The 12 Labors of Cyborg

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Wait- I own the Black Widow. Otherwise I don't own any of this.

A/N: Yes, I realize that the 'Black Widow' is a common name in super hero-dom, but this particular one is different than all the others, wouldn't you say? At least, she will be. This is the chapter that I'm most interested in your opinions of; did it work? No, Emily is not based directly off of any character from greek Mythology, though she has aspects of many different mythological figures.

~~~~~

Geryon's Cattle

~~~~~

Cyborg slowly, very slowly, came to. When he was fully conscious, the first thing he noticed was that he was strung up on a table, the circuits in his arms and legs disconnected so he was basically paralyzed. He now had a massive headache as well… he felt like a marching band was storming through his head, using his brain as their drums.

The second thing he noticed was his previous date sitting on a black, spider-web like chair across from him, grinning evilly. She was wearing a costume now- black, bare midriff, with a bright red hour-glass tattoo easily visible on her stomach… Black Widow indeed. Cyborg swore loudly, repeatedly, and mostly at her. Robin was never going to let him live this down…

"You men are so gullible…" Emily said with a huge grin.

Cyborg noticed the two goons he had 'saved' her from earlier wandering around in the background. They now also wore the black uniform, with red hourglasses stitched onto the fronts… Cyborg twitched his shoulders wildly, just about the only part of him he could move. When he got his hands on her…

The Black Widow rolled her eyes. Disturbingly enough, even though she was grinning and in obvious control of the situation, the nervous look had yet to fade. It made her look innocent, and harmless, and that made Cyborg feel even stupider for having been captured. He glowered at her. "Look, stop struggling. It's pointless. I'll let you go as soon as I'm finished cannibalizing you," she mumbled, and stood up, moving towards some of the controls alongside him, fiddling with things with practiced ease.

"Look… Emily… was the dinner really that bad?" Cyborg asked plaintively.

She grinned and kissed him delicately on the cheek. "No, it was marvelous. Thanks for the swell time, honey. I'd tell you to call me, but that won't be an option very soon, now will it?" And then she sashayed from the room.

Cyborg struggled a little more with the bonds. He glared at the two henchmen. "You people are working for a twenty year old cannibal! What's wrong with you?" He screamed at them. That didn't seem to have much of an effect on them… they continued their mysterious ministrations on the machines before them. One of them picked up a broom and began sweeping. Cyborg growled in frustration, struggled some more with his unresponsive joints, and desperately hoped that his teammates would decide he had been gone for far too long and come looking for him.

Until the imminent rescue, however, he was on his own. And he didn't want what little flesh he had left to be eaten by a craft-store salesgirl. That would be… not good.

A few minutes dragged past in near-silence. Cyborg struggled to try and reconnect his arms and legs to his body… he knew he could break these bonds easily if he could get his full strength behind him. Right now he could probably tear himself free… and then he would be a helpless torso laying there, flopping. The worst he could do was maybe bite somebody if they got close enough. Cyborg gave that option some thought… it really wasn't acceptable. He did not want to be a flopping torso.

Emily came sauntering back in, a huge pile of rather nasty, pointy instruments clutched in her arms. She set them down on the table, picked one up, and played with the tip. Cyborg hoped it was poisoned, and that she would cut herself.

No such luck either way.

"Look, Emily," Cyborg said hastily as she approached him, pointy implement held high, "I think you're moving too fast. I never devour my partner on the first date."

"I'm glad you find this funny," the Black Widow replied, smiling vibrantly. Her lips were an especially deep red… like she had been drinking blood. It smelled like it, too. Cyborg shuddered, and struggled frantically against the paralysis in his arms and legs. "I'm enjoying myself, too."

She raised the knife-like weapon over her head- and at that exact moment, a birdarang came flying out of nowhere, hitting the knife and sending it plunging straight at Cyborg's head. He twisted aside just in time to miss being impaled. "HEY!" He yelped.

The Black Widow wheeled around to face Cyborg's teammates as the four of them came rushing into the room. Beast Boy, as a gorilla, let into the henchman on the right, Starfire the henchman on the left, and Raven headed straight for the Black Widow. Robin rushed over to stand in front of the captured Cyborg. "I told you she was a lunatic," he said accusingly.

"Yes, yes, you're right, I'm wrong, I'm dating a cannibal, never will I doubt you again, Oh Glorious Robin! Now will you please get me out of this?" Cyborg shouted back, only a wee bit hysterical.

Robin was still staring at him… particularly the bite on his neck. "That is one hell of a hickey."

"ROBIN!"

Robin unhooked the bonds, and Cyborg went sliding helplessly out. Robin quickly set to work reconnecting the circuits in one of his arms- and then he bounded away to help his teammates against the droves of hour-glass costumed henchman that were now pouring out of the passageways. Cyborg set to work fixing himself up the rest of the way- casually punching one of the henchmen in the groin when they tried to hit him while he was down.

Raven cried out in pain and sank to her knees as the Black Widow struck her once violently across the chest with her claws- apparently they were poisoned too. And then the villainess took off, disappearing down one of the side passageways, leaving her inept henchman to hold back the Titans. Cyborg leapt to his feet, stumbled for a moment, and then started down the hallway after her.

"Cyborg!" Robin shouted, his pole swinging expertly, nearly too fast to see.

Cyborg shook his head. "I've got it under control," he said, and rushed straight up the hallway. Into some spider webs. He thrashed violently to get them off- and that was when he heard the screaming.

There were oddly shaped… human shaped bundles strewn across the floor, and a few of them were moving. A little nervously, Cyborg approached one, and ripped it open- a ghastly white, though clearly alive, face stared back. "HELP! SHE'S INSANE!" 

"Uggh… did everyone know that but me?" Cyborg growled in annoyance. "Don't worry, I'll get you guys out of here," Cyborg said, yanking the tough webbing off of the Black Widow's victims who were still alive.

Where had she gotten this webbing anyway? She looked like a normal human, but here there were spider webs everywhere… and she had gathered together all of these people like cattle. She was completely deranged, and for once Cyborg was glad he hadn't listened to Robin… if he hadn't come down here, these cattle would have eventually been led to the slaughter.

He sent the captives running up the hallway in the direction he had come from- by now, his teammates would probably be pretty close to getting rid of the henchmen. That left the Black Widow for him… for a moment, he had almost forgotten about her.

That proved to be a mistake on his part- as he turned the corner of the twisting hallway, he found himself suddenly suspended on another of her webs… and she came slipping out of the darkness, a vile smile on her face.

"Silly, silly Cyborg. Did you actually think you could stop me down here in my own lair? I know these halls… all of their crevices… most importantly, I know when to duck," she gloated, slipping back and forth, her sad eyes gleaming with seemingly unnatural malice. "It was so nice of you… to come save me from Mumbo… and not check the rest of the store," she suddenly had the nametag in her hand, and spun it expertly between her fingers. "Emily was delicious…"

It was then the webbing gave way, and Cyborg tumbled ingloriously to the ground. He was up in half a second, one hand wrapped around the Black Widow's throat. "You villains talk too much," he growled. Her claws snapped onto his arm, but could do no damage to the circuitry- one of the poison stingers snapped. Cyborg grinned confidently. "And you dress horribly. That is one ugly ass tattoo."

He was kind of strangling her- at the moment, Cyborg could care less. "I-it's not a t-tattoo," she choked out.

Suddenly her abdomen and legs were stretching out, bulging out hideously behind her. Cyborg was thrown back by two pairs of spindly, hairy, and claw tipped legs. He hit the wall hard, and by the time he had gathered himself together, the Black Widow's transformation was complete. She was a human from the waist up… below, however, was the disproportionately large body of a black widow spider. The hourglass symbol burned a brilliant scarlet on the ebony flesh… "Robin failed to mention this part…" Cyborg said quietly.

The Black Widow's spindly legs powered her forward, the front two grabbing Cyborg and lifting him off of the ground, and throwing him against the far wall. He hit hard, leaving a crack in the concrete- again, the spider was upon him, throwing him across the room.

He could take the hits. He just had the oddest feeling that if she bit him now, he'd be done for.

Slowly, the half-robot stood up, turning around and facing the Black Widow. "You make one ugly spider, too…"

The Black Widow screeched, clawed legs lashing down towards him- he caught them, but was driven backwards by the sheer mass of the half-spider creature. "You are the most boring date I've ever had!" She growled back. Two more pairs of legs lashed at Cyborg, tearing thin holes in his armor, and knocking him backwards.

"Yeah, blame it on me- talking to you is like talking to a chair. A stupid chair!" Cyborg exclaimed, drawing back for a punch that hit the Black Widow directly in the red hourglass design. She stumbled backwards, and then leapt at him again, spinners firing, fine gossamer thread spinning out over him, pinning him to the wall.

She leaned down with a growl, fangs bared, ready to bite. "All you did was talk about yourself. Ego trip, anybody?"

Cyborg managed to rip free one arm- so she bit the metal armor instead of his vulnerable flesh. She drew backwards, and Cyborg tore himself free once again, powerful fists sending the Black Widow flying. She wasn't built for graceful landings- she somewhat rolled, but made it back to her feet, and powered towards him, leaping into the air and landing directly on top of him, the sheer bulk of the spider's form smashing him to the ground. She would have crushed him if not for his metal armor… well, and the sonic cannon.

It powered up, and he pushed it into the spider's bulbous stomach. There was a long, long pause from the monster. The humming of the cannon preparing to fire echoed clearly throughout the chamber, even with her massive bulk muffling the sound.

"Okay, okay, okay. You win."