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But if you want me to I'll be the one for you
Maybe I can save your life
-Omnisoul, "Save Your Life"
Chapter 12
"Aren't they supposed to be dead?" Beast Boy asked of Mas y Menos, while taking out more of the steadily dwindling Sladebots.
"Heringard must have taken them with him, just so that he had an advantage," said Bumblebee, anger apparent. "He let me think that they were dead...!"
The Sladebots were now gone. They had either been busted up or had fled the scene. Mas and Menos were the final opponents before Slade and Heringard.
"We've come this far, Titans," said Robin fiercely. "They'll be a piece of cake. Now- GO!"
Starfire flew forward towards the two Spanish supers, attempting to break them apart, disabling their speed. However, Mas y Menos currently were very fast, and the attack was dodged with ease. As they dodged, they came face to face with Robin, and quickly, albeit clumsily, leapt over him, using his head as a 'trampoline'.
Lora could not blast Speedy's friends into oblivion, and Speedy's arrows were much too slow.
A gush of water washed the two over, courtesy of Aqualad, and the chips started sparking. But the quick duo still persisted in attacking. they ran over to Raven and pulled her hood down low, causing her to stumble. They ran circles around Beast Boy, and nimbly avoided Terra's boulders and Sarasim's attacks. But they didn't avoid Lann.
Bright orange-red lightning jumped to life at them, and as quickly as they ran, the lightning caught up. Finally, it hit it's target, and the chips broke, scattering the pieces on the steel floor. Mas and Menos lay on the ground, knocked out for now, but no longer under Slade and Heringard's control.
Small applause followed their victory, coming from their enemy. Cyborg watched the smirk spread across the older Heringard's face and he felt himself grow angry, thinking of everything the villain had done.
"Well done," said the malicious alien. "I expected that to be easy for you. But now," he stood up, crimson cape swishing," you get to fight us."
Slade, Slade, and the other Heringard all joined the first at the center of the room, clock behind them.
"Easy," Robin called out boldly.
Slade chuckled.
"Are you sure, Robin?" His eerie voice echoed throughout the Grand Hall."Do not forget...that girl has told you the future." He pointed at Lora, and Speedy immediately stepped in front of her. "That girl knows- your fight is futile. Don't you see? Jump City has become our playground. Sladebots everywhere. We are the Higher Powers. We are the future. It cannot be changed."
"That is not true," Starfire replied, firmly and loudly.
Slade ignored the Tamaranian and instead looked over again at Lora. "You agree with me...tell them of the futility in this."
Lora stepped out from behind Speedy, green dress swishing around her calves. "They have already changed so much," she said, jutting out her chin with defiance. "Who am I to stop a future turning for the better?"
Slade-the younger- shouted with anger, and the four opponenets ran forward to attack.
"We should focus on taking out the younger ones," Bumblebee said quickly. "No past them, no future them."
Robin was already enacting that plan, deep and focused on defeating Slade. They were locked in combat, dancing around each other, the occasional punch or hard kick hitting its mark. Starfire and Cyborg were taking on Heringard, and starbolts green and gold shot through the Hall. Lora was stepping back, protecting the unconsious Mas y Menos, carefully watching for anyone that she could heal, and knowing what was going to happen next.
Beast Boy and Terra helped out whoever they thought needed help, but no one else interfered with Robin and Slade.
"Someone needs to get that clock," Raven said forcefully, as she launched the throne across the room at the older Slade, who was taking on Aqualad and Speedy.
Sarasim ran forward to grab it, but was hit in the side by a gold starbolt. Lora rushed over to her and healed her.
"Sarasim!" Cyborg growled, and he shot another beam at Heringard, but the younger and stronger version deflected it with ease. Lann shot lightning until his twelve year old stamina started dwindling fast. Bumblebee saw this and flew him out of the way to stand with Mas and Menos.
"Stay here for your sister," she said to him with a quick smile. Then the winged girl launched herself at the younger Heringard, slicing at him.
Every Titan was doing their best, Lora saw. She watched in awe, feeling helpless- her Oblivion move was not useful against powers like these- and she realized that if anyone would change the future, it would be them. She looked over at Speedy. They could do it. He could do it. She had never believed in them before, and she was ashamed to say it. But now...now she saw the Teen Titans. And she needed to help.
The Clock. Starfire.
Lora dashed over to where Starfire had momentarily been knocked out of the air.
"Starfire, you have been having weird dreams!" she said. Starfire gave her a confused look, but nodded. "Listen, I- that was me. Don't ask me any more right now. But you need to get that clock now." The alien princess didn't reply, but she looked towards the Clock and shot into the air with a nod. Heringard had seen and Lora turned to see him towering above her. She screamed as he lifted her into the air by the neck, and started gasping for air.
And then Speedy saw this, and shot an arrow-
And Heringard saw Starfire flying towards the clock and he shot a golden starbolt with deadly aim-
And Lora knew that the time had come where she would truly see the future change...
Robin had Slade cornered for the first time in the history of their many showdowns. There was a birdarang at the villain's throat. He was about to pay. But then the Boy Wonder heard the scream and turned. The gold starbolt was flying towards Starfire, who had flown past him and was standing at the Clock's table, a few feet away.
And Robin realized that what Lora had told him would come true right now without his intervention.
If anyone can do something, you can...
Slade was about to be killed. He deserved it.
But it wasn't worth it if the oneRobin loved would die.
Robin dropped Slade and his birdarang, running across the Grand Hall towards the girl with the fiery hair, and shoved her out of the way. He looked, and for that millisecond he absorbed every corner of her shocked face, then he felt his side explode with pain, and then he was falling.
Speedy's arrow lodged itself into Heringard's leg, causing the villain to drop Lora, and the girl gasped for breath and turned, just in time to see Robin take Starfire's place.
Everything, every side battle, was stopped, watching the unfolding scene.
"Robin!" The brunette cried out and ran quickly over to the fallen Titan. "You changed everything," she said, close to tears. But the tears went away quickly when she realized this: the blow had not been fatal. She immediately started healing him.
Starfire didn't know this. She sat in awe, holding the Clock close, watching with tearing eyes wide and heart pounding.
Robin.
Slade gave an evil laugh. "Foolish lovestruck boy," he said. Starfire heard him and her eyes grew hot, with anger and tears.
Robin!
He gave his life for her. And Slade was laughing at him. She dropped the Clock and tried to fly over, to beat that man to a pulp...but she couldn't fly. Not without...
"ROBIN!"
Starfire exploded, like a furious supernova, eyes glowing and fiery hair flying out behind her. Green energy came from every part of her, bathing the room, making everyone sheild their eyes from the raw power. It miraculously passed over the Titans, them staying unharmed, but they all heard the deafening screams from their foe, finally recieving justice, finally being blown away like a fine unwanted dust, because the starbolt power was too much.
And Slade was gone.
Raven watched as Starfire collapsed onto her knees, weak from the sudden release of power. She flew over. Her healing would not be as strong as Lora's, but it would help-
"He always was a weakling."
Heringard was still alive. He was now reduced to one knee, but the younger one was still alive. Aqualad clenched his fists with frustration as their opponenet continued in a weak but still menacing voice.
"So I have seen myself die." A chuckle. "I will avoid it next time then."
If he had survived that blast, Aqualad saw, then not only was he incredibly powerful, but the Titans wouldn't be able to defeat him. He watched as Raven helped a still weary Starfire off the ground, and the other Titans started attacking Heringard again, and a steady leak of water trickled to the ground.
The water...
The Atlantian took off towards Speedy and grabbed him roughly by the shoulder. "Speedy," he gasped out- they were all tired from fighting- "I need you to get everyone out of here."
Speedy looked at his friend. "Aqualad..."
"Just do it! Is there any way out?"
"We found some escape pods. I think Robin marked them," the archer replied, glancing over at Lora and the healed but still unconsious and pale Robin. "What about you?"
Aqualad straightened up. "You know as well as I do that we can't beat him if he survived that and can still talk," he pointed out. "This whole place is underwater. I'll drown him."
"And you'll go down with him?" the other asked angrily. "No!"
"I can breathe underwater."
"That's a weak excuse and you know it. This whole place will be collapsing around you. Haven't we had enough people get hurt?" Speedy pointed wildly at Mas and Menos, and Robin, but Aqualad grabbed his shoulder and gave him a hard look.
"Do it."
Speedy looked back at Aqualad, noticing the fierce determination that had made the hero across from him the closest brother he'd ever have, and nodded a reply. He then ran over towards Cyborg, explained quickly, then rushed over towards Lora and Robin and explained to the brunette Aqualad's plan. Then the archer stood in the center of the room.
"Everyone! Follow me now!" he yelled, pausing the other Titan's next assaults. Starfire flew more steadily now, and took Robin gently from Lora, flying to follow Speedy's orders. Bumblebee heard Speedy too, and she flew over, grabbing Cyborg's arm and pointing towards Lann and the spanish Titans. Cyborg nodded and scooped them all up, then followed Speedy out the door. Beast Boy and Terra and Sarasim followed on a rock. Lora and Speedy led the way out of the hall, and Aqualad watched them all go. All but...
"Raven, you need to go too," he said to the cloaked girl standing in front of him, holding the Clock, an unreadable expression on her face.
"I can't," she whispered. Then, repeating louder, "I can't."
Out of the corner of his eye Aqualad saw Heringard slowly standing up and readying a starbolt. He grabbed Raven's arm.
"Please go now!" he begged. "I don't want to see you get hurt, Raven."
She looked up at him with mysterious indigo eyes, dark and wide with emotion. She was beautiful.
"I..."
Aqualad pushed her through the door after the others quickly, avoiding her gaze. "Go!" And so Raven flew away from the Grand Hall.
And then the Atlantian looked at Heringard, and waited until he thought the others would be in the escape pods that Speedy was talking about, and the he would unleash the water...
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She should have stayed. These were Raven's thoughts as she followed the group through many corridors, finally coming upon the sign of escape- Robin's birdarang lodged in the wall.
Aqualad needed to be with them. He needed to be with her...! Raven clenched her fists as she sat in the escape pod with Starfire, a waking up but still drowsy Robin held tightly by the young princess. He coughed.
"Star?"
And then they began talking seriously, and so Raven tuned them out, putting up her hood. She wouldn't have cared to listen anyway.
Robin had put his life on the line, and now Aqualad was too. Would she get the chance to say the things she now realized, watching Starfire and Robin? The escape pods took off, and the sound of rushing water filled Raven's ears as she held the Clock tightly.
And as she had these thoughts, Aqualad dodged another gold starbolt and finally spread his arms wide, inviting the ocean to flow through him, into the room...
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The place was totally gone, sunk into the endless depths of an ocean, and Heringard was gone with it. Each Teen Titans let out his or her respective sigh of relief. But behind them there was worry, for a certain absent Atlantian. Speedy scanned the horizon, but there was nothing. He turned back to Lora and gave her a slight shake of his head. Robin grasped Starfire's hand tightly as she gasped, and they all looked out at the empty ocean.
"Man, he was one good guy," Cyborg finally said.
Was?
WAS?
He could breathe underwater for crying out loud! Raven held the Clock even tighter to keep her hands from shaking. But the telltale explosion of a rock behind them all gave her away.
He wasn't gone.
There was something hot behind her eyes...Raven bowed her head down. And for the first time in her life...Raven cried. It was only a precious few tears, but with every tear was a different image.
Aqualad's mind, and Beast Boy's interruption...
Blowing away the Sladebot trying to hurt her...
And then Aqualad's head coming above water with a splash, water spraying everywhere, ocean sparkling with the sun behind it?
Raven gasped. That last one was not a past image. He was alive! She shoved the Clock quickly into Cyborg's startled hands and took off running into the water, who cared if she couldn't swim, he was alive to teach her, and she heard even more rocks exploding behind her as her hood blew off her face, and then she wrapped her arms around a very startled Aqualad.
"Raven," he stated simply. The cloaked girl felt him return the hug, and she looked up at him, and another rock exploded. And Raven laughed.
"Never ever do that again," she whispered, and then she kissed him.
"Well then...," Speedy said after a few moments. " That was unexpected on some level."
"Did she just laugh?" asked Bumblebee.
"Let them be, guys," Beast Boy said. "Let's just figure out how this clock thingamajig works and get home!"
The Titans nodded in agreement as Raven and Aqualad came over and joined them, peculiar but happy expressions on both their faces. Mas and Menos sped around, overjoyed to see their friends. The battle was over...
It was time for pizza.
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One last wrap up chapter guys! I'm sorry if the RavenAqualad came off as a bit corny and/or incredibly cliche and campy, but I mean, good old fashioned fluff is like that, haha
-Silver Miracles