Standard disclaimer of ownership and properties apply readily.
--TT
Chapter 7
--
Mornings always were a hassle for Professor Markowitz. He would wake up still half drowsy, crawl into his slippers, place on his murky red robes, and go into the kitchen to satisfy his caffeine needs.
Life wasn't too glamorous for this particular scientist, he had lived a normal childhood in the outskirts of Metropolis and went to a private boarding school at the age of fourteen through the social connections of his father. It was in that school he met his first and only romantic interest and soon to be girlfriend for the next nine years.
They had their times of fun and moments of glory. He was the patent genius and she was the beautiful pianist. They were both admired and looked up upon by their peers, and as they went into college, they strived to become even more.
However, Markowitz had soon discovered he was a born scientist, with the innate curiosity and drive to uncover, to invent, to understand. He worked hours and hours upon projects on various quantum physics experiments and theories. His drive eventually caught the eyes of S.T.A.R. Labs, and was soon drawn into another whirlpool of mysteries and experiments.
But things went astray. His longtime girlfriend became jaded by his obsessive inquiry into his projects and had left him. He then became even more devoted to his work and that ultimately led him to the expulsion from S.T.A.R. Labs.
The man sighed.
But that was all in the past now. None of it should matter anymore.
He tapped open his door, willing himself to reach the coffee brewer before his mind decides to collapse.
Markowitz silently watched the brewer rise and grind, whatever the hell it did.
He tightened his hold on his robe, slightly from the cold.
The coffee is prepared.
Treading to the washing machine, he grabbed a green mug, and shook it bit.
Markowitz grabbed the controller from the counter, minding that news would be something enjoyable.
He began pouring the coffee into the mug, sniffing the aroma.
He turned on the television.
Tooon!!!
"-it would seem that a new crisis has befallen Jump City, as witnesses and victims of a widespread criminal activity have claimed. Authorities were only aware of a horrible travesty last night, in the entire region of the eastside of the city."
Markowitz took a sip, muttering. "Crazy assholes. Why can't they all just move to Gotham, stay in that hellhole. Better yet, go to Bludhaven. The devil lives there."
"The city museum was also attacked by what was described as 'shadow monsters', that had-"
Markowitz managed to keep himself from dropping the mug, and roughly dropped it on the countertop.
"-fought the Teen Titans while many civilians were under some sort of mind control. The police chief has also reported that many civilians were heavily injured, possibly by the assault of these unidentified creatures. Nothing more has been-"
"Professor Markowitz."
Markowitz responded more to the surprise and eeriness of the voice.
He spun around with his hands gliding on the countertop, and pushed the mug to the floor.
CRACK!!!
The brown liquid expanded on the kitchen floor, coating the green shards of the mug.
"W-who!? Y-you're the T-titans, R-Robin!!! N-no, w-wait, are y-you?"
The Boy Wonder no longer sported the brightly colored uniform that was identified to the leader of the Titans. The outfit was black, grey, and a full body suit that covered him from the neck down. It held a peculiar luster that made it appear somewhat like an armor. The only familiar aspect of the boy's appearance was his mask, and the belt that glowed with the brimming powers of zinothium.
Robin cocked his head to look at the mug: broken.
Nothing like the present, right?
"It matters not." His voice held no malice, no acerbity, no enmity. But Markowitz found himself wishing that it did.
"W-what d-do you want!? N-no, h-how did y-you-"
"Tell me about Loki."
"H-huh!? H-how do you know that n-name!? W-who told y-you-"
Markowitz paused and looked at the television.
"-behind all of this is yet unknown, but authorities have already made several assumptions and are in the process of questioning several suspects that are, oddly, already in prison. Inspector Sam Gilmour has also made an appearance, but has not made ant comments as of yet-"
"No........"
Robin cranked his neck.
He raised his palm.
SHPOON!!!
A blast of red disposed of the electronic, creating an expected explosion.
BOOM!!
Markowitz saw that coming a mile away, but it was nerve wrecking nonetheless.
Robin placed his hand down gently, like he was directing a screen, and cranked his head at an odd angle to stare at the cowering man.
"Tell me about Loki."
Markowitz swallowed.
"I-I can't t-tell you. N-no, I s-should say t-that you d-don't want to kn-know."
Robin stared, and opened his mouth slightly, as if breathing. "Arnold Markowitz, current age 45, no marital status, though reports indicated a long-term relationship that was ended 13 years ago."
"W-what are you-"
"Born of a Protestant family, he had been familiar of the ideas and practices of religion, and also incorporated it into the theories of his experiments in the fields of astrology and physics."
Markowitz stiffened as he watched the boy address him, those eyes were that hid behind the mask were undoubtedly something he didn't want to see.
"His achievements and publishes had attracted the attentions of S.T.A.R. Labs, where he was recruited as one of its top research team."
So, he saw something else instead.
--TT
"So, this is the famous S.T.A.R. Labs."
"It's kind of big, don't you think?"
"Of course it's big. It's the most prestigious company in the whole country, possibly the world!"
"Wow, I'm sooooo impressed."
"Yes, I love you too."
"Haha."
--TT
"W-what!?"
Robin paused, as the man rubbed his eyes furiously.
The boy continued. "He worked on quantum physics, trying to elicit energy beyond dimensions. Details of the project are of yet unknown, except that it was aborted due to technical and personal problems with Markowitz and his coworker-Professor Gale Harbinger."
--TT
"Guess this is my laboratory from now on."
"Actually, it's both of ours."
"Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you there. You must be Professor Harbinger. I have heard so much about you."
"Likewise, Professor Markowitz. I've read your article on quantum singularity and neutronic degeneracy pressure. And I have to say, I'm quite impressed."
"I-I, um, thank you. Professor Markowitz. H-ha, this coming from practically a representation of nanotechnology, is quite flattering."
"Hahahaha! Please, I don't need any more ass kissing, especially from a fellow innovator."
"A-as you say, Professor Harbinger."
"No need for that formality, just call me Gale."
--TT
Markowitz's eyes were as wide as saucers and he backed away from the dark Robin clumsily.
Robin cocked his head to the side.
Markowitz stared in horror.
He blinked.
WHAM!!!
He found his chest heavy with pressure as Robin held him against the wall.
"In the end, their patented project was terminated, due to said personal issues. This was all ten years ago."
"G-gah!!" The man struggled.
Robin cocked his head to the other side.
"Harbinger had disappeared. Without a trace, his whereabouts were never discovered and the files within S.T.A.R. Labs regarding such information were destroyed."
--TT
"W-what is that!?"
"Reeeeeeyiiiiiishhhhhh!!!!!"
"What in the hells!?"
"No! Get away from her!!!"
"Aaaaahhhh!!!!"
--TT
Markowitz tried to talk, to scream, but he had not the lung capacity as of now. He struggled to free himself from the grasp by making awkward movements that could be seen as kicks, but they were futile.
Robin's masked eyes thinned. His first display of annoyance.
".........answer my question, Markowitz. What is Loki?"
The struggling scientist tried to cough, to no avail, and merely kept shaking and nodding his head.
Robin dropped him.
Markowitz heaved deep breaths of air, kneeling on the ground.
Several minutes passed as the feeble man drew and exhaled oxygen, while also trying to build up the courage to even speak.
The dark teen just stared at him.
Silence.
Markowitz tilted his upwards to look at the teen. Robin remained passive, but the look he held was coercing him to talk.
"I-It is t-the n-name of the result of our p-p-project."
Robin cocked his head to the side.
Markowitz leaned back against the wall, still sitting. He felt more secure if he was closer to the ground.
"Gale and I.......we tried to create a machine that could fuse my ideals with his research, an introduction to a new age of technology."
He took a few breaths, not looking at the teen.
"With h-his nanotechnology and my insight on quantum singularity, we had wanted to create a new energy source, through the bypass of normal physics. W-we, uh, wanted to manipulate black holes."
Robin had not blink as of yet, but his eyes now looked questioning.
"The machine to m-manipulate such a power was named 'Loki', s-simply because of the potentially immense power if the project was successful. And h-he was always did kind of studied Norse pantheon deities. Uh..ummm."
Markoqitz was reluctant to bring back the past, he had been hiding from it all these years, and now that he was forced to relive it, the bad habit of his hands trembling returned.
Robin had a fixed death glare on him, although by all accounts, it wasn't exactly a glare.
Markowitz shuddered.
"B-but everything went wrong on the day we made initiation. I-it had functioned properly throughout the primary molecular condense stages, until we accessed the pulsing stage..............s-something c-came out..."
--TT
"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEE!!!!"
"AAAARRGGHHHH!!!!"
--TT
"I-it looked like a d-demon....I-I don't remember much. B-because...uh... I think I was unconscious...."
Robin breathed. "Demon........?"
"Y-yes, a demon. I-I don't know how else to describe it. I-it's true! I know it is! They told me I was hallucinating, b-but I know it's true! That gruesome, grotesque monster! I-I I'll never forget it! Devoid of life, a death reaper, that was what it was!"
Markowitz didn't know where his courage to shout came from.
"I-I don't know what happened after wards, I woke in the infirmary, and that's where they told me that nothing happened. They tried to convince me that it was all an illusion. B-but.......he changed, Gale changed."
Markowitz grabbed his head.
"When I regained my conscious, I went to talk to Gale. Loki was already d-disabled, and then he told me the project was scrapped! I asked him why, I asked him what happened, but he just told the same thing the others did! Telling me that none of what I saw happened!"
Markowitz was reliving the past.
"We barely talked afterwards. He became obsessed with dolls and jewels, a-and some sort of arcane! He was never seen without it! He would read it when he ate, when he talked, or even when he was at home! S.T.A.R. Labs fired him along with me, but he didn't care! I talked to him! But he didn't care! He didn't even listen to Moria!!!"
Robin cocked his head to the other side.
"Moria.....?"
"....his daughter. His only child. Y-you won't know about her because she was part of the incident, so her background was erased as well, call it an act of conspiracy if you will."
Robin listened.
".....we were then recruited by M.A.R.S., a branch that stemmed from S.T.A.R. Labs. One of the patrons there apparently decided to-"
"I know of its history. Keep this curt."
Markowitz gulped. "I-I told Gale the news, that M.A.R.S. wanted to hire us, hoping to get him back on his feet. And he d-did. He began getting back into the old spirits, and I thought everything was all right."
Markowitz paused, grabbing his knees hard.
He suddenly looked up. "He freaked on us! He remade Loki into some bizarre beacon of ghost and ghouls! I didn't even believe what I s-saw!!! Those shadow creatures!!! They came out of nowhere, tearing the flesh off of everyone in the entire company!!!"
He breathed harder and he grasped his head.
"N-no.....no.....! No......!"
Robin didn't care. "What happened to Harbinger?"
Markowitz continued his mind wreck, but heard the question.
".........he was k-killed. B-by a gun shot. S-straight through the head."
He looked at his hand.
"H-he fell right into Moria's arms.........s-she looked so shocked...."
Robin moved away slightly. "Where's Loki, right now?"
Markowitz looked aghast. "I-I don't know. After Gale was k-killed and the threat was cleaned up, I was almost faced with detention. They wanted to erase everything, keep the rumors enclosed. Nothing was supposed to Since I-I was the one who recommended him. T-they could have just destroyed it! They must have!!!"
The Boy Wonder moved around him, seemingly about to leave.
"Where's Moria?"
Markowitz was confused to why he would ask such a question.
"She's lost contact with me ever since Gale....."
Markowitz suddenly realized what Robin was asking.
"N-no! There's no way Moria is behind all of this! She doesn't have any access or knowledge of any of these things!! She was just there because she asked me to bring her along and see Gale! She didn't know about any those things! She couldn't have! She has nothing to do with any this!! P-please, leave her alone!"
Robin turned to him and bore his teeth.
Markowitz suddenly remembered his fear.
"Daddy's little girls and dooms day devices always like to make things vindictive."
He pointed his palm to Markowitz and a bright light of red flashed.
SHPOON!!!
Robin stared blankly before turning away and activating his cloaking device.
-------------------
There was no light.
No light at all.
Starfire always liked the light.
But there was no light now.
The smell of metal and electronics filled around her surroundings.
She didn't care.
The floor was hard and her legs were beginning to hurt from stiffness.
She didn't care.
The tears had dried and became plastered salts on her cheeks. She didn't wipe them off.
She didn't care.
She tightened her hold on the tattered sil'nar.
"I'll finish this by myself."
She gripped it harder.
BOOM!!!
She choked on a sob.
Her hands began to glow its green light.
She felt like she needed to blast something.
She simmered.
Muffled voices could be heard outside, blocked out by the door.
"......Robin......"
-------------TT
---------------
Jinx winced as Cyborg wrapped some bandages around her arm.
"Stop squirming, it's not making this easy."
"Your metal tips for fingers don't exactly make you the best nurse."
Cyborg smirked. "Glad to see you all spicy again. I thought you'd be shaken up."
Jinx narrowed her eyes a bit and pulled her arm away, checking it over.
"Thanks for your concern, but I'm a big girl."
Cyborg just turned his head away. "Yeah........."
Jinx observed him with her purple eyes. Cyborg was checking his status through the gauge on his arm, but his mind seemed absent and his eyes bland.
"You okay?"
Cyborg spared her a glance. "My systems are functional. Everything's just fine."
Jinx shook her head. "I meant: are you okay?"
She watched as the teen regained that banal look, slouching forward.
"Does everything look okay to you?"
Silence.
Jinx rubbed her bandaged arm. Cyborg wanted to scowl.
"Y-you know," Jinx began, "I should be happy about all this."
That got Cyborg's attention.
"I mean, the Titans are pretty much no more, with bird boy insane, and the city under attack, the H.I.V.E. might be able to put a foot into all of this. With Brother Blood's schemes, we should be in the business very quickly."
Cyborg knew what she was true, they once thought they could go on without Robin, but in the end, they just wanted him back more than ever.
"Once I go back to the headmaster and explain this whole thing, the H.I.V.E. will finally know what they're up against. And we could defeat a crippled Teen Titans rather easily."
Cyborg could feel a slight distemper rise in his throat.
Jinx closed her eyes. "But.........I'm not."
The android simmered and watched her with a bewildered eye.
"When Robin attacked me, don't flinch, I'm all right. When he attacked me, I saw all this ..........rage.......but there was sadness in him. An overwhelming amount of sadness. I saw it Cyborg."
She opened her eyes and stared straight at the human eye.
"Jinx, what are you-"
"Cyborg, listen to me. The bird brain isn't entirely lost. There's a chance for him, though I don't know how, to help him."
Cyborg sighed. "Of course, we all know that. We've been seeing this problem a mile away, we just didn't know what to do. So we did nothing, hoping for the best, and look where we ended up. One psychotic leader less, and four idiots still."
Jinx leered at him, a determined gleam in her eyes. "You're giving up too easily. I just said he still has hope. What? Do I need to type the words into your head?"
"Why are you even encouraging me? Don't you hate Robin for attacking you?"
"Do I hate you for attacking me before? No, we're having a nice conversation right here, on this unsanitary couch. Is that a pickle?"
Cyborg took a look. "Oh yeah, BB was trying to stop me from putting the pickles in my sandwich, thought he could take me away from my special 'ham supreme submarine'."
He chuckled a bit. "Sure showed that pickle smurf who da' man."
Jinx sighed. "Boys...."
Cyborg chuckled again, and turned to the girl beside him. "So what makes you so adamant about saving Robin? It's not in your best interest, if any at all."
The girl with the pink cotton hair remained silent, forming her next words.
"It......it's just something I know, okay? Just accept it as it is."
Cyborg now wondered more about Jinx's life than ever before.
"Jinx. What's making you swing this way? How did you become......what you are? Why are you in the H.I.V.E.?"
The girl was gripping the end of her clothes, eyes shut tight. Flashes of the past came haunting, taunting, and very daunting. She could remember the screams, the yells, the crying, the faces.
She's a witch!!!
You're nothing but trouble, just get the hell out of here!!
The path will be filled with blood.
......die.
Cyborg frowned as he watched the girl shake with some unknown emotion, and immediately shook her out of her reverie.
"Jinx! Jinx! Girl, don't go freaking out on me like that!"
"Huh!? Hu......Cyborg." She gazed at him, bewildered.
Just as Cyborg was about to say more, his arm sounded.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Huh? Who in hell...?" He accepted the call. A familiar face showed on the screen.
"Hello, Cyborg. Remember me?"
The teen android didn't expect this man to call him. "Mr. Gilmour? How did you-"
"Robin gave me your frequencies a while back, when he helped me solve that murder case, said it's like an alternate communicator, since I'm not exactly a superhero like you kids."
"Oh, right. Ummmm, how can I help you?" He said in a rather quizzical manner.
"Well, I was hoping you can fill me in on all of this hellhole that's forming right in this city, so I was planning on dropping by later."
"I suppose that's all right. Make sure to bring lots and lots of steel plated guts for this."
"Actually, when I said 'later', I meant right now. Think of it as an impromptu interview or something."
"What are you-"His security link picked up the image of a motor boat just outside the tower, on the beach.
"You really should be more polite."
"This coming from a teenager? Don't confuse me with age differences now."
Cyborg looked at Jinx. "Ummm, right now actually may not be a good time-"
Jinx stood up abruptly and began walking off.
"Uh! Hey, hang on a sec!" He looked at the screen on his arm and turned off the sound transmissions.
Jinx turned to him, and smiled. "I was leaving anyways. You do what you have to do."
".....you gonna be all right by yourself?"
"I'm a big girl."
"Well, you still look scrawny to me."
Jinx smirked. "You're going to pay for that the next time we meet, with Robin, right?"
Cyborg remained silent for a moment, before nodding.
They both held the gaze a little while longer, before Jinx departed the tower through the lower levels of the structure.
Cyborg watched the girl leave with an unreadable expression.
BEEP.
"Come on up."
-----------------
The changeling laid on the floor.
A breath.
A sigh.
He shuddered.
Gradually, he sat up, fingers pressed against his eyes.
Beast Boy glanced at the mirror box.
"H-hey.........sorry I can't go to see you. But things are like the Supreme Court out there. Crazy monsters and zombies, like I always told you about, remember?"
Silence.
"Oh man......oh god.......everything's gone loco......!!! You would probably want to be petrified.......with how unworldly the city is right now......!!"
He breathed.
"But I need you.......I need you so bad.........no one in the team is straight in the head... we found Star in Robin's room, after we got back.......I......I've never seen her like this........she's.......we thought she died......!!"
A heave.
"The entire world seems to be going downhill.......and we're accelerating fast! God.......I wish I could see you right now......I'm useless. I'm so damn useless!!!"
He pounded the ground.
"I failed you! I couldn't be there for you! Now I've failed Robin!! I couldn't help any of you! I can't do anything right!! I didn't .....give.....it my all! I'm like some rodeo clown, just I can't even get to the cow! I-I.......!!"
A second heave.
"Terra.......if you're up there somewhere.........please........please look after Robin."
-------------TT
"Raven." I lifted my head in response to the voice.
"Yes?" I answered as I quietly place down the book I was reading.
"What are the teachings of the people of Avia?"
I raised an eyebrow. "The people of Avia?" As if the question was stupid.
She must have detected the tone, and she smiled.
"Just answer the question."
"......they believe in the infinite possibilities of mankind through the mind and in the soul. They worship the deity known as Pherleingod, a powerful being that could reshape reality itself."
She smiled. "Correct."
I remain seated. "Why the sudden question?"
"I merely wanted to test your memory. It has been a long time."
I nodded. "I suppose it has."
She turned to me, with a look of worry. "You must remember everything I have taught you. One day, it will become your greatest guides."
I nodded, again. "I know."
She smiled a knowing grin. "And I know. But you cannot be too careful. When you leave here, you will realize that."
I frowned, and pulled my book back up.
"Raven...?"
I felt troubled, wary.
"Raven..."
I turned away, and kept reading my book.
"I don't want to leave."
I couldn't see, but I knew she smiled.
"Raven. All lives have their own path in their journey, to have a purpose. The stars have shown the infinite number of paths, and yours is not here. You are to venture into the outside world, and fulfill your destiny, whatever that may be."
I hid my face more in the book.
"......I don't want to be alone."
"You won't be. You will have friends, people who will understand you. People who will help you, and you will help them in return."
I placed the book down, and looked at her.
"Friends........."
She watched me as I rolled the word on my tongue. I couldn't tell what she was thinking though, it seemed ambiguous.
I looked at the cover of the book in my hands, and saw the words 'Glyph of Orichalcum'.
"What do the stars say about my path?"
She looked sad.
".........journeys are hard and strenuous. Lives are not meant to be easy. Stories are to be told, but not in the least heartening. Beware the bond. Beware the soul. Beware the friend. Beware the heart. Beware the Muse. Beware the spear. Beware the rage. And......"
"......and......?"
"............beware the eye."
Raven opened her eyes.
She blinked twice, trying to get her bearings.
A splitting head pain attacks her.
"Arrggghh......!!" She groans as she sits up and presses both hands to her head.
Silence reigned as she waited for the pain to subside.
Feeling a lot better, she looked around to realize that she was in her room.
The internal theme of her room was still the same: books, spells, gloomy, and creepy with what looked like a rendition of schizophrenics in Broadway.
"........I really should consider redecorating."
Pause.
"......Robin."
She got off the bed in a huff, and walked out her room.
Some voices could be heard, in the main room. So she walked carefully towards the sources.
Step, step.
Step, step.
Step, step.
Step, step.
Step, step.
"-old you it wasn't good news."
She peeked her face from the corner.
Cyborg was sitting on one of the couches, hands folded across his face, expression stern yet tired.
A man was sitting across the titanium teen. He wore a brown, thick coat and a pair of khaki pants. A white dress shirt showed with a green tie. His hair was dark brown and slicked back. He was tall and lean, and judging by his total appearance, he was probably around thirty to forty.
Raven recognized him as inspector Gilmour.
Cyborg just stared at the man.
Gilmour stared back.
A sigh.
"I expected as much. So, you have no idea what this whole thing is about?"
Cyborg shook his head. "Sorry, man, but this time, we're as much in the dark as you dudes are."
"I ......suppose I can agree."
Silence.
"Things never seemed so hopeless for you guys before, huh?"
Cyborg lowered his gaze.
"Not to mention these shadow fiends that came out of nowhere. Hell, I thought Jump went into some kind of freak zone when I woke up. My wife came screaming with the radio, scared shitless when she heard the new."
Gilmour scratched his chin.
"Well, it's been nice talking to you. I'll leave it to you relay the news to the others. Should I wish you luck?"
"As much as I want to say 'jimmy crack whore and I don't care', hell, yeah."
Gilmour stood up and picked up his hat, bowing slightly.
"I'll call you if anything else comes up."
Cyborg didn't even acknowledge Gilmour's leave.
"And I thought people who liked children's shows were more jovial folks."
Cyborg turned his head and saw Raven, now leaning on the wall.
"Hey, Rae, you're up. How ya feeling?"
Raven rubbed her temple a little.
"I've been better."
"And looked better."
"Which is the least I can ever say for you."
Cyborg grinned. "You're so cute....."
Raven narrowed her eyes, but chose to ignore it.
"Why was Gilmour here?"
Cyborg frowned. "He ummmm.....wanted to get some news flash."
"You should have rounded all of us here. Or you should have at least awoken me."
"I was thinking that. But you looked so peaceful in your sleep, couldn't wake you even if I tried to dump cold water on your head."
"Then I'll shove your own hands down your ass."
"Ouch."
Raven walked over and sat on the couch.
"So? Talk."
Cyborg placed both fists on his knees. "Dick Tracey called in earlier, and we had a chat. You know, like a discussion of urgent matters."
"Uh, huh."
"The museum is pretty damn much broken into Lego pieces. Property damage can buy us another tower. We've still got no freaking clue, except that there's a butler from hell involved and that underworld creatures are filling the streets! The only good news is, that no civilians were killed. Apparently, Robin didn't want to waste his time finishing them off!"
Cyborg tightened his fist.
"Raven. Why is everything going this way? What the hell is happening? What the hell happened to Robin?"
Silence.
Raven had no answer.
She didn't know what was going on, except that dark powers were at work.
She didn't know what was going on, except that there were shadow fiends.
She didn't know what was going on, except that their leader was now insane.
So, she decided to ask questions instead.
"Where's Starfire?"
Cyborg visibly grimaced. "She's in Robin's room. Hasn't left it since she went in."
Raven didn't look surprised.
"Beast Boy?"
"Oddly enough, he's in Terra's room. I think he always goes in there. We just never really noticed before."
Raven touched her heart, feeling all the pain and sorrow in the tower, congregating.
She thought the last question was redundant. "Jinx?"
He cranked his fists a little, shaking some mental joints loose.
"She left a while ago, after we patched her up a little. She seemed fine, just some scratches and bruises."
"I didn't ask that."
"Thought I'd fill you in."
Raven stood up abruptly, for no other purpose than feeling the need.
Cyborg checked his arm, for no other purpose than feeling the need.
"Where do you think Robin is?"
Raven found the question more answerable. "Out hunting for blood and information, the very bad way."
Cyborg shook. ".........he's gone rogue, again, Raven. And this time, there's no Slade that secretly inject us with nano-probes in our blood streams."
Raven closed her eyes.
"And you know what the ironic thing is? He's looking to fight and defeat the enemies, the criminals. He's just not doing it in a wholesome fashion. That's all. And now we have to stop him, because those actions now make him a criminal, a potential threat."
"Cyborg, what did Gilmour tell you?"
The questioned teen placed a hand firmly on his face, as if he wanted to create a dent in that human flesh of his.
".......Robin was seen at the harbor this early morning."
Raven felt the creeping sense of doom once again.
".....there was a ship transporting zinothium to the Wayne industries for relocation."
Raven bit her lip.
".....Robin gunhoed the entire ship and took like crates of zinothium."
Raven felt the blame and guilt eating at her.
"There wasn't an alarm because he also disabled some of the system functions before he left."
"This is all my fault..."
Cyborg looked at her, alerted. "What are you saying, Rae?"
"If I had just decided to help him, none of this would have happened. Maybe we could have done something, if I could just stand the fear..."
"Rae....!"
"Robin has gone rogue, and I'm to blame for this. If I just realized all this sooner, we would-"
Cyborg grasped her arms, stopping her ramblings. "Raven, stop this! This isn't what you do! I'm the one always blaming myself, not you!! You're supposed to be
objective, perceptive, composed! Please, don't do this me.... I won't know what to do if you go panicking on me..."
Raven absorbed his words and shook her head. "Y-You're right....we can't lose focus...or faith."
Cyborg smiled, albeit a sour one. "Thanks....."
Raven gave a bemused look. "You can move your hands now."
"Oh, uh, sorry."
Cyborg retracted his arms and the two sat on the couch in silence.
"Cyborg?"
"Yeah?"
"I-"
Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning! Warning!
Cyborg growled. "Robin.....!!"
His arm began beeping. He accepted the call.
Pssssssssssssssss.
"Cyborg. We have a rather interesting situation here at S.H.E.L.L."
The android looked surprised at the face of the other android.
"Fixit!? What's going on? You're calling from the lab."
He stated, while Raven went to process through the computer.
"Fixit, what's going on?!"
Fixit looked calm, as always, though the sounds of alarms and shouts could be heard from the transmission.
"I suppose I am not updated to the changes in the city, but I do know that the Teen Titans remain on the virtuous side of the society, correct?"
Cyborg didn't like where this was going towards. He looked to Raven.
She looked back at him with scrunched eyebrows and gritted teeth.
"Cyborg, I do not know the reason, but the facility is under attack by the young lad, Robin."
Before Cyborg or Raven could respond, a blur of purple and red flew past them.
"Starfire!!!"
The Tamaranian girl flew out through the roof and off towards the direction of what now appeared to be a magenta sun.
-------------TT
BOOM!
Guards and metal scraps flew across the entire compound, tinged and singed with a peculiar red glow.
Crates spilled amongst the floor of their contents, and most of them were now broken glass that illuminated the interior of the building, creating an inspiring piece of art with the battlefield.
Robin, in his dark suit and dark soul, appeared in the middle of the ground, after disabling his cloaking device.
He began walking slowly towards the most inner sanctum of the S.H.E.L.L. facility, looking for the core issue of this entire matter. Of course, not the core issue to
him.
An injured guard shakily brought his rifle to aim, He flinched when Robin looked directly at him, and cocked his head to the side.
"Uh.........uh......!!"
The guard fired.
Robin moved slightly to the side and the shot missed.
"Uhhhh....!!!"
The guard shot more rounds. Robin swiftly dodged them all, using the most minimum of movements.
He brought his hand up.
SPROOOON!!!
A gigantic ball of red impacted the guard and he was suddenly encased in a cesspool of unknown crimson substance.
Robin disregarded the man and continued walking.
-------------TT
He reached a gate, colossal and metallic, with a gigantic lock that could only be activated through a security bypass on the side.
Robin walked to the code board, and raised a finger.
"Robin."
The Boy Wonder turned to the voice, knowing who it is.
"Fixit." His first word since he arrived.
"What are you planning on doing?" His voice was calm and composed, showing no sign of reproach or fright.
Robin cocked his head to the side.
"Finishing this."
"Terminating appears to be the more appropriate term."
Robin cocked his head to the other side, and began a different conversation.
"Do you know what is inside that gate?"
Fixit observed the boy a few more moments and then scrutinized the gate.
"Yes. How did you know?"
Robin didn't answer, and resumed accessing through the date codes.
"Robin. What are your worries? What is your purpose? The goal in which you seek, is it so important that you must resort to this?"
Fixit indicated the broken warehouse.
Robin growled.
"I don't need anything else now. I know what I have to do. You have no idea what it means to be me, what I need to do, what I have to deal with everyday in my damn life. The best way to fight evil, is to attack with everything."
The gate begins to open.
"I won't let anything stop me. I've had enough."
"And the city? You would endanger what you should seek to protect? What of your friends?"
Robin growled. "Shut up before I burn the rest of your flesh."
The android closed his eyes in defeat.
Slowly, the tremendous metal gate parted, and allowed the first stream of fresh air in years to flow in the even more gigantic room.
Light began to fill as the protocol of the code accessed all the power reserves for illumination.
Robin expected to see a behemoth machine, one that would fill the descriptions of what he drew with Markowitz's words. Instead, he saw the most empty of a storage room.
There was nothing, just dust that had been accumulated over the years. Cob webs dominated every corner and even some leaves blew past Robin's face.
Robin and Fixit both narrowed their eyes.
From the shadows, a voice rang.
"Greetings, young master Robin. It is such a pleasure to finally meet you."
Robin took several steps forward, approaching the voice.
"Who are you?"
Albert appeared from the shadows, as daunting as the last time, with his monocle shining from the small amount of light. "Allow me to introduce myself, for I believe you have not heard of me as of yet. I am Albert Dunstan, a loyal servant to Mistress Hel."
Though he probably did not consciously realize at that instant, Robin was comparing Albert to Alfred.
Robin cocked his head to the side. "You mean....Moria Harbinger."
Albert smiled. "She does not enjoy being addressed as such. You see, it is a name that brings only bad memories. Besides, my mistress is no longer of this earthly world. She has become something much more, much, much more."
The Boy Wonder raised both his hands. "Where is Loki?" A red glow followed.
Albert took a step back. "I see. The infamous zinothium power. Your Red X escapades as well as certain other activities has already been noted by my mistress."
He took off his monocle. "Loki was relocated to my mistress' wish. It has been for some time. There was simply no one to notice. But, we have been expecting your arrival here for the short while when we have noted your existence."
-------------TT
Both men had ignored the biological android, and so Fixit took this opportunity to record the scene with his eyes.
He had decided to record some details before he ventured back into the labs to aid in vitalizing the facility.
The two men were emitting dangerous feelings that the android found alarming, and so he tried to contact Cyborg again.
Psssssssssssssssss.
There was no transmission possible. Perhaps a electric field had occurred.
Fixit left the two to repair what he can.
-------------TT
Robin cocked his head to the side. "Expecting me?"
"Why yes. Have you not questioned the reason I have appeared here? My mistress wishes to meet you, face to face. She appears to be fond of you."
Robin leered at the man. "It seems every psycho has some bone to pick with me. I want some answers. What is its function? Just what does Harbinger want to use Loki for?"
The old man snickered. "I'm afraid you'll have to ask the mistress herself. I am not liable to relinquish such information. If you will only-"
Robin blasted a couple of red beams.
ROOOON! YOOOOO!!
Albert moved swiftly sideways, avoiding the beams. But he was moving so fast that it seemed as if his feet never moved.
The dark teen breathed. "As expected. You're not a simple lackey."
"I'm flattered. A praise from one such as you is quite the compliment. But you do understand that I am still not liable to speak without my mistress' permission."
"It doesn't matter to me, if you won't talk, then we'll just fight."
Robin vanished.
Albert grinned, his eyes glistering with a spirit of a youth that contrasts with his apparent age.
He leaped backwards, his shadows trailing much slower than he was moving.
Robin kicked from the top.
Albert parried it easily and performed a summersault kick in counter.
Robin gabbed that foot and tossed the old man upwards into the sky, following with multiple red blasts.
"Uh!!!" The butler managed to avoid both energy bolts through tricky maneuvering and landed on all fours.
"I see. You are as vicious as we have expected." A sudden impact to the back of the head sent the man flying.
Robin appeared. "What is this monster Markowitz spoke of?"
Albert did a flip to recover. "Ah, Professor Markowitz, how is the old chap? I hope you did not hurt him too much."
Robin scoffed and darted forward, while shooting red bolts.
The old man flipped and dodged sideways, all the while still on the alert for Robin's next attacks.
"Not even a chance to talk. The mistress was correct. You are vile indeed."
His answer was a swift kick to the face.
WHAM!!! He flew against the wall.
"Talk to the foot." Robin elbowed him in the gut.
"Uh!!!" He didn't have enough time to even finish his grunt before he was tossed into a grapple launch.
Robin landed him on the ground, then leaped into the air, intending to smash the man's head.
Albert disappeared.
The boy's feet created a small crater where a squished cranium should be.
FON!! Small pieces of rocks and sliver pebbles scattered across the ground.
The butler appeared from the shadows, again. "Ah......such demoniac fighting prowess. Your style has vastly differed from the days in Gotham."
Robin was in his face the very instant he finished his sentence, and threw a quick punch, but the man just vanished again.
Robin glared at every direction, searching for his prey. ..
He activated his cloaking technology.
WHAM!!! Robin and Albert both flew across into separate walls.
The Boy Wonder hitched himself up. "You're just something that needs to be eradicated. Like every other criminal, there is no right for you to live."
"And what of you? What will you do when evil is perished?"
Block. Hit. Parry. Block.
Robin carried through a punch and shot dozens of blasts.
BOOM!!
He cocked his head to the side. "I said I'll finish this."
Albert smirked. "I suppose I must face you with all my talents then."
He held his hand out, and a bo-staff appeared. It was retractable, just like the ones Slade and Robin used. The old man extended it and assumed a stance.
Robin didn't seem to care, and just stepped forward. The belt glowed strangely veritable.
He exhaled.
"RAH!!" He charged.
-----------TT
Starfire flew towards what she thought was the direction of S.H.E.L.L. She had exited Robin's room when she heard the alarm, having the same assumption as everyone else.
Robin was most likely on the loose, and she was determined to be there to stop him, either by words or by force.
The sky was peculiarly dark, though it was only about noon. The clouds appeared eerily similar to the thunder clouds days ago.
The girl could see the overwhelming amount of people on the streets. Many of them were police and medics. They were still cleaning up the mess that Robin had.....
She shook her head.
Starfire was determined to face Robin. Alone. She didn't want her friends to bear the hurt of fighting their leader again. She would do the righteous act, and put a stop to her best friend.
Of course, she constantly questioned her will to do so.
Raven and the others were probably on their way as well, and so she must hurry.
But the progression of events seem to be much faster.
Starfire felt a tremor on the ground.
She stopped, around where Robin and Kahn fought for the first time.
CRACK!!!!
The ground began shaking, causing the surroundings to tremble and the foundations to crack.
People were shouting and screaming, as the buildings and houses began crumbling from the effects.
Starfire immediately charged to save the civilians, taking priority.
A huge debris was about to fall on a family.
"Hya!!!!"
VOOOM!!! She blasted it to the side.
"It's Starfire!!!"
"Ya!! Dad!! It's the Titans!!!"
The father grabbed his sons. "That's right, and we want to thank her by living, okay?"
The parents then turned to the Tamaranian. "Thank you so much!!!"
Starfire shook her head. "Now is not the most convenient of times to be thanking! Please, hurry to safety!"
The family obliged and Starfire took off once more.
She had managed to rescue more people from the falling buildings and uplifted some to safer grounds from the earthquakes.
What is happening!?
As if answering her question, a flash of light dominated the city.
FLASH!!! FLASH!!!
"Uhh......!!!" Starfire and all the others covered their eyes.
The light died down, and the result of it was a black dome in the far side of town.
Moving forward, Starfire frowned. "That is the direction of the museum....."
Feeling slightly foolish for flying out by herself, leaving her friends in the tower, and even more so for leaving her communicator, she was dumbfounded by the choice of the next action.
The black dome was obviously something concocted from an evil source. Its glow was maleficent and baneful.
"RfghhhhhhhhhhhheiiiCRAK!!!"
Sounds of gory monsters filled the air. People on the ground began panicking and so did Starfire.
"What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?"
She knew there was no apparent choice, and so decided upon the task she set off to do.
"I must find Robin." She declared with much sorrow.
She flew off again, but another flash chorused the last.
FLASH!!!
-------------TT
WHAM!!!
Robin dropped to the ground, and his hand fired several zinothium blasts from damage release.
He instantly shot another shot upwards.
Albert tapped it to the side with his staff, and continue his descent.
SLAM!!!
Robin dodged to side, and flung a red disc.
The old man whirled away, flipping and leaping. "By George, you're a tough fellow."
Robin appeared from behind him. "They don't pay you enough for this."
FLASH!!!
"!!!!!!" Robin shut his eyes tight, wincing from the pain.
Albert took the chance to gain distance from the boy, seemingly unaffected by the flash of light.
"Is this.......?" He droned.
He suddenly stood straight, as if he was listening to something.
Robin had recovered and was pondering on the possibilities of the flash.
Albert nodded. "As you wish, my mistress."
Robin focused his attention on the man once more.
"Ever heard of cell phones?"
He mentally reminded himself that he should deactivate his belt, overusing it would cause the problem he was adamant in avoiding.
Albert snickered, and retracted his staff.
"It would seem that this fight must end. But, you would not accept such a lucid end, no?"
"I said: I'll finish this."
"Then so be it. My mistress is impatient of meeting you as well." The butler raised his hand, and everything turned pitch black.
"Do not be alarmed. You'll receive your chance to finish this."
The two faded into the shadows.
----------TT
Fixit was accessing visual contacts for the facility, trying to salvage any amount of power or electricity for usage.
"Reaction cores have been damaged by the tremors. Source is of yet unknown........."
Fixit glanced to the side panels.
"Detected energy output over maximum sensibility?"
His metal probes and wires extended from his head and fingers and entered the computer.
Analyzing.............detected..........visual data retrieved.
FLASH! FLASH!!
The sight of a black dome appeared.
Fixit scrutinized it.
"..........impossible."
FLASH!!! The facility blacked out.
-------------TT
Raven floated high in the sky.
Cyborg and Beast Boy were by the T-car.
"..........whoa."
They watched the sizzling black dome.
"Ummm.... Raven? Care to explain?" Beast Boy asked loudly.
The girl leered at him. "Always suspect the half-demon."
"What!? Did you say it's 'black dome season'!?"
"Well!?"
Cyborg was furiously working his communications. "Well, whatever all those freaky gyms are, they're probably the things that's messing with all the radio signals. I can't get any kind of transmission."
FLASH!! FLASH!!
The three covered their eyes.
Another dome appeared in the north.
"Three's a charm." Raven moaned.
The people were more alarmed than ever, and were already seeking refuge away from the clustering unknowns.
Raven sure as hell didn't know what those things were. In any effect, they were definitely something conjured by the new menace. But to what purpose and range, she had no clue.
"Hehehehehehehe."
A chuckle echoed from one of the rooftops and Raven's eyes traced to the source.
Raven gasped.
A man stood, laughing, and his left eye glowed brilliantly.
"Hehehehehehahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!"
Raven floated towards him. "You. You're that man Robin fought!"
Kahn didn't acknowledge her. He just stared past her, and continued laughing maniacally.
Raven floated a good cautious distance from Kahn, readying herself for any sudden moves.
FLASH!!
Kahn's eyes flared and he now leered straight at the girl.
"But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow will he leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, Nevermore.'"
"Hehehehehehe.......can't you relate?"
Raven glared. "Who are you?" She glanced at the red eye fleetingly, feeling the ominous powers radiating.
"You have that evil relic. What have you done to Robin!?"
"Prophet!' said I, thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, Nevermore.'!"
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!!!" Raven summoned her powers and bound the man by his bandage like clothes.
"You better make some sense or I'll skew you."
Kahn grinned. "And the raven said, 'Nevermore'......"
FLASH!!!
"Ughh!"
Kahn used his brute strength to break free of Raven's powers. He jumped to another rooftop.
"Questions, questions. If you want answers, then you gotta work for it. Like that kid, Robin."
Raven floated closer. Her eyes shined with energy.
"You polluted his mind. You monster."
"Rather harsh words for our first meeting."
"Uggghh!!" Raven swung her hand and her powers turned into blades.
SWEEN! SWUUUN!!
Kahn leapt backwards to avoid being craved.
The building fell into clean cut pieces.
DOOON!! It fell to the ground.
Kahn's eye glowed.
"I don't know what you are, or where you got that abomination, but you're going to croak one way or another."
Kahn grinned. "Then follow me."
He took a big step backwards.
"If you want answers, then follow me. It's about time this party got started anyways. Look, even the beautiful weather agrees."
The clouds were beginning to congregate over the domes, spiraling into the dark matter.
The man's left eye blinked, for about a second. His shadow swirled and he disappeared.
Raven remained floating there, staring at the black domes.
"Yo!!! Raven!! Cyborg and Beast Boy flew up the building.
"What took you so long!? You didn't answer when we were yelling our butts off!!!"
Beast Boy morphed back. "Hey, something wrong?"
Silence.
The two boys frowned.
Then.....
FLASH!!!
A fourth dome appeared in the south.
"Okay. So those things are reproducing."
Raven stared at the direction of S.H.E.L.L.
"Cyborg, we need to get to Fixit. Hurry up and drive."
Beast Boy sniffed. "Hey, do you guys smell something."
"Wasn't me." Cyborg said automatically.
Raven sighed. "I don't smell anything, Beast Boy."
The changeling sniffed again. "No, I'm pretty darn tootan certain. There's some kind of iffy smelly thing."
Cyborg sniffed. "I don't smell nothing."
The air was becoming slightly misty and foggy. An odd color was beginning to saturate throughout the surroundings.
Raven concentrated. ".............!!!!"
Beast Boy coughed. "Holy shit!! I-it..it's-"
-------------TT
"-blood...." Starfire breathed.
After the fourth dome appeared, the city began to fall under the touch of foul entities. Stafire had expected to see the shadow fiends at any moment.
But whatever the enemy was planning, it seemed that destroying the city wasn't entailed. The civilians and other humans had apparently noticed the smell, and were reacting horribly to it. Some were already vomiting on the sidewalks.
Starfire could only hang her head in regret as she flew over them. There was nothing she could do for them now, except to finish this whole quickly.
Then I'll finish this by myself.
The girl winced. "I must end this. For the people and for Robin."
Nearing a speed that can break through sound barriers, Starfire arrived at S.H.E.L.L. Her landing created a slight dust devil.
She felt the pain once again as she saw the destruction the facility had suffered. Wires were sparkling with electricity. Shards of metal laid across the broken grounds. Red adhesive substances plastered everywhere.
Starfire recognized the red substances. They were the same as Red X's many weapons. She also felt a little sick, the color reminded her of the awful smell floating around her.
The Tamaranian flew over the battered grounds, keeping a keen eye out for anyone. She eventually reached Fixit's location, who was feverishly working on analyzing.
"Friend Fixit!!!" She landed next to the android.
"You are safe! How wondrous!! Please, you must escape!"
"Ah, it is the young Tamaranian female. I am glad to see you. Where are the others?"
Starfire shook her head. "They are not present! I have come to investigate on my own. I must.....stop Robin. Where is he!?"
Fixit retracted his mechanical inhibitors.
"I am afraid he is gone. I have long since lost his biometric signals. He was speaking with man. They had battled quite long before these black domes appeared. Then, they vanished, and I have yet been able to locate them."
"Robin had battled again? Tell me! Was it a man with an eye of the color red?"
"Negative. It was an aged man in formal attire."
Starfire tightened her fists. "Then that is the bad man at the museum! I must find them! We must fight these evil doers!"
Fixit turned back to the monitor. "Before you leave, I must speak to you about these occurrences." He indicated to the black domes, which seemed to be enlarging.
"I have seen them, outside in the city. What are they?"
Fixit tapped on the module, screening it into a different set of values.
"As absurd as this might sound. Those are quantum singularities."
The girl didn't really understand what she was hearing. "Quantum singularities! But black holes cannot exist in such form! The planet would immediately be devastated by such a strong magnitude of gravity!"
Fixit continued processing through the data.
"In addition. There seems to be something peculiar about these dense energy fields. Not only are they not behaving in a wormhole of extreme density, there are releasing energy."
Starfire watched the screen as the domes began expanding. The chard on the side showed the increase of released heat.
"This.....this is all very confounding."
Fixit pondered. "Miss Starfire. Do you know what 'Loki' is?"
She nodded upon hearing the name. "Yes! That is the term as well as the first clue Cyborg has obtained. Tell me, friend, what knowledge do you posses on this subject?"
"It is-"
"It seems I'm a little late...."
Starfire and Fixit both whirled to the uncomfortable voice.
BIN!! A red glow flowed from the darkness.
"Hehehe.....oh well. Not like I don't know where to look."
Starfire prepped her starbolts, radiating the strong heat in her hands. Her instincts warned her that the person was a foe. The ominous aura wasn't friendly.
Kahn entered the light casually, while sizing the android and the girl carelessly. His eyes showed immense amusement when they laid on Starfire.
"You're .......not human." He laughed, an insufferable laugh.
Starfire's eyes glowed emerald with her powers ignited.
"You! You are the cause of all this badness!" Without warning, she flew straight into Kahn's gut, and then blasted him with a starbolt.
ZIN!! "Gah!?" he leaped backwards in recovery.
She followed. "You have inflicted much grief upon Robin!"
WHAM!! Kahn flew over ten feet.
"Miss Starfire, stop!!" Fixit yelled, but the girl ignored him.
"You are to blame for all this ailment! All this depravity! All this malice!!!"
She charged her eyes and gave the man a full frontal Tamaranian assault.
ROOOOM!!!!
"Oooooohhhh!!!" The force caused the man to crash into the debris of the facility.
"Rrrrrah!" Starfire held both hands behind her.
ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZIN! ZAP! ZIN! ZAP!
An impressive number of starbolts impacted the area where Kahn fell and now imploded together to create a huge explosion of green light.
Starfire observed the small crater in suspense.
Silence.
She descended to the ground, simmered.
Kahn rose from the debris, chuckling.
"Hehehehehe. You're quite strong, and fast. How I love fighting warrior races."
His face was bruised and bleeding from the crashes and starbolts. His right shoulder was singed and bleeding.
Starfire had attacked him on impulse, frustration, and anger. Robin's disposition had saddened her, but that sadness ultimately led to rage. It is the way of most negative emotions. One would somehow serve as a link to another. Starfire had basked herself in the most dire of misery, and when she had finally encountered the cause that created the reason for her sadness. The rage had swelled and was released all at once.
But that was not the way of Starfire, and nor the ways of her power. Her starbolts were now temporarily useless and her fighting spirit was gone. Anger had dissipated to give way for sadness once more. The fatigue from crying and constant torment of the mind had also contributed.
Kahn approached the girl, his red eye flaring.
"Miss Starfire!!" Fixit shouted, worried.
Starfire involuntarily gazed into the crimson orb.
--TT
"Huy'rl mar poo'n Korian'dr."
"Lo'ty'f gour'glan ti tra buh'plo Komand'r."
--TT
She blinked. Her green eyes widened.
--TT
The image of looming shadows and rough voices. The scent of disinfectants permeated throughout the room, and hoards upon hoards of the desire of death filled her.
--TT
"Ah!" Starfire closed her eyes, and covered her head.
Fixit rushed, as fast as he could, in front of the Tamaranian. "I do not know who or what monstrosity composes into you, but leave this young female alone.....!!"
Kahn regarded the android, with that arrogant smirk.
"Hey, I think she attacked me first."
"From what I have heard, you have not done the Titans justice."
He scoffed. "Who are you? Their fairy godmother?"
Fixit's eyes glowed bright cyan. "Their friend."
The red eye was something beyond Fixit's comprehension. It was unnerving to stare into that orb of horrid light, but the android's mechanical composition seemed to offer him some resistance.
Kahn tilted his head to the side to look at the whimpering girl.
Fixit could only offer his body as a shield. "........"
Left eye vivid with crimson, Kahn closed it. "How's that?"
Fixit stared in slight disbelief. Why did this man just call peace so easily? What was up his intention? He seemed to have heard the unspoken question.
"Hey, Tamaranian chick. You want to see Robin?"
Starfire's head bolted upwards, eyes vibrant with emotions.
"Robin......?" She shakily began her rise, and stood firmly on her two feet.
She inhaled. She stepped around the android.
"Where is Robin?" Starfire asked, with a renewed spirit.
Kahn grinned. "Fortunately or unfortunately, he's most likely meeting the grand duchess by now, whatever the hell she wants with him."
"What does she want with Robin? What are these unpleasant happenings?"
"Hehehehehe..... that's the question of the century nowadays."
FLASH!!! FLASH!!!
Another tremor pulsed through the entire area. Fixit almost fell, if Starfire didn't hold him up.
Kahn grinned, with his left eye still closed. "Two more to go."
-------------TT
Dark. Black. Everything was black. Robin hated the darkness right now, but he remained calm.
Albert had disappeared, Robin couldn't feel his presence anymore. He also couldn't see anything, the darkness impairing his sight.
The surrounding reminded him of that horrid nightmare many days ago, where he supposedly met his evil counterpart. Or perhaps not, Robin more or less ceased rational thinking.
He cocked his head to the side. Waiting.
"Hmmmhmmmmhehehehehe."
He opened his eyes.
Faraway in the infinite void of darkness, he saw an approaching figure. A white, pure figure. It seemed as if the darkness was dispelled by this angelic figure, for the person was visible even through all pitch black.
The person got closer. Robin now noted long blonde hair and milky pale skin. It was a woman.
She got even closer. Robin stood.
He exhaled.
"Hmmmhmmmmhehehehehe."
--