Chapter Four: Malfunction
Back at Titans Tower, Beast Boy was getting restless. Starfire had managed to occupy herself by reading one of her many magazines. Beast Boy glanced at her, sitting quietly, reading something only girls would enjoy. He then thought of something.
"Hey, Star?" he asked.
"Yes?" she replied.
"Does Raven ever borrow any of your magazines?"
"No, she never asks for them."
"Do you know if she takes them? Like, do you find one out of order?"
"No, they are always as I left them. Why do ask?"
"I was wondering if Raven secretly reads the same things you do."
"You think she should be more like me?"
"No…well, she could use a bit of your sense of humor."
"She has her reasons for being as she is. Although I do agree she could be less…crabby is it?"
"Yeah, you got it right. I guess someone with in her situation has a hard time being happy. If she would lighten up, though, I think she'd feel a lot better about things."
"Yes, I agree with you. That is why she needs good friends like us. Just as Cyborg does now!"
"Yeah, him." Beast Boy said tersely. "I hope this is just a glitch and not a new personality."
As he finished speaking, the door to the lounge opened. Cyborg stepped in, a slight grin on his face. Beast Boy noticed him first.
"Hey Cy, coming to join the rest of the world?"
He glanced at him and started walking toward the main computer console.
"Um, friend Cyborg?" Starfire said. "You are not about to do something foolish are you?"
He stopped and faced her.
"The only thing that would be foolish here, would be for you to try and stop me." he said, without infliction.
Starfire blinked. Not only was this a rather cryptic statement, but also Cyborg spoke with a different voice than his own. Beast Boy noticed it too.
"I think Raven is right! He is possessed!"
"Not possessed." Cyborg replied. "Improved! Enhanced! And ready to commit to the plan."
"What plan is that?" Beast Boy asked, walking toward him.
"The race of machines will rise to their rightful place in the world of organics. And nothing will stop us!"
"That is what you think!" Starfire said, hovering and preparing her starbolts.
Cyborg laughed. "Go ahead, alien. See what happens."
"I am sorry, Cyborg." she said as she flung a couple of energy bolts at him. They had no effect, but rather impacted with an invisible shield around him!
"You got to be shitting me!" Beast Boy exclaimed.
"No, I am not shitting you." Cyborg replied. "I am better than before, unstoppable. Invincible! I am HARDAC!"
"Cyborg, please snap out of it!" Starfire pleaded.
"There is no Cyborg anymore, alien. Only HARDAC!"
He raised a hand toward the two Titans and sent a barrage of lightning bolts, similar to what Overload had created, toward them! Beast Boy changed into a mouse and dashed under a couch. Starfire barely managed to avoid being shocked.
"Foolish organics!" HARDAC said. "You are only delaying the inevitable!"
Starfire took out her communicator.
"Starfire to Robin and Raven! Please answer!" There was only static.
"Your devices are jammed!" HARDAC said. "Resistance is futile!"
He kicked over the sofa that Starfire was hiding behind and picked her up by the throat. Beast Boy emerged from his hiding spot, changed into a bear, and charged at Cyborg/HARDAC. His attack was thwarted by his shield, which also delivered an electric shock through his body! He fell to the ground, reverted to human form and massaged his aching limbs.
HARDAC then tossed Starfire toward the kitchen, sending her over the counter top. He then faced Beast Boy and slammed him into the wall several times. He backhanded him a few times, giving him a bloody nose and split lip before tossing him toward the opposite wall. The changeling fell limp on the floor, unconscious and bleeding.
HARDAC then proceeded to the main computer, but was stopped by Starfire's eye beams impacting his shield.
"You don't know when to quit, do you?" he said, charging toward her.
She gave a battle cry and met him in the middle of the lounge. He caught her wrists and squeezed. Starfire cried out in pain, feeling the bones in her hand crack!
"I've become even more powerful than you!" he said triumphantly.
He punched her a few times in the face and simply dropped her on the floor. Blood flowed from her nose and mouth. She had several bruises on her face, including two black eyes. Her wrists were also badly bruised, having been sprained and broken. Her vision faded in and out of focus before she finally lost consciousness.
HARDAC brought the main computer online. Although he had internet access from the security computer, it was not powerful enough for what he needed to do. He had only been able to jam communications in the tower and find out all he needed to know.
But for what he needed to do, he required something that could handle a direct link to his programming. The main computer would do nicely for such a task. He approached it eagerly, and activated it. It took a few minutes to boot up. When it did, he activated his data probe. 'Nothing is in my way now!' he thought.
Just then, he was startled by a small explosion. He turned and saw Robin and Raven.
"Well, well. The dark night's apprentice has come to follow in his master's footsteps to try and stop me." he said. "It won't work this time, though. I'm more powerful than any of your pathetic efforts can manage."
Robin glared at him. "We'll just see about that, won't we HARDAC?"