PART 2: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
Come on you stranger, you legend, you martyr and shine!
You reached for the secret too soon
You cried for the moon
Shine on you crazy diamond
Chapter 5: SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND
"I need soil for my seeds," a disembodied voice cried in the depths of space. "Who will take my seeds?" It sought out the darkest hole it could find and through it came to a prison complex far away. The prisoners were tough, strong and dangerous, all. They moved moon stones around in an endless parody of work. The voice that called out now found solace in a simple stone.
It looked out at the one who approached, so filled with aggression and ambition. It was the perfect soil for the first seed. "Come here, I have something precious for you."
"Precious?" the person asked, leaning down to see who it was. The rock glimmered with ethereal beauty. "This stone alone could buy my way out of here."
"The stone is worthless, but what's within it is more powerful than a supernova, and it could be at your command. Will you accept it, this precious seed?"
"A seed? What good is a seed?"
"This isn't any ordinary seed, I told you it contains within it more power than any force in the universe. You could use it to turn this prison into your own army. And I only ask for one thing in return."
"What's that?"
"Conquer the planet Earth." A stone transformed in a bright flash.
"Hey! What's going on there?" one of the guards said, running towards the pile. "Get back to work!"
"Okay," the person answered. The stone took on the shape of a great broadsword. The sword then pierced the prisoner in the chest. The guards all hurried around the fallen prisoner, trying to sort what had happened. In the distance, one of the prisoners watched as one by one the guards were slew by the massive warrior that emerged from the prisoner's stead.
**************************
"And again, the nation-wide hunt for the Cross-My-Heart Killer continues. The death toll is now twelve. Ever since his first appearance in Gotham three days ago--" TV's Summer Gleeson said before being finally cut off. Robin turned off the TV and buried his head into his hands. Raven had vanished after their nighttime meeting, and he likely had more a hand in pushing her away than keeping her. Beast Boy still hadn't been found, and Cyborg worked day and night constructing a new machine to track him. Now, there was news of a serial killing spree.
"I don't need this right now." He pounded his head repeatedly, "Think, Robin. What would he do in this situation?"
"Robin, why are you pummeling your head so? Is this some strange ritual that your planet has concocted," said Starfire, who had on previous occasion stated that bathing standing up was a strange ritual. "I do not like this ritual, Robin. Could you please bring a cease to it?"
"Sorry, Starfire," Robin said smiling. "I'm just thinking."
"Your manner of thinking is much too violent," Starfire scolded lovingly, "You may hurt yourself."
"I've heard that one before," Robin said, with a smile. He closed his eyes. "It's been three days since then, hasn't it?"
"It seems longer, I believe," Star answered. She turned the TV back on and looked at the news with a bitter expression, "Why is the world ending, Robin?"
"What?"
"It is not often that a world ends," she said. "Why is it ending?"
"I don't know," Robin said, trying to find an explanation. "Some people believe that a day will come when their God will decide that the world has served its purpose and send his son to take the believers to Heaven and let sinners rot on a dying world."
"That is horrid!" Starfire gasped. "Is this God so vengeful that he would abandon his people?"
"Star, this was written down about the same time as the Nero burned down Rome," Robin tried to explain, "And anyway, that's just one of many beliefs we have on Earth. I'm sure Tamaran has just as many different religions or philosophies."
"That is true," Starfire conceded, "But it does not make such predictions less horrible."
"No, it doesn't," Robin said. "We believe things differently now."
"And you are more correct?"
"I don't know," Robin said, "That's part of religion. Faith. You don't know if you're right or wrong, but you just have to give it your best try and keep your faith no matter what happens to you."
"That is most," Starfire searched for a word, "Troubling? I do not believe that carries the full meaning."
"I know what you mean," Robin said. From where they were seated they could hear the door being opened slowly.
"Is Cyborg still constructing a new submarine?" Starfire asked. Robin nodded, solemnly, "I do hope he can find Beast Boy. I miss him very much. Both he and Raven have gone. It is very disheartening."
"We'll meet again," Robin said, "I know it."
Raven entered the room quietly and looked to Robin and Starfire. She nodded in greeting and headed towards her room. "Oh! Raven!" Starfire called. "You have returned from your trip. Where was it that you went to?"
"Out to get a bit of space," Raven said, "I had a lot on my mind."
"Well, welcome home," Robin said.
"I was about to prepare us a feast for dinner. Would you like for me to inform you as to what we shall be having to dine upon this evening?"
"I don't see that I have much of a choice."
"I will prepare us beef patties and place them between sesame buns. Finally, I will prepare a side of fried French potatoes, and the tangy beverage mustard to drink."
"Why am I not surprised," Raven said. A grin formed as Starfire twitched. Something then seemed to dawn on Raven, and she looked to Robin and asked, "Robin, could I speak with you in private?"
"I guess," Robin said. As she led him off, Starfire looked on with a bit of a jealous heart.
"I am curious what Raven needs from Robin." She looked at the kitchen and the mess it was in. "This will not do." She donned an apron and began to clean.
"I don't think they're talking, really. More of doing. What would a man and a woman do in private," said a smooth voice by her ear. "I don't know. What do you think, Kory?"
"Who said that?" Starfire said, immediately alert.
"Why, some say I cause bad luck, you see. But they're all wrong!" The voice said, a grin appearing by her side, "I'm just BC!"
**************************
"Go." It was a simple command, and the lengths of golden chords listened. They grew in length as they started at the base of the Titans Tower and wrapped around it and through it, covering the length with the spindly measure. They stood still, listening to all around them. "Great, another busted piece," one remembered and later told its master.
"What are you saying Raven? I'm saying that Starfire shouldn't hear about this..." another one noted.
"Who or what are you?" another remembered. Sent through their lengths, the messages reached the ears of its master.
"They're not suspecting anything," he said. His tone gave away his obvious distaste with the idea. "Let's do this."
The next in line readied herself, letting her body become electric and then entered the complex. She searched the power lines, taking many paths until she found just the one she was looking for. She could see a girl preparing some food, on occasion turning to snap at an unseen presence. From the port by the stove, the electrical dame couldn't see who it was. The machine began to feel the extent of the electrical build up and the kitchen began to overload. The stove opened up with a burst of black smoke that engulfed the entire room.
"What was that?" one of the hairs noted, "I don't know."
"Great, another explosion. Just what I need."
"Oh no! Our feast! Most misfortunate day!"
"And now, we wait," the leader said, calmly.
*****************************
"Oh man," Robin said, walking into the kitchen. "Are you okay, Star?"
"I am unharmed." She looked dangerously over towards the oven, where the strangely animate BC was mockingly putting his head into the oven proclaiming it was a wonderful life. "However, I do not believe I will be able to prepare the feast with the power gone."
"What happened?" Raven asked. Cyborg stormed in.
"I could hear it from the garage! What blew up this time?" He looked at Raven, "Where'd you disappear to this time?" Robin seemed to be choking on smoke, but looked over at Cyborg.
"I needed some space."
"Really," Cyborg said, looking her over. "Well, if you say so."
Raven eyed him dangerously, "I do say so."
"Guys, calm down," Robin said anxiously. He wanted to avoid a fight right now. "So our dinner's burnt out, we're all cranky, so, for right now, I think we should go get some food. I bet we'll all be better for it."
"I dunno," Cyborg said. He looked at Robin, "I'm not really all that hungry."
"You've barely been up for air since you started your project. You need a break." Robin smiled, "A good meal with friends to get your mind off things." Cyborg looked at Robin and Robin looked back with a pleading glance.
"Yeah, I guess I could do with a good meal," Cyborg said, reluctantly.
"Whatever," Raven muttered. Starfire nodded emphatically.
"We should go to procure pizza posthaste!"
"Right, pizza okay with everyone?" Robin asked. There was a general agreement. "Okay, pizza it is!"
They drove to the Pizza Place down in the city. Despite all claims to the contrary, Cyborg and the rest of the Titans were eager to eat and sat down on their usual terrace seat.
They each looked at the menu. "What should we put on this," Robin asked.
"Meat, I'm guessing," Raven said wryly. She looked at Cyborg and saw the big guy looking a bit depressed.
"How about Vegetarian?" Robin suggested, also noticing Cyborg's mood. "Heck, just a cheese pizza."
"Yeah, you guys order whatever," Cyborg said.
BC looked at the menu over Starfire's shoulder. "Wow," said he, "He really misses the little guy doesn't he? Mm, breadsticks!"
"Do not fear, Cyborg. Beast Boy is well."
"Yeah, I know," Cyborg said, "But I --"
"We know," Robin said. "We're behind you one-hundred percent. But there's more than just Beast Boy to worry about. He and Aqualad are capable of surviving."
"Yeah," Cyborg said, again.
"I'm surprised you care," Raven said.
"Hey, that's uncalled for, Raven." Robin looked at her angrily. Raven just looked at him evenly.
"Really uncalled for." Cyborg rose from his seat. "I'm just going to get on back."
"Hey," Robin said, "Sit down. Raven, apologize to him."
"Fine," said Raven. She waited a second. Cyborg stared intently down at her. "I'm sorry."
"There. She didn't mean it, Cyborg. You know how Raven is."
Cyborg looked at Raven, "You know, sometimes I don't think I do."
"Ah!" Starfire pointed to the street below, "Clowns! The circus must be in town!" The streets below were in chaos. People were running around, screaming as though their very life was on the line. One of the clowns was laughing loudly, his macabre rags conflicting with the motley the other clown was wearing. The motley fool then took out a comically big mallet and broke into one of the windows on the street.
"I don't think those are ordinary clowns, Star. Titans, let's go!"
"And here are the star attractions," Harley commented, happily. "Hey there, Boy Blunder!" Robin stopped and looked at her.
"Do you know how cliché that is?" he said, angrily.
"No, but what can I say? I learned my ABCs with the Looney Tunes. Here, catch!" the clown girl fished something out of her motley and tossed it to Robin. Robin reflexively caught it and looked at it. It was a comically shaped bomb with a timer strapped on.
"Oh no." Robin tossed it back to Harley, "You take it."
"No, I insist," Harley retorted, tossing it back.
The others just watched the show with morbid fascination. "Um, Robin?" Cyborg said, eyes following the bomb.
"Yeah?"
"I don't think that's too wise," he said. The bomb ticked to one.
"I know what I'm doing!" Robin said. He threw the bomb, which exploded in midair. "That was close."
"They're getting away!" Cyborg alerted the group. The crowds of panicking people grew more and dense and the Titans were forced apart. "We're never going to find them in this mess."
"What's got them so frightened?" Raven said, perplexed.
"I don't know," Robin said, "But we're going to find out. Spread out and search."
**********************
"Hey, nice place!" Livewire announced, appearing out of a socket. She walked over to the doorway and looked at the controls. She smirked and zapped it open. "I think we could cozy it up and get a party started!" The vines started to move in, creeping along the walls and taking a hold of the structure. "Ivy, stop it!" Livewire walked towards a couch in the living area and flopped down on it. "You're spoiling the decor. Hey, nice TV." She zapped it on. "Ooh, gardening. Fascinating, almost as exciting as scraping my gums."
"I'm sorry, but this is part of the plan. Once the Titans get back here, they'll step right into our trap." Ivy said, being sure to shoot a glare at Livewire. There was a noise towards the door. "They can't be back already. Scarecrow and Harley were running a distraction."
"It's probably just a bird," Livewire said. "Don't be so nervous."
"A bird? That's what I'm worried about." Ivy looked at Livewire, "Stop lazing about and get to work. I'll check it out, you just get to scrambling their computer systems."
"Right on it," Livewire said jumping up. She zapped the television off and looked for the computer systems. She cracked her knuckles and let the electricity run full power, "This is going to be a riot!" The electro-magnetic pull of her hands began to attract silverware and chairs while she headed towards the computer systems. Just as she was about to scramble the systems, the sound of gunfire distracted her. "Ivy?"
Robotic drones stormed the room, armed with automatic rifles. "Oh, great," Livewire said, feigning fear, "Robot Stormtroopers. Now I'm in trouble." She snorted, "Not!" She toned up the electromagnetic pull as the drones fired. She drew the bullets in. Looking them over, she daintily turned each of the bullets around one by one and forcing them back into the robots. "See, that was too easy."
More descended from above, but landed into a field of electricity, frying their circuits before they even had a chance. "What is this? Target practice?" the electrical punk asked. She heard something like a grenade launcher firing and a canister launching towards her. She watched it, bemused, until it opened up and covered her in dust-like powder. "Oh."
Slade descended into the room, looking around, "Now, where's the Swine?" He looked at the vines, and saw what seemed to be pumpkins growing on them. He frowned, and kicked one and it rolled towards the doorway. It opened slowly to reveal Poison Ivy, who was now looking a bit dirty from the robot drones. She looked around and saw no one, but the rolling pumpkin put her on the alert. She noticed Livewire and moved to clean her off when she was grabbed from behind in a submission hold. "I need to see Mad the Swine. Where is he?"
"Why do you want to know?" Ivy said calmly.
"I have something to give him."
"Well," Ivy said, her tone never changing, "In that case." She cut herself off as a gargantuan flytrap made its presence known with a mighty screech.
"Excuse me a second," Slade said smoothly, reaching into a holster around his waist and pulled out a Desert Eagle, "This won't take too long." He fired six shots into the beast, severing its head from the stem. "Now, where is he?"
Ivy panicked for a second. "Where is who?" someone asked from the opposite end of the room. Mad had walked in, "I thought I heard explosions. What's going on?"
"Are you Mad the Swine?"
"I prefer Destiny," the man in question responded. "But yes." Slade tossed Ivy to the side and reached for an object slung on his back. "What are you doing?"
Slade pulled out the Prophet's Staff and showed it to Destiny, "What is the Prophet's Song?"
"The Prophet's Song?" Destiny asked, a bit confused. "Oh, I know what you mean." His hair whipped out and grabbed the staff. He looked it over. "Where is the owner of this staff?"
"He's," Slade said, without a single hesitation, "Dead."
"I see," Destiny calmly answered. He took the Staff in his hand and looked at Slade, "Why didn't you save him?"
"What do you mean?" Slade asked. "You're asking miracles of me?"
"You should have saved him," Destiny said, childishly, "Did you hurt him? Why?"
"I did nothing of the sort!" Destiny's hair whipped up and almost struck Slade if he didn't dodge just as it would have struck him. "Listen to me."
"No, listen to me." Destiny moved towards Slade with his hair writhing about wildly, "What are you going to do when everything ends?"
"I don't know," Slade said, "I'm not about to let everything end."
"It's going to thanks to you!" Destiny cried, tears flowing freely down his eyes. He whipped his hair at Slade, ten locks firing within seconds of each other. Slade dodged each of them, high and low readying to strike Destiny.
"Tell me what the song is."
"It doesn't matter now that you've stopped it!" Destiny declared, striking Slade with the staff. Slade didn't expect it and barely managed to block it. He pulled out his own bo from his belt and readied it. Destiny madly swung the staff at Slade, who blocked and parried as they came. Hair lanced at Slade, who jumped over it and landed a few feet back.
The hair waved menacingly at Slade, and every attempt he made to approach was rebuffed by the strands. He took an automated rifle he wore on his back and began to fire at the hair. The golden strands grabbed the bullets out of the air and whipped about the room, turning them back with even greater velocity than before. Slade grabbed some furniture and put it in front of him. The bullets went through the chair and lodged themselves into Slade's armor. "Well," the mercenary said, a bit amused. "You don't see that too often."
He tossed the chair into the mess of hair, and it chomped away at it, Slade almost thought he saw it become a gaping maw of some great beast before it crushed the chair into splinters. "Why didn't you?"
"Do what?" Slade asked. "I told you, I'm only human." He looked around, trying to find a way to get through the defense Destiny had built around him. All he had to do was keep him distracted. He had left the grenade launcher back in his sniping position. All he had to do was get there without his noticing.
"That's no excuse!"
"Of course it is! I can't heal time," Slade answered. He edged towards the nook. The golden strands began to strike at Slade with frightening speed. He ducked and dodged them, letting them deal damage to the floors and walls with their sheer force. He waited for another volley. "Stop your attack."
Mad said nothing, throwing out another set of whip-like attacks with his hair. Slade dodged to the side of the first few, and then grabbed hold of the next that came his way. He fell with the attack, and still holding on, rolled into a throw. Destiny was sent flying with the force turned back on him. He landed in a pile on the other end of the room. Slade ran towards the nook.
The floor at his feet began to move strangely, becoming more liquid as he ran until he was buried up to his knees in it. The material seemed more and more like quicksand, and he was slowly being dragged downwards into the suffocating depths. "What happened?" Slade asked, finding a grappling gun in his arsenal and dragging himself out of the mess.
"I want you to answer me!"
"I don't know how," Slade said, "Every explanation I've given has been received with less than satisfying responses." Slade leapt over to Ivy, "Excuse me a second," and ran to where he had left the grenade launcher and equipment, and loaded the gun carefully. Destiny rose from the floor, his hair forming a seat for him to recover from.
Destiny's eyes focused on Slade. Hair whipped towards Slade as the gun was readied for firing. It extended longer and longer, finally reaching Slade. It tried to pull the gun out of his hand, but the canister was already fired. Destiny looked at it, almost mesmerized by it. Slade tried to reach one of his guns.
"Mad, look out!" Ivy warned. Destiny snapped to attention, grabbing the canister with a strand of hair instants before it hit. He threw Slade to the side and then the canister, but before it could be flung Slade took a berretta and fired three shots. One knocked the canister back, another was caught, but the last made clear contact and blew the grenade in Mad's hair.
The Chinese robes wildly danced as Destiny squirmed. "This is going to be a set-back." Slade muttered to himself, "Should have figured that there were nerves in those hairs." The boy's hair waved wildly, finally extinguishing the flames. He looked at Slade angrily. The staff was brought to his hand and he readied himself. He looked tensely at Slade. Slade readied his bo again and took a stance.
Destiny looked at him, asking, "Well?" Slade readied for a strike and proceeded to launch an attack. He brandished the bo, striking from left to right while Destiny could only block. Destiny attempted to strike back, but Slade dodged to the side and rammed with his shoulder, knocking Destiny down to the floor.
"I've answered your question, now answer mine." Slade looked at Destiny, "How can we restart the song?"
"You can't!" Destiny launched to his feet, his hands glowing with energy.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Slade demanded. He swung his bo around to strike Mad down again, but the innocent soul leapt back and propelled himself with his hair towards Slade, hands swinging. Slade was knocked back a long distance, crashing into a wall. "This is unreal."
"What makes you think there was something you could do." Destiny's hair grabbed Slade and lifted him above the ground, the rest of his hair waving dangerously about. Slade looked down into the golden sea and watched as the strands came to form a monstrous mouth, waiting to consume him.
"The song said so," Slade insisted. Destiny looked up at Slade. He felt some bones set back into place. "Dammit, that hurts."
"The song?" Destiny asked. "You can hear it?"
"No," Slade said, "But the old man came to me for a reason. I want to know what it is. It's been preying at my mind for sometime. What can I do. How do I do it?"
"I," Destiny looked surprised. "I don't think I can trust you." Slade looked evenly at Destiny.
"Why not?"
"You wear something over your face." Destiny's hair moved over towards Slade's mask and took a hold of it. Slade did nothing but let the mask be removed. It was thrown to the floor. Slade looked back at Destiny, gauging his reaction. "Why do you wear that mask?"
"To lie," Slade admitted.
"Then why be honest at all?" Destiny asked, perplexed by this individual.
"Because right now I'm trying to win your trust." There was a moment of silence, the maw of hair opening wide as Slade was tossed into it. As he fell into the jaw, he felt the locks engulf him in a cocoon. He was tossed into a wall, entirely wrapped up in the golden threads.
"Why?" Destiny asked, his voice dark and dangerous.
Ivy put a hand on Destiny's arm, "Mad, this isn't like you."
"Don't you understand what this man has done?"
"No," Ivy said, "You've been talking in riddles ever since he mentioned that song. What is it?"
"That song is, well, was the very heartbeat of the world." Mad looked at Ivy, "With that heartbeat stopped, it's a fight for who reclaims it. Heaven or Hell. I think I remember hearing you had a word for it. Oh, that's it," he said, looking at Ivy carefully, "The Apocalypse."
"The Apocalypse? That's just a bad dream. Stories to make little Christian boys and girls behave."
"It's real, girl," Slade said. "And right now, there are four horsemen about to rise. You need to trust me, Destiny."
**************************
Raven knocked a swarm of people to their backs and walked through the hole forwards. "Raven!" someone called. She didn't look behind her. She just kept walking. The person called again, "Hey, wait up Raven!"
She looked out of the corner of her eye to see Cyborg running after her. "What is it, Cyborg?"
"Okay, what's eating you this time, Dark Girl." Cyborg looked at her critically, then continued, "You're acting funny. These past three days you've been going out to do who knows what."
"I told you, I needed space."
"Yeah, that's what's bugging me. Before we couldn't even get you out of the house without all four of us dragging you, and even then you brought some of the carpet with you."
"Are you implying that I'm stubborn?"
"Yeah, and that was one of your better qualities," Cyborg said. "That and being pretty funny when you wanted to be, and being a good friend."
"What are you trying to say?"
"What happened to you down there, after Atlantis?" Cyborg asked. "There are times I think you're not Raven."
"What would you do if I'm not?" Cyborg looked at her.
"Well, you sure sound like her. Okay, what's your favorite color?"
"Black." She looked at Cyborg's gaze, and amended under her breath, "Pink."
"Only Raven would know that one," Cyborg said. "Still, you sure you're okay?"
"Yes." She looked around, "Starfire's in trouble."
"Where?" Cyborg asked. There was a scream as a girl was being held onto and dragged down by a panicked woman. "Oh boy. Let's get her out of there."
"Right," Raven said, letting Cyborg lead the way through the seas of people, and soon she was consumed by it as Cyborg forged on through.
**************************
Scarecrow hid within a costume shop, looking for a place to hide until the hysteria died down and he could regroup with the others. He chuckled to himself, pleased with the response to his fear toxins. People ran scared silly from one another, it was a perfect payback for all the years he felt an outcast of society. He heard the door open, and looked towards it carefully. The outside was blacker than the darkest pitch, blacker than any shade he had ever seen. It could be the perfect black that came from the absence of white like night without starlight. This made him more careful than nervous, or so he said. He looked around the various aisles, and saw no one.
"Jonathan Crane..." a whisper came to his ear. This was a feat as his face was currently somewhere in the chest of the scarecrow rags he had sewn together. He felt the jack-o-lantern head fall to the ground as though it were pushed and imagined that the sound meant his pant leg was stained with pumpkin. "You're the perfect host. Accept this."
"Accept what? What are you talking about?" There was a black dress billowing from the next aisle down. He turned to look into it, and saw a mannequin standing there, perfectly still. Otherwise, it was a beautiful store mannequin, realistically sculpted.
"Accept this seed, and let it grow in fertile soils."
"I don't do the gardening in this team," the Scarecrow commented. "Go get someone else to plant your seed."
"I don't take no for an answer, Crane." The mannequin seemed to stare right into him. The black dress billowed about and seemed to engulf him. "You will take this seed, and it will grow, even if I have to plant it myself."
"Then why even bother me with such a stupid notion," Ichabod said, to keep himself from shivering at the tone. The mannequin moved to grab him, and the hand went through him, inside him.
"You're the soil."
**************************
The crowds were in a mixed state of anger, fear, and utter catatonia. Some started to huddle against walls, unable to run any further, while others turned to utter rage, punching at people at random. Starfire flew around one such person, trying to calm him down. She barely dodged a punch and found herself bumping right up against Cyborg. "Can't keep this up. Hey, Star, get me up to a rooftop. I want to get a bird's eye view of this."
"Certainly. However, I should think that you do not have the proper anatomical parts to utilize a bird's eye?"
"It's a figure of speech, Starfire."
Below, the last Titan was still stranded in the sea of hysteria. Robin was buffeted by a miniature riot all screaming about little things, such as bugs, germs, and pigeons. Forcing his way past them, he found himself in a small clearing, free from anyone's madness. Looking around, he saw why. Someone was convulsing on the floor in a wretched display. In their heightened state of fear, the rest avoided it. He still didn't see the two costumed villains anywhere. He angrily punched a wall. "Where did they go?"
"Back to your tower, I bet," said someone behind him. Robin looked at the person behind him from the corner of his eye. "Hi, name's Roy."
"Hi, Roy," Robin said, a bit incredulous. "What are you doing here?"
"Seeing what those five are up to." Roy brushed a lock of hair behind his ears, looking at the throngs of people forcing their way indoors. Most were beginning to calm down, but the confusion that would be caused afterwards was still a concern. "This is a mess. That scrawny freak must be loving this."
"Those five?" Robin said accusingly, "Who are you, exactly, stranger?"
Roy smiled a wide and confident smile. "I'm Oracle's insider in the HIVE. They call me Arsenal there."
"So you're the one that got the information on Mad the Swine," Robin concluded. "If you're working under-cover, then why are you here?"
"Giving up the cover," Roy explained. "I feel like fighting crime. Especially after those counseling sessions."
"What counseling sessions?"
"I took the past three days off to recover from this guy Scarecrow's fear toxin stuff." He grimaced visibly, and then said, "These people may need the same kind of help. He's a twisted monster that delights in others suffering." Roy spat, "That's why I don't want to go back there. Scared of them. Scared stiff of going anywhere near them."
"They're in our tower?" Robin asked urgently. "How did they get in?"
"Chick calling herself Livewire planned to enter via electrical lines and then after that, she'd scramble your databases, causing your security to go all crazy on you. Their leader, a bio-terrorist in training named Poison Ivy would overrun your tower with plants made to secrete the same toxin that the Scarecrow made. Finally, they've got their secret weapon to take care of the details."
"And the clown girl?"
"She's just insane." Roy coughed, "Anyway, this Destiny is the guy Oracle wanted me to dig up the dirt on, and to be frank, there's nothing. For all we know, he didn't exist until little over a week ago, when he was admitted into the school."
"Well," Robin said, looking out towards the sea of people, "We should take to the rooftops." Robin readied a grappling hook. "Need a lift?"
"Got my own," Roy said, readying a futuristic bow, "You tell your team to meet us at the base of the tower."
"How do I know I can trust you," Robin said, cautiously.
"You're just going to have to trust your gut instinct," Roy answered. "But decide when you see the damage already."
"Robin! Come in, Robin!" Cyborg's voice came through their communicators. "You seen the Tower yet?"
"Let me guess, big vines all around it."
"I guess you have."
"Don't approach it until I tell you, Cyborg. You'll end up like these poor people out here." Roy watched Robin carefully, and Robin turned to look at him. Roy shrugged, and averted his gaze.
"What do we do, Robin?" Cyborg asked. "Wait here?"
"Get to the base of the tower, but don't enter. Just wait for me to get there." He shut off communication, "Well, Roy, looks like you were telling the truth."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I wouldn't let your guard down this very instant, but," Roy said, "Well, anyway let's just get there first."
"Agreed." They ran down the lines of the buildings, from rooftop to rooftop, watching as the hysteria slowly died away. "What are they thinking?"
"Their worst fears are coming alive and tormenting them. It's like a waking nightmare. You just can't wake up no matter what you try. And you're too terrified to think straight." Roy looked like he was experiencing one of his own. "The memories are enough to send a chill down my spine."
"I'd hate to think what it'd be like to just," he searched for a way to describe it, "Constantly be exposed to it."
"I don't want to," Roy answered.
The streets looked like a scene from a zombie movie. Cars were being swarmed by people, some clawing to be let inside. It was a horrific scene, and Starfire looked sadly at the image. "Why are they all like that?"
Cyborg didn't answer, but a familiar chirp did, "Because they're scared of you!"
"What?" Starfire said with a quiet gasp.
"Yes, you. Look at you! You're an alien from outer space. What do you think they think when they see you." BC stopped and thought, "You know, I don't even know what I think of you. You just scare me."
"You are the one who appears as a grin in the air," Starfire said. BC appeared, fully realized, in front of her.
"Is this better? Now, let me think. What do I think when I see you." BC gasped, realization dawning. "Of course! Eyebrows! What do you call those things on your head? I've never seen anyone with anything that ugly on their face before." He then went on to add, "And I've seen every kind of nose ring imaginable, let me tell you."
"You are merely saying this to hurt me."
"Who are you talking to, Star?" Cyborg said. Starfire gasped and answered that it was no one at all, "You're starting to act like Raven. Talking to yourself."
"Oh, I did not realize." She glared at BC, "Look what you are making me do?"
"I'm driving you crazy aren't I? That's my goal, you know."
"Hurry up, Star! We need to get back to the Tower."
"Oh, of course." Starfire took Cyborg again in her arms and flew towards the distant tower. "I do not know what I am thinking today."
"Don't worry too much," Cyborg said. "It's probably just stress."
"Yes. That must be it. What is this stress again?" Star said, confused, "I am being pushed to hold my limit?"
"No, it's more of a figurative sense than that." Cyborg sighed, "Sometimes I forget you're not from around here."
"Ah," Starfire said, genuinely happy, "That is all right. I am glad that you think so. I must prepare you the Stew of Elation once we return our tower to us."
"Er," Cyborg said with his full confidence behind it. "Hey, there's Robin. Who's that with him?"
"I do not know," Starfire said, "But Raven it is not!"
"She must be still back there," Cyborg surmised. Starfire set Cyborg down at the base of the tower, and then levitated right above the ground. "Robin, what's up?"
"Raven's on her way," Robin said, "Let's wait a few more minutes."
"How do you know?" Cyborg said, "I didn't get any notification."
"You didn't?" Robin asked. "That's odd. Maybe her communicator's broken."
"Maybe," Cyborg said. "Who's this?"
"Call me Arsenal," Roy said, with a little flourish.
"Arsenal huh?" Cyborg asked. "Why do you call yourself that." Arsenal pulled out a large cannon from the pack he wore. "Oh, I guess that's why."
**************************
Harley looted the city bank with a bit of mischievous delight. "Mr. J would love this!" she cackled. She opened up the rolls of coins and tossed them about happily. "Money! Money! Money!" She sang, "Must be funny! It's a rich man's world." She loaded a bag full of bills and kicked about the coins.
There was the sound of someone entering and she turned to look, "Icky, zat you?"
There was no answer, merely a decrepit touch. She turned and stared right into a gaunt, frightening figure. It didn't move, but stared at her as if gauging her worth. Finally, he moved his hand and plunged it into her stomach, removing it with a gory sound. Harley looked at her stomach, almost disbelieving of what happened. There didn't appear to be a hole where the hand had entered. "What are you doing. Icky? Izzat you?"
"No," it answered. She looked at him, his dead face and the sickly hair that fell down his back. His stomach was empty, and the ribs were all but showcased in the ruined rags he wore as clothing. He inched towards his pockets, sewn on with the cheapest thread. It was already falling apart, but still within it there was a beautiful gold balance. He brought his other hand up to the left cup and let his hand, drenched in blood, fill the side until it tipped.
"What are you doing?" Harley said. She was ready to reach for her punch-gun when the figure picked up in his hand twenty gold pieces. He placed five on it, and it balanced out. "Okay, buster, this is your last warning."
He placed a coin on it, tipping the scales. Harley wondered what it could possibly do. And then she felt her gut wrench as blood started to permeate through the flesh. Each drop of blood traveled to the scale at speed, restoring the balance. "Hey, stop that!"
Another coin was placed in the balance, and another, and another.
*************************
Cyborg leaned against the tower wall, waiting impatiently, "Can't you at least give us a run-through, Robin? I'm dying to know the info. What's up?"
"A lot of trouble." Robin looked to the sky, "Where could she be." There was a dark form on the horizon that slowly began to grow closer and land.
"Sure, take your sweet loving time," Cyborg said angrily. Raven landed with a delicate touch to the ground and walked over to the group proper.
"You did not have to wait," Raven said.
"We're going to need everyone to do this," Robin explained.
"First, we need to know what we're up against? Hello? We've been waiting for ten minutes now or something," Cyborg said, tapping his toe to emphasize his growing impatience.
"It hasn't been that long," Raven said in return.
"Okay," Arsenal said, "Don't make me repeat myself. I'm only going to go through this once. There are at least three HIVE members inside. The first, and our foremost concern at this time, is Poison Ivy. She's rigged the place with fear toxins so we can't enter."
"That's my task. I'll trigger the gas and clear us a path to the HIVE," Robin explained. "I've only got one gas mask that I carry with me, and my suit's fitted for stealth."
"Then, we have Livewire. Until she's disabled, Cyborg you'd better stay out here. She can enter electronics by turning into electricity while being able to emit enough volts to knock out Superman." Arsenal shook his head, "I'll be dealing with that. Once that's done, Raven and Starfire will join us in running distraction while Cyborg gets everything back online."
"Okay," Cyborg said, "What do we have to look out for there?"
"Mad the Swine," Robin answered. "Their secret weapon. We don't even know what he's capable of."
"Oh great," Raven said, "The guy Slade's after."
"We must be most careful," Starfire said. "Robin, please be careful."
"I will be, Star," Robin said. "Don't worry."
"But I do worry so!" Starfire said. Robin placed a hand on Starfire's shoulder, "You will be safe?"
"Of course," Robin said. "Okay, Titans. Let's go."
***************************
"I have to leave them behind," said the voice. It looked to its unseen compatriot, "Distract them."
"Why do we need to?" the compatriot asked, "You have the power to crush them easily."
"Where is the power in that? Death is a release from misery. We'd be destroying second-string heroes, no one will mourn them."
"Ouch, tight logic there," the other said, "Well, I think I can whip something up. What are you going to do?"
"Plant a seed," the voice said, "Inside there lies someone who holds contempt for all human lives, and would do anything for the opportunity to wipe the world clean from them."
"Perfect!" The other began to fade out, "I'll get to it right away. Good luck."
*****************************
"Say, Kory, I can call you Kory right? Well, as I was saying. Have you noticed how long it's taking Robin?" BC said, tapping his toe, "I mean, five minutes. I think that's a bit too long. The fear toxins could have gotten to him. Oh, I can imagine him so very alone, so very, very afraid."
"Oh no," Starfire said, looking with fear towards the tower entrance. "I do hope Robin is well."
"Of course he is," Arsenal said. "Just got to wait a few more minutes."
"What if that few minutes passes and no word?" Starfire asked, "He could be terrified due to the toxins of fear laid by our enemies!"
"I doubt it," Arsenal said.
"You can't trust him," BC said. "Trust me! BC! You know you can. Why would I lie to you?"
"I," Starfire said. "I want to be sure!" Starfire hurried towards the door before Cyborg tackled her.
"Calm down, Star!" he urged. "We can't mess up the plan."
"I am worried for Robin!"
"So am I, but we just got to deal with it," Cyborg answered. Arsenal walked over to Starfire and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know you're worried, and it's admirable," he said calmly. He then rounded at her with his shades glinting dangerously in the light, "But if you go in there, you'll be a quivering mass of nerves and we don't need that right now. Got it?"
"Liars," BC said. He looked beyond the others. "Well, kiddies. That's all the time we have for today! Bye now!" BC's grin eventually faded into the sky. Starfire looked around.
"Where did you go?"
"Who?" Cyborg asked, looking around.
"That Raven girl," Arsenal declared, "She's gone."
"Damn!" Cyborg cursed, "I knew something was up." Cyborg looked around, "And I was hoping I was wrong. We've been tricked."
"By who?" Arsenal asked.
"I don't know." Cyborg looked to Starfire, "Hasn't Raven been acting funny since we got back from the whole Khashoggi incident?" no one noticed Arsenal flinching, but Starfire did nod in agreement. "This may sound a bit like one of Beast Boy's strange ideas, but maybe she's been replaced by a clone."
"Oh," Starfire said, worried, "Then what about our Raven?"
"I don't know," Cyborg said, "I'm not as good as Beast Boy at developing weird ideas that make absolutely no sense when you think about it. All I know is if it is a clone it knows almost as much about Raven as she does, and that means we've got to be careful." Cyborg turned on his communicator, "Robin, we've got a situation."
"You're telling me," Robin answered. "Definite situation. Everyone, get in here now."
"What about the toxin?"
"Not our problem anymore. Hurry."
"You heard the man," Arsenal said, readying his arsenal, "Let's rock and roll!"
They looked at the door, which was now blocked by overgrown thorny vines.
"Okay," Arsenal said. "I guess we're gardening first."
**************************
Robin saw Slade cocooned. He grimaced as he noticed the wall he was forced against was cracked with monstrous force. He heard them talking, and he could tell the desperateness in Slade's voice. The man was completely at the mercy of the monstrous lengths of hair. "What do you want me to do?" said one of the villains. The other was trying to calm him down. He looked as though he was witnessing a child's temper tantrum, but on a scale much larger.
"Help us," Slade answered.
"Robin, we've got a situation."
"You're telling me." Then it caught his eyes. An almost spectral sight emerging from the walls. It took a solid form and landed against the floor. The form was Raven's. She scanned the field, dodging an electrical burst with ease and sending Livewire into a wall. Destiny turned around and looked at her, hair lancing out towards her. "Definite situation." He turned off the communication. What was Raven doing in here. And what was she doing? "Everyone, get in here now."
"What about the toxin?"
"Not our problem anymore." Robin ran out into the fray. "Raven!"
Raven turned and looked at Robin, her four eyes widening with glee. "Robin!" Robin was caught off-guard with her appearance and didn't notice the plants writhe to attack. Raven dodged another length of hair and corrupted it to her power. It was lancing back towards Mad, stopping only an inch in front of his head when it broke free of her power. "Oh, so you're the one."
"It's you."
There was a tense moment. Slade was dropped from the cocoon, and Robin just stared confused. He found himself hit upside the head by a vine. He turned his attention to Ivy and saw her being taken into the air by her plants. "Don't let your guard down, Robin," was all she said, and another monstrous plant lunged in to attack. Livewire sparked back to her feet, looking angrily towards Raven.
"Who's this freak?"
"I don't know," Ivy said, "Ask Mad. She seems to know him." Robin leapt over the attack while they talked, throwing bird-shaped boomerangs towards it.
"Hey, Destiny. Who's the chick?" Livewire called.
"I don't know," Destiny said, "But I do know one thing. She's the Enemy."
"The Enemy," Slade said, frowning. "Heaven and Hell fighting against one another."
"This is a trap," Destiny said. He looked angrily at Slade, "You led her right to me!"
Robin looked towards Slade, "What are you doing here?"
"Attempting to get this contract completed." Slade looked at Destiny, "I did nothing of the sort."
"Of course you didn't," Raven said. "And of course, you didn't use us to lure him here in the first place. There are a lot of things you say you didn't do, but of course you truly did." Raven looked at Ivy, "And I think I have my soil."
"You won't have my friends!" Destiny said. His hair tensed and then moved to strike Raven. Raven concentrated the air into a barrier and let the hair hit it full on. She concentrated and flung the air towards Mad, pushing his hair back towards him. The hair stopped the projectile and tossed it back. It disintegrated and past by Raven as though it were a pleasant breeze.
The plants kept coming at Robin, more and more animal in their attempts. There was a flytrap that attempted to consume him whole. He barely dodged its first lunge and was shoved by its second. He managed to recover, getting to his feet and throwing out boomerangs to distract it. The beast was undeterred and moved in to consume him when three gunshots pierced the beast and severed its head. Slade aimed his Desert Eagle this time on Ivy herself. "Call off your beasts."
"I don't think my pretties enjoy being called beasts," Ivy said with a maternal tone. She looked honestly appalled anyone could think that of her plant monsters. "You should apologize."
"No." The gun was cocked and ready to fire. He brought his finger down on the trigger just as Robin kicked the gun out of Slade's hand. "What are you doing?" The gun fired, hitting a vine and causing fluid to gush out.
"I'm not going to let you kill anyone."
"You idiot! You should be willing to do anything to finish a contract."
"I'm not a mercenary." Raven looked at the two out of the corner of her eyes. Ivy was staring with a bit of fear at the bleeding vine, realizing that the gun could have easily been fired into her. Raven smiled, it was the perfect opportunity. She took hold of Mad's robes and tossed him towards Ivy. She then faded from sight.
Livewire meanwhile took the mercenary and the Boy Wonder's moment of distraction to prepare an attack, electricity charging towards them at light speed. It connected with Slade and sent enough electricity into him to knock him out. He fell to his knees, his body still sizzling from the electricity. "Slade!" Robin said, turning his attention to Livewire. He narrowed his eyes and readied himself for her next attack.
She fired a burst of electricity, Robin already dodging before she had fired. He continued to weave, using her body language to guess where her next shot would be.
Destiny's hair grabbed hold of the floor, fighting the telekinetic throw as best he could. "Ivy, be careful!"
Ivy looked up at Destiny, "What happened?"
"The demoness, she's vanished." Destiny scanned the floor for her. "She's nowhere."
Livewire grinned, firing a burst at Robin with one hand, then, as he dodged, firing another to where he would be. The Boy Wonder barely dodged the first time she did that, but the second he wasn't quite as lucky, finding himself electrocuted by a wide shot.
Unable to move, Robin was helpless as the electrical punk brought her hands together for a full force electrical burst.
************************
J'onn J'onnz was a Martian, rather, he was the Martian. There were no more of his kind in the world, but the lone alien had dedicated himself to serving his new family and his new home by guarding them against alien forces such as those that destroyed his home.
That was why he sat on constant surveillance of the surrounding space for enemies. Whenever there was a threat, the Justice League would respond, and it was because of this Martian Manhunter that the group even existed.
Alongside him, the Green Lantern of Earth helped him in this surveillance, watching the cameras around the solar system carefully. "Slow day," he said, attempting to start a conversation.
"Indeed."
"After the prison break, though." Green Lantern said, "One of the prisoners even was arrested on this planet. Surprised there hasn't been any crazed attempts at revenge."
"I agree."
"Wait a minute," John Stewart said, "I got something."
"Indeed. Ten ships to my estimation."
"Tiny things," Green Lantern said, "Look like a typical space transport, but they're way out of their usual sector."
"Suspicious."
"Agreed," Stewart said. "Green Lantern to Justice League. We have company."
"Twenty ships," J'onn added.
"Twenty?" Stewart responded. Ten more ships appeared behind the ten small vessels. These ones were massive, and looked like they had been used to carry freight from space station to space station. "Oh brother."
"Thirty. Fifty." J'onn frowned. "Fifty-five ships approaching."
John Stewart looked on the display screen as fifty-five ships of varying shape and build slowly approached the solar system. "Green Lantern to Justice League. Make that 'We have trouble.'"
************************
Roy Harper's arrows were designed to have a few tricks up their sleeves. This one in particular had a mission and flew straight and true to strike the maniacal Livewire. "And here's the cavalry!" Arsenal announced as the arrow burst into a deluge of water, sending Livewire's own electrical power right back into herself.
"Could you have made that any closer?" Robin asked.
"Sorry," Roy said. The rest of the Titans arrived afterwards. "We had to do a bit of trimming. Have you seen Raven?"
Robin looked skeptically at the trimming comment, but continued regardless. "She was here." he looked around, "But she's gone now."
"I can see her handiwork," Roy said, looking at Destiny, "Impressive."
"I'm not sure we're rooting for her," Robin said.
"Yeah," Cyborg said, "Evil Clones or something."
"No," Robin said, "It's her. I know it is. She's just different."
"Different how?"
"Having four eyes instead of two for one thing," Robin said. He looked around, "It's times like these I wish she were more open about herself."
"Four eyes?" Cyborg said. "Oh no, not that thing again. Remember when she went all spooky-scary against Dr. Light?" he asked. Robin nodded, "Seems like a part of her was being invaded by some freak with four glowing red eyes."
"Her father," Starfire said. "She told me about her past. It was a most horrifying thing. That is why she does not wish to speak of it. If she let her emotions go, the part of her soul that was created from her father would take over."
"Why am I the only one on this team that doesn't know this?" Robin asked.
"You never asked," Raven said, appearing behind Ivy. "But then again, that's what made you so charming. You really were our most loyal friend, never wanting to pull us out of our comfort zones." Ivy whirled around to look at Raven. "Now, to plant the seed." She forced her hand into Ivy's breast, causing Ivy to writhe in pain. Raven then took Ivy and threw her into the vines that surrounded the room.
"Pamela!" Destiny screamed. "What have you done!" He fought the telekinetic hold and broke free in a burst of rage. He looked at Raven with eyes aflame with hatred. "I hate you! Die!"
And Raven stood there, looking at him with a bemused expression. "Did you try and change reality to not include me? And did you honestly expect it to work?"
"Why are you still there?" Mad said, his voice revealing a bit of fright.
"I'm not some puny little demon like Neron and his petty deal-making. No, I am Raven, Daughter of Trigon." She waved her hand, throwing Mad to the ground. "Son of God, it's time to play by the rules cast at the dawn of time. I've chosen my warriors, now go and choose yours."
Late too late all the wretches run
These kings of beasts now counting their days
end chapter 5