Disclaimer: Thanks for the reviews for the previous chapter! I don't own anyone from Teen Titans or DC Comics. I also don't own the song Getting away with Murder, by Papa Roach.
Teen Titans: The Return of Red X
Chapter IV-A Murderous Situation…
"Time to grow up…" –Robin, Robin #134
The four Teen Titans found themselves confronting a dangerous assassin who they'd never faced before, and who was blocking the only way they had to get to their leader, who was trapped inside the elevator!
Since Cyborg's flashlight was still pointing directly at Shrike, they were able to get a good look at their adversary-his costume was a mixture of yellow, brown and orange, a hood-like mask covered part of his face, and aside from the miniature sheaths he was holding, that had two blades inside each of them, he had a sword on his back, within easy reach.
"Who are you?" Raven demanded, knowing that they couldn't take their eyes off him, even for a second.
The assassin smirked lightly, taking only a moment to realize that somewhere within the darkness behind the Teen Titans, music was faintly playing, before answering Raven's question.
"I'm known as Shrike. Though, none of you would know that, since you've never been to Blüdhaven, have you?"
"…We've heard of it." Raven replied bitterly. "According to Robin, it makes Gotham City look like Jump City."
"Titans, come in!" Robin's voice suddenly blared from all four of their communicators at once!
"What's going on up there? Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy-can anyone hear me?"
Keeping his blades pointed directly at the team, Shrike picked up the closest communicator-which happened to be Starfire's-and pressed the button to respond back.
"So, the Boy Wonder's moved to Jump City and founded himself a team-needed to get away from the Bat, just like everyone else..."
Robin's eyes widened in shock and surprise when he saw Shrike staring at him through the communicator, then glared at him with intense anger.
"What are you doing here, Shrike?"
"Just answering a call I received about a certain team that needed to be taken care of-except for one person."
Shrike chose that moment to use his blades to destroy Starfire's communicator, then, before any of the others could attempt to stop him, he destroyed the other remaining communicators!
"Dude, what was that for?" Beast Boy exclaimed irritably. "Do you know how much it costs to get those things replaced?"
"Since the five of you live in a 'T,' I'd say not that much. There's only one question I have to ask, but I think I'll save that for when the Bat kid gets himself out of the elevator. As for the four of you…"
Shrike suddenly pulled out a knife and tossed it directly at Cyborg's flashlight! The instant the surrounding area was plunged back into darkness, the hired assassin roared loudly while diving forward, his plan of attack underway!
Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness, I need to calculate what creates my own madness…!
And, I'm addicted to your punishment, and you're the master, and I am waiting for disaster…!
"Titans, move!"
Beast Boy could only hear the sound of his own beating heart-and the song that had just started playing on his CD player-before Raven grabbed him and pulled him out of harm's way!
"After I kill the four of you kids, do you think the Bat will send Robin over to Blüdhaven, for a learner's course on how the real world works?" Shrike asked calmly while dodging Cyborg's fist; apparently, the android Titan had night vision, and was able to see where he was.
"You will not succeed in your attempt to rub the four of us out!" Starfire insisted as she fired a Starbolt that Shrike was actually able to split in two, to her surprise!
Noticing a curtain that was draped over one side of the area, a wicked grin crossed over Shrike's face as he pulled out another knife and threw it in a seemingly random direction. "That wasn't the answer I was expecting to hear. What's wrong, kids? Too busy fighting for your lives?"
Beast Boy had turned into a lion and had tackled Shrike from behind, causing him to drop his sheaths. However, he had expected this would happen and quickly got to his feet, grabbing Beast Boy and sending him flying until he hit the curtain. The changeling reverted back to normal, saw the knife and immediately grabbed it.
"I don't blame any of you." Shrike added while pulling a rope that had been tied to the hilt of the knife, causing Beast Boy to come flying directly at him, while the curtain came down and revealed the sun outside, the rays stabbing into Cyborg's lenses.
"Ahh! I can't see!"
"Cyborg!"
"I'd be scared speechless too, if I had to face me without any help." Shrike explained while kicking Beast Boy in the face, momentarily stunning him and sending him to the ground.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
"Don't worry, though…" Shrike advised while dodging his own sheaths-that were encased in black energy-before grabbing them, which broke Raven's concentration for just a moment.
"…I've been known to carry a conversation." Shrike finished as he punched Raven, momentarily stunning her long enough for him to use his knife to pin her cloak to the floor.
"Leave her alone, you psycho!" Beast Boy snapped angrily, having gotten up and turned into a rhinoceros before charging madly at Shrike.
"Were you two planning to watch a movie? Was that why the curtain was blocking the windows?" Shrike asked at the same time he expertly avoided Beast Boy's charge; immediately, he turned back to normal before he would've accidentally plowed into Raven.
"That almost sounds sweet. I'd be tempted not to do this…"
Beast Boy suddenly gasped loudly as Shrike plunged his blades directly into the changeling Titan's back!
Cyborg, who was about to come to his friend's aid, stopped in his tracks, unable to believe what had just taken place…
Starfire gasped as well, a tone of sadness unmistakable in her voice…
Raven stared up at Beast Boy in utter disbelief as Shrike pulled his blades out, and the young hero slumped into her arms…
"…but, then I wouldn't get my full payment from Deathstroke, or as you know him, Slade."
"No…!"
Chorus: I feel irrational, so confrontational…!
To tell the truth, I am getting away with murder…!
It isn't possible to never tell the truth…!
But the reality is I'm getting away with murder…!
(Getting away, getting away, getting away…!)
"YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!"
Raven's eyes glowed a dark crimson color seconds before she pushed Shrike out of the Tower! The assassin's body crashed through the window as he dropped to the water below, Raven flying after him, with a tear in her cloak and a wicked smile on her face.
"Well, well, well…this was truly unexpected!" Shrike allowed a grin of his own to cross his face as he held up one of his sheaths, two blades still protruding from it.
"Raven!" Starfire cried out while soaring down after her as quick as possible, Cyborg using his grapple to get down to the others.
"1 down, and only 3 more left." Shrike announced, his grin widening. "And, once I take out that robot, how long do you think it will be before the two of you lovely ladies join your friends?"
"How long do you think it will be before I decide to find out what makes you tick from the inside?"
With that said, Raven used her powers to levitate a gigantic rock and sent it flying toward Shrike. Within seconds, he dropped his current weapon, pulled out his sword, and sliced the rock in half, one half being sent back-via the momentum-to Raven!
"Uhh!"
The second the rock connected, Raven's eyes stopped glowing red as she fell into the water, but her eyes were still glowing white…
"How could you do that!" Cyborg ranted angrily as he fired his Sonic Cannon at Shrike, who used his sword to cut the beam in half. "You had to take out my best buddy, and on top of all that, the only reason you're doing this is just for money?"
"I wish it was for something else, robot…" Shrike began as he plunged his knife into Cyborg's cannon arm, instantly shorting it out.
Moments later, Cyborg screamed loudly as Shrike sent his blades into the android Titan's back, destroying his power cell almost instantaneously!
"…but, in the end, it's just for the money." Shrike concluded before sticking his knife into Cyborg's throat.
Robin groaned impatiently as he was finally able to open the hatch above the elevator and get out.
"That wasted a good 10 minutes of my time…" the Teen Wonder muttered before he fired a grappling hook upward, and after having to wait nearly 3 minutes…he heard it connect against something.
"This will be quite the trip…" Robin admitted to himself before pressing a button that sent him hurtling up, where he mentally prepared himself to face Shrike…and, the safety of Starfire and his friends.
I drink my drink and I don't even want to…I think my thoughts when I don't even need to…!
I never look back 'cause I don't even want to…and, I don't need to, because I'm getting away with murder…!
Once Cyborg had been taken down, Shrike now knew that the team's faith in themselves would be dwindling. The one thing that confused him was that ever since he'd hit Raven with that rock, it had been revealed that her eyes were glowing a bright white color…he would have to figure that out later, though, since the aforementioned Titan and Starfire had teamed up and were firing concentrated bursts of energy directly at him! He was barely able to dodge them before countering with throwing shurikens right in the path of their attacks. In this case, they weren't normal shurikens…
BOOM!
…as Shrike had made sure that once the shurikens came into contact with something that wasn't from this world, they would instantly explode, and in this case, it sent Raven and Starfire right back down to the water with a splash!
"This is your one chance, pretty ladies…" Shrike announced, his eyes narrowed behind his mask as he had pulled out his sword once again while approaching the female Titans, who were wet and struggling to get to their feet.
"…promise to have Robin come out to Blüdhaven once I've killed the two of you, and I'll make your deaths as quick as I did your other friends. He'll have nothing to live for out here-unless he wants to be alone in this gigantic 'T' that will hold only painful memories for him."
Starfire's eyes glowed a dangerous diamond color as she was barely able to get back up, Raven standing up next to her as well.
"The alternative, of course, is a slow and painful death…but, you two already knew that, didn't you?"
The assassin waited patiently for their response, not even noticing another gigantic rock being encased in black energy.
"Here's our response…" Raven replied bitterly as she hurtled the rock through the air and waited until it was practically within meters of Shrike before letting go.
"AHH!"
"…do you want to burn in this world or the next?"
Chorus: I feel irrational, so confrontational…!
To tell the truth, I am getting away with murder…!
It isn't possible to never tell the truth…!
But the reality is I'm getting away with murder…!
(Getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away, getting away with murder…!)
(song continues on for 20 seconds)
Robin had started breathing in and out while heading up to the Operations Center, a very familiar feeling warning him that the danger hadn't passed just yet…
"With Shrike involved, our troubles are just beginning, if what I heard about this guy was right!"
"RRARGH!"
Raven and Starfire stepped back in surprise as the rock that had been used to take Shrike out was now exploding, being sent back in their direction, but in multiple pieces! The Tamaranian squeaked loudly as she dodged as many of the pieces as possible, while blasting others with quick bursts of Starbolts; Raven enveloped many of the pieces as she could, then collided them with other pieces, making them smaller, but insuring their survival.
"Ladies, I'll admit that the two of you are tougher than I had anticipated…"
Raven gasped lightly as she realized that the assassin had somehow gotten behind her while she had her attention focused on the rocks!
"…but, sooner or later, the bell tolls for even the best of the best, kid."
Raven screamed loudly as she felt a dagger piercing her back, the white glow in her eyes fading in and out, as she struggled to keep control.
"Can't fail now…won't let him down…"
"Sorry, kid." Shrike replied calmly while holding his sword above Raven's exposed neck before raising it high above his own head. "I'll be sure to send just enough of you and the three others back inside that Tower of yours to get Robin's attention-to give me a real challenge back in Blüdhaven…and to teach him to stop using kids like you to form a team with."
SHREEEEE!
The assassin roared loudly as he was sent flying away from Raven by a concentrated blast of emerald energy! Barely able to get back to his feet, Shrike found himself looking at a floating Starfire, her eyes blazing green and prepared to fire a numerous round of Starbolts…
Somewhere beyond happiness and sadness, I need to calculate what creates my own madness…!
And, I'm addicted to your punishment, and you're the master, and I am craving this disaster…!
"Why?" Starfire demanded, struggling to keep her tears hidden-now was not the appropriate time for sorrows, not until this villain was safely locked away.
"I'm an assassin, kid-I get hired a job, I don't stop until it's completed." came the response as Shrike got to his feet, his eyes narrowed behind his mask.
The Tamaranian didn't let her guard down as she hovered close to Raven's body, hoping beyond hope that her friend wasn't gone, that there was still a way to save her.
"I've already taken out three of your teammates, yet my job isn't entirely complete. Once I've finished you off, I'll restore power to your precious home and show your leader your bloodied corpses. It should give him reason enough to come after me…" Shrike began, but started when he saw Starfire throw two charged up Starbolts directly at his chest! He was barely able to dodge them both while hearing her response at the same time.
"Robin will not go after you because you will not complete your assignment!"
That said, Starfire once again fired repeated rounds of Starbolt after Starbolt, the water splashing in front of her face as Shrike disappeared from view. Lowering her arms, the Tamaranian waited with ease, prepared to fire a blast from her eyes if the need arose…unfortunately, she didn't get that chance, as he emerged from under the water and stabbed her through the chest with his knife!
"R…Robin…"
Pulling out the knife and dropping it, Shrike allowed a smile of contentment to show for a few seconds before pushing Starfire over and watching her prone body drop to the ground.
"Sorry, kid. Nothing personal…just business."
"STARFIRE…!"
The assassin looked up in surprise, not expecting to hear anything, much less expecting to see Robin dropping from the hole he had made, staff in hand and a look of deadly intent on his face…
Chorus: I feel irrational, so confrontational…!
To tell the truth, I am getting away with murder…!
It isn't possible to never tell the truth…!
But the reality is I'm getting away with murder…!
(Getting away, getting away, getting away…!)
I feel irrational, so confrontational…!
To tell the truth, I am getting away with murder…!
It isn't possible to never tell the truth…!
But the reality is I'm getting away with murder…! (song ends)
Thokk!
Shrike was nearly knocked out as Robin's extended staff collided with his face! The Teen Wonder turned his fall into a roll as he skidded across the water towards Starfire.
"Why…WHY?" Robin growled loudly, barely able to keep his temper in check.
Forcing himself back to his feet, Shrike spat out some blood from his mouth-due to Robin's shot with his staff-before sheathing his sword, turning around and leaving. Before he was gone from sight, he yelled back a response: "It's the same thing I told your dead alien friend…it was nothing personal. Just business. You want to take out more of that anger on me, you come to Blüdhaven. There's nothing for you here anymore."
Robin dropped to his knees in utter shock. After seeing Beast Boy on the ground in the Operations Center, and not moving, he knew that something bad had happened…but not something like this!
"It's not fair…why them?" Robin screamed, struggling inside himself to understand. "They did nothing wrong; they didn't deserve this! She didn't deserve this…!"
To Robin's surprise, the young Tamaranian was being enveloped in black energy. Turning around, he found himself looking up at Raven, who was chanting in a low voice, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"
"Raven…" Robin was amazed by what he was seeing. Slowly, but surely, Starfire's mortal wound was being healed, and within a few minutes, she coughed loudly while semiconsciously pulling him into a fierce hug.
"Starfire…?"
"Robin…!"
The young empath allowed a faint smile to cross her face as she stared up at the very-much alive Beast Boy, who had flown down as a dove before returning to normal and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"Thanks for the save, Rae."
"Think nothing of it."
Naturally, Cyborg's wounds had been healed as well, and once again, he was able to replace his destroyed power cell with a fresh one. The only thing that would take a little bit of time to restore was the window Raven had thrown Shrike out of.
"What I don't get is how she was able to use her powers to keep us from biting the dust like that." Cyborg noted, a pleased grin on his face while watching Robin and Beast Boy face each other in the game of Beast Boy's choice-the one Robin had bested Cyborg at.
A light grin crossed Robin's face as he rammed his Winged Fighter into Beast Boy's Changeling Condor while explaining.
"Well, Cyborg, it all started back when Raven and I founded the team…"
Flashback
"…The two of us had made the conscious decision to form a team, and to recruit people like us, with abilities that would help mankind, and the world, from any dangers that would threaten it."
"What do you think?" Robin asked calmly as he and Raven looked out at the city that was pretty close to San Francisco, but not quite there.
"…It looks like something from a fairy tale." Raven replied grimly. "And, I don't read fairy tales."
The Boy Wonder laughed lightly at her response.
"It may look like it, but I think we could benefit from protecting this city."
"Why do you think that?"
Robin turned to look at Raven as he explained his reason. "A city like this-full of life, people doing everyday jobs, kids going to school and learning about right and wrong…many dangerous villains, some with powers that could be life-threatening, would want to snuff the life from this city…"
"You mean villains like my father?" Raven interrupted, staring back at him with a frown.
"Raven, I told you-if your father ever tries to break free, we'll stop him. Not just you and me alone, but our team-we'll stop him together."
Turning away from Robin, the empath added, "There's something else you should know. My powers can heal any injury, but as for mortal wounds…I would only be able to heal one mortally wounded person at a time, and I wouldn't be able to save everyone. Not even our 'teammates,' if we ever found ourselves in that kind of situation."
"Train." The Boy Wonder advised calmly. "Train yourself to be able to heal more than one wounded person, and one day, Raven, you'll be able to heal, possibly, even hundreds of innocent people."
"Why do you believe that I would find that kind of power within myself?"
Looking directly into Raven's eyes, Robin saw, despite her attempts to hide it, a small glimmer of hope, within them.
"Because I trust you, Raven…"
End flashback
"…That was the day she started her daily training of her powers-to heal more than one person. Apparently, she's trained herself quite well." Robin declared calmly, as he slammed Beast Boy's Changeling Condor into the mountainside, causing it to explode as his Winged Fighter raced across the finish line.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Beast Boy wailed sadly as Robin's score of 15,000 was replaced with 20,000.
Starfire beamed with joy while eying Robin from her position in the kitchen. "It is a good thing that Raven trains and meditates on a daily basis, yes?"
"On that note, Starfire, I can't disagree with that."
As for Raven, she was taking time off from meditating to look out at the sun as it was setting from her room, and nightfall was about to arrive. The empath allowed one last smile to cross her face before saying one word, the word that had given her the courage to use her powers to heal the near-fatal wounds of herself and her friends…
"Trust…"
