Part 4: All I want for Christmas…..
Starfire groaned weakly as she opened her eyes… it felt as if someone had pounded her head with a sledgehammer.
"Starfire!" A voice came from somewhere…in the darkness, and Starfire found her mind drifting into the night sky, across the vast blanket of beautiful stars……
"Star!" Robin's puppet was clinging onto the rocks now, the waves menacingly sweeping the beach. Robin's body was thrown around like (well he is.) a rag doll, and the next wave caught the boy wonder in its wake, and Robin began drifting out towards the sea….
"Robin!" Starfire was awake now, and she brushed the sand off herself before running across the beach, diving for the doll just as the next wave crashed upon the surf.
She emerged from the white foamy water, and thankfully, had Robin's doll clasped firmly in her hands.
"Thanks Star…that was close."
"Robin, whatever shall we do? Our friends are in danger…" Starfire said with a tone of helplessness.
"He's probably going to try to make the switch permanent again, we have to stop him."
"I do not think that even I can take all four of our team on…." Starfire replied concernedly…
"We have no time Star, you'll have to try your best….use me as bait!"
Starfire shook her head vigorously. "no Robin! I can't! It's not…..right!"
"There's no other way! Robin was dead set on it, and if he could move his head, he would be shaking it right now.
Starfire closed her eyes now….thinking long and hard. No, there was a better way.
"I know what we can do Robin." She opened her eyes now, flying into the sky, Robin still in her hand.
"No…you don't mean…"
She hated to think it, but at this point there was only one person she could think of going to, and although it made her stomach turn, she had no choice, she wanted answers and now with her friends in danger, she was determined to get them…
Jump City Mega-mall. The toy store
Eerie blue flames illuminated the store, cackling wildly as the four Titan's entered the room.
Aside from the Christmas tree, the toy store was dominated by a mountain of presents, which were flanked by toy dolls and soldiers. On top of this mountain, was a tiny display of Christmas trees, as well as a small little toy throne.
In front of the toy throne, were the dolls of Raven, Cyborg and BeastBoy, dangling helplessly from the roof.
"Ah Christmas, my favourite season of the year." The Puppet King began in his creepy droning voice., pacing back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back, while the three titans tried to struggle their way out of the strings.
"Can't…move" Cyborg yelled.
"Of course you can't…you should remember what happened last time." The Puppet king said reprovingly.
"Just what are you planning?" Raven asked hostility, watching as her own body was being chained to the wall beneath her. She watched uneasily as the blue flames from the cauldron in the middle wrapped itself around her…slowly draining the black magic out of her body.
"Christmas is the time of giving my little peons." Puppet King reached out now, and grabbed the three Titans in his hands. He walked to the edge of the platform now. "And you know what that means…"
He waved a hand into the darkness, and as if on cue, the toy store lit up, revealing a huge sea of dolls and toys.
"There will be dolls in every home. In every living room…..for every child and family in this city. Just imagine it, thousands of souls…just waiting to be stolen." He laughed maniacally.
"But why us again? Why are you taking my precious body!! It's my favourite one!" Beast Boy shouted impatiently.
"I am glad you asked, for you see, I was never a puppet. I, like your purple-cloaked friend here, am a demon, merely encased in this pathetic body. However, with the sacrifice of your bodies…I can finally have enough energy to break the seal that binds me." He cackled immensely, anticipating the thought with joy.
"You'll never get away with it" Raven said contemptuously "Starfire will stop you."
"Not this time….not only do I have your bodies to assist me, but I brought along some friends." Puppet King thrusted the three titans over the edge now, overlooking over a dozen of mad mod's robot soldiers busily piling the presents for shipment.
He laughed triumphantly now, in a few days, every soul in the city would be his….and he would finally be able to reveal his true form.
"Besides," He dangled Raven menacingly in front of his face, staring into her eyes. "She had your help last time pretty girl, who else can possibly save you now?"
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It was snowing now…more than ever. The sinister dark buildings of the city were suddenly obscured, and the only thing visible to even the most oblivious pedestrian on the streets was the wonderful symphony of light and color that seemingly floated on the buildings and above the streets.
It was technically Christmas. Past midnight, but the presents would not be opened until morning. Instead, the children of the orphanage gathered around the main hall. Pudding was passed around, while families entered, letting their children mix in with the orphans, as well as handing out presents to those who were too ill to spent Christmas outside their beds. All in all, it was a joyous, magical night, as if it were a small world encased in a soft box of snow and ice.
Red X scoffed as he watched the scene…leaning against a wall atop a warehouse, his arms crossed with a casual flair. The scene brought memories…bad memories. Memories he wanted to get out of his head.
He had used to look forward to Christmas, a time of celebration, of joy……of family. But that already seemed like it was lost in the past…….so distant.
The kids were lucky and probably did not know it, they had heating, warm food…people to take care of them at least….he couldn't remember the last time he felt like that…had a family. He never even knew what it was like to have friends, spending most of his youth as a street kid, stealing just to survive.
Friends, who needs em…in the end, it all comes down to number one. Yourself.
He didn't know why he was even watching this scene. In this world, you had to be tough, to do whatever it takes to get what you want, to be somebody. The world was a tough, dark and dirty place, and he bet the orphans in this scene wouldn't last a second out on their own. They were all the same….weak and pathetic.
But still, there was something about it…that reminded him of the good times; the memories that would never perish even with the passage of time.
So he stood there…and watched.
There was a sound behind him, the quick shuffle of feet that scurried across the snow covered roof.
X heard the sound, but didn't see it, not in this raging storm, and he turned to his right, where the sound originated, and saw…..
Nothing.
"Must've been my imagination." He shrugged, then went back to leaning against the wall when a finger tapped his left shoulder…
He turned, and was met by a punch in the face. But this was no ordinary punch, it was the hardest punch he had ever felt, and it sent him reeling back, flying down onto the floor and crashing through the warehouse skylight.
X grunted as he tumbled down onto the warehouse floor, bringing down a mountain of crates as he touched ground. A cloud of dust was thrown up from his landing.
Red X widened his eyes in amazement. Who the heck packs a wallop like that? He quickly got his answer.
Starfire floated down quietly from the ceiling now, both her palms blazing wildly with green fire.
X rubbed his aching head, and gave her an amused look
"What? Did I wrap it in the wrong color?"