Teen Titans: Half-Life
Chapter 14: Nevermore, Once Again. (Final)
"Pan Metrion Ariston" - Moderation in all things.Aristotle
The swirling dark energies circled around them, and seemed to pass through them, as they traveled down the cylindrical channel that was Metrion's Gate. Shortly after passing through the event horizon, the point of no return, the world seemed to slowly fade away. The experience was similar to passing through a veil of dense fog. It hid everything from your eyes and seemed to choke you with invisible hands
Down.
Robin strained his eyes to acknowledge any signs of his friends through the black curtain that isolated him from reality. It was just like being caught inside Raven when she trapped him, along with Money, the same feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. But he wasn't alone, he still had.... then he realized that Green Raven wasn't carrying him anymore, he was falling through space.. A moment of panic, before his body and mind realized he seemed to be falling in slow motion; indeed, it felt like riding in a slow elevator.
Down.
Passing through untold depths of Raven's mind, Robin immediately notice a change in atmosphere. The negative emotions that he was feeling were slowly fading away. Something inside Robin nagged at the corner of his mind, he had the though that he was no longer inside Raven's mind, that he'd somehow passed through some other portal, besides the mirror. There was another entrance to Raven's mind, that would explain how Id had invaded her mind. It wasn't the first time, but Robin thanked his luck that no one could get inside his head that easily.
And Down.
Robin shivered, he'd been so engrossed in his thoughts; he'd failed to notice how cold it had become. He rubbed his hands together for extra warmth; his breath was now visible in the fast dropping temperatures. Not only colder, but the air was becoming thinner. He was falling, yet he might as well be on the highest mountain; his breathing became short ragged gasps and his vision was narrowing, stars danced tauntingly before him. His lungs and brain both burned for air, he'd black out soon
D
O
W
N
His instincts told him to panic, but he fought it back. To panic, at this point, was the worst thing he could do. He trusted Raven; she wouldn't send all of them to their deaths like this. He needed to hold out and ride this thing through. His efforts were soon rewarded when, like a burst balloon, the atmosphere equalized and sweet, sweet air filled his lungs till he thought they'd burst. He took a few more deep breaths of air, his vision quickly returned to normal, at least, that's what he though till he got a good look of where he was.
An infinite expanse of sparkling diamonds stretched before him, set into a black curtain that encompassed everything around him. His eyes weren't playing tricks on him, and he wasn't seeing stars for lack of oxygen. He was seeing the real thing, real stars.
"Where are we?" Beast Boy said his voice filled with wonder. Robin took a closer look around him; all of the others were there, Starfire, BeastBoy, Knives, and Cyborg, including the 5 Ravens.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zynthos," Five of the Raven's stood in a circle around everyone, quietly speaking the spell words; generating a protective bubble that sheltered everyone from exposure to space. Orange Raven, on the other hand, still snoozed happily, and very loudly.
"Hhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh," In this enclosed space, it seemed louder than ever before.
"Any chance we could eject her into space." Beast Boy cringed.
"I know where we are." Starfire announced shortly after looking 'upwards.' The other Titans followed her line of sight, but it wasn't hard to spot what she was looking at.
An impossibly huge nebula, stretching light years in every direction, like a formless color, of every possible tone, filled cloud of gas. Bright flashes of light, quickly and randomly, danced all along its massive expanse. All the Titans stared in awe at it's marvelous beauty. Except for Starfire, she knew where they were; she'd probably seen it many times before.
"Why did I not see it before?"
"See what?" Knives asked.
"In Raven's spell," Starfire continued, looking at the nebula, "she always uses the word Metrion and Azarath, but I didn't realize where I had heard those words before."
"What are you trying to say, Starfire?" Robin grabbed Starfire by the shoulders, to get her attention, buts he still stared into the nebula.
"Azarath was a planet, famous for it's rich culture, and a loyal ally with Tamaran, that used to orbited the Metrion star, before it went supernova. The nebula is all that remains."
"So that's what the Metrion Gate is, a portal home?" Cyborg took a sidelong glance at all the Ravens.
"But why is it in her head?" Knives finished.
"Why can't anything make sense around here?" BB scratched his head in frustration.
"So what happened?" Robin dropped his grip, when Starfire finally looked him in the eyes.
"I am not sure, it all happened shortly before I was born, but I do know that; Azarath was attacked by an evil people. They called Tamaran for assistance, but before any of our warriors could help, the sun and everything in the system was destroyed."
"Do you remember anything else?" Robin asked
"Well...I did know a few Azarians when I was growing up. That's where I learned about Azarath, but they didn't talk about it much."
"The destruction of your home-world can do that to people." Knives said.
"They managed to survive due to the sole fact that they were off-world at the time. So Raven..." Robin didn't get a chance to finish.
"What about me?" Crimson Raven smiled at the Titans. She hovered just outside the bubble, yet exposure to the vacuum didn't seem to affect her.
"Ahh keep her away from me!" Beast Boy gave a shout of surprise and possibly dread. Also, as if on cue, Orange Raven awoke from her slumber and sluggishly rose to her feet.
"So you finally appear, Id." Cyborg left hand opened up; the sonic cannon sounding off a charge of energy. Yet Id only seemed to smile all the bigger.
"Since you know who I am, you should also know what I want."
"We won't let take Raven!" Robin shouted his defiance whilst drawing his metal bo-staff. Id ignored him and scoffed.
"You can have her, I want Knives"
"Like hell you are!" Knives told exactly what he thought of that.
All of the Titans prepared for a fight, but inside the bubble, there wasn't much they could do. Especially since Id was on the outside. Starfire, being Tamaranian could survive in space; jumping out of the sphere, she interposing herself between Id and the others, her eyes and fists filled with green energy.
"You will not harm my friends!" Following Starfire's lead, the survival sphere temporarily collapsed and in an instant reformed into 4 separate and much smaller bubbles. Inside each bubble was one Raven and one Titan. Except for Knives, who got both Gray and Orange. The 3 other spheres carrying Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy fell in line with Starfire, while Knives sphere took up a defensive position behind all the others.
"Is that the way you want it?" Id's smile opened to expose a row of razor sharp teeth.
"It's the way it is!" Robin retorted, no fear.
"No regrets then."
"Teen Titans GO!"
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Cyborg and Starfire broke to the left and right, respectively, all the while firing off their energy weapons. Robin and Beast Boy, who'd taken a gorilla from, went down the center. All the while the Raven's provided a means of propulsion and protection in the vacuum of space.
The energy shot streaked by harmlessly as Id nimbly dodged. Robin swung his staff in a sideways arc while BB threw a combo of punches with his large gorilla hands. A duel burst of red energy shot from Id's hands, knocking both Titans back, the Ravens shields preventing them from coming to harm. Cyborg, hopeing to then catch her off guard rushed at her, firing as he went, Starfire did the same. It was futile, for Id seemed to know when and where the energy bolts would hit and managed to avoid all fire. Two quick punches and it was over. Cyborg and Starfire staggered back stunned from the attack. The quick fire attack had only lasted a few seconds, none had received injury, but the Titans had yet to move Id from her original spot.
Meanwhile Knives pounded on the inside of his shield.
"Come on! Attack!" He was shouting to the two Ravens with him. Neither seemed to hear his shouts as they concentrated on powering the shield. The others had engaged in the fight and so far it had proven to be a stalemate. Knives wanted to fight as well, but it seemed he was forced to play 'keep away' this time. Since the Titans failed first attack, she had assumed the role of queue ball, using her own psychokinetic shield, and preceded to knock the others around like they were all in some cosmic game of pool. Violently impacting into them, sending them head over heals, out and about, and even into each other on many occasions; growing all the more amused with each hit.
All the time the two Ravens were required to take Knives to the opposite side of the table, as it were; all the while never straying out of sight from Metrion's gate. The only reason Knives could even tell the gate was even there was because it blotted out the stars behind it; a large interrupt in the flow of lights. Only when the gate was between him and the nebula, could his eyes actually 'see' it.
Starfire was having the hardest time playing pool. Without her own Raven to protect her, every strike from Id impacted her fully upon her body, which already had bruises forming on her arms and legs. Starfire wiped blood from her nose from when Id had hit her in the face, to the accompaniment of a large cracking sound. Undaunted she flew right back into the fight. Firing a twin bolt of energy from her pupils, she caught Id from behind. Id 180ed and flew at Starfire, fully intending to hit her again, but was caught, from behind again, by Cyborg's Sonic cannon. The impact did not damage the shield but it changed Id's course just enough to fully miss colliding with Starfire.
Robin took this moment to fly his own collision course towards Id. Holding his staff out like a jousting javelin, just outside the shield, he intended to scratch this queue ball but good. But Id had seen it coming, lowering her shield for a split moment; she reached out to Robin's staff and caught it as it was about to strike her in the chest. Pulling herself forward quickly, she penetrated Robin's shell and was suddenly occupying the same space.
"Hello handsome." She said, almost pleasantly before bringing her knee into Robin stomach. Robin doubled over, the wind knocked from his sails. Without giving him a chance to react, she raised the palm of her hand to Green Raven's face and let loose a crimson beam. The attack smashed into Green's face, her chant stopped and she seemed to fall unconscious. But more importantly the shield failed to contain the precious atmosphere. It vanished, and to Robin's horror he suddenly felt as if someone had poured liquid nitrogen all over him, it was just so cold out there.
Id brought her foot up and about for a roundhouse kick to Robin's face, which sent him spiraling away into space. Robin flew head over heals, his inertia continued to pull him away from the battle. Robin swung his arms and legs around trying to stop his wild movement, which would've been fine if he was swimming in a pool of water.
Robin's situation was not lost on the others. But Id stood in their way. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy all rushed Id at the same time, one must get passed Id and save Robin. But for Knives, all he could do was watch the scene unfolding before him.
"Robin!" Starfire screamed to her departing friend, before Id stuck her with a left jab across her face, which sent the alien girl soaring back a sizeable distance before her natural flight ability countered the inertia.
"We need to help Robin!" Knives told the two Ravens'. They continued their chant, but something in his mind told him that they'd heard him. But still they failed to make a move in the right direction.
As for Robin, he was spiraling so wildly he couldn't even see the others. Just colorful blurry trails as they swiftly passed through his vision. Why did he suddenly feel so tired? He felt like he could sleep for days, right where he was. If his brain wasn't half starved and he could think straight, he might've realized that he was starting to suffer the symptoms of both hypothermia and shock.
The sounds of battle had sharply faded in the distance, Id was holding the others back, and none of them were able to break her blockade. Theoretically a normal human could survive exposure to space for no more than 30 seconds, and he must've been drifting for at least a minute. At least that's what Robin figured. Robin felt his body hit something hard, it felt like a smooth metal panel. But it was too painful to open his eyes, so he was unsure as to what he'd hit.
A sense of peace and calm overcame Robin's senses and his strength left him. Robin felt more certain, then he had ever felt before, that he was going to die. His life didn't flash before his eyes, but he did hear voices, they were calling to him; gentle sweet voices, some he recognized and others he didn't.
And then
Like a small child deprived of a favorite toy, he let out a cry. A two-syllable moan of disappointment, 'Nn-ga.'
Then he died.
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Then Knives' sphere started to move, towards Robin; slow and hesitant at first but rapidly picked up speed. Knives let out a sign of relief, pulling out his only weapon, the kitchen knife he'd swiped. But this was the very thing Id had been hoping for. Quickly dismissing the other Titans, she rocketed at full speed towards Knives on an intercept course. They was no time to head back before Id caught him.
"Do it now!" Knives shouted. At his command the sphere suddenly changed direction, to collide with Id. She was surprised by the sudden move, but she was quick to respond. Energy filled her hands and her eyes suddenly became a much more defined shade of read. Her palms collided with the shield first, passing through it's protective layer with no difficulty. She grabbed the Knives' hand by the wrist, to prevent him stabbing her with the knife. Another smug grin started to unfold on her face, before Knives used his forehead as a battering ram and smashed it into her face.
Taking advantage of her brief moment of shock, Knives dropped his weapon, quickly ducked behind her and wrapped both his arms around her waist as hard as he could, trapping her arms as well. Starfire, lending her assistance to Knives' effort, clasped both hands into a single fist, she lifted it high above her head and brought it down hard across the back of Id's head, releasing a discharge of energy upon impact. Id let out a cry of pain, before falling unconscious in Knives' grip.
Meanwhile, with the path cleared, Cyborg and Beast Boy both raced as fast as was possible, Beast Boy headed to where Green Raven was last seen floating off to, while Cyborg sprinted to save Robin, who had since disappeared from sight.
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There was a sound of heavy breathing, followed by a heavy pressure on his chest that rose and fell several times in rhythm.
A shout!
Then his chest imploded in two separate places. He felt himself rise and then fall against his will. Then someone was breathing again, rhythmic pressure, a second shout, then implosion, the pain was incredible!
But the pain was actually something of a relief, to him it was. Proof that he was still alive.
"We got a pulse! He'll be ok."
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Cyborg's eyes looked in every possible direction. He was starting to lose hope that he'd ever find his friend. A rapid beeping sound emanating from his right arm, caught his attention. Cyborg's internal sensors were detecting a distress signal from somewhere nearby.
"That way." Cyborg pointed and Pink Raven willed the bubble to transport them there. There was a small flash of light and something that looked like Metrion's gate opened up above him, but this time the swirling whirlpool of energy glowed white and blue. Using the zoom function, built into his eyes, he increased his magnification to maximum focusing on the white portal. He defiantly saw a large object entering the white gate. Even with maximum magnification he could just barely see what it was. An alien Starship was departing through the white hole, the light shining off its metallic skin. The ship was long and narrow, but had two large shark fin shaped extension, only longer and narrower, with what appeared to a large cannon placed atop each fin. One fin rested on the top rear of the ship just in front of the engines. The other fin was placed underneath the ship's body, but aligned perfectly to the top fin. Cyborg estimated that this starship was about twice as big as Titans Tower.
Cyborg watched, dumbfounded as the ship disappeared. But before it disappeared, he caught the sight of several characters on the side of the ship. They were defiantly English characters, but he hadn't caught it soon enough to read the full name. All he managed to discover was that the ship's name ended with an, "ILE."
But even after the white portal had closed, Cyborg's sensors still picked up a distress signal. Continuing his investigation he came across what his knowledge of science fiction films described as an escape pod. Indeed that is what it was, because when he was close enough to look inside the pod he saw Robin. Robin was unconscious, with a seatbelt securing him to one of the resident seats. But more importantly, to Cyborg's great relief and joy, Robin was still very much alive and breathing, even though he did look to be in less than A-1 shape.
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It must've been Id who had first opened Metrion's Gate into Raven's mind. Since having been rendered unconscious, the gate had been slowly shrinking in size. Or maybe there was another cause behind it, as witnessed by Cyborg's discover of the alien starship using a very similar gate.
There was no time to lose. When Cyborg and Beast Boy returned with Robin and Green Raven, respectively, they re-entered the gate, but not before Starfire, using what remained of her energy, decided to give Id what she deserved and shot the villain into deep space. With any luck they'd never have to hear from her again for a long time.
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In due time they found themselves back in the familiar bleak landscape of Raven's mind. There was a sound of escaping air as the gate closed behind them. But before them they saw the opened doorway of the medical bay. A light beckoned them forward, and with no hesitation, they stepped, passed the entrance and found themselves returned to reality, back standing around Raven's bed in the med bay.
The mirror that had served as the beginning of this adventure, the door into Raven's mind, lay on the floor. The once reflective surface of the mirror lay in several broken pieces next to the frame.
Unfortunately for the Titans, they had no time to relax. Intruder alarms were screaming all throughout the Tower. Leaving Raven, who still had not awaken from her slumber, they all entered the main room to find it nearly destroyed. Someone must've entered the room just long enough to toss a handful of grenades around. Blacken charred craters were randomly blown into the floor and walls, and even a few on the ceiling. The giant TV screen was still mostly untouched by the random displays of destruction and a single image was burned into its surface. The picture was from a security camera originating from containment storage. The image was zoomed up onto a single empty pedestal, the very same one that had been used to store the HIVE battery that Money had possessed.
Check out my bio, for details on a little contest I'm hosting. Goto to see a picture as to what the starship looked like and NO it's not called Athena.