and a wave of anxiety hit him. Where's Starfire?
Raven plunged beneath the surface once again as Beast Boy struck down another of Slade's faceless henchmen. When she didn't surface this time, he dived into the water, coming up as a dolphin. Raven! Star! He dived beneath the surface to see Raven pulling Star to the surface slowly, too slowly. As he watched she faltered, her legs quit kicking...
No! He shot over to them, nudging them to the surface with his nose. He changed into a whale and managed to dump them both onto the stage, leaping up beside them.
"Are you all right?" He demanded as Raven stirred slightly. She sat up, coughing out a mouthful of water.
"Star! Where's Star?!"
Starfire sat up next to Raven, shivering slightly, "I am... alive? And undamaged?"
"Yeah." Beast boy said with a small smile, "I'm glad you're both okay."
"Where's Slade?" Raven hissed angrily, helping Star to her feet.
"Last I knew, in one of the balconies. But Robin's got him."
"Not any more." Raven's eyes glinted black and a shadow surrounded her body. She levitated off the floor, her arm around Star's waist as they landed in the balcony.
Slade's back was to them as he fought Robin, kicking and dodging.
Raven muttered an incantation under her breath and Slade was surrounded in shimmering black fire. She threw him into a wall, then slammed him into a door near the stairs. Slade grabbed the handle and vanished into the stairwell.
"No!" Raven screamed angrily. "You're not getting away that easily you monster!"
Ignoring Robin's look of relief Raven threw herself up the stairway and after Slade.
Starfire turned to Robin, "I must go with her... She may need me." Robin nodded his understanding, but caught her hand when she turned to leave.
"Be careful."
"You will be fine?" Star hesitated slightly.
"Nothing will happen. Raven needs you. Now go."
Star squeezed his hand slightly before leaving.
Star emerged on the roof, looking up to see Slade piloting a small hover craft.
"He's getting away!" Raven instantly levitated to follow him, but was stopped by Star's hand on her arm.
"You are still weak." Star reminded her quietly. "Your angry may give you strength for now, but it will not last long." Raven shook off Star's hand.
"By then, it won't matter if I have my powers or not. Slade's toast."
"Then I am going with you." Falteringly, Star hovered a few inches off the roof, each movement costing her the little energy she had left.
"Star- No... You-"
"I am going Raven. You cannot hope to change my mind." Star took off after Slade, who by now was fast disappearing over the sea of buildings. Raven followed close behind, leaving the boys to deal with the rest of Slade's henchmen.
They both sped up when Slade did, as he realized they were following him. When they caught up with him Raven summoned a ball of black energy and whipped it at Slade. It missed and hit his hover craft. The machine instantly began sputtering black smoke, coming to a crash against the side of another building. Slade threw himself free at the last instant, springing to land safely on the roof of a large building. Raven landed, Star coming to rest beside her only a moment later.
"It's over Slade. You have no hope of escaping both of us." Star told him, summoning a glowing starbolt.
"On the contrary Titans. You are going to let me walk away from this."
Raven made a noise of disbelief. "If you honestly think-"
Salde continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "Because if you don't, your team mates will die."
Starfire froze beside Raven, "What are you talking about?" She croaked through a throat suddenly gone dry.
"There is a bomb back at the theater. It should go off in... oh, I suppose a minute or so. You could try to get back in time to warn your teammates. Although you would probably be too late. Or you can remain and capture me. It is your choice."
Time seemed to stand still. A thousand things ran through both girls heads in the space of a second. Memories, emotions, hopes, dreams...
"There's no choice at all." Raven told him in her expressionless voice. She levitated, pulling Star up beside her. They both shot off for the theater, leaving a laughing Slade in their wake.
They were still a mile or so from the theater when Star began to drop. Slowly she floated back to Earth, dropping onto a street. Raven landed beside her and helped her up, putting her arm around her shoulder to support her.
"Come on Star! It's not that far! We have to get there in time!"
"I so tired... I can't make it. Please go on without me! I don't want-"
The sound of an explosion cut her off in mid-sentence.
"No!" Star cried out, releasing Raven and dropping to her knees, "We were too late!"
Raven's cry cut through Beast Boy's anger. "Raven?" He whipped around to watch as she and Starfire plunged into the water, "No!" Instantly he leapt into the water changing into a shark as he jumped. One of Slade's cronies slammed into him, forcing him back onto the stage.
"No! Raven!" he cried as he was forced to change into a lion and defend himself. Moments later, a surge of relief hit him as he saw Raven surface. He caught her frantic look and a wave of anxiety hit him. Where's Starfire?
Raven plunged beneath the surface once again as Beast Boy struck down another of Slade's faceless henchmen. When she didn't surface this time, he dived into the water, coming up as a dolphin. Raven! Star! He dived beneath the surface to see Raven pulling Star to the surface slowly, too slowly. As he watched she faltered, her legs quit kicking...
No! He shot over to them, nudging them to the surface with his nose. He changed into a whale and managed to dump them both onto the stage, leaping up beside them.
"Are you all right?" He demanded as Raven stirred slightly. She sat up, coughing out a mouthful of water.
"Star! Where's Star?!"
Starfire sat up next to Raven, shivering slightly, "I am... alive? And undamaged?"
"Yeah." Beast boy said with a small smile, "I'm glad you're both okay."
"Where's Slade?" Raven hissed angrily, helping Star to her feet.
"Last I knew, in one of the balconies. But Robin's got him."
"Not any more." Raven's eyes glinted black and a shadow surrounded her body. She levitated off the floor, her arm around Star's waist as they landed in the balcony.
Slade's back was to them as he fought Robin, kicking and dodging.
Raven muttered an incantation under her breath and Slade was surrounded in shimmering black fire. She threw him into a wall, then slammed him into a door near the stairs. Slade grabbed the handle and vanished into the stairwell.
"No!" Raven screamed angrily. "You're not getting away that easily you monster!"
Ignoring Robin's look of relief Raven threw herself up the stairway and after Slade.
Starfire turned to Robin, "I must go with her... She may need me." Robin nodded his understanding, but caught her hand when she turned to leave.
"Be careful."
"You will be fine?" Star hesitated slightly.
"Nothing will happen. Raven needs you. Now go."
Star squeezed his hand slightly before leaving.
Star emerged on the roof, looking up to see Slade piloting a small hover craft.
"He's getting away!" Raven instantly levitated to follow him, but was stopped by Star's hand on her arm.
"You are still weak." Star reminded her quietly. "Your angry may give you strength for now, but it will not last long." Raven shook off Star's hand.
"By then, it won't matter if I have my powers or not. Slade's toast."
"Then I am going with you." Falteringly, Star hovered a few inches off the roof, each movement costing her the little energy she had left.
"Star- No... You-"
"I am going Raven. You cannot hope to change my mind." Star took off after Slade, who by now was fast disappearing over the sea of buildings. Raven followed close behind, leaving the boys to deal with the rest of Slade's henchmen.
They both sped up when Slade did, as he realized they were following him. When they caught up with him Raven summoned a ball of black energy and whipped it at Slade. It missed and hit his hover craft. The machine instantly began sputtering black smoke, coming to a crash against the side of another building. Slade threw himself free at the last instant, springing to land safely on the roof of a large building. Raven landed, Star coming to rest beside her only a moment later.
"It's over Slade. You have no hope of escaping both of us." Star told him, summoning a glowing starbolt.
"On the contrary Titans. You are going to let me walk away from this."
Raven made a noise of disbelief. "If you honestly think-"
Salde continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "Because if you don't, your team mates will die."
Starfire froze beside Raven, "What are you talking about?" She croaked through a throat suddenly gone dry.
"There is a bomb back at the theater. It should go off in... oh, I suppose a minute or so. You could try to get back in time to warn your teammates. Although you would probably be too late. Or you can remain and capture me. It is your choice."
Time seemed to stand still. A thousand things ran through both girls heads in the space of a second. Memories, emotions, hopes, dreams...
"There's no choice at all." Raven told him in her expressionless voice. She levitated, pulling Star up beside her. They both shot off for the theater, leaving a laughing Slade in their wake.
They were still a mile or so from the theater when Star began to drop. Slowly she floated back to Earth, dropping onto a street. Raven landed beside her and helped her up, putting her arm around her shoulder to support her.
"Come on Star! It's not that far! We have to get there in time!"
"I so tired... I can't make it. Please go on without me! I don't want-"
The sound of an explosion cut her off in mid-sentence.
"No!" Star cried out, releasing Raven and dropping to her knees, "We were too late!"