"I am truly sorry friend Cyborg. I did not know friend Robin could get so troubled upset." says Starfire, sitting nervously in her wheelchair. Cyborg is pacing the floor put out and wondering whatever he was going to do!
"It's not so much what you told him that upsets me Star!" says Cyborg, his eyes tired. He had hardly slept a wink since Robin gave him a good yelling. "Telling the truth is good. The fact you got ATTACKED BY A TANK is what is getting me down! Robin probably burst something on the other end!"
"If it is any consolation; I did nothing in means of physical intervention. The bad criminal did it by alone himself."
"This is your LAST chance Star! I have to be strict now!" says Cyborg. Starfire looks sorrowfully downcast. "Now don't start with that look! This is for your own safety! STAY INSIDE!"
"Are there any exceptions to that regulation?" she says hopefully.
"None! While you're inside the mansion, you are safe from any accidents! For crying out loud; you're still in a wheel chair! With two broken legs! Stay here and nothing can go wrong!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" heralds from upstairs. Cyborg quickly runs up while Starfire uses the elevator.
"Oh man! This just keeps getting better and better!" sighs Cyborg. He goes in to check on Beastboy.
…
"I'm so happy! I guess that's why I'm called happy! Ha!" laughs Happy Raven, hugging the returned Shy.
"Looks like someone's got the hots for a little green man from mars eh?" says Mean, nudging Shy. Shy just blushes a bit.
"He's just a good friend that's all." Shy says, sitting upon a rock in the desolation of the void. What surprises the others is her seemingly boost in poise as she seemed, even, a little proud of the fact.
"Well, now we have to decide who's up next." says Grumpy with a sigh.
"Don't you think we'd stand a better chance if we stick together?" says Fight. "With Evil flying the coop, we could…"
"No. It isn't safe to leave the body unoccupied for too long." says Grumpy. "We can still face Trigon though. He must also be feeling the loss of power since Evil hasn't been allowed in the real world."
"Well, that's like if Evil isn't captured and all!" says Vain, messing with her hair.
"Why does this have to be so complicated?" cries Sad.
"Okay now! Everyone get your hair ready!" says Happy.
"Just a sec there jolly jumper!" says Vain. "I'm sure most of us would prefer to keep our hair!"
"Actually I…" begins fight, but Vain just goes on.
"I think a simple game of twenty-one will be enough?"
(Twenty-one, for those who do not know, is where each person puts out one hand with a random number of fingers up. A counter begins counting the fingers in a circular order until they reach the number twenty-one. That person is either the chosen one, or s/he has to put down that finger for the next round until only one person is left, who will be the one picked.)
"That was simple?" says Happy.
"Who are you talking to?" says Grumpy.
"I have no idea!" says Happy smiling away.
"Shy is the least biased and less likely to pull a fast one on us, so she'll be the counter." says Vain.
"Great!" says the not so shy, Shy and they begin the contest.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" heralds from the portal.
"Okay! Sudden death guys! Trouble's brewing!" says Fight, and they all drop down to one finger each.
"Why twenty-one? What's so special about it? Why not thirteen, seven or three?" says Grumpy impatiently.
"Just leave the counting to me okay little miss complain a lot!" says Shy. The others are a bit troubled by her attitude.
…
Richard Grayson bounced the baseball against the stone wall; eyeing the telephone and his Robin costume beside it. He was annoyed, infuriated and extremely worried. How on earth did Starfire manage to get herself into that situation? Why on earth would a TANK open fire with a SHELL on a girl in a WHEELCHAIR! Cyborg was really going to get it if anything was to happen to her. He sighed and waited…
Upstairs, Bruce Wayne was filling out the copious mountain of letters and requests, aided by Alfred in the dim light of his sanctum office. The dull knocking of Dick's baseball is heard down stairs, but Bruce heeds it not and continues on faster to start working on the case at hand. Alfred is a bit more alert to the young master's depression…
"Mr. Verona and the Charity funds." says Alfred handing Bruce a letter.
"Yes." says Bruce and he signs it. The procession goes on.
"Mr. Shrek and the loan."
"Yes."
"Miss Kyle's dinner tonight."
"Yes."
"Mrs. Stewart's cancer fund."
"Yes."
"Mr. Sigma's application."
"Yes."
"Appointment with Mr. Vasectomy."
"Y…"
There is a slight pause.
Bruce puts down his pen. "You have my attention Alfred."
"If not; the operation certainly would have." smiles the Butler.
"Go on."
"I do believe Master Dick is in a rather bad state." he says, referring to the noise.
"Just as long as it's not his head that's making the noise, it's fine with me."
"I do not think you quite get the message. He is lonely sir."
"I have noticed."
"You have, but you are not Master Dick. You were, and are, a loner sir, if I may be so bold to use the archaic expression. Master Dick was a loner, but things have changed. He has changed."
Bruce nods his head. "Are you saying I should send him back to Jump City to help his friends?"
"Master Dick sees you like a friend, mentor and whether you like it or not; a father." says Alfred. "I am wondering; are you a good parent?"
"I'll check my maternal instincts later Alfred." says Bruce, signing more papers. "Work comes first."
"If work comes first all the time, then maybe other things won't even bother to race against it." says Alfred.
Bruce thinks… but no. Being a hero meant sacrificing everything to protect others. That meant everything. He was sure Robin would understand. He was smart enough and capable enough to live without another father. He was sure Robin understood… he hoped.
…
"What in the world are THOSE?" yells Cyborg, eyes goggling and frantic. Starfire is also confused at to Beastboy's weird state.
"Those are some really odd designed foot-ware friend Beastboy." she says.
"IT'S NOT A SHOE! IT'S MY FOOT!" cries out Beastboy. He was now a little bit taller again with thicker hair and seemingly greener than usual. Perhaps it is because of the large root like formations that have replaced his feet? "GREAT SUFFERING ZEBRAS! I'M TURNING INTO A TREE!"
"Why is it taking so long BB?" says Cyborg, staring at the strange 'toes'.
"I guess it's because plants are slower than animals!" says Beastboy, feeling his 'feet'. "I have a weird urge to jump in mud!"
"This may not raise your hopes but," says Starfire. "How long before you actually completely transmogrify? And are you able to reform to your original context body?"
"This has never happened before, so I have no idea!" says Beastboy, getting up on his roots. "From what I can tell, it may take a few more days to become a total vegetable. Maybe taking just as long to turn back into myself!"
"NOOO!" whines Cyborg. "NOT ANOTHER ONE OUT!" he cries. "Now it's just me and Rae fighting the bad guys! And she couldn't even use her powers yesterday! What am I supposed to do? Go solo against Mumbo, Kitten AND Control Freak (CtrlF). This sucks!"
"Speaking of sucks, can someone pour some water on my feet please?" says Beastboy, twitching the roots of his toes.
"This is a very unusual dilemma." says Starfire. "What kind of plant are you?"
"Apple I think."
"Yummy!"
"DON'T YOU DARE!"
"Dare what?" says Raven, popping up with a beaming grin that stretched her face. The weird surreal vision completely horrifies Beastboy.
"AAAAAIIIIIEEEEE!"
…
"God save us! She made him go into cardiac!" says Grumpy, viewing the remarkable progress of Happy in control. "And I don't just mean a giant demonic heart that eats kids either!"
"I think I'm going to kill her!" mumbles Mean.
"The pansy! I think he fainted! Hasn't he ever seen us smile before?" says Fight.
" What has happened to his feet?" says Vain. "Elephantitis?"
…
"At least it's not permanent like Elephantitis!" says Cyborg, trying to be optimistic when everything seemed down right terrible.
"Elephants! Ha! I like elephants and their little droopy flappy ears and noseys!" giggles Happy Raven. Starfire moves away a bit.
"Okay! This is really starting to freak me out!" says Beastboy, trying to adjust to walking. "Maybe this is all just a really bad nightmare and I'll wake up any second and… OW! What was that for?" he says, rubbing his sore arm.
"Just proving you weren't dreaming!" says Raven happily. "Oh look! Dust bunnies! I love bunnies!"
"What have you done with friend Raven, friend Raven?" says Starfire worried.
"What the heck is wrong with you girl! It's like you've completely split in two!" says Cyborg.
"Or more!" smiles Happy giddily.
…
"I think I'm going to kill her!"
"That's what I said Grumps!" says Mean.
"Oh no! She's going to ruin everything! EVERYTHING!" cries Sad.
…
"Hey CY! Do we have any straight jackets lying around?" whispers Beastboy.
"Hey! I heard that!" says Happy. "I may be crazy, but I'm not happy!... Whoops! Mixed that all roundish like! HAHA!"
"I think we shall require the handcuffs." says Starfire ad she wheels off.
"I think you're going to have to stay here today Rae! You too BB." says Cyborg, assessing that having a half tree and an insane psycho psychic may not be the best aid. "Sorry girl! But you're totally not yourself; especially compared to yesterday!"
"That's because I'm not!" smiles Happy, enjoying the little secret she has. The other Ravens are in fits.
"I knew it!" says Beastboy, dipping his foot in a glass of water. "This must be some evil version out to destroy us! Probably locking up Raven in some terrible abyss! I bet there are giant bugs there too! I bet they eat brains!"
"I'm not evil!" protests Happy. "I'm happy! Evil ran away!" she giggles at their confused glances.
"I think I require assistance!" calls Starfire from downstairs.
"Just a sec Star!" calls Cyborg. "Listen here! Are you Raven or not?"
"Yes and no!" Happy giggles. "Maybe a little, but not most! But I'm not grumpy about it! Get it? GRUMPY!" and she rolls on the floor in hysteria.
"Hurry up with those handcuffs Starfire!" shouts Beastboy.
"I am unable to comply. I seem to have handcuff secured me to the stair railing part." says Starfire, a bit embarrassed.
"I am going to loath this day!" says Cyborg, holding his head. Happy rolls along the ground and down the stairs. Beastboy has his root stuck in the glass of water.
…
"I will destroy them the infidels! Crush their bones and eat their live hearts as the watch impaled on barb wired poles! They shall die! And then I'll bring them back; and they shall die again! I'll show them who is the most powerful!" festers Evil Raven, hiding in a little hole she made in the ground. Evil thoughts were her favourite past time. "The traitors will pay for this outrage! And I shall be dominant! I SHALL BE THE FOREMOST EMOTION! GWAHAHAHAHA!"
Not so far away, Trigon; after recovering from his previous encounter with the Ravens, overhears her…
"She has potential." he smiles. At the moment, he was busy empowering his newest recruit to his minions; the great enemy of the Titans whom perished in molten rock. He was very strong in body and his twisted mind; he would prove extremely useful in ushering the destruction of the world. But he was not ready… not yet…
It would take some more energy and time to complete the transformation that would make him devastatingly more powerful than his former human self. This other Raven, Evil, was a more 'immediate' opportunity to exploit…
…
"Get moving! You heard the boss! Scat!" shouts a thug, firing his machine gun in the air. The people in the building scatter. Twoface looks on and clenches his fist. He would have had everyone mowed down at a blink of his large eye; but for the plan, he had to let them live… until the Batman showed up. Then he could unleash his fury.
"I can't wait!" he smiles on both sides. "Hurry up with those C4s! Hurry!" he shouts to his men.
"All ready boss!" says one, finishing wrapping the support columns. "She's going to come down nasty!"
"For your sake I hope they are!" snarls Twoface, pointing at another structure on the other side of the road... "I want that Wayne Foundation's building crushed. This tower has to fall exactly on top of it! EXACTLY!"
"I doubt even the Bat could stop a building like this coming down!"
"It's not going down." says the Batman, appearing from behind a column. The criminal is frozen in fear.
The other gang members open fire on the Bat, completely wasting their 'comrade'. Batman finds relative safety behind the marble column. Shards of the rock scatter around. Twoface is not impressed and he shoots one of the gunners in the head, point blank.
"Please refrain from shooting AT the EXPLOSIVES!" he screams.
"Good idea split face!" says Robin, swinging in and toppling the master criminal.
Without being able to shoot, the crooks brandish bats, crowbars and knives aplenty. Batman offers them a batarang and five of the twenty are dazed. One rushes up to the Caped Crusader, getting his face caught by his gloved hand that knocks him out on a support column.
Twoface swings at Robin, but Robin swings out his pole to wind him before vaulting away from a rush of his men. Twoface gets up and fires his machine gun into the air, but Robin manages to avoid it with a roll to the first floor.
"Give up while you still can Harvey!" says Batman, throwing a large mobster at him.
Twoface shoots at the poor man, but still gets hit over in a mess of blood. The Dark Knight then does a sweeping kick to topple two assailants, springing up to dive upon another one. Robin takes out another three jumping from the upper storey.
"Get this thing off me!" shouts Twoface, and two other thugs nervously move the dead body off him. "Time to fly!" he says and those that could still move flee. Robin and Batman, side by side, disarm and KO three armed men before rushing off in chase.
"One last wipe out!" says Twoface laughing. He takes prepares to do a sweeping shoot out at the few onlookers and police. The police open fire, but Twoface uses his men as human shields and begins to rattle at the police first. "DEATH!"
"You're going to pay for that!" says Batman. Twoface turns around to meet the attack, but only too slow. Infuriated by the casual killing of the fiend, Batman knocks him right down the 25 step flight of stairs in a crippled heap.
Suddenly, the utilities on Batman's belt begin to beep and alarm along with many other appliances and computers. Mobile phones suddenly sound and Traffic lights start flashing at random. The Riddler's signal!
The C4 in the building is activated, luckily for them, on the far side of the building's base so they were only knocked down by the blast of fire. But slowly and surely, the building began to creak… towards the other building across the road.
"EVERYONE OUT OF THE WAY!" yells Robin, but many are already running frantically.
"Use every cable you have!" says Batman, racing off at top speed to the Batmobile. "It won't be enough in itself, but every little bit counts!"
"I can use my R-cycle to…"
"No time! JUST DO AS I SAY!" says Batman and he speeds off to the rear of the collapsing ten storey building.
"…" Robin growls but doesn't say anything. He brings out his grapple irons and prepares to attempt the impossible. "Here goes!"
The grapple iron is in the form of a disk, he flings it like a Frisbee between the collapsing structure and its neighbouring (luckily abandoned) building. When it got between them, two grapple heads shoot out at the buildings, one in the collapsing building, and the other straining as it holds to the other. The metal cords were strong and the hooks were buried in the brick, but it snapped. But when it did snap, another two were thrown by the Boy wonder, until all ten that he had were used up.
Surprisingly, the building stalled its collapse, long enough for it to destroy two of its lower levels under its impressive weight, making it an eight storey building. But soon, the cords broke and it began to creak again. Robin hoped Batman was able to do a bit more…
"Come on girl. Don't fail me now." says Batman as he zooms along.
Batman presses a button on his console to shoot the giant grapple iron design on the front of the Batmobile up to the top of the building behind the doomed tower. The high strength cords wrap around the metal aerial tower and the Batmobile zooms up along the side of the four storey building as if it was climbing up vertically.
The vehicle pops over onto the roof and another similarly designed grapple launches from the rear end and into the falling building. Then began a test of strength for the Batmobile as it hauled the multi tonne structure. The well made grip tyres began to soil away on the gravel paved roof. The aerial tower was beginning to sway but it was working; the building stalled its deadly collapse.
"Crazy! It actually worked!" smiles the Boy Wonder.
Robin watched from a safe distance as the falling building crushed another three stories underneath it before the Batmobile cable broke off the aerial tower it was holding to. The Vehicle was pulled back by the force of the collapsing building before Batman could disengage the hooks, sending it off the edge of the roof, towing with it the broken aerial transmitter. Batman quickly ejected from the beloved car before it came to a great crash at the bottom; still intact but very badly shaken. Batman slowly parachutes his way down.
The collapsing building, now only half its original height falls upon the Wayne Foundation building, but only the entrance staircase on the street. The colossal ruin spans over the six car wide road and the pavements without one human being harmed, aside from those that Twoface had killed himself.
The many patients in the Wayne Foundations hospital sigh in relief, as to does Twoface, who fled the scene in the confusion.
…
"Just hand over your money and other valuables to the man at the front and no one will turn into an ostrich!" says Mumbo Jumbo over the crowd at the bank. Control Freak (CtrlF) opens up the sack of loot for the collection.
"Oh come on! It's not that bad!" he smiles to the bank security team, who are trapped in a TV portal on a tropical island. "I'm the King of Control!" laughs the fat villain and he ties up the loot.
"A pleasure to have such a captive audience!" says Mumbo bowing. "Now if you will excuse us!" he says and he flings a heap of sleeping confetti to stop any pursuers.
"That was almost too easy!" says CtrlF. "This is sort of like episode 47 of Star Trod, where the Frespions walk right into a…"
"Trap?" says Cyborg, appearing around the corner. "Be prepared for a pounding and in-pounding!"
"Nothing that we can't BEAR with!" smiles Mumbo and he shoots at Cyborg with his wand. But Cyborg already knows this trick and dodges it with a mechanical jump. The post box behind him doesn't fare so well, and moulds itself into a bear shape.
"Your chances of victory are very remote!" smiles CtrlF, blasting at him with his juiced up remote control. Cyborg blocks it with his sonic cannon in mid-air and prepares to take out the two criminals. The Channel 5 news advertising board behind him turns into the Channel 9 news advertising board.
"Booyah!" calls Cyborg in battle cry, but the two are still smiling away.
"SWAT!" shouts a strange, flying costumed villainess, and Cyborg is blasted to the side of a wall in a sticky cacoon sort of thing.
"Hey! This is not fair!" he says, trying to budge. "Who are YOU?"
"You can call me Girl Moth." smiles the new guise of Kitten, dressed in a similar fashion to her father's costume. "But you can call me the winner!" she laughs.
"Well, you can call me the Victor!" says Cyborg, and he breaks his bonds with a Swiss-army knife. (It would be pretty dumb not to have one on him). He makes a few blasts at Moth Girl, but she flies away behind buildings. Then he makes for CtrlF and Mumbo.
"You just don't know when to give up do you?" laughs Mumbo, pointing his wand.
"It is inevitable!" says CtrlF and they both start blasting away in beams of blue and purple.
"I think being in jail has made you guys a little rusty in aim!" smiles Cyborg, but his tone changes when a magic beam hits his sonic arm, causing it to slowly turn to rust. He quickly disengages the limb to stop it spreading, using it to deflect one of CtrlF's beams, sending the arm to a strange channel far, far away.
…
"That's not my arm Chewbacca! You great clumsy oaf!" says C-3PO annoyed and in pieces in Cloud City. Chewbacca scratches his head and moans in confusion. Wondering what strange planet could have supplied such a weird hand…
…
Cyborg runs right between the two in an amazing speed. They consequently blast each other. Mumbo trapped in the Oprah Winfrey show and CtrlF the Orang-utan scratching his head.
"Man that was an old one!" smiles Cyborg.
"So is this!" says Girl Moth, and she uses an electro whip to bind around a lamp post to act as a trip wire for Cyborg. Cyborg gets a great surge through him and he comes to a wreck on the pavement. "HAHAHA! Victory is ours!" she laughs.
"Are you mad?" says Mumbo, now in a Bugs Bunny Cartoon. "We're not exactly in fighting condition over here! And there are the other Titans to worry about! Time to get back to HQ!" and he gets hit by an anvil.
"Argh! And everything was going so well for my debut!" fumes Girl Moth. She cacoon guns the loot, TV portal and CtrlF and flies off with them back to their hideout. Cyborg groans with his face still in the cement.
"Well! That could have ended a lot worse!" and his eye twitches from the electricity.
…
Starfire is busy watching TV along side the straight jacket bound Happy Raven and Beastboy with his feet in mushed tofu.
"This is really weird!" says Beastboy. "I've never eaten out of my feet before!"
"Now that's funny!" laughs Happy in tears. "Tofu! Ha! Get it? Toe-fu! HAHAHA!" and she falls of the sofa. Beastboy shuffles away a bit in a genuine look of mixed fear and concern.
"What is so good about these circular rubber wheel fittings?" says Starfire, watching the tyre ads between the motor racings (Which she was finding very intriguing). "They are interrupting my information gathering on human transportation."
"Well, special wheels means you can get more grip on the road when the track is slippery with rain or… um… other stuff." says Beastboy, pouring in more tofu to his basin. "It also helps turning round sharp corners without losing control of the car…"
"Or vehicle?"
"Yeah! Any sort of vehicle." says Beastboy, being rather a tyre expert (Though only in modelling his car in the video game Race Racers). "Some wheels even let your car…"
"Or vehicle."
"Yeah, like I said! Some wheels can make you drive on sand, or even some that are bullet proof like Cyborg's and Robin's."
"That is so boring." says Happy Raven, getting up. Her face then slowly moves to a grin. "IT'S SO TYRING! HAHA! Hee-hee-hee!" and she falls on the floor again.
"This is a really shocking dilemma." says Starfire worried. "I have never seen her act this way before. Is her head broken?"
"I wouldn't say broken more than disintegrated." says Beastboy.
"Ha! Broken! It's such a funny word!" says Happy and she hits the lamp as she continues to roll away and down to the garage. Beastboy and Starfire exchange glances of worry before racing down to help her.
…
"Oh! Just give me strength!" says Grump, angrily as they watch Happy's 'progresses into the day.
"Maybe being by herself up there has finally popped a screw loose." says Shy, remembering how hopeless she felt when it was her turn.
"She'll be fine! She's tough." says Fight, leading the expedition through the deserted landscape. "Let's just find Trigon and bash him up!"
"There you go AGAIN!" says Vain with attitude. "We're here to like find Evil, not Dad!" and she rolls her eyes.
"If you still think I'm angry about you deciding that we should have long hair; we'll I'm not!" says Fight, getting ready to fight. "Just as long as we can strap a ball and chain to it; I'm all for it!"
"You're such a fashion flop! Do you know that?" says Vain, glaring at Fight in a face off.
"I bet YOU go flop when I flip you over!"
"This looks good!" says Mean, rubbing her hands together.
"This is so SAAAD!" cries Sad to Grumpy.
"For crying out loud… sorry Sad! Just pull yourselves together!" says Grumpy. "We have to find Evil before Trigon does!"
"And who made YOU leader miss bossy boots?" says Fight.
"You always hogged the scene in the real world!" says Vain. "I think it's about time that we got a fair shout!"
Grumpy, Vain and Fight start shouting at each other, Mean joins in just to add to the confusion which is chorused by Sad's incessant wailing.
"JUST STOP FIGHTING AND SHUUUT UP!"
All the Ravens fall over backwards and stare at the demanding voice amazed.
"I mean…" says Shy, blushing again. "Let's get going guys!" she smiles.
…
"I think we should get these off you Rae!" says Beastboy, helping his bruised friend up.
"Nah! It's fine!" she says dizzily. "I like rolling about! Do you like rolling? I like rolling in pink fluffy clouds! Ha! Pink! HAHAHA!"
"Maybe we should call for… umm… professional aid." says Starfire, slowly coming down on the wheelchair ramp.
"I don't understand it?" says Beastboy, getting the straight jacket off. "She was like totally angry at me one day, totally sad the next, then shy yesterday and now this!"
"Oh look a hammer. They're so weird!" giggles Happy. Beastboy is a getting a bit annoyed now.
"She seems to be suffering from severe mood swings with occasional seclusion and sadness." says Starfire pondering. "Do you have anything to do with this Beastboy?"
"I know some of my jokes are bad, but I didn't know they could drive someone insane?" says Beastboy scratching his head. Happy Raven starts spinning in a circle for no particular reason.
"I meant; do you have anything to do with this?" Starfire says again, trying to insinuate something.
"Oh. You mean when I yelled at her and upset her." says Beastboy. "Well, I did say sorry. Oh! And I took her to the movies too… wait… actually, that's maybe why…"
"I meant; do you have anything to do with her condition?" Starfire says again with more hinting.
"Okay, I give up! What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Mood swings, sadness, seclusion and eating high amounts of sugars and glucose usually indicates child bearing."
"Raven's going to have a baby?" says Beastboy confused and in disbelief. Happy covers her mouth in laughter at the ridiculous proposal. "I don't think she is? Who do you think the father is Star? And what has anything got to do wiiith… me…?" and he finally snaps it. His eyebrows twitch involuntarily.
"It was just an estimated assumption." shrugs Starfire.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" shouts Beastboy, quite offended and fuming from the nostrils.
"I am!" laughs Happy and she slips on the wall. "Whee!"
"SHE IS INSANE! YOU'RE INSANE! SHE IS DEFINETLY NOT WITH CHILD, AND I'M MOST CERTAINLY NOT ANY FATHER!"
"There is no need to get upset friend Beastboy." says Starfire backing away a little. "I am sorry if I upset you in any way. I thought it is a joyous occasion when a child is being formation?"
"I'm going up to bury my feet in a pot." grumbles Beastboy, pulling his roots out from the ground. He stomps back up still irritated at the notion.
"Wait for me! You're so funny!" laughs Raven, bounding up the stairs after him.
Starfire sighs. Wrong again… oh well. At least it gave her an excuse to go down to the garage. She quickly went over to see the collection of wheels in the workshop…
…
"If I may say so sir, you are in a rather big pickle." says Alfred as the three watch the news.
"With the Penguin involved, it usually means super sized trouble." admits Dick.
"It could have been made a lot easier if Twoface was caught." says Bruce with a slight angry tone. "We were so close…"
"Are you saying it is my fault?" says Dick, getting annoyed.
"Do you think it is?"
"I pulled my own share down there thanks! And I didn't see you picking him up either!"
"I was needed elsewhere!"
"I was following your orders!"
"Maybe you should use your initiative more!"
"Shall I say 'Dinner is served' or shall I send you to your rooms without it?" says Alfred, stepping them apart.
"Sorry Alfred. But some still need to learn who owns this place." says Bruce, getting up.
"I suppose you own me too!" says Dick, going to his room.
"Where are you going?"
"To fix more grappling hooks! What else?"
"Would you like the chicken or fish sir?" says Alfred.
"Fish." calls Dick.
"Chicken." says Bruce.
"I hope those weren't insults!" says Alfred and he walks to the kitchen.
Bruce stairs up at the stairs until he hears the distinct thud of a room door slamming. He wonders what ever is going to happen to their team when time goes on. Then he thought about dinner… then he remembers…
"Alfred! Leave the food for later, I just remembered…" he calls.
"I remembered sir. Do not fret." says Alfred. "Your guest has actually arrived considerably earlier than expected. Miss Kyle is waiting in the dining room."
…
"This is not my day!" mumbles Cyborg as he walks up to the mansion door. It had taken the police hours to get him moving again. He reached out for the handle; remembered he lost that arm, and then opens the door with his other hand.
"Oh hi Cyborg!" says Beastboy nervously.
"Tell me you're not standing in what I think you're standing in?" says Cyborg, his eye twitches again.
Beastboy is standing in a large pot of earth, watering himself. "Maybe the quicker I get the actual turning into a plant thing over, the sooner I can start to change back!" and he observes Cyborg. "No luck?"
"Only the bad type." says Cyborg and he closes the door. "I'll be in my garage. How's Raven?"
"Umm… she's… err… in her room." says Beastboy, twiddling his fingers.
Cyborg takes the hint of his voice and his neck twitches from the surge. "What did you do?"
"Look! Someone was bound to say it sometime!" says Beastboy in defence. "And if they weren't then they should have! She's acting stupid!"
"And then what?"
"She whacked me with a cushion and ran to her room…" and he stares at his buried feet.
"Crying?"
"Oooh yeah!"
Cyborg throws his arm into the air. "This is just great! What else?"
The phone rings…
"I have it!" says Starfire from the garage. There is a large engine noise.
"I just had to ask!" sighs Cyborg.
Starfire races up the stairs with monster truck tyres with steering wheel in her diligent hands. She comes to a screeching halt before the phone and the bewildered boys and picks it up. She presses her brakes button as she is unable to use peddles in her condition.
"Hello? Oh the helmet." and she takes her racing helmet off "Oh! It is good to hear you again friend Robin! How are you! That is good news… That is bad news…What noise? ... Oh, I left the engine running… Yes, I had a good time renovating my wheelchair with larger 'monster truck' tyres and eight cylinder engine… Yes, I did use 'Engineering for Aliens', and why are they called monster trucks? Are they really that frightening to behold? Can I race against one nearby this area? ... Cyborg?" and she looks about. "Oops, I ran over him… just a standard second…" and she reverses away from the flattened hero. "Here he is!" and she hands him the phone in his good hand.
"Hello Rob…" says Cyborg… "Yeah… I thought you might say that…!"
…
Bad Guy Profile
Number 2
Name?
Alias: DEATH
Height: 8"2'
Strength: High/Superhuman
Data:
Driven insane by his strangely prolonged life and haggardly worn out appearance, this mysterious man dawned the guise as the grim reaper, DEATH himself. His face in the dark hood is said to be enough to kill people from fright. Aside from his black, tattered robe, he also carries a great Scythe which is as high as this eight foot tall spectre.
DEATH is driven to find souls, and he is very particular in his victims. The elderly have to be kept under special guard along with all hospital patients, as any sign of injury, frailty or sickness is a reason for DEATH to strike you down. Even if you manage to survive a fatal accident without a scratch, you can be sure that DEATH will find you a prime target because he deems that by fate your time is up, no matter what you say. He doesn't kill in any particular way. Sometimes it is a simple beheading, other times it is a hacking, stabbing and in the elderly it is the mere face of the murderer that does the deed.
It is this senseless killing that finally pushes The Lancer into real rage and anger towards his foe. Despite DEATH's body being aged and thin, it is unnaturally strong and durable, unaffected by energy weapons and unaffected by pain, making him almost indestructible. His strength he means his strikes slice through flesh and bone in clean sweeps.
He does not consider The Lancer to be a target, and it is only because The Lancer is insistent on preserving life, that DEATH is forced to fight him, though never with the intention of killing, in order to reap his true victim's souls. The healing ability of the AI watch on The Lancer automatically repairs his wounds that he receives, which is why DEATH does not think it is yet his time.
With this madman on the loose, always evading capture, surviving fatal demises and too dangerous to keep captive, the streets of Jump City may never feel safe again. Aside from Chroma, DEATH is The Lancer's greatest, most deadly and persistent nemesis…