5
"So what do we do about Teleka?" Venom asked worriedly, in his seldom used, gravely voice.
"Nothing." All eyes turned to Robin.
"Listen, I know you've got issues with Slade, but I'm not leaving her with him to fester. That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard! Have you completely lost your meagre little mind!!!" Blue screeched in about seven pronounced emotional turns before collapsing back into her previous, despairing position on the sofa.
"Teleka wouldn't want us to walk into a trap, you know that Blue," Cyborg added, reluctantly backing Robin up, but with no real conviction.
"AND WHAT!!! When have I ever complied with what someone else wanted? I don't care about you people, but I'm going to get her out. And I am going now. So, if anyone here really considers and values Teleka as a friend, they can come. If you don't, then I hope you can live with yourselves."
"Didn't you hear what she said? She didn't always like it here, and she never fully hated her work with Slade. Can you really trust her after that?" Beast Boy added, stopping Blue in her tracks when faced with the truth.
"No! Obviously not..." Again she returned to the sofa and buried her head in a cushion. "I just don't see how, if that really was true, she could have pretended to put up with me, of all people, for two years. And it just doesn't seem like Telly, but you're right. She can get herself out anyway."
"Why should we leave her? Noone has asked her whether or not it was true. Blue Moon's power is not infallible." Starfire seemed to be lost in confusion. Why should they abandon Teleka because of one tiny, unconfirmed detail? "She was so vague. We do not know what she really meant."
"Precisely," Blue agreed congenially. "I'm not foolproof, so I'm going to find out what she meant."
"Even if it costs you your life?" Raven had been mostly silent until that point, almost as if she were miles away, but now she spoke with her usual solemn purpose. "I was just communicating with Teleka. She heard everything with the earpiece. She says she won't let us get hurt, and things are far too dangerous at the minute. If we go, and this is a direct quote, she'll hold us out, even if Slade asks us in for tea and biscuits. Telly says we should leave it over Christmas so he thinks we're leaving her."
"Yes, even if it costs me my life. What you're saying means leaving her longer than we need to. Telly will give in, and we don't know what he'll have her doing by New Year."
"If you have so little faith in her, why do you want to get her out at all?" Raven threw in, suddenly not her sullen self and very protective of her friend. "So what if she gave in before, she was younger and she had no real friends-" Robin cleared his throat loudly, obviously hurt. "Only one real friend. She knows better now."
"Whatever," muttered Blue, sitting down again for the third or fourth time. "But if things go horribly, horribly wrong, I just hope all of you can live with yourselves. I just hope I can live with myself for listening to you."
"There is," interrupted Starfire, "one other reason not to leave it until after Christmas. I wish to help, and after that I will not be here."
"What?" asked everyone else but Robin. He had already worked out when Starfire would have to go. After she had sadly explained, the atmosphere had definitely changed. Before anyone could speak, the crackle of static announced the presence of Slade and Swipe on the screens.
"You've figured it out by now, haven't you?" Slade asked hopefully. "I'd be terribly disappointed if you hadn't."
"Let me spell it out anyway," Swipe continued madly, obviously enjoying all the extra attention. "This is a trap, Teleka's the bait."
"So you have two choices. Leave your good friend to suffer and most probably die in the end, or forget about her and save yourselves the bother of fighting your way out. She never wanted to leave in the first place, she loves it here. And she's remembering all that now."
"That's not true!" Blue Moon screamed, flinging herself toward the screen. Venom and Cyborg caught her by the shoulders, pulling her back. "She hated it. I can tell, even without my powers, that you just tried to throw me the biggest lie I've ever heard. She wouldn't have been able to lie to me for so long, not without me noticing."
"Teleka's a grade-A liar, Miss Moon. I taught her how. She can fool the best lie detectors in the world. What makes you so different?"
"Telly's my best friend," finished Blue, faltering and looking away, all the fight in her exhausted.
"If Teleka's so happy, where is she? Let us see her," Beast Boy demanded, noticing that both Raven and Robin were remaining terribly silent.
"Gladly. But she's back in training already. You'll have to excuse me, the lighting's terrible." Swipe sniggered at the worrying last comment. The picture on screen flicked to the black and green light of night-vision. The form of Teleka stood out in bright lime, but then again so did her shackles. She knelt in the utter darkness, the cuffs on her hands and feet roped together with the same chain that was attached to the ceiling. Even if she had had the strength to push herself up, sliding the shackles up the chain, she would have been held on the spot. Her head hung down against her chest morosely, and her eyes were covered with a rough strip of cloth.
"That can't be comfortable," Beast Boy cracked. But not even he found it funny, especially not when Raven's elbow suddenly found itself planted in his ribs.
Swipe laughed softly in the background before the picture flickered back to him. "All my sister's power lies in her eyes, y'know? So I figure if they're covered up, then there's nothing she can do about you people walking in. Your choice."
"Some choice," Robin snorted. Go against Teleka's wishes, or let her die. It wasn't a choice, it was another vice grip.
"Life's full of tough choices Robin," came Slade's gravely voice. "And this is one you can't ignore." And once again the two did their disappearing act, leaving behind a suffocating blanket of silence.
"We're going. Tonight. And I don't care what anyone else is doing but I'm going. One night with them and she'll be too far gone. It won't be her fault, but they'll have her again." The first speaker, with all his serious gravity, was Venom. Even to Blue Moon it was probably the single longest sentence that he'd ever strung together. And even though Teleka wasn't there, it was probably a compliment to her from what she heard over the earpiece. It was such a pity they'd know it was there if she spoke.
"I'm with him," Blue agreed quickly, finally achieving the support she'd been holding out for. Even if it was only the two of them against the world, they'd save Teleka, or at least end up with her. Whether or not anyone else joined them didn't matter now.
"I will help too," Starfire replied happily, obviously excited at the prospect of one more chance to help others before she left.
"Anyone else gonna join Teleka's rescue party?" Blue asked hopefully. Noone else volunteered. "Fine then. I'll just not tell you where she's hid everyone's Christmas presents." So immediately Beast Boy joined their ranks. Raven stood and hovered in the space between the two groups.
"Telly will kill us herself if we get caught."
"Good. She can put us out of our misery then, can't she? Does this mean you're in?" Blue argued loudly in the broad cockney accent she was so proud of. Raven nodded and floated all the way over, casting a cold, questioning look at Cyborg and Robin, knowing one was only there for the other.
"But we won't get caught if we're all together," she finished. Five seconds later, the usual conspiratorial glances were shared. "Listen, Teleka never really wanted us to stay out. Robin you said it yourself up on the roof last night; she's too much of a loner. She didn't want anyone else to get hurt. The only reason she's even in there is because she wanted to save her brother's life, and looked how that turned out. So the least you can do for her is help her now. Now that she needs it."
"Alright!" Robin said, eventually caving in, as everyone had known he would. And with Robin in, Cyborg was given. "Blue, you seem to be organizing this. Have you got a plan?" he asked sceptically.
"Yes, actually," she replied defensively. "It's not much but I'd bet any man's money it'll work. Basically, he won't be expecting either Raven or Robin to go after her, so they go and find Teleka, wherever he has her locked up, and the rest of us keep him very, very busy."
"Aren't you forgetting something? Slade wouldn't underestimate both our teams put together. It's not just going to be Swipe and himself. There'll be others."
"Like who, Bird Brain? You took out the Hive, we finished off Cinderblock last week and all the rest are totally secure."
"I wouldn't put any man's money on that," interrupted Cyborg. "You've seen what he can have his Apprentices do. He plays mind games, so God knows what he's got Swipe, a willing trainee, working. If he's anything like his sister he's perfectly capable of breaking a few bad guys out of jail."
"Hey don't talk about Teleka like that," Venom hollered, possibly the first time Blue had ever heard that. It was practically his job to remain cool under pressure. He kept everyone else grounded. All her surprise faded into shock however, when a sudden scream split the air. Raven fell out of the air into a crumpled pile on the ground. She seemed to be using her powers, but instead of white, the colour of her eyes had changed to bright crimson red. "I think Telly's ears were burning," Venom whispered, following the rest to watch how this unfolded.
"Ok, I've changed my mind. No more pretending I don't want you," Raven muttered, her usually deep voice replaced with Teleka's lilt. "Please help." Another cry of pain issued from Raven before Teleka returned. "Oh crap. I'd better get of Rae before he pulls the sword. Listen, don't hustle too much, but don't leave it too long either. I'm not sure whether I've got a fever or a cold in this place."
"Teleka, wait!" shouted most of the others together, but the truth was, Teleka still cared too much to see any of them hurt. Raven was the only one she could use, as she was the only one who had ever used any kind of mental power on her, and she already felt terrible about it. Raven blinked swiftly where she lay, and her eyes returned to normal.
"It's like torture," she murmured weakly. "And she won't scream for them. She won't let them see her weaken, but she's almost dying..."
"Well that's that sorted then!" Blue said triumphantly, sensing she was about to finally get her wish. "Who's driving?"
"Is this thing on?" Beast Boy shouted into his malfunctioning communicator, which at that moment decided to start working again and almost deafen everyone else. "It had better stay on," he muttered, a huge, anime bead of sweat appearing on his forehead as he absorbed all the angry glares he was attracting.
"Are you sure this'll work, Blue?" Cyborg asked nervously from behind the wheel.
"Uh, in a word Cy, no. But it's our best, and might I add only, shot. This isn't just another save-the-world gig. This is loyalty to someone who was willing to lay down her life to save someone who threw it back in her face. With the added possibility of taking down Slade, so let's face it, it's not all doom and gloom is it?"
"I agree," Starfire added optimistically. "No matter what happened in Teleka's past, she is our friend now. Correct?" Really, even Star herself had no idea why she was sticking up for Teleka at all. Raven was even more confused, but at the time beyond caring. She had felt the pain Teleka was in, and didn't know how she had hidden it from Slade and his Apprentice. How many was that now he'd been through? Four? Two male, two female. She just couldn't help wondering if there was a pattern. First Teleka, then Robin, then Terra, and now Teleka's brother, just as she came back on the scene. There was always a connection. But she was probably just being paranoid...
"We're here," Cyborg announced dutifully, stating the obvious as the intimidating mansion loomed over them. "But then you already knew that." Blue Moon still carried the radio that tuned into to Telly's end of the earpiece, but had turned it off in angst to switch off Teleka's cries of pain. Now she tuned in for just a second, hoping the waves weren't being blocked by anything.
"Telly, if you can hear me, we're here now. So hold out, just a bit longer." The only reply was a faint grunt that sounded vaguely like 'hurry', and it was her guess that maybe the campaign had been stepped up a bit. What exactly was Swipe trying to prove?
"I know you're listening," came Tom's voice over the crackling connection. "Pity she won't scream, I'd leave her be then, but that always was you, wasn't it sister?" The strain of his blows to her showed in his voice. "Too proud to show a weakness. Newsflash, Tell. Pride is a weakness. I know you're screaming on the inside. One squeak and I'll leave you alone."
"Swipe, I swear to God, if you don't stop torturing her..."
"You'll do what, Venom? Kill me?"
"No, I will poison you to within an inch of your life and let Teleka finish you off."
"Wow, more than five syllables in a sentence. Do you want me to leave out some ice in case your brain overheats?" Venom was starting to go red in anger, and it was only luck and intuition that had Blue turn the radio off before he could crush it.
"Save it for the real thing, mate," she whispered comfortingly. It was only then that the others realized how close the Triquetra were. Just like the Titans, they were siblings in everything but blood. The closest kind of friends, and Teleka was one of them. They couldn't lose her...
"You knew you couldn't keep them out," spat Swipe disdainfully, delivering another shattering blow with the blunt side of the katana. "You're letting your own friends walk into a trap, and knowing they have no way out. You've gotten weak. You let pain overcome your judgement and pride won't let it end."
"For Gotham's sake, bro. Are you reading this off of a script or something? Because it doesn't sound particularly intimidating." The flat side of the katana smacked into her stomach, and even blindfold Teleka could imagine his embarrassed anger. "You've weakened too. My brother used to be able to think for himself. Swipe, however can't. He drinks down the lies he's given and asks for more."
"Shut up!" he shouted, swinging the blunt edge of his old-fashioned sword across her throat, choking her so hard she might have died on the spot if it was for Blue's words: Hold out. "I am twice of what you'll ever be."
"Did Slade tell you that as well?" she coughed hoarsely. "I'll let you in on a little secret. He tells everyone that about someone. These are mind games, Tom. He's messing with your head."
"I said, shut up!" Finally, the sharp edge of the sword began to descend, slicing through the air with only the faintest sound. Eyes covered and tied up as she was, Teleka was powerless to resist the blow, but that didn't stop the pain from hitting her, and the sensation of thick, hot liquid coursing down her back. Just then it all built up on top of her and the suppressed scream of all the pain ripped her throat to shreds as it flooded out of her.
"Happy now, Tom? You should have done that earlier," she gasped through laboured moaning. Now she had to hope the others really did get through to her, and quickly, before she bled to death. With a clatter and splash, the katana fell into the water before her. Either her brother had just undergone the same realization she had, about the damage he had done and given it up, or to go with the more probable explanation, he was simply trying to be dramatic. Whatever way you see it, he had left her a weapon for when she eventually did get out. Now she had nothing else to do but wait, too weak to use her telepathy again, unable to use her telekinesis. Wait in the darkness and remember that's where she'd always been...
Venom, Blue Moon, Starfire and Cyborg walked up to the main door of the complex, Cy blasting ahead of them to 'remove' the slight implication of the door. Meanwhile, unseen on the roof, the tiny bug formerly known as Beast Boy scrabbled inside the padlock of the emergency exit. After some struggle between such a small animal and the tumblers, the lock clicked open and without another word he morphed into a crow and swooped down to join Blue and her private army.
Robin and Raven pulled up over the edge of the flat concrete roof and silently removed the cover. Thanks to his extensive experience, Robin claimed to have a fair idea of where Teleka was being held.
Blue Moon's eyes narrowed into cobalt slits when Slade stepped out of the shadows not far ahead of her. "Is this invite only or free gaffe, guv?" she sassed, flying at him with superhuman speed. Even though she was no more than a blue blur, he managed to somehow grab her solid fist and throw her over onto her back. From where she lay, Blue spun and swept his feet from under him, and jumped up only to find herself face to face with Swipe. Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy launched a fresh barrage on Slade (even starbolts seemed to have very little effect), who effortlessly parried every move. In a flash (literally,) Blue had both Swipe's hands behind his back and Venom was moving in, fangs encroaching on his lips.
"Remember my promise?" he hissed dangerously, eyes becoming yellow pools with slit-like pupils. "I don't go back on promises."
"Really," snorted their adversary. Kicking off from the ground and using Venom as a wall, Swipe ran up and over Blue Moon's head, so she was now the one in danger.
"Ooh heck!" she squeaked. "No sudden movements, Ven. Go nice and slow while I figure out how I could possibly get out of this little hold which has my wrists in extreme pain."
The door to the isolation chamber was securely locked. As in, wouldn't budge an inch, even with Raven and Robin's combined efforts. "Telly, are you there?" Raven called as loudly as she dared.
"Rae?" Teleka's reply was utterly weak, barely even audible through the thick steel door. "Rae, go back they're coming back for me."
"We're not leaving you," Robin interjected, working at the hinges on the door, but getting nowhere.
"Robin, why did you do this?" Telly croaked inside. "The only reason I left your memory was so you could keep them out."
"Blue Moon's scary when she on the war path, and the whole situation drove Venom to actually speak in full sentences, so... I didn't really have a choice... Uh, Raven I think it's your turn to try the door now."
"Right. You might want to stand back." Her eyes half-closed, Raven used her usual telekinetic incantation on the door, eventually forcing hundreds of emotions out in a single rippling blast of dark energy. The reinforced steel and concrete door bellied and cracked, allowing Robin to simply blast away the pieces with a solid front kick. The pair rushed in worriedly and immediately set at Teleka's bonds.
"Who's that taking off the blindfold?" Telly asked, feeling the tugging and rattling of the chains.
"Raven. Are you ok?"
"I will be when I can use my powers. Where's Robin?"
"Behind you." Teleka cracked her aching elbows back, one either side of Robin's head.
"That's for disobeying a specific order and going back on a promise," she seethed. Seconds later she felt the give in the chains and the cloth fell from her eyes. She turned and flung he arms around Raven and Robin, planting a tiny peck on the latter's cheek.
"And what was that for?"
"Disobeying a specific order and going back on a promise. Where are the others?"
"Keeping Slade and your brother occupied. What's say we go do what we do best?" Raven offered, slightly less monotone than usual.
"Yeah, let's go kick bad-guy butt. I've had a lot of time to think of new ways." Teleka turned to walk towards the door, and just then her rescuers seemed to notice the deep gash on her back. Feeling their worried gaze, Teleka let go of a deep sigh. "And whatever way we do it, let's make it quick."
"Or you could always take your time, sis." From the corridor outside, Swipe stepped into her vision, with Blue Moon still clawing at his hands where he held the katana across her neck. "That way, if noone's rushing, my grip won't slip."
Teleka merely shook her head with a slight smile. "You're forgetting Tom. You left me this." Slamming the heel of her boot under the handle, Teleka forced the sword he'd discarded earlier out of the water into her hand. "Now let go of Blue, tell me where to find Venom and the others. Before you find the back end of this sticking out of your stomach."
"You don't have the guts."
"I don't? Try me! I think you'll find you'll be the one without the guts," she seethed through clenched teeth. In that tiny second, Swipe's concentration slipped. She sounded so serious. Taking advantage of the weak spot, Venom swooped in from where he'd been held back and threw the katana round Blue's throat by the point. Soon it was in his hands. "And when you're caught between two of your own swords, I wouldn't try me." Teleka jerked her head slightly, ushering Robin and Raven out of the room. She then exited herself and pushed her brother inside, slamming what was left of the door shut behind her. "Let's see how he likes it," she snorted happily.
"What are we waiting for?" Blue yelled after allowing Teleka a minute to gloat. "We can't let Cy, BB and Star hog all the glory for taking out Slade. Let's go help kick his arse!" With that she began to speed away, almost running in to the said second party full on.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Cyborg stuttered. "Go the other way! Run like hell!!!" Knowing it wasn't the time to argue, Blue Moon flipped in the air and blurred in the other direction... straight into a head-on collision with a steel plate rising from the floor.
"Ooh heck!" she muttered nervously, cradling her sore head. In a confused panic, everyone began to run the other way, only to find the same had happened at that end of the corridor too. This was the trap. They were caught like rats. With a scowl that plainly said 'I told you so!' Teleka cracked a hand square across the back of Robin's head. Panels in the walls slid back to reveal speakers
"I really had expected more," Slade uttered, interrupted by the static crackle of the radio. "This was quite disappointing. Two teams together was easier to take down than one at a time, surely you saw that." Teleka's eyes flickered red, possibly in anger, but possibly because she was trying to speak telepathically to such a big group.
"People, things are about to get very confused in here. Plan is, regroup at Titans Tower. Otherwise anything goes. Oh and if anything happens to me for some reason, my last will and testament type thing's in my diary. And I'm sure Blue'll figure out where that's hidden. Good luck."
The crimson light around her began to spread until it included her whole body. Glowing like the orb of a red lantern, she began to rise up, realizing how much she had suppressed her power, simply to stay in control. Now however, the key was to lose control, to let rip with everything she had. Shells of red began to appear around the rest, protection from the next series of events. Teleka had always known she was able to do this, but she had never worked out whether or not she'd survive. Every part of her, her powers, emotions, energy, all went into a single ball of force. Ripples of excess began to flow away from her, causing tidal waves in the air. Eventually there was nothing left inside, and with a single slashing movement, she forced it away from her. Deep beams cut through the air, chopped the walls to pieces, and left nothing of the Slade complex but rubble and destruction.
Drained, she dropped to the ground among the dust, either side of dead while the Titans and remaining Triquetra ran, flew or hovered back towards Jump City. Circular red ripples chased them, the energy that had not been absorbed into the devastation. Last thoughts from Teleka began to reach them, almost like whispering winds, but really telepathic shadows.
6
"We failed..." Blue murmured morosely late that night, once everyone had returned and had their wounds tended. "We lost Telly..."
"There is still time," Starfire said, but even she couldn't sound optimistic at that stage. "We got rid of Slade and Swipe."
"Correction, Star, Teleka got rid of them," Beast Boy whispered huskily.
"But there is still time. She could just be waking up as we speak," Raven intoned. Hope wasn't usually her strong point, but right now, any sort of chance for Teleka was good.
"I'm going to look for her," Blue said quietly, inviting no argument. Nothing was going to change her mind this time.
"You can't Blue," Raven stated. "That amount of telekinetic power concentrated on such a small area would be very unstable. Any number of things might happen and not all of them are good for you or Teleka."
"Lying there's no good for her either, Raven. Come with me if you're so worried." She walked forward and opened the window, ready to fly on out. "Venom, if you want a lift, now's the time to say." With a silent nod, Venom joined her, unwilling to go against her when she was in such a determined mood. "If anyone else wants to come you're perfectly welcome. But you never do though, do you?" She sped off, closely followed by Raven, and landed not far from the ruins of the complex. Venom crumpled to a heap on the ground, fairly shaken from flying just below the speed of sound.
"We shouldn't be here," Raven said, as close to angry as she had been since the incident with her vanity mirror. "By disturbing this energy we're disturbing parts of Teleka's mind. She forced every part of her out when she made that blast. We don't know what we're moving around."
"I don't give a flying monkey's wing what I'm moving about!!! I lost my parents to Slade and his apprentices. I'm not losing my best friend too. I'm getting her out of there dead or alive," Blue yelled frantically. Teleka's loss was clearly affecting her more than she let on.
"Your parents?" Raven asked, confused but sympathetic. So this was why she was so eager to get Teleka out. "I'm so sorry..."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm with Blue," Venom agreed, "And not just because she's scary." A dome of rippling crimson had formed around the ruined edifice. Even as Blue made to run straight through it, Raven called her to a halt. "Listen, mate, I've already told you, I don't give a s-"
"That's not what I was going to say. You can't just run straight into her mind. I'll take you through. A bubble of darkness formed around the trio, parting the redness like curtains and allowing them straight through. "I don't like being here. It's the ultimate invasion of privacy."
"No, reading her diary is the ultimate invasion of privacy, and I do that every night. So there you go."
'Every night?' A whisper echoed off the crimson walls, sending crackling beams through the air, slight anger and annoyance.
"Teleka? Where are you?" asked all three in unison.
'At the minute, I'm everywhere. It's kind of peaceful. But you have to leave. I need to gather me up again. It won't take so long."
Nodding and absorbing the 'I told you so' look from Raven, Blue turned, but found she couldn't get through the wall. "Um, bit of a problem there, mate. Actually, I can't get out."
'Oh crap. Probably means there's something here messing me up. I'd better take out the trash...'
"Teleka, what do you mean?" Venom asked tentatively.
"The dark side part of me. I'd better get rid of it while everything's in free float.' Her voice seemed more distant now, right towards the back of the dome, where the light seemed to be absorbed into nothingness, creating a black abyss. 'Don't come over here. Seriously, stay out,' muttered Teleka's whisper fearfully, sensing Blue Moon being drawn towards a certain part of the darkness. 'No!' she nearly shouted, throwing her back with a bolt of power.
"What are you hiding from me, Telly? What's so terrible you don't want me to see?"
'Nothing. It's just the worst part of me. I don't want you to see what I've done because I'd never be able to look any of you in the eye again. This is what I'm trying to get away from.'
"No, it's more than that. It's one specific memory, and something tells me it's as much a part of me as it is you. Moving faster than ever, evading both Raven and Teleka's attempts to keep her out, Blue flung herself into the darkness, into the absolute cold...
Suddenly it was as though she had stepped back in time, to the night her parents were killed. Just like she remembered, Slade was there, wrecking total havoc on her tiny street in the south river area. She still had no idea why... but this time when she turned away from the window, saw them lying there, lifeless and looked onto their killer, something had changed. The figure she had always seen, the slim, child-like personage studying her mother's prized diamond necklace was some how familiar. A black and red catsuit, red boots, long black duster... Half her face was hidden in darkness, the other behind red-tinted goggles and a black half-mask, but Blue Moon knew now.
Though she couldn't change what had really happened in her past, she stalked up to the killer and tore away the mask, pulling her into the shaft of bluish moonlight from the window. The whole façade seemed to peel away, leaving the second Teleka, the hero who had simply been misled, sobbing where Blue held her by the upper arms. 'I told you not to,' she cried pitifully. 'I never wanted you to see me like I was. I didn't even know you... I can't apologise... He forced me to do it...'
"Telly..." Blue whispered hurtfully. "No!!!" Over and over again she screamed, flinging Teleka against the hard floor, not caring what kind of damage she did...
"No!!!" Rough hands pulled her back, and Raven's dark powers held her there. "I want her dead!!!" Somewhere in the darkness she had found Teleka's body, the empty shell that she would soon have to gather into. The dark void slowly began to disappear until it faded completely. The red lights were sucked back into her in a swirling vortex.
"That was the last of it..." she muttered as her eyes flickered open, full of hot tears. "Blue, I'm too sorry to even say it, but whether I like it or not, that's what I was then. It's the one thing I've been trying to get away from."
"No. You can't just say that. What you did cannot be undone. And I will never, never forgive you Teleka."
"I know. And you shouldn't. I didn't kill them, Blue..."
"No, but you stood there and watched, and then had the cheek to go after my mother's jewels. I cannot say how much I hate you now. I really can't!"
Half crying, half screaming, Blue shouted with inhuman fury before taking off away from them. The darkest parts of her past had been caused by her best friend. Ironically, those had also been Teleka's darkest times. The accused sat there in the rubble, ignoring the horrified looks from Venom and Raven. Everything had been so much easier when her secrets were still secret. Suddenly, her sadness disappeared for a second, replaced with awareness and worry.
"Leave. Now," she commanded with authority.
"Teleka, we don't want to leave you because..." Venom said moving closer to her where she knelt, powering up already.
"Not what I meant V. You really have to go. Now!!!"
"Teleka, you shouldn't be using your powers so quickly," Raven warned sternly, knowing that if Teleka exhausted herself then the chances of her pulling through again were a lot slimmer.
"I have no choice. Get out of here, before she comes..."
Meanwhile, at Titans Tower...
"I am starting to feel so bad that we let them go alone," Starfire fretted, pacing up and down behind the sofa where somehow Beast Boy, Cyborg and Robin were able to sit peacefully watching the television. Realizing she wasn't getting the point across, she coughed suggestively, "I said, we should have gone with them."
"Star's right," Beast Boy said, for once in what he denies as a seizure, giving up the remote.
"We should go after them," Cyborg agreed, looking sideways at Robin. He knew what it was; the guy just didn't want to get his hopes up. "It's not like we'd be holding out for Teleka, just making sure Rae doesn't get hurt."
"Alright, let's go. But none of this would have happened if we hadn't gone in the first place," Robin muttered, taking the opportunity to remind everyone of how perfect he was.
"Oh God, too late," Teleka whispered fearfully as a chill wind swept around her. "She's here. Try to stay out of the fight; this is something I have to do alone." The gust seemed to blow right through her, emerging at the other side with a darker edge. In the blink of an eye, all the black from Teleka disappeared, leaving her in a pure red glow. Standing facing her was her own shadow, mirroring her every move. The mirror image of darkness was perfect in every detail. The darkness in Teleka personified.
"Why do you do this to me?" she asked it angrily, its lips copying every syllable.
"Better question is, why do you do this to yourself?" Teleka's anger became even stronger, more overcoming as she found she was forced to mimic the copy. The slash of red energy she sent at it was perfectly matched with that of dark. They both flew backwards at the same time.
"Ah. Obviously not going to work," murmured the real Teleka, nursing her sore back after the awkward landing.
"Obviously," echoed the shadow. With no real plan in her head, Teleka leapt forward to tackle it, but found herself in the same hold. It was impossible to gain an advantage. Either she accepted the darkness, or she went with it... Feeling the pain of every blow she dealt as it was mirrored, she wondered exactly which would come first.
Not long after, while she and the shadow were still locked in combat, the remaining Titans appeared. Most of them immediately rushed to find out what was going on. Beast Boy however, did another mysterious disappearing act in the guise of a snake. Following the serpent out of curiosity, Cyborg found him at the wrecked gate of the complex, wad of money in one hand, with a cue of people streaming past him.
"Cy! Thank God, we're getting gatecrashers. I could really use a doorman."
"What are you doing!!? Teleka could be dying!"
"I'm selling tickets to the fight of the century, what does it look like? The world missed you and Robin splitting the dozens, why should they miss out on some of the best action scenes they'll ever witness."
"I don't believe this!"
"You'll get your cut," BB drawled, lazily waving the cash under Cyborg's nose.
Roughly five seconds later... "Hey you there! Yeah, you. You got a ticket? 'Cause noone gets in without a ticket."
"We must help her!" Starfire fretted worriedly, waving her hands frantically towards the fight.
"No," Raven replied simply. "The darkness in her is too strong. We can't interfere. Besides, any damage we do to Dark Teleka happens to our friend Teleka as well."
"But then, if she's going to kill it," Robin said slowly, using his God (or Bat) given detective powers to work it out. "Then she'll end up killing herself..."
"I'm not letting her do this," Venom muttered determinedly, making for the fight.
"What exactly do you intend to do, Venom? Anything you do will only speed it up," Raven stated morosely.
"Not attack her anyway. We need to make the shadow weaker, so if it has no purpose it won't exist. So if I can get Blue to forgive the real Telly, the Dark version should fade. It's worth a shot." He walked off with solemn principle, not knowing exactly where to find Blue Moon, but having a rough idea of the direction.
A large crowd was beginning to gather, drawing just a little attention to the gate, where Cyborg was now taking bets and using his detachable arm as a turnstile. Robin was in no doubt that they would try to pull something like this. Stalking over, he stopped the latest admission in his tracks, pushing him back the same way he had come. "We're full," he stated coldly.
"What are you doing?" Cyborg yelled. "That arm, I mean, turnstile only goes one way!"
"You're shutting down my most lucrative operation," BB fumed, showing he knew words with three or more syllables after all.
"And Teleka is going to be shut down permanently if we don't, for reasons I'm not sure I understand, find Blue, got it!" Robin shouted, just a bit overprotective of Telly. It only took a second for the duo to get the hint. They both set off to follow Venom, but not before cautiously splitting the money behind Robin's back.
Raven had placed a protective black bubble around the fight, mostly for the benefit of those certain people who refused to leave without a refund. "Let's just hope they find Blue before she blasts herself again," she muttered, almost inaudibly, but Starfire picked it up.
"What do you mean, 'again', Raven?"
"This happened before, when she came to Azarath. Sometimes it seems her dark side just takes over. Last time, the shadow won, but not before Teleka threw everything she had at it. Consequently, it threw everything back. It almost killed her, and she always said, if she ever had to do it again, she'd give it one hundred and ten percent. She just wants rid of it."
"They'll find her," Robin replied uncertainly. Starfire had flown off to help, but the chances of finding someone as fast as Blue Moon were slim to none. And if he'd known what she had just found out, he'd have kept his mouth shut. A rumbling filled the air, so deep it seemed to penetrate everything. The same red ball of energy from earlier that day began to shimmer like a beacon on the night around Teleka's form. It was just as before, she began to float upward, utterly absorbed in the power as it surrounded her. The one difference was, now there was a dark mirror facing her.
"Oh my Gotham," Raven gasped. "They'll never be back in time now." Even as she spoke the fragile air began to crackle like breaking glass. As Raven struggled to hold back a hundred emotions, the black wall began to spray sunbursts of dark energy. She wouldn't be able to hold it up for much longer; ripples of red and purest black were forcing it outward.
"This is bad. This is very, very bad," Robin muttered in a slight panic. If he thought back on it, this was his entire fault. If he'd just kept his promise... Then Teleka would probably have bled to death. And in her current position she was going to die anyway. Was there anyway to win?
Splinters of red and black started to connect in the air, causing tiny explosions, just a taste of what would come. Teleka opened her eyes again, seeing the world through a scarlet haze. The only thing invading the perfect redness was the shadow. She made the decision there and then. She couldn't live with that thing inside her, knowing it could come out again. The crimson ball of energy continued to grow, as did its dark counterpart. When the two orbs finally met, it was beyond all imagination...
Red and Black explosions stained the air, just as the search party, complete now with Blue Moon appeared over the edge of the hill. "But, I don't understand," muttered Blue, in tears. "I forgive the good part of her. I was never mad at the good side..."
At her words the very air seemed to change. Previously it had been a complete balance, an even mix, but with the suffocating clouds of dark floating towards anyone it could find. Now the red seemed to somehow grow and take over. Teleka was fighting back. She wouldn't let it win this time. The same chill gust of wind as before passed again, dragging the energy back into Teleka's limp floating form. She began to tumble to the floor, but found herself caught in by Blue, zooming in to the rescue at the last second.
"Oh my Gotham, Teleka, I'm sorry. I didn't know there were two of you; it hadn't exactly crossed my mind. And... And..." she realized she was gabbling on to noone. It seemed Teleka was gone. Starfire was the only one brave enough to check for a pulse. She shook her head grimly when she could find none.
"No!" Raven cried, losing control of her powers slightly and bringing to nearby rubble down in a landslide. "I can help her..."
"Listen Rae," Cyborg consoled, trying to slide a mechanical arm around her shoulder. "There's nothing we can do for her."
"Yes there is!" she fumed through gritted teeth. "Let me focus." One hand hovered above Telly's head, another over her heart. From the dark discs at her palms, a white energy began to spread. This white Raven was a very rare occurrence, usually costing her a lot. It was almost like sharing her own life with Teleka, dividing her energies between them. 'C'mon Telly,' she thought desperately. 'I know you can hear me. You have to pull through this. You're still there, come on, come back...'
With a shuddering gasp that racked her body, Teleka pulled air into her famished lungs. Eyes wide open and staring, she managed to somehow sit up reflexively. "I'll be fine," she murmured, in serious shock, before she fell back onto Robin's arms. "I'm so sorry," she managed with a nervous giggle. All her feelings were manifesting one after the other. She had, after all, just died...