Disclaimer: I own no part of the Teen Titans or their associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.
(A/N): I believe the term for this period of time in most people's lives is…
Chapter 7
Darkest Hour
From a vantage point high atop the one stable building left in downtown Verge surveyed his master's new domain. High overhead the rip in space-time was beginning to grow, expanding the portal to Trigon's prison. The dimensions were beginning to merge. Soon the whole planet would be his to rule. He laughed aloud at the thought. He had cut a deal and saved himself, and in the process, damned humanity. It was a strange sort of satisfaction that overcame him. A hundred men with a thousand plans had tried to conquer the world entire and failed. And to succeed, all he had to do, was wait.
He would never be his master's equal…but he would survive. He decided to make a trip to the docks and see if the titans had escaped for the moment. Taking a few running steps he jumped through the glass before him and fell several stories. Landing on the corner of a building that had fallen diagonally into the one he had just left, he slid down the edge toward the street. The wind whipped passed as his shoes glided along the steeply inclined concrete façade of the former tower. Leaping at the second floor he flipped several times and landed harshly on one knee in the middle of the warped street.
Powered by several blasts of wind he bounded through the streets of Jump City and soon arrived at the docks. It took only a moment to find the statued figures of the city's resident heroes. A smile found its way to his face as he approached them.
"The mighty Teen Titans. How lovely to see you again." He slid through the forms of fossilized humans and approached them. "What? No threats, no wonderfully spiteful comments? Don't worry, I understand you're indisposed at the moment. Poor Slade, if only he could see you now. In whatever hell he's currently a part of, I image he's cursing my very existence. I suppose he should really." Stepping back he drew one of his pistols.
"Now…I suppose…I could finish you all, right now." The weapon leveled at Robin's head. "After all, stone is strong…but brittle. One round…shatter you like ice." He drew back the hammer on the weapon. After several silent moments holding a rock steady aim his trigger finger began to squeeze. Just before it fired he stopped…and released. The magnum dropped down by his side. "No…I think I'll keep you, just as you are. That way I can admire you whenever I wish. Yes." He turned and took several steps away, holstering the weapon as he did so.
Just outside the circle of humans he suddenly stopped cold and wheeled around, the gun rising to his extending hand as he turned. "Then again, only a fool wouldn't destroy you when they had the chance." Clicking the hammer back he squeezed the trigger. A split second before the gun went off a loud crash came from behind him, disrupting his aim. The bullet shot nearly perfect, deviating only a few degrees. Instead of catching Robin's eye and shattering the statue it ricocheted off his cheek leaving a small chipped scar.
Verge searched the area behind him, looking for the cause. The rising dust told him a small building had collapsed a few blocks away. Debating whether to stay or investigate he chose the latter. "You're luck continues titans. Pray this distracts me for a long time. When next I come, you will be dust before I leave." A blast of air boosted him toward the building, leaving the titans alone once more.
Consciousness found him as he lay on the rubble stewn floor. Slowly his eyes cracked open, staring at the shattered acoustic tile and metal framed ceiling over his head. His eyes began to focus and his head rolled from side to side. To his right, the collapsed forms of cubicles he had rolled through were frozen in mid slide. To his left, smashed ceiling tiles, chairs and other detritus formed a pile of ruble gathered against the windowed wall of the office. The corner of a wheeled file cabinet resonated with a sharp pain in his abdomen where he had rolled into it.
A small squeak drew his attention once again to the right. Another wheeled cabinet was barreling down the aisle toward him, picking up speed. Reflex saved him further pain. Rolling back he sprang off a handstand and landed in a crouch. Standing as the cabinet smashed into the pile he took a step back. Feeling hands near him he wheeled around, ready to fight. Instead he found the horrified stone face of one of the employees. Then he saw more, lined up behind the first. They were gathered near the windows trying to see what was outside. The ones further away had turned toward the fire stairs and tried to run as they saw what had happened.
They hadn't gotten far. Whatever did this had moved fast. Moving between them to the window he tried to see what they were looking at. He beheld a ruined city, destroyed by some horrible force, bathed in blood red light. Searching the sky he was unable to find a source. The list of the building became even more apparent as another chair broke loose and careened across the office. Instead of heading for the far side of the building and a better view he headed for the stairway. Better to look from outside than dodge falling office furniture.
Working his way down the stairway he passed many more people frozen in mid-escape. He also crossed a number of rubble piles that had once been people. The further down he went the fewer people had made it to the stairs. On each floor though there was a group gathered at the windows looking out. Reaching the final level of stairs he found the bottom two doors out of reach. The lean of the tower had smashed them, and their stairs, into a pile of rubble. He couldn't go on and going back meant trying to navigate a dangerous obstacle course, something he wasn't ready to do.
Reaching out he knocked on the wall. Solid, thick. Outside wall. The answer became apparent. Drawing one of the blades from his legs he held it with both hands and focused. After several seconds, power flowed from his fists and encased the blade. As he drew it through the air a trail of light was left in the dimness of the stairwell. Plunging the blade into the wall he scribed a circle two feet in diameter. Pushing it out he could see the ruined street outside. Sheathing the blade he dove through the hole and rolled to his feet in the shattered street.
Making his way to the far edge of the block he found what was casting the shadows in red. His eyes popped as he beheld the incredible sight before him. A fissure was opening in the sky above the city. The blood red edges crackled with energy and cast the light that was illuminating the city despite it being the middle of the night. Whatever place the portal lead to, what he could see of it was none to pleasant. After staring for several minutes his eyes finally spotted the other object hanging in mid air over the city.
"No…" It was the form of a young woman, clad in a black uniform and whipping blue cloak. When his eagle vision made out what was held before her, he understood. "No…I told her to destroy that…" Despair and understanding washed over him in alternating waves. In a flash he understood why he was here and what was taking place far above him. She had once mentioned her fate, he had known the Sword was especially dangerous for just that reason. And it had all happened anyway. Turning he collapsed against the side of the building he slid down to a sitting position. Leaning forward he rested his head in his hands.
It was from there, hidden in the building's shadow that he observed another live figure burst dashing through the city streets. Despair gave way to curiosity as to what sort of person could still be moving about in this place and he began to stalk him as prey. Silently moving from cover to cover he hunted the man all the way down to the docks. Taking cover in a warehouse he observed the man approach a groups of statues near the water. Despair returned, as he perceived the ones in the center to be the Titans. Beyond them he could make out the Titan's Tower in the bay, listing dangerously on its foundation.
His attention was brought back to the man as he drew a revolver form his belt and took aim at the lead statue, Robin. Realizing the effect a bullet would have on brittle stone he frantically looked around for a way to distract him. A moment later, he saw it. Drawing a blade in each hand he again focused and sheathed the steel running from the bottom of each fist in glowing energy. Tracing arcs through the dusty air he charged the neared concrete support column that held the roof aloft. Chopping through it with well-aimed swings he moved onto the next, and the next. Each flash of light and steel made the building more unstable. With a final vicious strike the support system collapsed and literally brought down the house. Bolting out the end doors just ahead of the falling crossbeams he rolled into the next building, sprang to his feet and kept running.
Dodging in and out of the buildings he moved in a wide arc around the area, eventually circling back to the Titan's locations. Approaching from the shadows he could see the area around them was clear. Stalking through the area he reached their fossilized forms. Robin…Cyborg…Starfire…and at the back, Beast Boy. Shaking his head he walked closer. He circled them a couple times before stepping back toward the water. He nearly tripped as he did so. Turning again he found the statue form of a girl.
She was kneeling and sitting on her heels. Long flowing hair hid most of her bowed head. Her hands were clasped in front of her, almost as if she were praying. The girl seemed wrong for the dock…but somehow fit with the titans. In her clasped hands there seemed to be container of some sort. It looked to be small plastic box. He couldn't get a better view due to the way that she clasped it. Unable to remove it he instead stepped back and looked around. Shrugging he sat down near the girl and leaned against one of the large posts that both supported the deck and formed part of the railing. Staring at the growing fissure in the sky he kicked back and waited for the end of the world.
As the chemical concentration reached critical levels a catalytic reaction tore across the fossilized form. Slate gray turned into black and purple fabric and green skin. The form coughed and fell to the ground, stunned. It took deep breaths for several moments, vision foggy, unable to focus. Clarity slowly returned as did muscle control. Pushing himself up Beast Boy looked around.
"What…the…hell…" Glancing to the bloody sky memories crashed back on him. Spinning he looked to find Terra. She wasn't there. No…wait…yes she was. Crawling he reached the form of Terra, once again a statue kneeling, almost as if she was praying. It was then that he saw the other figure, not a statue, staring at him. "…Hunter?" Hunter nodded, stunned. Rising, he helped Beast Boy to his feet.
"What…what happened?"
"I…I don't know. Raven…she found that sword thing somehow…"
"Yeah…I noticed."
"Last thing I remember…Terra was fossilizing us."
"Terra?"
Beast Boy gestured to the kneeling girl. "She used to be Titan…then she betrayed us to Slade…" Beast Boy related an abbreviated history to Hunter.
"I…see. So…if she was betraying you again…why are you here?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"Fair enough." He opened his mouth to answer when two thumps sounded to the side. Turning they rushed to help Robin and Starfire to their dazed feet. As their vision cleared they saw the people helping them. Robin's eyes went wide.
"Hunter…?"
"Yeah…it's me." Pulling a clean handkerchief from his pocket he held it to a small cut that had appeared on Robin's cheek.
"Are…are we dead?"
"I don't think so." He glanced to the tear in the sky. "Not yet anyway." Helping the pair to a bench they both turned and moved to help Cyborg up. It took several minutes for them to clear their heads enough to speak coherently. Finally Beast Boy's head rose.
"I can't believe she betrayed us again."
"Is…is really that much of a surprise B?"
"I don't know Cy…I really thought she changed." Beast Boy ran his hand back through his hair. He jerked when he found something on the back of his neck. Pulling at it he discovered a small patch. "What the hell?" Cyborg's eyes shot open and he snatched the object away. "Dude! What?"
"This can't be…"
"What is it friend Cyborg?"
"You remember those patches I showed you? The ones that I thought could have brought Terra back?" The other titans nodded slowly. "This is one of them. Hunter, did you put this on him?"
"I don't even know what that is. Or rather, didn't."
"Well…that means…the only person who could have…was Terra…"
"Say what?"
"Quick, Rob, Star, check for these on your body!" They did as instructed, as did Cyborg, while Hunter and Beast Boy watched them perplexed. A moment later all three had found a patch hidden somewhere on their body. "I knew it. I don't believe it, but I knew it."
"Care to fill the rest of us in Cy?"
"In a second. Either of you seen Terra?"
"Uh…yeah. She's right over there." Hunter pointed to the kneeling statue. Cyborg dashed over and checked what she was holding. Working carefully he managed to get the box out of her hands. "I knew it!" He turned and returned, smiling broadly.
"Okay. Now can you explain it to us?"
"Certainly Robin. You see, someone had to put these on us after we were turned to stone, or the chemical would have been released too quickly. Don't ask what would happen then…but Plasmus should give you an idea. Anyway…the only two possible candidates to do such a thing are Hunter and Terra. Hunter was a long shot to begin with. After all, he had no idea what there were. That leaves Terra. She must have overheard me taking about them when she was in the infirmary…" The others stared at him, still confused.
"Um…she's a statue…"
"No, don't you see? We didn't get fossilized at the same time! That's why she did what she did! She wasn't betraying us again…she was saving us." Piece by piece the others assembled his train of reason. Everything made sense, it all rang true. Beast Boy spoke slowly.
"So…she wasn't betraying us?"
"Friends, if Terra in not again the traitor…why did she not tell us her plan?"
"She probably panicked Star. And if she had asked what would we have said? 'Sure Terra, turn us to stone, we trust you?'"
"Rob's right man. So now, one question."
"What's that?"
"Do we bring her back too?" He held up the small plastic box. They glanced at each other for several moments. The crash of a building coming down several blacks away drew their attention.
"Either way, I suggest we grab her and get moving. There's a nut job running wild in town, and he's after me."
"Verge."
"Say what?"
"Verge. He's working for Trigon."
"Great… Well, it's a good thing I showed up when I did. He was going to give you far more than a scratch." Robin reflexively touched the drying line of blood on his face. Another crash came from the same direction. "Might I suggest…?"
"Right. Cyborg, grab Terra, everyone else, we need to find a place to hide until we can figure out some sort of plan." He glanced up at the tear in the sky as Cyborg hoisted the stone girl. "And we don't have much time. Titans, GO!" They turned toward the building line and started off at a run. When Star fell behind the turned to see what was wrong. "Star, what's the matter?"
"I…I cannot fly." Cyborg snapped with his free hand.
"Power suppression. Side effect of the chemical."
"How long will it last?"
"This is a modified formula, more potent, faster…a day? Thirty-six hours? Maybe longer."
"We don't have that kind of time."
"Then we had better hope for a day." Hunter glanced around, searching.
"Might I suggest we get moving?"
"Right…come on!" They took off at a dead run, again searching for a place to hide.
(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.
