Too Much Red

by Pakkrat

Raven finds herself torn between RedX and Robin. That is not the worst part, Slade wants her, villains need her, and one demon aside from dad wants her to suffer! The world is sometimes too much, but who knew it has Too Much Red? Sequel is up and ready!

11. Chapter 11: Heretical Devils

Too Much Red

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 11: Heretical Devils

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans nor other DC characters.

Note: Pakkurath is not to be confused with me. The character seems evil but like me yet that is not the case (I'm just too damn close for comfort). People consider my way of acting kind of stiff and analytical odd but I am honestly a romantic, and very caring. Sure, I have my scary side but in all honesty do not put me on the exact level as the character he is mainly modeled after me, not me precisely, only I can give credit to myself and my personal appetites. Another thing, this chapter is a long one however I think most of you are accustomed to this by now with me. Many of the secret twists are in this one and my second favorite fight scene comes in. Akaige also shows his true power... he's evil...(Music- "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones.)

……Pakkurath's Realm……

Raven enters slowly, she was not happy she had the book of Malchior… yet promises are promises. 'Damn it, why did you want the book?' Raven holds it tightly, 'I wish I didn't even have to look at it…'

……Titans Tower, Earlier……

Raven opens the door to her room, Red X slowly is trailing but she asks him to go ahead. He does leave leaving Raven to sigh. She looks at the trunk and what lies inside. Raven narrows her eyes as she unlocks it and opens the hood, instantly the book is open, "Raven, how I missed you!"

Raven grabs the book and tries to close it, Malchior chuckles as he forces his bindings open, "You can't deny me! You can't deny what I meant to you! I was your first, the first is always the hardest to ignore! Especially when they hurt you!" Raven finally closes the book; she ignores him as she channels the portal, "Raven! You know it will happen again, it is your destiny! You do it yourself; this hero thing will lead to your pain! It's why we met, why you met him," Malchior chuckles as Raven was about to enter the portal but stops, "Yes, him, Red X was it? That little night you two were together was very interesting… and loud." Raven closes her eyes, tears leak from them, "You know deep down he's not going to last. He's not a hero, he's a criminal. He's going to die and leave you all alone."

Raven turns around and tosses the book screaming, Malchior smacks into the wall and he moans, "Ow…"

Raven is breathing heavily, her eyes full of tears, "Damn you, damn you for everything you did! I hate you, I loathe you!"

Malchior opens his binding, "So why did you let me out?"

"A man named Pakkurath wants you." Malchior is silent, then he chuckles, "Okay, let's go." Raven glares aggressively, "Come now I really do wish to go."

……Pakkurath's Realm……

Raven enters the main chamber; she blinks at what greets her. This large man shaped blob of mud, lumpish in its form, stands in front of Raven, "Nupperabous, they are an interesting breed of good youkai, or Japanese fairy-folk." Raven looks at Pakkurath as he sits at his desk to the main chamber, "They are highly protective, friendly, and hold to protecting sacred places like this here." Pakkurath sweats as the Nupperabou hugs Raven in a bear hug, she is muffled in the mud as Pakkurath chuckles, "Yes, very friendly creatures. Their only dislikes are disrespectful people and the wicked."

Raven snaps away from Nupperabou and turns on Pakku, "Why does it like you then? You are a demon after all!"

Pakkurath glares on Raven, "You know if you keep treating me with such aggression I might be forced to ignore you."

Raven pulls from the Nupperabou and sighs, "Pakku the fact you wanted the book makes me question you. This is evil, so only evil can come from it." She lays the book on the desk and Pakkurath lays his hand on it. His brows become stronger, his eyes determined. He lays it to the side and nods, "True," he puts out a hand asking "You knew I was a demon when we first met correct?" she nods, he also dabbles in good deeds so she finds him reliable when she needs help and one of the few intellectuals she could talk to. "I am also a good demon too. You're a half demon so the choice is harder to make. You are capable of great good or great evil." Pakkurath cups his hands together; Raven is listening with some curiosity, "So I am this darker being than most. I hold to darker styles. However I never fully involve myself within one side of good or evil, I only act when called upon with my knowledge to be given. I am not a power hungry demon I am a collector of items and knowledge. I do not wish to destroy the balances of worlds so Raven remember," he smiles at her honestly, "I would never change the tides against my friends, my knowledge is only to share with them not destroy them."

Nupperabou hugs Raven again, "Ack! Get this thing off of me!"

Pakkurath chuckles, "He likes you Raven." There is a song; Pakkurath, Raven half slimed, and Nupperabou turn to the mechanical bird singing on a fake tree, a beautiful music is played from it. Pakkurath chuckles saying "It is called a Nightingale, you ever hear the story?" Raven nods, "The story of a man who could not live life after his daughter who had a beautiful voice was gone. He made the nightingale to assist him in living out his life. That way even after he passed, the beautiful bird that sang like his daughter would continue to sing." Pakkurath stands and smiles, "I truly do like this necklace of yours."

Raven blushes as she grabs the necklace, "Thank you." She readies to leave but stops, "So Kagejin are not all evil are they?"

"Nothing is always evil, some hold truer to pain and torment than others. I have yet to find a being made of true darkness… only I have seen one so close that the light is nothing more than a flicker."

Raven nods, "Akaige, he is truly evil." Pakkurath ponders as he sits and thinks "Yes that would be your best bet. Evil is difficult for even me to register fully. I mean, people have evil intentions and temptations but most can fend off such things. Others do not fend off their evil but embrace it and become one with it." Raven gives a concerned look, "Like you?" Pakkurath looks up and shrugs, "Well, not like me but yes I did embrace my evil. Not to merge with it, more to control it. Like you, like everyone we have the conflict of our hearts. We have to choose which path makes us happy, is it a path of shadow or light? Which path do you prefer my dear Raven?"

Raven smiles, her form alters to the white one, "When I am happy, when I am with him."

Pakkurath chuckles, "Good for you little Raven." She leaves in her black outfit "Raven!" Raven turns, "You know what I like most about that necklace, it shines." Raven blinks, she sees it is not shining, "No, it shines like something only Kagejin could see. The shine is from what that little thing symbolizes, what it means to you. Remember that Raven."

Raven nods, she is slightly confused but she smiles and leaves, not before a final hug from the Nupperabou "Argh!" Pakkurath slaps his hand on the desk in laughter, "Laugh all you want you're getting my cleaning bill!"

Raven disappears; Pakkurath opens the book of Malchior, "How long has it been?"

Malchior sighs, "Too long old friend, too long." The two sit and begin to talk over other matters. Pakkurath admitting one thing, evil is only as evil as you make it.

After Raven exited her room she was greeted by Robin and Starfire. Starfire has Robin's arm tightly, "Friend Raven!" Starfire drags Robin towards Robin, "I have wonderful news! Robin has asked me to become his mate!"

Robin gulps with red in his cheeks "Uh, I think it was not so weird when I said it." Robin grins to Raven, "We're going to go steady, I mean be boyfriend and girlfriend and all that."

Raven nods, "I'm glad. So have you seen Red X?" Robin shakes his head no, "Last I remember he was headed to the main room like us. I think Cyborg wants us all for something."

Raven smirks, "That's your job isn't it?" Robin frowns, "Oh I can delegate my duties, unlike some people here."

Starfire plays along, "It is mainly because like most earth males, he must let a woman do the job properly."

The two girls giggle as they leave, Robin snarls, "Women…"

Cyborg is explaining the call from the mayor; everyone is excited before the others entered. When they all were together the ideas on what to do, wear, and stuff like that came to call. Raven was not going to change for the matter, new outfit but the same one. A matter of fact, she figured she needed a bath. "I'll leave you to your planning; I'm going to shower and change." Red X who was standing at the hall leaning on the wall arms crossed whispers, "Need any help?" Raven grins as she says "No, I'm a big girl."

Red X nods, "Yes, but not the help I was offering." She walks off; "Tease…" he listens to the group again to find out more. Raven enters the shower and turns it on, soon getting herself washed. She thinks on some things, the thing Pakku said. It wasn't normal even for him… it was a clue! Yes, it had to be, the necklace shines. She was wondering should she wear it. Maybe she should, it was her favorite gift after all. Not to mention if Pakkurath was hinting to it maybe she could get it to help her later. Raven knew Pakkurath was really not one for evil or good, he was a nut for balance. That also meant when evil pushed too far from its boundaries he often used his knowledge to put it back. Of course, the same thing happens with him and good. Well, he was balanced… just really… odd.

After her shower, Raven changes and when done she exits back to the main room. Cyborg has a tux like outfit, so does Beast Boy, and Robin. "Well, looks like everyone is getting ready too."

Red nods, "Yeah what a day." He has his outfit on, but his mask was off? Well, he had a spare one from Robin, "I figured some time without the mask."

Robin narrows his eyes, "Yeah, too bad we can't see more." Starfire nudges Robin, "Do not treat him so rudely." Robin frowns, "Sorry… force of habit."

Starfire wears her purple dress from the prom ordeal; she smiles as Robin was at her side. Bumble Bee walks in screaming, "Alright, let's get this party started!" she wears a black dress that shimmers, Beast Boy looks at it and blinks, "You like it?"

Beast Boy blushes as she strolls over seductively, "Uh looks good…"

Aqualad, Speedy, Mas and Menos each have blue tuxes and black pants. The team was ready so they file into the T-Car those who could not fly or something, and the others did the natural thing. The mayor's place was recently rebuilt after it had been destroyed by some attack. Now it was a tall building like a skyscraper, a tall building really it was. The titans enter and find the woman greeting them has blonde hair, a nice smile, and blue eyes. She wears a red woman's vest and black skirt, "Hey! The Teen Titans! Wow, I can't believe it!"

Robin smiles, "Hi… do I know you?" He recognizes this face; she blushes saying "Aw, sweet! The famous Boy Wonder is hitting on me!" he blushes trying to explain to Starfire that so was not what he meant. The woman points them to the elevator saying "20th floor, follow the halls and you'll be fine!"

The titans file into the two elevators and do just that. The woman glares as she grabs a phone, "Their heading on up Pudding."

The Joker grins as he wears a janitor's outfit, his skin peach he hides under an orange hat, "Good work Harley. Let's hope the brats don't catch on in the mean time." He puts down his phone and mops the floors as the elevators stop. The titans make their way across the floors to a door and enter. Red X stops and looks back, "Hm… a lot of janitors for one floor." Ten men and the Joker mop the floor. Red X glares his eyes at the large smile on the one man… "Hm…" he exits to the main room as Joker glares from under the hat, "I see what they mean. That one is too cautious."

The men grab for guns, Joker slaps a wet map over the face of one goon, "Hey! I didn't give you orders to use guns! Keep your underwear in a knot and hold off!"

The titans are in a waiting room, Robin raps on the door and the mayor answers, slightly sweating he says "Ah Robin, come on in! I need to talk to you alone."

Robin exits into the office and takes the seat opposite of the mayor. The mayor looks up at Robin half-hearted, "Please… I didn't want this to happen."

Robin narrows his eyes, "What is wrong?" he feels a chill, "Something's wrong…" he feels a strap wrap his mouth and he is being buckled down by bracers, Robin muffled screams make no heed to the titans outside he office. Red X looks around, "I'm going to take a look at something." He turns around and removes the Robin mask putting on the Red X one instead, "I'll be back soon!" he leaves the room to hear the door lock, "What the?" he kicks at the door, "Raven! What's going on?"

Raven rushes at the door, "I don't know it just locked."

Red X looks back, seeing the man in a purple trench and round brim hat he snarls, "Joker…"

The Joker grins as his hat rises with his chin, "Well, well, you just had to leave didn't you?" Red X readies into a stance but then falters after a gunshot, "Agh!" he falls in on his stomach, his legs under his chest, "Damn you…"

Joker shakes the pistol playfully, "Oh dear, I knew I shouldn't keep flapping this thing around, I might hurt somebody!" he misfires making one goon scream, "Like that! Ah-heh!"

Red X turns to the door, "Raven! Get out of there! It's a trap!" the gun fires again but Red X is running out. The goons and Joker go in hot pursuit. Raven slams on the door, "Robert!" she smashes again as the vents in the room open up releasing a yellow gas. Cyborg and Starfire nod and plow into the door breaking it easily. They exit all together to see on one side, the same side the blood trail leads were 20 some goons readying guns. Raven looks worriedly, "No! Robert!" she was going to charge but Cyborg grabs her and slams through a wall, "Come on! We have to go!"

(Music time! "Paint It Black" by Rolling stones)

The titans go through a wall and see the stairs, they spiral up and down. The titans head down trying to escape, a trail of blood leads up. Red X runs with Joker making playful potshots every turn. Red X tosses a Red X and it blows behind Joker letting only three goons still follow, the others run back. Red X snarls before running again.

Speedy opens fire on the goons following, breaking the stairs so they can not follow. Raven turns to the hallway they run across it to a door. She exits to a glass hallway with the city outside on her one side. They file across it but hear a sound. A black helicopter flies over the scenery. Bata-Boom waves as he pulls the trigger firing his gatling gun onto the heroes. They run across the shattering glass and ricochet of bullets to the red door on the other side. The titans file through it and have another set of stairs, these lead down only. Raven narrows her eyes and calls out her soul self to grab the others then move through the floors quicker.

Red X slams through the roof door as a bullet is fired; he moves slowly away, his side bleeds more. Red X stops as the door is kicked in. Joker gleams as the goons filed out and charge. Red X twirls about and uses a high kick to the first goon, then sweeps the others with his same leg. The goons move but Red X lands swift kicks to their skulls knocking them cold. Red X turns to Joker, Joker raises his gun and Red stops in the headlights like a deer. The Joker fires but the gun is empty, he frowns and looks to find a long pipe he grins with pipe in hand and charges with his cackle in a cry. Red X swiftly takes out his own staff and blocks the vertical strike with a horizontal block.

Raven lands with the others at the main doors, Raven lets the titans go and Bumble Bee smiles as she runs out the door. Blinding lights strike the teenagers as they exit, the police are in lines surrounding the entrance. The titans are all so relieved to see the police… until the police raise their guns, and cock their rifles.

Red X lands a strong vaulted kick off his staff to Joker. Joker reels back into a shadow, Slade puts Joker on his feet and walks towards Red X. Joker smiles as he runs off the roof letting a grappling teeth-hook on the wall. Red X runs at Slade who uses a strong front kick to the stomach to disarm Red X. Red X feels Slade leap off his pivoted foot and lands a knee to the jaw. Red X slams into the ceiling railing, bending it in he turns up to Slade. Slade narrows his eye and grabs Red X's mask ripping it from his face. Robert snarls up at Slade to have a strong kick to the head. Slade steps back and gleams while his whole right arm forges in flame. Slade charges the fires to Robert's horror. The flames blast out, Robert screams under the explosion. The whole section where Robert was is destroyed; a large hole is all that is left. Slade lets out a pant in the cold air his breath shows through. He now turns and leaves, his job done. Robert holds on a wire to the wall, his body is loosing strength. He looks down and looses his grip. Robert plummets to the darkness below…

(Music ends, More to come)

The titans stand before the police, guns armed and ready they all are shocked at what has happened. The commissioner stands with a bullhorn, "I'm sorry…" he says in a deep elderly voice, "The mayor has ordered you all be arrested. It seems Bata-Boom has wired the city with explosives, that's why we had to do it. If we don't capture you then we're all going to die… I'm so sorry…" he turns off the horn and has the Joker slapping him on the shoulder. Joker takes the horn and laughs, "Sorry, but there is a change in plans! The new task, kill the Teen Titans before 8:00 tonight, or we blow this city sky high! Eh-heh-heh-eh-he!"

The policemen give murmurs and snarls, Joker grins to them with a sadistic view from his eyes, "You have a problem? These are the rules so get cracking!"

……Heretic's Hangar……

Robin slowly wakes, his view pans to many TV screens with the titans standing before the now ready to fire police. His mouth was un-gauzed; he snaps "What the hell is going on?"

Heretic lays his hands on Robin's shoulders, "Oh my plan, the plan to destroy the titans and your hopes for your city." He chuckles, "Turning all the people and enforcers of the city against the Teen Titans, the ultimate heresy. Those, whom you risked your lives to protect, now take them for their own hides."

Robin tries to break free, "How can you do this? What is wrong with you?"

"Wrong? Is it wrong to want absolute power?" Robin snaps, "Absolute power corrupts absolutely!" Heretic walks to Robin's face, and glares at Robin with a heartless gleam, "If you don't be quiet you'll miss the show. I devised a long array of planning just for you." Heretic leaves the room and smirks, "If you wish to find me, I'll be on the roof of the factory next-door my Nemesis. That is, if you wanted to find me."

"You're being used Heretic!" Robin snaps out trying to break free, "You're being played by a demon called Akaige! Don't let him win!"

Heretic ignores the lies of Robin and waits for when Robin has nothing left but to fight him. When he can have his nemesis once and for all.

……Titans in front of the Mayor's Office……

"Oh this is great." Beast Boy looks worriedly across the officers who now seem more shocked than them, "After everything we did we're just expendable!"

Cyborg snorts as he opens his gun, "You know what; they want me they have to take me!" Starfire pushes against Cyborg stopping his charge, "Friend Cyborg no! This is wrong, they are innocent. These terrible men are forcing them to choose over us and family… would you not do the same?"

Cyborg looks at the titans, "Why you think I'm saying this? All of you are my family! You're the only ones I have left, and I'll be damned before I let anyone of you go without a fight!"

The Joker snarls to his side before spitting, "This emotional filth is Too Much Ridicule on my person! Kill these little brats now!"

The officers hold their guns at aim, but do not fire. Memories of how each has been saved more than once plays in their minds. The Joker clenches a fist, "You filthy ingrates! You know I'll order everyone of your homes bombed in no time at all! Why do you try and ignore that?"

Raven looks to see two squad cars, she screams "Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" and tosses them between them and the officers. The officers let loose their ammo into the cars as Starfire screams and plows a hole in the ground by her fist. Raven exits last and looks back, seeing Joker ready his gun she screams "Move!"

The Joker twists the missile with his face on its end to his gun, "You want something done right," he aims and sticks out his tongue while squinting his eye. He fires into the cars making them explode and crumble the pavement. The titans escape barely and take to separating into groups. The Titans Raven, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Cyborg move on one part while Mas y Menos, Aqualad, Speedy, and Bumble Bee take the other. First find somewhere to hide then make with the chit-chat to make a plan. Raven looks back, "Robert…"

……Alleyway, near the Mayor's office……

Stones trickle the sides of the building into the alley, Red X slowly scales down the wall with two metals X daggers. He reaches the end and drops, his body aches from the power he used only hanging on the wall. Red looks around, he sees the dumpster so he rummages for a brown blanket he now wraps in to hide his outfit. Red X wants to find Raven but chances are he would not be of help now. He needed an edge; he knew only one place to get this. Red X peers at Titans tower and narrows his eyes, now was the time to take back his belt.

……Streets……

Joker walks twirling his gun, "Teen Titans! Where are you?" he chuckles as the officers search the homes side-by-side with goons. The Joker stops after hearing thunderous stomps, here he see the upper body of Quadro, rebuilt and now in a black metal casing. The bottom half is different, having a long four legged body like a beetle it stomps with a second Quadro head in the belly region. Joker smiles, "Well Chang! Looks like you got a serious upgrade in your crab-thing!"

Professor Chang nods through the belly head; he is housed in this part while Quadro was piloting the top. The beetle body has Quadro's tail swishing as it clicks it voice. Chang chuckles, "Yes, adding my devices to Quadro's was genius. Bata-Boom agreed as I assisted him with a last minute production."

Joker was inquisitive by the new production but was distracted by Slade; Slade lands in a funnel of flame chuckling. Joker peers over and grins, "No… you didn't!" Slade holds the mask of Red X, "I did…"

Joker cackles as he hugs Slade, Slade glares a death glare making Joker loosen his grip and tug his collar, "Sorry, just not used to the whole killing a good-guy motif with partners. Put it there!" he gives out his hand and Slade shakes it to get a shock from a buzzer. Joker slaps his knee in laughter until Slade snarls and flings ashes into Joker's hair making the gel catch fire. Joker screams as he now swats out the flames. Chang sweats as he moves on with the machine, Quadro clicks to Chang who answers, "No… I don't know what's wrong with those two."

……Another Alley……

Bumble Bee sits behind a trashcan as Speedy and Aqualad hide in a dumpster. Mas y Menos are inside a TV box as Bumble Bee peers to the shadows passing the alley. "This is as good a place as any." She tries to open connections to the others. She gets a link, "Hey, who is this?"

The others are in a different alley. Raven has shifted into a heap of garbage with Beast Boy who now tries to pull the communicator away from her. Cyborg hides as a thrown away lamp. Starfire is behind some thrown away stove which she peers to shadows passing the alley. "This is so unlike us, we are the good guys." Starfire hides her tears poorly. "I can still not see how we must accept this. We must find a way to save them and us."

Aqualad screams "Screw them! We're the ones need saving!" Speedy smacks him over the head, "Shush!"

Mas y Menos sigh, then start reading the Spanish instructions on the TV box for a relaxing change of pace. Cyborg talks through his shade over his head, "Look, the thing is we gave them all we could now look what we get! One massive bomber scare and all hell break loose. What do we do? Surrender for the city?"

Beast Boy grabs the communicator, "Bumble Bee! Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?"

Bumble Bee smirks, "Naw, I'm too good for that."

Raven rips her communicator from Beast Boy then slaps him with a bag of garbage, "Listen, they mentioned bombs. If we can find and disarm them we might be able to get the city on our side again. Finding them is the hard part." Raven looks at Starfire, "Also, Robin is in more danger so is Red X. We need to find them. Starfire can try to find Robin while I look for Red X. If we stay in the air we should keep from detection." Raven hears the agreed mumbles and sighs. Raven looks to everyone, "Find the bombs, and disarm them if you can. We are not going to loose to these villains."

Starfire now pulls on the stove to make it bang loudly; they all look especially Starfire to the policeman at the end looking at the titans with his gun drawn. Another officer asks "Wedge, what is it?"

Wedge looks back to his partner, then to Starfire who looks fearful, "Uh… a stray cat!" he nods, "Yeah, just a stray orange cat!"

The other officer screams "Damn it Wedge! First you make the mistake in the prison, then the transport, now a cat? Our job is to enforce the law!"

Wedge snaps back, "No! Our job is to protect and serve THE INNOCENT not the law! You always never understood that Biggs!" Wedge looks at Starfire and smiles, "You never understood."

Wedge runs to meet up with Biggs, Starfire sighs out with a smile "It would seem not all officers are swayed by our enemies."

Cyborg smiles, "Yeah I guess there is still some good here to protect."

Raven feels her necklace, "The things we love we protect. The things we believe we enforce. That's why we fight," Raven glares sternly to the others, "That's why we will win."

……Heretic's Hangar……

Robin shifts his weight every time he can. He makes little headway to this mess. "Why…" Robin shakes his head "Why did this have to happen?"

Robin stops his struggle to see Starfire is headed his way, he smiles at this. She could probably save him and help beat Heretic. He looks to the screen with Raven, she is going somewhere else, but he sees in the back a fire… Slade.

……Beast Boy……

Beast Boy is in the form of a hound, he sniffs the dirt trails in the park. He remembers the fact one of the tunnels here leads to the same place which was a shrine to Terra. Turning human he sighs, "Terra…"

Large lights strike him. Beast Boy stops like a deer in the headlights which… well that's what happened. The Joker truck smiles from driver and grating, "Looks like we have us a live one!" The Joker screams in laughter as he revs the engine into Beast Boy who was tossed miles into the trees of the park. Beast Boy thrashes through branches and stumps as he rolls through the grounds until he comes to the entrance to Terra's shrine. He crawls into the hole and then falls deep inside the chasm to then crawl towards where once Terra was left. Joker revs his engines and drives on top of the hole, "Where the hell did that little freak go?" The Joker growls lowly, "He has to be around somewhere keep on looking!"

……Red X……

Red X grabs the belt and clips it on; he now has two of them. One was his genuine inventions, the other the suits own energy source and such. Red X looks to the vial of Xinothium he held onto after a heist, this was enough he was sure. Red X looks at the Titans device he once took when he first came for the belt. It had all the titans on it. He glares on the device; Raven was not too far off. "Raven, just hang on."

Red X looks out the window and leaps off landing to be on Speedy's bike. He barely makes it a few moments before the belt of Xinothium blinks; he reads it and turns up to see a bomb. "Oh boy…"

……Cyborg……

Cyborg turns the corner, his arm bleeps as he seems to have caught onto something strange. He looks up; on the ladder of this building was a bomb! "Booya!" he checks the bomb, "What? A decoy?" he looks at it, and then pulls down the ladder. Cyborg starts checking his readings, it makes no sense. The bomb, how it was set, what was inside… unless… "Those… those monsters!" he turns to meet with a strong punch to the jaw, Cyborg slowly makes to his feet to be greeted by the trio Cinderblock, Plasmus, and Overload each glaring at him with pride. Cyborg twitches his eye, "Just my luck…"

……Bumble Bee……

Bumble Bee sees nothing from so far. She did see some birds flying and trying to eat her, the whole insect size thing has little help. She then hears a beeping, she looks to see Beast Boy was very close and his vitals were erratic. "Beast Boy!" she flies towards the park snapping, "I'll kill that green idiot if he gets himself killed!"

……Mas y Menos……

The two hide in a brown trench, Mas on top of Menos. Mas waves to each passerby they stumble past, "Hola! Hola! Hola, como estas?"

The two are then tripped by a woman they recognize as Harley Quinn! "Hey there boys," she growls in a deep voice of anger, wielding a mallet over head "Remember me!"

The two scream then bolt as she runs after swinging like a mad woman.

……Aqualad and Speedy……

The two originally were apart, but soon enough as always they got together again. Aqualad sighs, "Why am I always with you, why not Starfire, or Raven, or Bumble Bee!"

"Because," Speedy grins, "You're a fish out of water with women."

Aqualad snaps back "At least I have women look at me!"

Speedy laughs, "Only because they can't figure how you get your hair so shiny! Pretty-boy!"

The two give snarls as they hear stomping, the clicking then registers to them as Quadro. Chang and Quadro stomp then hiss on the two, "Looks like we found ourselves some toys to play with!" Chang cackles as he fires missiles from the legs, Quadro his lasers from his arms. Speedy and Aqualad give shocked faces of horror before peeling out on the dual enemy.

……Starfire……

Starfire makes some distance before she hears some propellers going behind her. Star turns to find Bata-Boom flying in his helicopter in pursuit. Starfire's eyes glow green as she tosses her bolts but Bata-Boom chuckles then screams over his speakers, "I took the liberty of adding the upgrades on Quadro to this helicopter, not a bad idea eh?" he pulls the trigger, "Bata-Boom!" the missiles file out and Starfire twirls and dodges through the smoke and fires as she does all she can to reach her one goal, Robin.

……Raven……

She is making her way across the city, hoping some how she could tap into his mind. "Robert has to be out there and alive."

"Want to make a bet?" Raven turns to Slade, "I can honestly say I believe he's cinders now." Slade holds up the mask of Red X, "See what I mean?"

Raven stops and looks on the mask, "No…" Slade gives a glare of delight as she reaches for it, "You… you couldn't have!"

Slade combusts the mask in flame "I could have and I did!" Slade raises his hands into fists plowing Raven into the streets, "Now how do I deal with you?"

Raven lands hard on the pavement to have the others soon follow her. Beast Boy and Bumble Bee were the only ones not with the group. Cyborg is tossed into Mas y Menos with his body badly beaten. Speedy and Aqualad back away from Chang with their stances. Starfire lands giving a stare to Bata-Boom who hovers over head. Everyone was gathered here by the villains and it wasn't till they saw the many police cruisers did they see why. Cyborg tries to get Raven's attention but soon his body gives and he faints. It looked terrible, the police filed out from there cars and made their ways to the titans. Slade crosses his arms and sighs, "All these times I was trying to destroy you kids I never thought on using the people you love. The city, it now hates you nearly as much as I do." Slade gives out his hand, "Raven, Red X is gone. I can give you something, a purpose and reason to live. I will provide you with a destiny. This will only lead to death, come to me, please." Raven does not answer; Slade snaps "These people have abandoned you! They have left you to die!"

Raven glares Slade, her eyes have hate, "Burn in hell!"

Slade closes his eye, "I already have. Now don't make me come over there and collect you!"

Starfire stands in front of Raven, "You will have to get through us!"

Bata-Boom screams from his helicopter, "Look! This is a waste of our time! You want to protect the people, than let us have Raven then move on with your lives… before you're mowed down by bullets!"

Bata-Boom cackles for a moment before something hits his window, "What the!" he uses his wipers on the thick juice to see he was being assaulted by some kind of apartment building! "Why those little punks!"

The children and adults boo and hiss the villains and toss fruits and objects at them. Others from across the street soon follow from their own windows. Bata-Boom growls lowly, "You want to be such good Samaritans… BATA-BOOM!" he flips his switches shooting a barrage of missiles. The missiles close in on the apartments but are stopped in a black aura. Raven holds her hands, channeling her power she catches them all. Wedge the officer snaps out, "You see! This is what we should be doing! Helping the people not the crooks!" Biggs looks ashamed but then nods running to the titans along with Wedge close behind. They hold their guns, signaling they would have to kill them all.

Bata-Boom snarls, "I hate when good plans go awry!" he flips all his switches, missiles spread every direction aiming for police, goons, titans, civilians, all the area was being carpeted. Then there was a strange field spanning the area, Bata-Boom's missiles shut down and spiral to the ground. Bata-Boom looses control of his helicopter, it stutters in the air before flopping straight onto the pavement. Raven knows the energy; she smiles up to on one roof stood Red X. "Robert!"

Red X has a new mask on, his skull mask looks at Raven satisfied she is safe then he raises a bomb over head tossing it to the ground. Bata-Boom gets out of his helicopter to have the bomb hit at his feet then explode, but only shoot out confetti? The police are confused, then the banner with the Joker on it blowing a party horn with "Jokes On You!" shows up, the other side shows all the titans with doll like bodies and X covered eyes in nooses.

Red X leaps down and sprawls out with his cape around him, he stands slowly like a strange wraith of vengeance seeking Bata-Boom "You wanted the officers to kill them. You wanted to have the city betray them. This way, insult to injury. You make me so freaking sick!"

Bata-Boom coughs, "Well…" he turns and boosters fly from his back, he soon flies away laughing as he escapes, "See what's next on my list sonny! I have more in store for you!"

Slade looks at Raven, "I offered you the world, yet you refused it."

Raven smiles, "I have my world as long as I have him." Slade scoffs, "So noble… so foolish." He dissipates in flame. Chang chuckles as his robot stomps over, Quadro hisses in clicks as they ready their guns "The upgrade as of late was an actual shielding to electromagnets! You are all mine now!"

Quadro suddenly clicks aggressively, thrashing his arms his upper body falls back off the legs. Chang is stunned but turns seeing Killer Moth grinning with his newest gun, "I call it a String-Shooter! It has two functions, cocoon webbing or the acidic saliva of my mutant moths, capable of corroding all metals."

Chang harrumphs, "All metals?" Killer Moth spurts the head on the legs and shows Chang the acid works on metal eating away all the metal covering to his cockpit but not the glass eye. Chang pales as the police surround him, "Oh dear… pain… again…"

There is slight screaming as Cyborg sees Jinx running then skidding to him; she grabs his head saying "Oh, I was so worried. Are you okay?"

Cyborg blushes, "Uh, yeah… now."

Gizmo rolls his eyes, "I hate sappy reunions." Mammoth has Kitten with him, she wears a strange outfit like her fathers but it has more color, an orange and white mix kind of like a Mothra remake. "Never fear, Katerpillar Moth is here!"

Killer Moth sighs, "The family business of crime ends with me…"

Mammoth coos to Kitten, "I love that outfit, it's so kinky…"

Killer Moth screams "My daughter is not kinky! She's an angel!"

Kitten giggles then whispers, "Wait till we get back to the house…" the two snickers to Killer Moth's gasping horror. Gizmo looks around, "So what now? How do we find them?"

Starfire has Chang in a vice grip, "Where is Robin?"

Chang gulps, his scruff deeply being torn he gags, "Hangar… end…town…#45…"

Starfire drops him and gleams a smile, "Thank you for your cooperation!" she returns to the others the team is full… accept… "Hold it." Speedy looks back, "Where's Beast Boy and Bumble Bee?"

Mas y Menos look around, Harley Quinn hiding in the crowd moves slowly till she hears, "El chica!" Harley eeps then runs off fast to her own get-away car as the two brothers' fume at her escape.

……Terra's Tome……

Joker has been told to leave the hunt; he ignores the call and continues. He wanted the green kid, he hates leaving things unfinished. "Come on you little…" his foot trips in a ditch below the truck, he smiles evilly as he has the truck moved back so he can enter with his five goons. Beast Boy sighs as he has reached the tome of Terra. He smiles, his body would soon give in and yes he would be with her…

"Beast Boy…" he smiles, "Terra, I can hear you." He closes his eyes and is covered by a mist of pure light, he sees Terra, standing in a white bikini she smiles, "There you are! We don't have much time." Beast Boy nods, grabbing at his belt Terra frowns, "Uh you're not going to be dying just yet. Besides, I'm not dead sort of stuck between earth and the next life. Listen, I have an important message!"

"Wait, if this is a dream why does it matter?" Terra sighs, "No, it's a vision." Beast Boy blinks as Terra notices his look on her outfit, "Hey I'm in your head you're the one who wanted me in this… by the way what kind of pervert are you?"

Beast Boy gleams shifty eyed, "Oh, my head eh?" he reaches out and is slapped, his face blank with the welt of Terra's hand as she covers her chest, "Keep your head out of the clouds for five minutes!"

Beast Boy sticks up his finger saying, "Uh, we are in the clouds you know."

Terra sighs, "Beast Boy! This is very serious!" she gives him an honest look of sincerity, he smiles and listens. "Your power Beast Boy. It's not just being able to become animals it's to use their powers. The power you have is special; like some animals can sense the good and bad in people you can sense it even when the people can't. You can bring it out of them like with me. Beast Boy, you are the only one that can save some people today from a darker fate than most. You can give them a last chance of freedom. I know you can do it." She hugs Beast Boy who blushes, "They need your good heart B.B." She feels a tear, "Oh, I know about her… I'm happy for you."

Beast Boy hugs Terra and smiles, "I love you… and I'm sorry you had to go through this."

Terra feels him disappearing, she kisses his cheek and smiles, "Next time, please don't imagine me in a bikini." He nods with a grin, "Or naked!" he frowns before disappearing completely.

Beast Boy opens his eyes slowly hearing footsteps; Beast Boy closes his eyes and plays possum. Joker with his goons walks in. Joker holds a gun up next to his side, "Well looks like the Boy Beast has fallen to the demise all animals someday do! The old fashioned street-slice-pizza routine!" The Joker cackles as he steps over to Beast Boy now raising his gun and aiming at the green boys head, "Still, my mother always said when it comes to road kill you always finish," he pulls the hammer of his pistol back "Before you play with you food!" Joker is about to fire while Beast Boy opens his eye of a reptile, turning about his form is an alligator and he snaps on Joker. Joker gags as he fires his gun in the air from jumping back breaking a rock from the roof on his head. The Joker screams in pain with two rivers of water as Beast Boy leaps up in the form of a kangaroo, boxing two goons till they are KO. The other three have their guns at the ready, they begin firing at Beast Boy who turns to a turtle hiding in his shell he blocks the bullets. The Joker, still reeling with tears in his eyes pulls out a rocket with his face, readying it on his pistol he hears the next guard scream out. Joker sees the little sparks; Bumble Bee has begun disarming the goons, 'Curses! Little brats are always together! I'll have to finish this another time!' The Joker runs out through the tunnels to escape to his truck.

Bumble Bee grows to her normal size as the goons guns were gone, one feeling cocky runs at her with his fist pulled back but Bumble Bee lays him out with a strong left punch. The two others charge her but she uses her wings and flies vertically cocking her legs like that one move from the Matrix, the goons stop and look at it, "Hey! That's just like the Matrix!" Bumble Bee kicks the goon who said that and then does a spiral kick to the last one. Beast Boy is in awe mode from this, "Wow…"

Bumble Bee sees Beast Boy and flies over hugging him, "You stupid little troll! I was so worried!"

Beast Boy blinks, "Troll? Don't I look more like a sexy elf?"

"No!" she yanks his ear, "After that stunt, you're a troll." She sniffles then wipes her nose, "A cutesy-woodsy Troll, but a troll none the less."

There is a shadow appearing in the tome, Raven materializes with Red X and Starfire. "Ahem." Beast Boy smiles, "Hey! You found us!"

Starfire nods, "That we did now we must hurry to save Robin."

Bumble Bee looks around, "Hey, where are the others?"

Raven sighs, "I decided with all the power I have used without meditation I needed to relax. So I let them take their own modes of transportation. Besides," Raven holds up her hands to soon be off with the others, "We can move faster without them."

……Robin……

Robin tries again to break his bonds but no use. Finally he hears a hissing, the serpents Alpha and Omega crawl out from the shadows. Robin glares at them until they spit on his bonds removing them completely. Robin blinks, but knows it was not the time to question just act. Robin runs out of the room and sees the warehouse next-door; he heads to the roof with caution. Then as he ascends the ladder to see Heretic standing with his back to Robin, his serpent staff held at his side Robin feels a slight rage in his heart at his friends being dealt with so cruelly. Heretic gleams his eyes away from Robin. The Rage rises and improves his plans.

Raven materializes in the room with the TVs all off and the chair where Robin was held. She peers around seeing his communicator and grabs it. "They set the siren."

The floor opens under Red and the others. Raven turns to try and help but she is grabbed from behind. Raven knows the hold and soon the voice of Slade says "Ah, another chance to be alone."

Raven looks to the floor before breaking out of Slade's grip, "I won't let you hurt him!"

"Him?" Slade sighs, "I think you're missing my point of being here." He flies over grabbing Raven's wrists before covering them in flame, "I came here for you!"

Red, Beast, Bumble, and Star all go down a long passage until Red X is dropped to a different path. Red X flies out of the shoot and sees a metal bar. Red grabs it and sighs, looking around he sees some kinds of crates stacked together. Red X tries to swing himself towards them to then launch over on top of the crates. Red lands with a thud, the crate breaks and he is head high in stuffed dolls, teddy bears actually. "…." Red X looks at them, he sees the string and wide eyed he leaps up out of the pile to land on the ground. "The same things Bata-Boom used on that girl."

"Oh you remembered?" Bata-Boom is sitting on a crate, "Gee, must have left an impression!" he leaps up and his boosters flare, he hovers overhead tossing a bomb into the bears, "Bata-Boom!"

Red X runs and rolls from the many explosions. The bears go off on a chain reaction. Bata-Boom snickers, "Guess what! Some of these crates have explosives, others none explosive items. Now we can play, hide and go BATA-BOOM!"

Red X leaps around a crate as Bata-Boom tosses two explosives at him. They explode and another crate catches to explode. Red X begins running and formulating a plan.

Beast Boy hits first, his body is then smacked by Bumble Bee before Starfire drops on top of them all blinking in confusion. She stands and ponders where they are, "Why would the floor swallow us like this?"

Beast Boy looks over the scenery, they are inside the warehouse as well but a different room. Bumble Bee looks around then jumps up as a shined object clashes at her side. Bumble Bee is floating in the air looking at the dagger; she looks where it came to see a man with his leg perched on some crates, "Who is he?"

Beast Boy looks up at Speak, "Oh man, the blonde guy." Starfire looks more fearful as Speak leers onto Starfire. Speak leaps off of the crates sliding his knife on the crates to the three titans backing from him. Beast Boy looks on Speak but sees something weird, the eyes are so hazy and even… sad? Beast Boy remembers Terra, 'Was this the guy she meant? He seems so lost can he really want to be saved?'

Robin lunges out; he strikes with his staff however Heretic merely pushes off with his own, "I thought the suit would make you stronger. You seem no different than before."

Robin leaps back, "I haven't used it to the maximum yet, and I'm not even sure how much power that is." Robin lunges again this time sparsely striking with the end of his staff while Heretic tags his middle to the end of Robin's staff. The two show no real plan on letting off until Heretic snarls out, his left hand enveloped by mist it fires then flings Robin across the roof. Robin shakes his head; he sees the trail he made when he dug into the roof "You think magic will save you?"

"It couldn't hurt!" Heretic begins firing small balls of the black mists which Robin strafes by and bounces off from swings of his staff. Robin skids to a stop and plants his feet, winding the staff like a bat his suit seems to glimmer then return to normal, Robin launches the next ball back at Heretic faster than it came. Heretic is struck by the orb; he falls in on his chest and crawls to his knees, "Impressive…" Heretic looks up with mist leaking from his eyes, "You really have been holding back… like me."

Raven looks around, Slade dropped her then disappeared. Raven turns around and is hit by a strong punch, "I offered you everything! I gave you a chance for power!" Slade kicks her on her side, "You just kept going along with your weak, little, friends!" Slade kicks her off the ground and fires with his open palm, Raven is launched along the building gasping for air his hand closed and slowly began shaking at his side, "Up till now I only used a fraction of my true power. I offer this last chance, join me as my apprentice!"

Raven smiles, "Apprentice… I'm not an apprentice, I'm a teacher!" her outfit flows around her as she stands, her arms cocked at her sides she closes her eyes then opens glowing white auras. Her outfit changes over her, Raven channels her power fully then launches a wave of power that Slade could only bear his heels into the ground and block with his arms. Slade opens his arms and his eye widens by the fist launched through his block and straight into his face. Slade is reeling back as Raven lands hits in the air him under her strong punches. Slade lays on his back as Raven channels her powers into her hands, "Azerath Metrion Zinthos!" Slade opens his eyes, his body illuminates in fire and the flames break onto the beam of light forcing through it then hitting Raven.

Raven lands on her feet, her body smoking she looks up. Slade stands with his fists clenched at his sides, "This is pointless! The stronger you become, I become! Join me! We could rule all there is together! I want you Raven, I want you so badly!"

Raven glares at him, "Do you love me?" Slade gives his eye as a snarl, "That's why Slade… that's why I would never join you… that and you're pretty ugly." Slade roars out as he pitches his arm over his head, Raven runs at him with her arm curling under her side so they bounce off their punches into deadlocks of force. Slade snarls, "I'll make you be with me even if I have to kill you to do it!"

Speak runs out; his left hand deflects the starbolts with a dagger as his right twirls in his upwardly pitched hand. Speak tosses the right dagger into the direction of Bumble Bee, she ducks to have a crate break open and dump its innards on her. Bumble Bee is pinned under many stuffed toys. Starfire flies out and tries to land a punch but Speak twirls past then lands his large foot on her chest, she looks into his eyes and the glare makes her nervous, he paralyzes her again. Beast Boy runs as a wolf trying to snatch onto Speak however her tosses his final dagger to make it break into two that create hooks from their handles that then grab Beast Boy's arms and stick him to a crate. Beast Boy tries to pry free but he can't, "Man! What is this guy?"

Speak looks on Starfire, she sees his pleasure as he squats down and picks her up by one arm. She was his personal toy right now, recently the only female ever to break of his hold. Speak slowly reaches with his other hand then holds her by the waist, making the distance between them nothing. Bumble Bee tries to reach for her stinger-guns but she feels the heel quickly stomp her foot the kick the stinger away. Starfire is his concentration again. Speak leans in on her neck, his left hand leaves her waist and retrieves a blade from his hip. Speak smiles as he views her chest before laying a blade under her top, slowly he began to etch under the fabric making the twine of her outfit snap stitch by stitch. Starfire feels disgust, trying to break free was impossible as he used his power to immobilize her. Beast Boy sees the ordeal and snarls, "You are a real jerk you know that!" Speak turns to the green gorilla storming after him. Beast Boy launches a punch that plows Speak off and now it grabs Starfire then Bumble Bee taking them out of there. The three make it to a door which led to the hangar room of Heretic. Beast Boy turns human and locks the door, "That should…" a knife comes through the door, "Make him really pissed!"

Starfire is backing away from the door as it is broke through, Speak lunges at Beast Boy striking with his heel. Speak then sees Bumble Bee with her last stinger aiming to fire. Speak reflects the blast on Bumble Bee's hand then turns on Starfire. Starfire nudges a table; she reaches behind her and tosses something, anything she found. Speak grabs the object by its silver chain making the pendant fold open. It plays a song; the song makes Speak stop his attacks. The titans look at him, his stare was on Starfire, but his eyes were watering, he fell to his knees slowly shaking with this look of shock and awe. Speak, or rather Tommy looks slowly to the pendant with a woman's picture inside, the other side had once a picture but whoever was once in this piece was missing. Tommy knew the woman, her long blonde hair, blue eyes, Tommy feels his cheeks curve and his eyes blur from the memories… of his mother…

Beast Boy is confused; he looks at the table and sees some things. Bumble Bee picks up a picture in a frame; it has a tree shading a picnicking family. There was a woman with blonde hair smiling with her three sons. One had blonde hair and seems to resemble the man now on his knees crying. The pendant is on the woman's neck; Bumble Bee looks over and says "It must have been his mothers, what happened?"

Starfire who was originally scared of the man feels sorry; his tears keep dripping like a frightened small child. "Please…" she begins to cry, "Do not cry! It is sad to see others cry!" she kneels down and holds Tommy who looks at her stunned, where did she find it to hug him? He was trying to do terrible things to her… what is this? Even if he was confused he cries still and her comforting hug reminds him of his darling mother again. Tommy continues to cry as Beast Boy looks at the picture, he notices a figure hiding in the shadow of the tree. He looks on the table and sees the strange pink fabric which instantly hits him where it was from. He grabs it and sniffs it, the scent was right… "I know what this is."

Bumble Bee is holding a badge; from some cop named Brad "What is it?"

"It's a collection. A collection of items from people who Bata-Boom killed." He lays the fabric down and holds up the picture, "Worse yet, I know who these people are. These are his kids… and his wife." Bumble Bee looks at the pendant, her eyes widen at what she realized this all means.

Tommy looks up, his eyes also now wide. He stammers up to trip and have Starfire hold him. He looks onto the picture, Beast Boy gives it to Tommy and Tommy can see the image of the figure in the tree's shadow, it was his father, it was Bata-Boom. He looks at the pendant, the items on the desk some even ones he knew from earlier endeavors. Tommy pushes forward and sees the item from his friend Hear-No-Evil his old coin with a hole in the middle. Hear-No-Evil was a magnificent shooter, could it be Bata-Boom killed him? No… he looks at the picture, Hear-No-Evil was his other brother! What? No… NO!

Tommy tosses the picture, it shatters onto the floor. Tommy grabs his head, what is this? Why didn't Bata-Boom say anything…? He looks on the picture seeing the pendant, the pendant he holds still plays its song, the pendant that was once his mothers. Tommy falls to his knees; he knew what this all means. He even now remembers the night it all happened. He was five years old…

……Several years in Gotham……

Tommy's mother drives down the road, "Why are we leaving mommy?"

She looks back and sighs, "We have to honey. There is this… this problem we need to try and get away from."

Tommy nods, hearing a sound he clicks his feet with it. "What's that sound?"

The mother listens, her eyes widen, "Oh god!" she stops the car to have it explode. Tommy was thrown from the car he looks over to his mother slowly pulling from the vehicle. A figure stomps over, his fists tightly clenched Bata-Boom snarls "You took my test subjects!" she looks up in disgust "They were our children!"

"They were my work! I took years improving their physiology! They make the perfect killers!" Bata-Boom raises a gun to her head, "Of course, I can just take them back."

The gun fires and Tommy gags as he runs. Bata-Boom chases after to grab Tommy then thrust him into a rock on the ground. Tommy rolls over and Bata-Boom holds a scalpel, "Don't worry kid I'm a doctor." The gleam of the blade and goggles shine once before Tommy falls unconscious.

……The Hangar……

Tommy holds his head; his face is flushed in tears. Beast Boy lies his hand on Tommy's shoulder "You know what. You're not what you think you are." Tommy looks up confused, "You need to make a choice. Your choice, not his." Beast Boy points to Bata-Boom in the picture. "Make your life mean something and teach him a lesson."

Tommy looks at his mothers pendant then stands gripping it tightly. He looks onto the items on the table and recognizes one from a matter with Bata-Boom. He grabs it and leaves with the pendant over his neck.

Bata-Boom hits a crate as a red x blew up on a crate making the crate explode. Bata-Boom rolls on his back seeing his boosters were gone. "Smart little cuss." Bata-Boom stands to have punches land on his face. Red X lets loose all he can on the fat man. Red X lets loose one final punch that sends Bata-Boom flying back in an arc. Bata-Boom slowly makes it to his feet to have a jump kick land over his face ripping off his goggles. Red X lands to a sprawl, "I'm finishing this you fat bastard! Once and for all!"

Bata-Boom sprawls up to his knees chuckling, "You know, I always wondered what it would look like. Could you take off your mask?"

Red X is confused but Bata-Boom chuckles adding, "Hey, I just want to see the face of the man who is going to end it all. I can get that right?"

Red X glowers his eyes through his mask before tearing it off, "Good, I want you to see my eyes as I finish you off for that girl, Tommy, Rasco, Brad, and who knows who else?"

Bata-Boom raises his chin; Robert becomes shocked, "Oh, your mother is one of them…"

Beast Boy has the picture, "You know I've seen those eyes before." Bumble Bee blinks as he thinks then gasps, "Oh my… Red X is actually…"

Robert falls on his back; pushing away he screams "It's impossible! It's not freaking possible you're…"

Bata-Boom looks with his small but gray haze eyes, exactly like Red X's eyes, pleasingly at the state his son was now in. "What, you didn't catch the resemblance? Come now, deep down on some level you did have a hunch." Bata-Boom pulls a device from his trench attaching it to Red X with a gun. Red screams as bolts fire across his body. Bata-Boom sighs, shaking his head he says "I wanted so badly to make you understand. To be like me my son. Oh, your mother refused me for my irregular ways of bringing it about. The natural killer instinct lingering in our genes." Bata-Boom kneels in front of Red X pointing up his index to explain, "I originally went with your mother because I had nothing else to worry over. Sure, she was fun for a few rides but honestly nothing worth mentioning." Bata-Boom stands, looking down on Red X he sighs, "She found out about my experimentation on you children. She took you and Tommy away from me as I developed a serum that enhances the traits of people's physical strength under certain circumstances. The serum causes mental instability in most subjects but not you. You're like me; I'm not crazy I just make an honest choice to take lives." Bata-Boom turns about, Robert is lying in tears, "Well, I began my killings in the earlier years. I don't know what made me decide I wanted to take life maybe my curiosity or something they say knowledge can be a deadly thing put in the hands of the wrong." Bata-Boom peers over his shoulder; Red X has his mask and puts it on, "Humph, don't like having my eyes? Too bad, they're yours just like my blood is in you. You're mine, I made you. You were my property and that slut took you from me before I could finish my original design. However, in doing so I think you surpassed my previous failures." Bata-Boom chuckles, "Maybe it was me that caused their mental digression. I cut out Speak-No-Evil's throat to force him to become a more valuable weapon. That specimen, in taking his vocal chords I forced him to bottle his emotions and never express them. That made him insane and an insane man can be one useful tool. Not to mention the serum enhanced his aggressive nature and bloodlust, forcing on the more primal instincts in people. Hear however, he learned the truth and betrayed me, I had to kill him. The little prick." Bata-Boom spits on the ground, "I gave him a purpose he's just like Speak a failure! You," Bata-Boom gives out his hands, "When I learned you were my son, your skill to diagnose my plots and devise ways to stop me. I was so happy, so thrilled! You're the one, the one who will lead on my legacy! You can finish my experiments! People will fear you and in that fear comes great respect! Come, I'll take you under my wing!" Bata-Boom kneels down and lays his hand on Red X's shoulder, "Join the family business! We'll be father and son!"

Red X looks at Bata-Boom, hate in his eyes. "I had a father. His name was Rasco Xavier! He taught me what it was to be happy. You never did anything for me!"

"I gave you life!" Bata-Boom stands, "I gave you the chance to…"

"You did nothing for me!" Red pushes himself up on his knees, "You know what Rasco taught me that was most important? Never let love go!" Bata-Boom rolls his eyes walking over to his goggles he grabs them. "He said he let the woman of his dreams go, and she married an asshole which he let happen! I'm guessing that was my mother, you were the asshole correct?" Bata-Boom fastens his goggles nodding. "Good, because his words meant more to me growing up. I wanted to find that, something good for me. Love was what he said it was and I found that. Now I have to claw, snarl, and cut my way to always have that. Rasco told me once you find the one you keep clawing till you have them and you keep monsters like you away from them!"

Bata-Boom looks on Red X before pushing something at his side; Red X is jolted by a powerful charge. "You disappoint me. You really do kid." Bata-Boom stops the jolts adding "There are two kinds of monsters in the world. The kinds that are monsters and try to fool themselves they can be human. Then the ones who know their monsters and find the way to embrace it. What kind are you?"

Red X looks up; he sees something and chuckles, "The kind like him."

Bata-Boom screams as he is raised in the air, Speak holds Bata-Boom over his head. Speak sees many faces, faces he was told to kill. Faces he was made to see! The sins of the father outweigh the sins of the son never meant more than at this moment. Bata-Boom reels overhead, Speak who sees through tears and blood the man who took his innocence away. Speak reels back and tosses Bata-Boom into the wall, and rather through it by the sheer force. Bata-Boom roars out in pain as he falls out the building. Speak holds the two hands he used to toss Bata-Boom at his eyes. Red X stands yanking the device from his chest. "Tommy…"

Tommy looks at Red X, and in a ruffled moan, "…Rebrt…" Tommy walks slowly, Robert and Tommy hug like some how it was the first time seeing each other. Sure, this was in a way not true yet in some it also was. Beast Boy smirks, "Hey, Terra was right. I do have a gift."

Tommy looks back; he pulls from his jacket the item from the table. "…Hertac… dghtr…Bata-bom…" Tommy grabs his throat, the surgery disfigured him however under great force he could make the noises of words. Beast Boy looks at the toy doll of a girl, a rag doll? "I… I don't understand." Beast Boy looks into Tommy's eyes and sees his eyes mean something. "I… I…"

"AGH!" the group looks, seeing Bata-Boom in the hole with a look on his brows of hatred and rage "Failures! You're both failures!"

Tommy points to some stairs, "Rbn!"

Starfire looks to them, "Robin? Robin is there!" Tommy nods, grabbing his next set of daggers he readies to a stance. Red X turns to the titans trying to tug him he pulls away and readies his Xs, "Sorry, this is a family matter now!" he looks at Tommy who looks at him. The two see each other as kids, playful and happy. Bata-Boom stomps forward, his fists shaking in hatred, "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you all!"

Raven pushes back Slade in a blast of power. She feels a strange sort of energy. Raven turns to the warehouses and sees the figure of Robin trying to fend off Heretic. Raven looks at Slade who is glaring at her, "You wanted me to be here! Why?"

"Because, we wanted Heretic and Robin to kill each other." Raven flies away to Robin, Slade chuckles as he lands on the ground, "Stupid girl is so gullible."

The T-Car speeds to a halt. Cyborg comes out and looks to the roof, "I see something." His hand flies up and peers to Robin being flung around in a cloud of black mist, "Dude! It's Robin!"

The others exit to see, Killer Moth smirks, "Half of me want him to loose… the other half doesn't trust these criminals for them to take the city."

Gizmo chuckles, "Hey, I know how to get up there quick!" he starts twirling his legs like a helicopter, "All aboard!"

Robin falls on the ground coughing up the black smoke. "Robin! Strike me!" Heretic stomps his foot, "Strike me down! Strike me down damn it!" Robin is confused, "Don't you want it? Don't you want my blood? Think about it, alone you have the power to end this! Alone you will win this battle."

Robin hears footsteps, Starfire looks at Robin with tears. Cyborg dangles with the others on the very sweaty Gizmo lifting them onto the roof. Raven lands on the roof and smiles on Robin who looks at his hands, then slowly stands having Starfire grab him and help him up. "I'm done."

Heretic looks puzzled, "What?"

"I'm done. Fighting alone, being alone." Robin gives a grin to Heretic, "You want me alone because it's the only way people like you can win." Heretic narrows his eyes on Robin, "You see you tried to break up the titans through the police. You tried to break me away from them with my rage. The heresy Heretic is in making us weak by breaking us apart. However," Robin twirls his staff striking a pose with all the others filing behind Robin, "We're not alone! We're together! Titans, GO!"

Heretic charges his mists, "Fine! Try to defeat me! I'll defeat the lot of you!" meanwhile, the shadows in the corners show a portal to Akaige, he chuckles as Heretic launches his mists, "He's been a good delivery boy till now."

Red X leaps off of a swing from Bata-Boom, he is astonished by the power Bata-Boom has. Bata-Boom grabs a crate and tosses it where as the crates were the size of a small car! "You think I didn't use the serum on myself? I perfected it on myself! I am the only successful alteration!" Bata-Boom screams out as he charges on Speak. Speak taps his daggers on Bata-Boom's knuckles some how Bata-Boom bounced the blades with his punches. Speak is cornered into a wall and has a strong punch to his stomach. Bata-Boom grabs Speak by the braid and tosses him over his shoulder to Red X who was trying to catch up. Bata-Boom clenches his fist, "You damn idiots! I am what you will last see! Speak may be altered, but Robert you never found the true potential of my serum in you! Your eyes are proof, proof of how terrible you can be! You could have been a god, not a clod!" Bata-Boom rises up his arms and plows them through the ground making a ripple of force. The ripple breaks across the ground and tosses Red X into the air.

Speak leaps up and tosses a volley of daggers. Bata-Boom slaps away all the daggers but one, the last one he grabs and tosses back on Speak digging it into his ribs. Red X watches Speak fall back and then stomp up. Speak pulls out the dagger and makes a charge. Red X looks overhead and nods, running at his fastest he tosses a red X at Bata-Boom. Bata-Boom smacks it away and Speak gets close to try and plunge a dagger in. Bata-Boom pushes back on the dagger with his palm, bearing off Speak and his fury. Red X tosses a second disk but this one rises in an arc overhead to strike some crates half tipped over. The X explodes and drops the crate on it over and onto Bata-Boom who looks up, pushes off Speak, then grabs the large crate overhead. He chuckles till he hears the next X disk hit the crate, "Dad!" Bata-Boom looks on Red X, "Bye…" the X explodes and the bears inside start a chain reaction. Red X chuckles as the floor begins caving in on itself where Bata-Boom once was.

Red X steps to the edge, he looks in the impression seeing nothing but darkness. Red X turns back and salutes Speak to have his eyes bulge. Red X looks to the latex gloved hand pulling from the hole, Bata-Boom's left lens has shattered showing his eye of hate glaring on Red X. Though injured badly Bata-Boom shows the inhuman experiment strength by yanking Red X into the pit. Red X falls back to have Speak grab his hand. Speak tosses his last dagger into Bata-Boom's shoulder making him let go and fall into the pit. The two brothers breathe heavily; leaning back they look on each other and sigh. Then the scream, Bata-Boom leaps from the hole with his right arm cocked in fury. He lands down on the two who barely escaped to see Bata-Boom. Bata-Boom stands slowly; his trench has tears and marks and even spots where he is bleeding. Bata-Boom chuckles, taking the last dagger he tosses it onto Speak and his left hand. Speak moves his hand while Bata-Boom then rips a metal beam from the floor and tosses it like a spear towards the blonde son. Red X jump kicks the beam away, landing he pitches his head back to Speak saying "One more time! We have to try one more time!"

Speak looks to the dagger, he cringes at the sheer fact nothing has worked. Speak pulls out the dagger and prepares. Red X charges Bata-Boom screaming, "X marks the spot! Remember, X marks the spot!"

Tommy sees when they were kids, playing cops and robbers with Brad. "X marks the spot!" proclaims Robert pointing to his target of the day the garden gnome at Miss Twillies house. "X always marks the spot!"

Speak waits to see what he means. Red X runs into the pitched fist and leaps over Bata-Boom's back. Red X lands and grabs at his belt. Bata-Boom reels back around and snarls but… Red X was gone? "What… WHAT!" Bata-Boom feels a strange feeling on his chest; he swings and launches Red X while invisible across the room into the wall. Bata-Boom turns to the injured X and grabs for a metal beam. He raises it over head and readies to swing when he suddenly is jolted. He drops the beam, and looks down to the dagger in his chest, right in the middle of a red paint X. Bata-Boom looks slowly up to Speak, who looks at Bata-Boom angrily, "I'm not dead yet…" Bata-Boom murmurs that as he falls back into the pit.

Speak runs over to Red X. Robert looks to the stairs, "Raven…" he raises his hand out to the stairs, "I have… to be there… for her…" he falls unconscious; Speak looks at the stairs and Red X. He grabs his brother and drags him up the stairs smiling. He would not have smiled if he saw the hand break out of the floor the glove was now gone showing a hand with veins pumping in a strongly clenched fist.

Heretic leaps up into the air with his staff serpent. Swinging it down the serpent head buckles the roof and the mists strand out like tentacles. The tentacles latch onto the titans until Killer Moth and Katerpillar Moth each shoot with their acids. The tentacles are not able to constrict from the metal eating liquids slippery properties. Heretic snarls lowly as he pulls out his staff making the tentacles break off and dissipate. He runs forward swinging the staff all around his frame deflecting the arrows of Speedy, starbolts of Starfire, stingers of Bumble Bee, and sonic charges of Cyborg. Heretic targets on Robin, landing a horizontal strike Robin vaults over it with his staff. Heretic's staff sweeps Robin's giving Robin's a forced swing as he lands and spirals with his staff to strike Heretic's head. Heretic falters over slightly before standing straight again. Heretic swings back around and with the bottom of his staff he makes long stabs after Robin who hops away from them while tapping the attacks away. Heretic is plowed from the side by Starfire who levitates after she moves him. Her eyes and hands glow green; she smiles to Robin who gives her thumbs up. Heretic flops on the ground rolling from the impact. He stops with his staff being plowed to the ground skidding him to a halt. Heretic looks over to find Aqualad leaping in to use a sort of aerial torpedo. Heretic swings onto the top of his staff then plows back down into Aqualad's back. Mas y Menos swirl about Heretic catching him in a tornado. Aqualad moves from his stupor and grins as he channels the water in the air to make a powerful gush from the clouds into the tornado slapping Heretic into the ground. Raven raises her hands to pull rubble from several spots on the roof. Raven hurls the rubble at Heretic who raises his staff and fires blasts that destroys the rubble to dust.

Jinx grins as she leaps in tossing her crescent hexes. Heretic moves out of the way of the pink crescents, "I will not loose!" Heretic points out his staff after standing his legs spread flushing a spray of black mist. Jinx gasps as the mists close in but Cyborg with arms crossed blocks the mist. His metal form takes the damage with little effect. Jinx blushes as Cyborg gives her a grin. Heretic turns now on Beast Boy raising his free hand he forges a large orb that he rolls like a bowling ball. Bumble Bee grabs Beast Boy's arms and flies him over the orb. Heretic huffs loudly, his eye twitches and he falters on his staff, "Something… wrong…" he falls on his knees, "Where...is it…" he shakes his head as he hears stomping. Heretic looks up and has the foot of Mammoth plowing into his head. Heretic flings back as his staff weapon is dropped. The staff dissipates to shadow mist and returns to him. "What… happened…?" Heretic moves to a crouched position coughing and hacking. Robin throws out his staff, "Hold it." He moves slowly towards Heretic, "Something is wrong."

Heretic looks on Robin, "Don't stop! You're my… nemesis! Fight… kill… reborn…"

Robin shakes his head, "Heretic I'm not going to fight you. You've used all the power up. You need to stop, give up fighting like this. Nothing good will come from it and power isn't everything." He smiles back to his friends the titans who give him a smile too. "I think I know why you thought I was your nemesis. This suit, power, being the best was all I wanted." Robin looks back and shrugs, "You know what it's not. What really matters is the time you have with your friends."

Starfire giggles as she launches onto his neck. Cyborg thwacks him hard on the shoulder as Beast Boy thumbs him up. Raven sort of floats in smirking at his words. Heretic looks at Robin his eyes bearing hatred, "Argh! No!" Heretic pushes himself up and pushes his palm out on Robin firing an orb but it only spurts out to then dissipate. Heretic looks to his hands, his body looses its muscular tone and soon he seems so frail and old, "My powers… their going…" Heretic coughs before falling on his sides, "I wanted… to bring… them… back…"

Beast Boy raises a brow, "Wait a second!" he grabs the doll at his belt and runs over to Heretic, "Hey, do you know what this is?"

Heretic looks to the doll, his eyes no longer red seem human, and brown. "Ah… Angelicas favorite… toy…" Heretic's shaky hand reaches out to hold the toy. "She… was my… daughter…" Heretic coughs haggardly as Robin stands to his other side. "They were… killed… in a fire… I wanted… to save… them… he promised… me… the power…"

Robin lowers onto his knee, "Who? Who promised?"

"Apophis… he told me… the secret… was Nemesis…" he looks to Robin; his eyes were getting very shaky, "I needed… it quickly…"

Robin shakes his head, "Heretic that was the real mistake. True power is not gained, it's earned." Robin smiles, "Also you can't take it too seriously or you'll be corrupted by it. When you take the power seriously it becomes a force. That force can swallow you in it. Without letting loose, letting it be free the power we earn is taken for granted and we loose sight of we are the ones with the power, not the power has us."

Heretic looks at his daughter's old toy, "Yes… you're right…" he coughs a couple times then turns to Beast Boy, "Where did you find this?"

Beast Boy frowns, "Uh we found it in this kind of a shrine thing Bata-Boom has. It's where he kept things from people he killed."

Heretic looks at the doll, his eyes shake slightly more violent, "…no… he… but…" Heretic clenches the doll to his chest closing his eyes. Beast Boy rubs the back of his head, "Hey, you know now. That's the most important thing here. You know what really happened and you can make up for it!" Beast Boy gives the patented Beast Boy grin and thumb-action "You can still make a difference."

Red X is slowly moved into the area by Speak. He looks up slowly and sees Raven, "Raven!" she looks over and her powers act out slashing a metal antenna in half. She floats over and grabs him holding him up with Speak. Red X looks at her with a sigh of relief, "We did it, and we killed that fat monster."

"NAH-UH!" they are all plowed through the doorway from Bata-Boom. He lands his hands on the frame and holds himself breathless to the group. "You can't keep a good killer down!" he laughs his laugh to the group as it moves into a stance. Red X snarls, "Okay Michael-Myers let's finish this!"

"Oh!" Bata-Boom slinks his one eye from the broken lens "I would if I could but right now I'm late for an important matter." He raises a switch from his coat and presses a button. Gears are heard and a crate is lifted up from the warehouse onto the roof from a crane setup. "Now, we're going to be seeing some REAL fireworks!"

Slade appears with a stomp next to Bata-Boom. He fires out his palms and a wall of flam circles the titans and other heroes. "You should have joined me Raven. Now we have no choice but to force you to our side!"

Bata-Boom points out his hands to Heretic, "Now to finish what I started with your family!" Heretic looks on Bata-Boom with hate, "The plan was simple, make you force Robin to create the titans. Then slowly manipulate other elements in his life until finally we could achieve Raven's ultimate power!"

Robin looks at Raven, "Raven? I thought I was the nemesis!"

Slade laughs, "Please! That was the idea!" Slade moves his hands out to the side, "Look who is here, who wants to see the rise of Akaige! Me and Bata-Boom. The two villains in the alliance that honestly wanted to provoke Raven."

Bata-Boom nods, "Yeah well no time for explanations, I want this over already!" Bata-Boom pulls a last switch and triggers it with "Bata-Boom!"

The crate opens with small charges across its sides and top, the top blows off and then folds out to let the sides roll open for the contents inside. The titans see the black metal robot. It had a human like design except for the one arm with the three long claws. At its appearance, Heretic screams out in pain. The heroes look over and see the mask's serpents, the two red serpents over the cheeks burning up in flames. The flame serpents slither across the mask to the right eye where they cross over it like a flaming red X. Heretic pries the mask off and tosses it outside the fire. Bata-Boom chuckles as he skips over then bends over to pick it up. He screams then falls on his side, "Oh! Those little brats of mine threw my back out!"

Slade sweats, "Um… you want me to do it?"

Bata-Boom snarls as he strains to his feet then grabs the mask. "I worked on this for most my life! I was the one who originally found the scriptures on Akaige and learned the serum from him! You just stand there and look pretty!" Bata-Boom walks towards the robot rubbing his back with his free hand, "Damn, I hate kids!"

Bata-Boom places the mask onto the Robot's face. The mask fits perfectly with the grooves of the head piece. The robot seems to arc its chest forward, Heretic does the same. Robin sees this and looks at Slade, "No! I won't let you get away with this!" he tosses a birdarang which passes through the fires and explodes on Slade, the flames die out and Slade in a fit of rage shoots on Robin. Robin is hit hard, Raven flies after to grab him and holds him as she heals his wounds. "I got him?"

Raven looks at the wounds; she had been saddened by his stupid attempt to save them. "Yes, you did." She wipes a tear away as he was joyful in stopping it. Slade holds his arm now he couldn't hold the dome. However, he looks over to Heretic's mouth pouring out a black mist, "It's still going!"

The mist spews forth, and takes the form of the serpent shadow Serpentine. The heroes look as the serpent is rising and in it is the angry form of a shadow man with a burning red X over his face. The serpent flies into the robot and as it passes it the man disappears. The serpent flies into the air then bursts away as simple mist. Alpha and Omega hurry to the robot, their bodies stretch then burst into a mist that covers the machine making a black covering. The heroes and villains look as the robot thrashes forward, its right arm of a claw flexing as the mists solidify into a sort of flesh shadow. The left arm is passing over from palm to backhand as the robot views through its mask eyes to the flesh now forming on that arm. The body is toned over the flesh with muscle. The shadow robot stands with its legs spread and the shadow flesh leaks across the legs to form tightly. The head is last, covering the under section of the mask with flesh but then morphing the mask into a skull like form. The titans look at Red X who is also astonished by the similar face of the figure before them. Akaige, with a loud scream flings his arms overhead and his back rips open with two cape wings that slowly drift down to his sides and wrap him. His claw arm lays to his front as he flexes it several times, "You ever get that feeling, like it's so good to be undead?" Akaige chuckles to himself in his deep voice.

The heroes give glances before readying into their fighting stances. Akaige sees Bata-Boom and Slade ready into a move but he shakes them off with his human hand, "I didn't break the boundary of shadow and material worlds to loose to some kids. Leave me to my fun!"

Akaige whips the cape back over his shoulders. He bounces from front leg to back leg; his left leg is in front of him as his right leg is to the back of him. His arms are pitched to the same stance as his legs, "He… I missed fighting all these years!"

Akaige runs forward in a speed filled charge, curving his left arm under his stomach as his right dangles behind his charging form. He comes inches from Raven before twirling off his feet and landing a strong swipe of his demon backhand. Raven is tossed off from the attack, not beaten however but off the roof. Cyborg launches a punch but Akaige bends on his back and under the punch landing with his one foot a strong kick to the jaw making Cyborg fall back. Akaige, like some kind of dancer is still bending in the attack but grabs Cyborg's ankle as the large man goes airborne to twirl about using Cyborg like a giant club. Cyborg is swung into Aqualad, Bumble Bee, Killer Moth, and Starfire tossing them back out of the huddle. Akaige now releases Cyborg at the end of this swing tossing him out off of the building. Akaige lands both feet on the ground and begins using his arms as guards from the staff swings of Robin, Red X, Speak's punches, Mammoth's punches, and Kitten's floating kicks. The four make wild swings and punches however Akaige ducks dodges, blocks, or simply taps these moves easily. After he sees an opening Akaige twists under the punches of Speak landing a forward palm of his claw. The right leg is then thrusted under a kick by Kitten sending her off and into the now trying to stand Bumble Bee. Akaige now back flips away from the fighters a little before leaping in a diving punch to Beast Boy. Bending with the punch Akaige leaps off his hands and grabs Beast Boy in his legs twirling in the air he launches Beast Boy under himself to try and land a strong punch. Akaige looks up then hops off of Beast Boy as Starfire flew in with her arms in a plow. Akaige lands outside the group finding Gizmo screaming as he stomps out with his spider legs. Akaige strafes from the poking stabs of the legs before floating in then raising his claw arm he holds the clenched fist inches from Gizmo's face. Gizmo blinks, before Akaige flicks his finger launching the genius straight into Killer Moth who was flying in with his gun ready.

Akaige chuckles, as he lands seeing the titans all together. They are huddled and Robin asks, "Did anybody see half what he did?"

Beast Boy rubs his jaw, "I felt it does that count?"

Starfire lands next to Robin, "He has a great speed and power. What can we do?"

Raven lands and gives a glare, "He wants me." They all look at her, "I see it in his eyes. He wants me."

The second Raven appeared Akaige looks on her with a pleased kind of glare; he seems to fly his claw more as well. Raven looks to the others, "Maybe we can use that. Have him be distracted then launch a last effort."

Robin looks at Raven, "It's risky. He might hurt you." Raven grins as Red X taps her on the shoulder, "Or she might hurt him."

Raven turns to Akaige, and her cape flaps as she turns white. The others look a little surprised but not Akaige. Raven flies out and launches a punch but Akaige points up his claw, "Rargh!" a wave of shadow pulses over the roof tossing everyone back and knocking many unconscious. The ones still up were Jinx, Robin, Red X, Speak, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg. Raven had put her shield up the second he did it. "What the… I must be getting soft!"

Robin and Red X swing down but Akaige after tossing Raven with another backhand. She stops in mid air and redirects to Akaige. Jinx fires her hexes but Akaige smacks them off. His claw arm now becomes like rubber, and a hiss is heard as it slinks across the area to grasp Jinx in its grip. It squeezes its long claws over her frame making her scream from a strong forceful constriction. Cyborg screams as he fires his cannon on the arm making it bobble from the blasts then drop her. The arm now hisses and tries to grab Cyborg. Akaige is using his human back arm like a shield to keep Robin from getting any real hits while quickly floating away from him. The arm and Akaige work separately now, until finally the arm swirls around a sonic blast then slashes over Cyborg's arm to disarm him… literally. Akaige's claw restricts to its normal self as Akaige now leaps over Robin who is punched by a large green gorilla. Beast Boy turns human and grins stupidly before a foot hits his face. Akaige lands from the kick and squats down to then spring up and land a rising uppercut to Beast Boy's jaw. Akaige looks on to have the green bolts passing by his head. Akaige pitches his head with each jolt and finally as she was breaking the gap he launches out his claw like a snake to grab her face then plow her into the roof. Starfire struggles to rip off the arm but then fires her eye beams. Akaige reels his arm back and snarls his hand is back to his side where he grabs it with his human hand and flexes it with the pain dissipating.

"So you can be hurt." Raven levitates next to Akaige. Akaige looks at Raven and gleams a kind of grin, "So can you!" he grabs her by the throat and tosses her over to Slade, "Hold her!" Slade grabs her arms and holds her best he can as she begins to try and pry free. Akaige turns to the remaining heroes and roars out loudly with his next wave. Red X looks to Speak and leaps off his brother's shoulders to dodge the wave. Robin uses his staff to vault over the wave too while Starfire was about to fly over it but her legs are caught making her spin in the air before stopping herself. The others are all shocked and put down. Akaige sees the three and stomps his foot, "What the hell? I never had this much trouble in the feudal era!"

Robin and Red X launch with staffs, Akaige strikes their staffs with his claw. Starfire flies overhead and screams for the others to move, they do and Akaige is under barrage by tons of bolts. Akaige has his arms crossed to hold off most of the attacks. Starfire stops as a cloud of smoke covers Akaige, Akaige's arm stretches out and opens wide next to Starfire's horrified face. The fingers spark in red energy that then fires out on Starfire. Starfire is skidding on the roof as she lands; Robin looks back to her screaming her name as the foot smashes into his head tossing him over the roof too. Akaige looks to Red X as his claw returns to him. Red X has his staff held tightly, he was the only one left except for Raven. Raven looks at Red X and in a surge of power she pushes out of the hold to Robert. She and he look defiantly to Akaige. He flexes his claw in front of his face, "I always save the best for last."

Heretic is looking onto the events; he sees something of how Akaige looks onto Red X. He looks to then Raven, and sees something of an idea.

Raven gives with her hands glowing, rubble levitating into the air, "That was a mistake this time."

Red X grips at his x disks, "A really big mistake!" the two toss their weapons. Akaige runs through the barrage his eyes glaring widely as he screams "I wasn't talking about you Robert!"

Raven now feels a warm sensation all over her side, Raven looks to her arm, her white sleeve is red. "What…" she looks to her side and her eyes are huge as they see the sight of horror. Red X is grabbing the claw in his chest… Akaige playfully flexes his claw as it was digging right through Red X's chest and out his back. Red X looks up to the sky in pain and his skull mask starts to show a red color streaking from his eyes and mouth. Akaige moves his claws out slowly at first, before fully ripping them out of the chest. Red X tries to scream but his voice is gurgled. Red falls back and his arms fall to his sides from weakness. Akaige swings his arm over the ground, making a blood X that he soon waves his claw over making the blood combust. The flaming X was a calling card he devised after he took over as Kagejin lord. "That was fun." He looks to Raven who is looking in disbelief as she bent in on her knees and sees Red X looking at her dully. Raven has grabbed Red X's head and holds it. She sees event like the time at the bar, the time he gave her necklace, the time he saved the team on the roof, and even yes their first kiss and first time... She feels the tears on her face strolling down her cheeks, Red X looks at her once then he seems to stop. Raven can now not see him as her eyes are fully covered in tears. The building is shaking, all the ground around them is cracking and the earth below them is crackling as it breaks. Raven screams to the sky and the earth as if to her roar, roars up in chunks of stone and earth that fly high into the air around the building. Raven looks to Akaige and channels her powers launching him off of the building. She follows behind quickly launching more sparse blasts. She keeps firing and firing but only the first one had struck. As she wildly fires she soon feels faint and then drops into the ground digging into the dirt unconscious. Akaige floats over and laughs, "I knew she couldn't control it all." He sends an orb of shadow to the others saying "Let's get to the tower. We have what we came for." Akaige disappears in a mist of blackness with Raven while Slade and Bata-Boom disappear together.

Robin moves slowly, "He's… dead?"

Robert moves from the roof, "Uh…" he is in the place Heretic was, and wears Heretic's clothes "What the hell happened?"

Robin removes the Red X mask and sees Heretic's face. "…I knew… one spell…" he smiles, "… I saved… a life…" he closes his eyes and Robin looks to Red X. "We have to save Raven. Red do you know where they took her?"

Red X looks to his feet, "No…" he hears something, a voice? He hears… Mayor's office, the roof is for a ritual "I know! I know where! The Mayor's office! Their taking her to the building for some kind of… ritual?" He looks around, "Where did that voice come from?"

The other titans are starting to awake. Robin looks to them all and nods, "We have to hurry." He looks to see a large truck used to move supplies. "We need to save our friend and I think… much more than that."

Note: Man this got long. Sorry, I wanted to get a lot of explanations done on this chapter. Tee-Hee, you thought he died didn't you? Bata-Boom sort of Darth Vader thing happened so yeah I wonder if anyone caught on sooner than this. The whole eyes thing was a give away I guess. Then Speak's mother being killed. Heretic being played like a puppet in more ways than one. Sigh, I put too much thought into this fic I swear. Well nothing much to say except I hope to finish this soon. Please keep reading and have a good time!

Kittykat: Thanks hope you like the update.

Darkoftheknight: This would have taken longer if I originally put the two together after all. No to mention it downright would have been a lot to read.

RavenXBB: Wah-hah-hah! You must have thought the death was real! Sorry, hope you weren't upset!

Celsie: I'm glad you liked the story so much. Hope you enjoyed its new chapter.

Dreamfox Windwolf: Hope you liked this little twist. Pakk and Pakku were good characters I hoped.

Jason: Well, you liked my planning so what about all the twists in this chapter?

Thiswolflovesnoone: Glad you are not confused. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too.

Shekron Kaizer: Pakkurath is a demonic variation of little-old-me. I guess he could work for your Evil character or even be him for all I know. Eh, I'll just wait and see, your evil character sounded just like Pakkurath and somehow it worried me… because I act like Pakku… and so that means I'm really more creepy than I need to be… meh, I like me the way I am! Fear ME!

Tigerlilly1234: Go ahead and take him, but it seems Shekron will need him too. So don't hurt him too much… He's actually based on me so in a way that's sort of creepy/funny. Take Akaige too but after this you may not want him.