Opposition
Droplets of dew fell from the trees and misted Ann's face as she stood. The long trip north had caused Ann's body temperature to rise dramatically, and the welcome chill of the dew was readily accepted. She closed eyes and raised them skyward, greeting the refreshing mists with open arms. Torrent had been walking several steps behind Ann until she had stopped abruptly. He paused as she did and watched as Ann acquired such astonishing pleasure from the simple cool sprinkle falling from the leaves above the trail. She heard his thoughts and began to speak to him with her eyes still closed and the mist still clinging to her eyelashes,
"Try it Torrent. You'll enjoy it." She smiled but did not look back to see if he had heard her, only continued to let the droplets cool her hot face.
With out questioning Torrent raised his eyes toward the branches and felt the frosty vapor wash over him, a shiver stole down his spine and his constant smile widened even more so. Ann opened her eyes and looked back at him,
"Nice?" He only nodded wile still looking skyward, she smiled and stood next to him and they stood together as the morning mists washed over them. A very impatient looking Jester however broke the moment with a sharp remark,
"If you two are quite done playing around in the rain, may we continue?" Her arms where crossed and each word was laced heavily with sarcasm.
"Oh, give us a break would you Sparks? Some of us aren't incorporeal creatures and need to rest every now and then." Ann objected to Alice's complaint but opened her eyes and continued forward down the trail none the less. Torrent only continued smiling as always, obviously refreshed by the mist, and followed Ann toward Sparks.
"Well if we weren't forced to continuously stop so the both of you can sleep or eat, we could have reached my master a long time ago." Alice the jester said this in more of a matter of fact kind of way rather then in an accusatory manner.
"Well if someone had allowed our leader to come along we could have simply flown the whole way." This comment by Ann however was very accusatory.
"But you forget. I am nothing more then a projection of my master's consciousness. I can teleport to her side at will. I am guiding you out of the grace of my own heart." The jester's nose rose a little higher in the air when she finished her statement. Ann opened her mouth wide to voice another hostile comment but Torrent hand touched her left shoulder and she stopped mid sentence,
"Thank you Alice, we don't mind the walk… its quite nice." The truth was that Ann and Torrent didn't mind their time alone together. The jester was constantly leaving because of her master wanting to be updated and left the two of them alone quite often, it was like old times. Spark's seemed to pick up on this and raised one eye brow as she spoke,
"Quite… in any case we shall be reaching my master within the day and she is expecting us so if we could keep moving?" Torrent smiled and nodded politely, this caused Sparks to smile and the group continued.
The path looked much like a game trail, overgrown, unkempt, and winding up large hills and into deep valleys. The going was tough but Ann had spent the enough time keeping up with Torrent to make this trail look like a paved sidewalk. The three would chat about subjects related to the current problems and subjects that weren't connected in any way. Sparks seemed very interested in any information about Beast Boy, and each time she found out something new she would disappear and go off to inform her master. The jester also refused to give either Torrent or Ann any information regarding her creator, no matter how many times they would ask her. Each time she would respond, 'Wait, and the master will explain everything." This response often infuriated Ann but her anger would not loosen Alice's lips. Now was no different, regardless of how close they where, so the three teens walked in silence. Sparks looked strait ahead, Ann starred at her feet to avoid tripping over the numerous tree roots, and Torrent constantly looked around at the changing scenery; seemingly fascinated in each tree, leaf or stick. Ann would laugh each time they reached a cliff or a large hill and Torrent would be astounded with the beautiful scenery that lay before him, she had spent years with this boy and even with the added benefit of physic powers, he still managed to amaze her every day. Suddenly, however, Torrent stopped in his enthusiastic examination of the life around him and froze in place. Ann halted as well and asked him,
"What is it Torrent?" She placed a hand on his shoulder. His mussels had become tense with anticipation. Alice stopped as soon as she noticed that the others had, she turned around with her lip protruding outward and her hands on her hips. The jester opened her mouth to object about the unnecessary pause when she noticed to look on Ann's face.
"What's wrong?" Alice asked Ann with sudden concern.
"Torrent's heard something he doesn't like… I think something might be following us." As if to confirm Ann's suspicion, Torrent slowly turned to face the winding trail behind them.
The trail was empty and Ann could hear nothing. Torrent let out a low growl from deep within his throat. He obviously had sensed a presence and his abilities where much keener then any normal humans. So Ann continued to scan the silent forest behind them. Birds chirped and the wind whistled through the trees but no malevolent being showed itself from behind any of the twisting trees. Sparks walked back and stood next to them and watched as well. The two girls where blindly skimming each possible hiding place with there eyes, but Torrent looked directly ahead with his nose flaring and his ears twitching as he used each of his senses to detect the on coming threat. After several minutes of silence passed Alice got fed up,
"Ok, are you two satisfied? No one is…" Torrent stood quickly and grabbed at something in the air directly in front of the jesters face. She was so surprised that she stopped speaking and starred cross eyed at the hand three inches in front of her face. Torrent slowly turned and opened his hand revealing its hidden contents. Ann stepped closer to look at what Torrent had snatched in mid flight. Torrent did not look; his eyes remained on the forest. A slightly smashed red bladed object that slightly resembled a bird sat in the palm of Torrents large hands. It was Alice, who recognized it,
"That's just like the one that Robin carries!" Ann looked at her with a blank stare; the name obviously did not ring a bell. "He's the guy that Torrent fought last time when I was with you, the leader of the Titans!"
Ann smiled in recognition and opened her mouth to say something but was cut short when several balls struck the ground around them and exploded, sending splinters of wood and chunks of rock flying every where. Torrent, Ann and Sparks covered their faces while the shrapnel flew about them. Torrent was the first to get hit, out of the smoke flew a dark figure with a glowing orange spot in its chest. It struck him hard across the face with its right fist then spun and hit with its right heel. Torrent flew into the underbrush, knocked unconscious.
The smoke cleared and the figure turned to face the two girls. It was robin, but he no longer wore his brightly colored red uniform. A black jumpsuit covered in metal armor plates had replaced it. The mask remained and the belt was a different color but it was unmistakably Robin. Alice was about to call out to him when she saw what glowed at the center of his chest, it was a control disk. Sparks grasped Ann by the shoulder and shook her until she turned to face her,
"I'm going for help. Don't die." Ann almost had enough time to tell her to wait, but she vanished into a puff of smoke to quickly and Ann was left alone.
Robin smiled and pulled an extendable staff from his belt, he twirled it a little as he slowly approached Ann. She was frantically looking around for any way to escape but saw nothing. Robin raised the staff over his head and prepared to strike. Ann focused on the staff and closed her eyes, nothing struck her. When she opened them the staff was levitating in the air and Robin was still furiously attempting to strike her with it. It was Ann's turn to smile. She struck out at Robin with her newly acquired floating weapon. He raised his hands just in time to defect his own staff from hitting him between the eyes. Ann concentrated as Robin wagged war against his flying staff, it stuck at him and he Surprising strength and accuracy. The weapon began to move with such speed that it burred and whistled as it swung through the air. Breaking Robin's defenses it struck the boy wonder across the face. The blow knocked him to his knees, Ann stopped the dancing staff and stepped forward, suddenly concerned if he was injured.
Robin made his move the moment Ann let her guard down; he flung his leg outward and swept the feet out from under her. Ann caught her self with her power just before she stuck the hard earth. Without pausing Robin delivered another hard swift kick at her chest. She cried out and was flung backward, but once again grabbed herself before she stuck a tree. Robin jumped and attempted to place a flying kick between Ann's eyes. Instantly Ann grabbed Robin in mid-air, he looked surprised. Ann raised her hands, sweat was running down her face, she had never used her gift for this long at one time. Violently dropping her hand Ann slammed robin repeatedly against the ground, the trees and the rocks. She started to scream as all the anger and frustration came out, beads of perspiration covered every inch of her body and her skull felt as if it was on the urge of splitting in two. Then her strength gave out and Robin fell from her grip, he hit the ground broken and motionless. Ann herself fell to the ground the weight of the fatigue becoming too much. The cold earth felt good against her hot skin. Her eyes flickered and she teetered at the edge of sleep and awareness.
After several moments, a confused and stunned Torrent slowly stumbled out from the bushes. He saw the resting Ann on the ground and his smile returned. Walking over to her he brushed the small leaves and twigs from his clothing. He kneed at her side, then lay next to her and looked in to her tired eyes. Ann smiled and spoke to him,
"Hi… I did it. He was hard though." Torrent just smiled and looked at her. Then his eyes twitched and he quickly sat up again. "What? What is it?"
"He wasn't alone." The look of accomplishment melted from Ann's face and she too sat up. The forest was silent for a while, and then Ann heard the noise too. The steady clank of mechanical parts began to echo through the branches of the old trees.