Chapter 4:- Animal Man
The razor-sharp cards whistled through the air, and the green man pounced between them, morphing into a green tiger as he went. The tiger slammed into Mod pinning him to the ground, before it morphed into an ape and hurled Mod through the window.
Raven looked up at her rescuer, who morphed back into his human form.
"Raven? It's OK. You're gonna be fine."
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"Raven…" muttered Beast Boy.
"Beast Boy…"
"We'll get you back to the tower. We'll get it out."
"I… Beast Boy…"
"It's OK. You're gonna be fine."
"I…"
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"Beast Boy?"
"I don't use that name anymore. I'm Animal Man now," he said reaching down to help Raven up.
"Was that Mad Mod?"
"Yes. Though he just calls himself Mod now."
"How did he…?"
"He stole a serum, originally intended for Lex Luthor. It's made him young, fast, strong, and agile. He's become the evil, British equivalent of Batman."
"I'm guessing that's not good."
"Oh, believe me when I say ducky," came Mod's voice from behind them. "It's done me wonders!"
They both span around to see Mod, standing next to Raven's theater masks, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I'll deal with him, you run," said Animal Man.
"I have no powers and no clue where I am! You're not going anywhere."
Animal Man looked towards Raven, then back to Mod. "OK…"
"Done with the little reunion are we? Good. Because Moddy's gonna get what he came for," Mod yelled, drawing his sword from the masks and charging towards Raven.
He swung his sword hard towards her, but it was blocked by a green sword.
"When I said get away from her, I meant it!" yelled Animal Man, his left forearm in the form of a swordfish. He swung his makeshift sword at Mod, and Mod blocked it.
"Well, I could use some fencing practice," retorted Mod, swinging his blade.
"Raven! Go!" yelled Animal Man, blocking Mod's blow.
Raven took heed, and ran into the corridor, she looked both ways, having no clue about where to go.
Animal Man flew into the corridor and crashed into the wall, shaking dirt and vines from it. Mod followed him out, drawing something from his belt.
"I don't think you Yanks have truly appreciated jolly old English crumpets!" jeered Mod, slamming something into his opponent's face, dripping red hot oil down Animal Man's green skin.
Animal Man yelled in pain before shifting into an orangutan and flipping Mod off with his feet and shifting back to his human form.
"And I don't think you Brits have truly appreciated a good old American boot in the behind!" yelled Animal Man, jumping high into the air and delivering a hard kick to the villain's chest.
Mod fell backwards onto the ground. Animal Man landed perfectly and walked forward. Mod cowered, grabbed Raven by the neck and put his sword close to her throat.
"You know I'll do it ducky," Mod said menacingly, smiling an evil smile.
"Leave her alone," said Animal Man.
"Why should I, mate? She's leverage," said Mod, backing up.
"This is between you and me."
"So it's all about you, is it?"
"Watch out. The patch of floor right behind you is weak."
"Yeah right ducky. Did you really think I'd fall " Mod started, but was cut off as the floor underneath him gave way and he and Raven fell tumbling into the vehicle room.
Mod crashed into the Redbird, causing it to tumble over and crash, as Raven landed painfully on the T-Car's roof.
Animal Man jumped and landed gracefully right next to Raven on the roof of the T-Car.
"Is he…?" asked Raven.
"No. Get in the car and lock it. He can't hurt you in there."
"What about you?"
Animal Man turned to look at her and Raven saw the burn marks that ran down his face from Mod's red-hot oil. "I'll be fine. Quickly! Get in the car."
"But…"
"Raven, please…" said Animal Man, his voice reeking of concern.
Raven nodded and crawled off the roof. She quickly opened the door of the T-Car, clambered inside and looked around for the door locks. She found a little button with a key on it, and pressed it quickly. A beep resonated from the car and the doors locked.
Animal Man leaped onto the hood of the car and quickly looked back to see if Raven was alright. Then he looked towards the Redbird, and where Mod had landed.
But he was nowhere to be found.
Animal Man walked over to the Redbird and set it back in its proper position. He looked around cautiously for a second before turning towards the T-Car and shrugging at Raven.
Suddenly, Mod appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Animal Man by the neck with one hand and gutted him with his other several times.
"How many times do we have to do this dance ducky?"
Animal Man groaned as Mod continued to deliver quick powerful blows to his stomach.
"Had enough?" sneered Mod as he stopped punching and drew his sword. "What did you think you were gonna accomplish? Save your little girlfriend? All you've done is double my fee…"
Raven panicked inside the car. Mod was going to kill him. He was going to kill him. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she could tell Animal Man was in pain, and that Mod was loving it. She quickly searched around the car trying to find something that would help her.
"Just because she proclaims her undying love to you in her seemingly dying words doesn't mean you can naturally save her you know…" Mod jeered as he readied his sword. "You have to have something called talent. Something you have a distinct lack of."
Raven kept panicking. She had to do something. Something… but what?
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"Now look Raven," said Cyborg calmly in the front seat of the T-Car. "If you're gonna ride with me in the T-Car. Never, ever press the little red button."
"Why?"
"Little something I installed. Stole it off that Men In Black movie."
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"You see Animal Man…" said Mod evilly as he looked his foe in the eye. "Love never gets you anywhere. It doesn't win battles and it doesn't give you strength. The truth is it makes you weak… For example if you weren't so head over heels for that witch girl. You might not be about to die."
Raven desperately searched for the button. She found it and pressed it.
"Life is full of strange coincidences… Isn't it ducky?"
A loud humming came from the T-Car and both men looked towards it. A huge engine came from the rear hood, sprouted a huge blue flame from its rear, then shot the T-Car forward at an unbelievable speed.
Animal Man shifted into a hummingbird and flew upward. The T-Car barely missed him as it slammed headfirst into Mod like a bug on the T-Car's windshield.
Raven screamed and accidentally knocked the steering wheel, hard to the left. The T-Car flipped, skidding on its side making sparks fly as its huge engine setting fire to the vines around it. It collided into the steel wall which buckled knocking a lone flaming vine onto the underside of the car.
Animal Man ran towards the wreck, jumping through the burning flames. Broke open the left window with a gorilla fist then grabbed Raven and pulled her out of the car. He picked her up in his muscular arms and ran in the opposite
direction of the T-Car.
The gas tank exploded creating a huge pillar of fire where the T-Car was. Animal Man crouched down, covering Raven to protect her, and turned his back into a giant tortoise shell.
The pillar of fire subsided, leaving minor fires scattered throughout the room and small pieces of the T-Car tumbling down onto Animal Man's back.
"Raven? Raven?" Animal Man said concerned, feeling for her pulse and checking her cheeks for warmth. "Raven? No, not again, not again. Oh, God… Raven!"
Raven coughed twice weakly.
"Raven?"
Raven breathed heavily and opened her eyes weakly before she fell into unconsciousness.
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Hee-hee… That was fun to write. Alright… Onward!
