Chapter 7:- Best Of Enemies
Animal Man landed gracefully on the room and set Raven down.
"Wait here," he said, before turning his winged back on her.
Raven quickly grabbed Animal Man's hand. "Wait! Where are you going?"
Animal Man took a brief glance at Raven's hand clenching his, and then looked back up at her. "You don't understand. Cyborg will kill him."
"But last time…"
"You'll be safe here. I can't let him kill Dr. Light…"
"But…"
"I'm sorry, Rae. I can't do it," he broke free of her grip and took to the sky. Raven's cloak and hair was blown backward as the air was pushed towards her. She watched him for a couple seconds before she looked around, found a fire escape ladder and started to climb down it.
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Dr. Light flew into the wall once again, groaning in pain. His helmet was in tatters, and most of his chest armor was damaged. He struggled upward once again and formed a barrier of light to try and deflect a blast from Cyborg's sonic cannon.
The villain grunted with effort as the blast crashed against his shield. He strained against it, but eventually the blast broke through and flew through, hitting Dr. Light square in the chest, sending him reeling back into the wall.
Cyborg's mechanical hand reached down and pulled Dr. Light to his feet by the collar of his costume before slamming the villain into the wall one more time and bringing him up to his eye level.
"Tell me Dr. Light, if you did actually get your doctorate. How many people have you wounded or killed?"
Dr. Light grunted.
"You costumed freaks commit atrocities against man and you get to sit in a jail as punishment. Then, you escape and the cycle begins all over again. Is that justice, Light? Is it?
"Let me tell you what justice is, you megalomaniac idiot. Justice is when the crime is finished appropriately. And you've killed and injured … how many did you say? Fifty? Seventy-five? A hundred? Let me show you what justice is, Light. Let me show you exactly what you deserve…"
Cyborg drew back his fist as his electronic eye glinted in anger.
Suddenly, Animal Man appeared and tackled Cyborg. The two heroes rolled over each other in a tangle as Dr. Light groaned and fell to the ground in a heap.
Cyborg flipped to his feet. "What the hell are you doing Gar?"
"Stopping you," Animal Man replied, getting up to a squat.
"From doing what?"
"Killing him!"
"Who cares if he dies Gar? Any family he has probably long abandoned him, and any friends he has are the same scum as he is!"
"Just because nobody will miss him doesn't mean he has to die!"
"And what would you do? Lock him in a cell so he can escape yet again!"
"It's better than murdering him!"
"Murder and kill are two different words. Make up your mind!"
"What's the difference? They end in the same gruesome result!"
"Murder is unjustly killing someone…"
"OK then, I'll just stick with murder then, shall I?"
"Dang you Gar! Will you ever understand?"
"Sorry Vic, but killing someone isn't something I'm gonna understand…"
"He almost killed Raven, Gar!"
"That's not an excuse!"
Dr. Light stumbled to his feet as the former friends yelled madly at each other, clutching his side in pain. He groaned, and pushed a button on the side of his suit. Something surged through what was left of his armor and it seemed to rejuvenate him, the pain in his side ceased and he straightened up.
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Raven ran through the streets, relying on road signs and what she had seen whilst flying with Animal Man. The city was unfamiliar and didn't trigger any memories, but she wasn't about to let Animal Man take on Dr. Light and possibly Cyborg on his own. She'd help him somehow.
Her head swirled as she ran around another corner. Animal Man had saved her life several times, had paid for her hospital room for fifteen years, and still managed to remain distant. The few memories she had of him as Beast Boy were so different, he was always the first to open up, the first to crack a joke. But now, he was serious and grim, something deep inside him had changed and Raven's couldn't help but think it was her fault.
She turned another corner and heard raised voices, yelling in a heated argument. Raven gulped. She was close.
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"You're too stuck up in the old ways Gar! We all knew they weren't going to work forever! But you're stuck with your precious principles! Your precious rights and wrongs!"
"At least I have principles, Vic! You abandoned all yours when you left the Titans!"
"This is the way heroes have to work now Gar!"
"No, it's not! You've been told to think that by the dang government and you believe it like some trained lab rat!"
The two heroes continued, letting their argument rise above the walls of the city and echo around the streets.
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Raven turned yet another corner and saw the two former Titans yelling at each other aggressively. She began to run between them, to break them up, to talk some sense into them, but was interrupted as a hand grabbed her arm.
"Enjoying the show, my dear?" said Dr. Light in a harsh whisper.
Raven stayed silent and tried to wriggle free of his grasp, but his grip was like a vice.
"Stop trying to escape. No-one's going to help you now."
Raven smiled once, then screamed.
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A second after Raven's cry reached their ears; both Animal Man and Cyborg span to confront Dr. Light.
Dr. Light grunted in frustration as Animal Man shifted into a jaguar and started to pounce towards him. The green jaguar leapt, slicing through the air towards the villain.
Dr. Light ducked to avoid the blow, which was exactly what Animal Man was hoping for. He quickly shifted into an ape and jumped into Raven, pulling her free of Dr. Light's grip and carrying her to safety.
As soon as Animal Man and Raven were clear, Cyborg grabbed a large piece of rubble from below him and hurled it at Dr. Light. The villain quickly pressed the button on his side once again, and grabbed the rubble, catching it perfectly.
He squeezed and the rubble crumbled to dust between the villain's fingers.
"How…?" muttered Cyborg.
"I call it the Adrenaline Amplifier. It pumps adrenaline through my body, increasing my strength, durability, speed, reflexes, you name it. With this, none of you can beat me."
Animal Man growled and tackled him from behind, but Dr. Light was ready, spinning his fist around and knocking the hero to the floor and he slid along the ground, grazing his green skin, until he crashed into Cyborg's legs.
Cyborg grabbed another piece of rubble and hurled it at Dr. Light. The villain smashed it with his fist, then turned around to face Raven.
Raven backed away from him, but she ran into a wall.
"Don't worry my dear. This won't take long."
"Raven!" yelled Animal Man, jumping towards Dr. Light, who again rebuffed his attacks and sent him flying into the ruined wall of Cyborg's house.
"We need to get him quickly and by all means necessary!" said Cyborg, desperate.
Animal Man thought for a moment, then turned to Cyborg. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Probably not."
"Still remember the Beast Boy Blitz?"
It took Cyborg a second to figure it out, then a wide smile spread from ear to ear on his bearded face.
Animal Man leaped towards Cyborg, shifted into an armadillo and rolled up into a tight ball. Cyborg caught him, then with a grunt of effort, threw him hard, fast and accurately towards Dr. Light.
Dr. Light spun around, catching the green ball with both hands as the force of it pushed him back a couple inches. "Haven't you learned that throwing things doesn't work?" he sneered.
The green ball wriggled slightly, and an instant later, dozens of long, sharp spines protruded from it. The spines went straight through Dr. Light's hands as the villain screamed and writhed in agony.
Animal Man freed himself from Dr. Light and morphed back into his human form, directly in front of him.
"My… hands…" Dr. Light muttered.
"My hands," came Cyborg's voice from behind Animal Man. Animal Man shifted into a rat and Cyborg's fist came flying through where Animal Man's head used to be, directly into Dr. Light's jaw. The villain went flying backwards into the section of wall above Raven, as she quickly ran out of the falling villain's way.
Animal Man shifted back to human form. "Raven? Are you OK?"
"I'm fine Gar."
Animal Man breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"Are you OK little buddy?" asked Cyborg. "That was pretty lethal for you back there."
"He nearly killed Raven."
Cyborg smiled and extended his hand. "Friends?"
Animal Man shook it without hesitation. "Friends," he said before chuckling aloud and pulling Cyborg into a hug.
"Good to have you back man," said Cyborg.
"You too, man. You too."
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Yay! Animal Man and Cyborg are friends again! Woo! C'mon cheer… This is a good thing… And I know you've all been wondering what Robin's been up to… and you'll find out as soon as I finish the next chapter…!
