Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans

Unfriendly Competition

More Than a Game

As the four losers sat as captives in the gem, the other four were regaining their strength in separate rooms. Terra was thinking over her battle with Black Rose as she dressed her wounds. Black Rose really did a number on her. The girl really knew how to fight. Terra wondered who taught her. Her fighting style was so must like Slade's. Had she once been his apprentice? She was really skilled with that bo staff of hers and Slade was really talented with the same weapon. It was as if the two were related or something. Terra wasn't sure whether to ask Black Rose if she knew Slade or not. No, it wouldn't be a good idea, especially if Raven or Starfire would be in earshot. Should Terra ask Slade if he had a former apprentice named Black Rose? Terra knew that Robin had once been his apprentice. How many apprentices did Slade actually have?

Terra winced as she bound her cut legs with bandages. She glanced over at the mirror. She really did look terrible. Would rest actually help? Who was going to be her next opponent? Terra feared that it would be Raven. She would hate to have to fight her teammate. Well, Raven really wasn't her teammate, was she? Terra wasn't even really a titan. She was a spy. She knew she would have to fight Raven sometime, but she wouldn't want to do it in this tournament. Terra laid flat on her bed and looked up at the ceiling. Would she be up for another fight? She had used so much energy in that battle with Black Rose, and it all was just part of a game.

"Maybe if I sleep," she told herself as she closed her eyes, "I'll feel better tomorrow…need strength for the fight."

But sleep didn't come easy for Terra. Sleep never came easy after meeting Slade.

Bumblebee, Raven and Batgirl weren't asleep just yet. Raven was trying to contact Starfire and when that wasn't working, she tried contacting Robin. She sensed something very wrong about this place. She agreed with Starfire when she had stated her ad feeling about the game. Raven could go looking for Starfire but if this game was really just a joke; the Master of Games would most likely be waiting for someone to snoop around. Raven figured the only way to free Starfire—wherever she was—was to win this thing. Raven crossed her legs and levitated in the air to meditate. She wanted to be the one to win the Tournament of Heroines. She had to be.

As for Batgirl and Bumblebee, both girls were practicing heir karate skills. Batgirl hoped that her next opponent would be more of a challenge: Terra, Raven, Bumblebee, all looked like tough girls. Of course, Starfire was tough too. She was a Tamarian, after all. But Starfire didn't have to go easy on Batgirl. Batgirl hoped to get a more challenging opponent.

It was a while until the four girls turned in and fell asleep.

After Starfire nearly caused the girls' ears to bleed by singing her Tamarian folk songs, she decided to talk to them.

"Since we do not know how long we will be here," Starfire said to the three other girls, "we should start to the getting of knowing each other."

"Oh no," Jinx mumbled, rubbing her head. "Let me out!"

Jinx walked to the edge of the gem and banged on it. Starfire looked to Jesse Quick, who sat leisurely with her hands behind her head and her legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles.

"Tell me, Jesse, where are you from? What is your favorite color? How is it that you run so fast?"

Jesse smiled good naturedly. "All over, actually. I lived with super-heroes all my life. Favorite color? I guess that'd be red. And I got my super speed from my father."

"How did he gain that ability?"

"From a formula, but I can't give that to you. It's a secret." Jesse grinned with a wink. "And I inherited super-strength from my mother, Liberty Belle. But I only get little bursts of it every now and then."

"Sounds glorious!" Starfire said and she turned to Black Rose, who was leaning in the far corner. "And you, Rose that is Black?"

"Rose is fine," Black Rose murmured. "I can't tell you much about myself, I'm afraid. I may have to kill you."

"Come on," Jesse said, "at least tell us how you made your suit."

Black Rose shook her head. "I used a formula from roses to form thorns on my suit." She explained. "The same for my staff."

"Who taught you to fight?"

"I mostly taught myself," Black Rose said and she looked back out of the gem.

"Do you work for anybody?" Jesse inquired. "I never heard of you."

"No," Black Rose replied, "I work alone."

"You must be lonely," Starfire said softly.

"I'm fine," Black Rose said firmly. "I can take care of myself."

Starfire looked over at Jinx and before Starfire said anything, Jinx said, "You already know I'm at the HIVE. I'm not saying anything else."

Starfire sat cross legged on the ground. "Let us proceed on the girl talk. Please…do you like…somebody?"

"You mean do we have the hots for any guys?" Jesse asked, cracking a grin.

"What do you mean by the hots?" Starfire inquired. "Does that mean that I have burned myself?"

Jesse howled with laughter. "No. It's just as you said, liking guys. But I'm too busy crime fighting and going to school to hang around with guys. I used to hang out a lot with Kid Flash but now we're just good friends."

"Ahh, friends are nice," said Starfire.

"How 'bout you?" Jessie inquired. "Don't you have three boys on your team?"

"We do," Starfire said with a nod, "three great friends. Beast Boy, Robin and Cyborg."

"Have you kissed them yet?" Jesse inquired.

"Oh please," Jinx pushed her head on the side of the gem. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Oh come on," Jesse said, "we might as well talk since we're stuck in here. Well, go on, Starfire, you've kissed anyone on your team?"

"I…yes…once…with Robin," Starfire said, "I wanted to thank him setting me free. I saw my sister do that once on Tamaran and I've always wanted to try it. It was…nice."

"So are you two going out then?" Jesse asked.

"Going out, where?" Starfire asked.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Well, he is my friend and he is a boy," Starfire said thoughtfully. "But I am not sure about the going out. I would very much like to do the going out."

"So Jinx," Jesse said, "how about you? You like anyone at that school of yours?"

"You're lucky I don't have my powers," Jinx murmured as she turned around to face the girls. "Or else I would hex to you to oblivion."

"I guess you don't," Jesse said, "So what kind of guy do you like? Do you like the type of guys that takes thing slow or fall fast?"
"Oh, shut up!" Jinx shouted, turning about as pink as her hair, folding her arms.

"What about you, Rose?" Starfire inquired.

"I am not with anyone either," Rose said, "but I know a handsome man when I see one."

As for the boys back at Titan's tower, they had a party with the radio cranked all the way up. Beast Boy ignored the warnings of Cyborg and Robin and infiltrated Raven's room. He was wearing one of her purple cloaks and acting out scenes from all his favorite movies. With Beast Boy entering Raven's room, it made it difficult for Robin to resist temptation. He went to Raven's room and looked for any clues that might say what she thought about him.

"Look," said Robin as he showed the guys an orange heavy book. "I think this is Starfire's diary."

"You went snooping into Starfire's room?" beast Boy demanded. "Can't you respect a girl's privacy?"

"Look who's talking," said Cyborg.

"I didn't take Raven's diary!" Beast Boy yelled, waving his arms. "Besides, after being sucked into that mirror, I'd hate to think what would happened if I took her diary!"

Somehow, Robin managed to open the book. Unfortunately, it was all in Tamarian. Robin groaned.

"I can't read this!"

Cyborg looked at the book over Robin's shoulder and chuckled. "You've got a problem on your hands."

"Hey, you think you can translate it?" Robin asked.

"Come on, man," Cyborg said, "I can't read Tamarian anymore than you can."

Over at the HIVE, a little boy glided around the halls with a large young man with long hair.

"So you lost huh?" said the tall one.

"I almost had that circuit window brain!" the small boy named Gizmo shouted.

"Right," Mammoth said with a grin. "Wait until we tell Jinx. She'll love to hear this. I wonder she is. I haven't seen her all day."

"She's probably trying to hex some rabbit's foot off or something," Gizmo muttered.

The two male HIVE students looked around for their teammate, but she was nowhere to be found. Gizmo grunted.

"Typical, she's never around when need her!" he said.

A southern boy—actually a couple of them in red suits—approached Gizmo and Mammoth.

"Hey, have ya'll seen Bumblebee?" the closest of them asked.

"The Headmaster's looking for her," stated another.

"No," Mammoth answered, scratching his head. "Not lately."

"Hmm, maybe she's out collecting honey," cracked the one in the back. The two others howled and slapped their knees.

"Heh-heh, good one, Billy!"
The three boys passed Gizmo and Mammoth.

"One of them is bad enough," Mammoth muttered, "Where's Jinx?" he wondered. "She was supposed to help me with my homework tonight."

"You fuzz brain, you'd let that bad luck broad help you instead of me?" Gizmo demanded. "I'm smarter! Everyone knows that!"

"Maybe," said Mammoth, "but you weren't smart enough to bring Cyborg down, you high tech pipsqueak."

Bumblebee, Terra, Raven and Batgirl waited for the Master of Games to greet them the next morning. Terra still looked tired from her fight with Black Rose while the other girls looked refreshed.

"You all right?" Batgirl asked, pointing at her legs. "Maybe you should sit this round out."

"I'm fine," Terra insisted, scratching her legs a little. Somehow, her legs were really itchy. Were the thorns of Black Rose's tipped with some sort of poison?

"She's right, Terra," Raven said, "you don't look well."

"I said I'm fine!" Terra snapped. "I can get through this round, just watch me!"

"Fine," said Raven, emotionless. "But if you end up losing in this round, don't say that we didn't' tell you so."

Raven glided around the room for a while. Batgirl checked the gadgets on her belt and flexed her arm. Bumblebee walked up to Terra.

"I bet it's loads of sunshine being on her team, huh?" she asked, nodding to Raven.

"Oh, Raven's all right," Terra said, "sometimes."

"If you ever get tired of being a Titan," Bumblebee said with a wink, "you're always welcome at the HIVE."

"No thanks," Terra said, folding her arms. "I've heard all about your school. Not my style. Besides, nothing's better than being a titan."

"Suit yourself," Bumblebee said with a shrug.

There was a flash of light and the Master of Games appeared. "Good morning, heroines. I hope you are all rested for Round two. Face your opponents!"

"TERRA VS BUMBLEBEE!"

Terra and Bumblebee were transported to a hot, steamy jungle. They stood five feet from each other.

"Ready to rock, girl?" Bumblebee questioned, reaching for her stingers.

Grinning, Terra pulled her goggles over her eyes. "Always!"

"BATGIRL VS RAVEN!"

The two dark femmes found themselves in a dark misty abandoned street.

"Starfire decided to go easy on me because I have no powers," said Batgirl, "but I expect you to hit me with all you've got."

"Starfire and I may be on the same team," Raven said, using black energy to wrench a lamppost off the ground and swing it at Batgirl. "But we're not the same kind of fighter."

Terra's gloved hands glowed yellow. She brought her hands up and threw them down quickly. A stretch of earth came up and threw Bumblebee off her feet like Terra had just pulled a rug right underneath her. Bumblebee dropped her stingers with the attack. Terra approached the fallen Bumblebee and threw a stone at her. Bumblebee shrank down and flew out of the range of the stone.

"Hey!" Terra cried, turning around.

Bumblebee grew to her normal size, picked up her stingers and zapped Terra. Terra cried out and stumbled back. Grunting, she held her hands in front of her and spread them out, making the ground crumble beneath Bumblebee's feet. Before Bumblebee fell into hole, she took off in the air and Terra began throwing rocks and mud at her. Bumblebee dodged them with ease and held out her stingers, zapping Terra. Terra blocked her face with her arms and went after Bumblebee on a mound of dirt.

Terra wasn't going to lose. Not to a little insect. No way. She was a Titan. She was Slade's apprentice. He taught her not to lose. Terra beat Rose; she could beat Bumblebee. She was going to be the champion of champions. It wasn't going to be any other way.

Terra threw rocks and dirt at Bumblebee as Bumblebee flew around and zapped Terra with her stingers.

--

The two mistresses of the night fought for glory in the abandoned street. Batgirl was glad to have a more challenging fighter. Raven slammed her down many times. She disappeared and reappeared behind Batgirl gave her a good couple kicks in the stomach but Batgirl kept getting up to fight again. Batgirl threw tear gas bombs and other devices at the cloaked witch, catching her off guard so she could get close enough to Raven and attack her.

Batgirl threw punches and kicks at Raven. Raven was knocked down and as Batgirl was going to kick her again, Raven put her arm up, creating a small shield for Batgirl to hit instead. As Batgirl continued to hit the shield, Raven got to her feet.

"AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

Batgirl gasped as a black wave of energy threw her into the back of a bus. Batgirl slid down, groaning. Raven flew at the girl and used her power to pick up a motorcycle. Batgirl rolled out of the way just in time. She took a rope from her belt lassoed it around Raven. Arms pinned to her sides, Raven fell down. Batgirl ran after her, picked her up by the cloak and punched her.

"Aaah!" Raven cried out.

Raven shook her head and use her power to remove the rope and ensnare it around Batgirl.

"Wha--?" Batgirl murmured.

While Batgirl, Raven, Terra and Bumblebee were fighting, the other four girls were sitting in the gem bored out of their minds.

"I wonder what the others are doing right now," said Jesse yawning loudly.

"Most likely fighting," Rose murmured.

"Oh, I do hope my friends are all right," Starfire yawned.

"Who do you think is fighting who?" Jesse inquired, leaning back with her arms behind her head. "I'm betting on Batgirl fighting Raven and Terra fighting Bumblebee."

"I was thinking Terra would fight Batgirl," said Rose, "or fight Raven."

"I do not think the Master of Games would have Terra and Raven fight," said Starfire.

"Hey, just because they're both on the same team doesn't mean the Master of Games wouldn't choose them to be opponents," Jinx pointed out. "Bumblebee and I fought together and we're both from the HIVE."

"Yeah," Jesse said with a grin. "And she kicked your butt."

Jinx snarled and turned to Jesse. "You're lucky I don't have my powers otherwise I'd hex you to the other side of the country!"

"Thanks," Jesse said, waving her hand, "but I could get there by myself, if I had my powers of course."

"Who you think will win the next battle?" Rose questioned.

"My money's on Bumblebee and Raven," Jesse said confidently. "And then when they discover that Terra and Batgirl are missing, they'll break us out."

"Yeah, tough luck with that happening," Jinx said, rolling her eyes. "Bumblebee and Raven would just continue on with this tournament and we'll all be stuck here."

"Please, trust that you friend will find us," Starfire said.

"Bumblebee is not my friend," Jinx muttered. "We just go to the same school."

"I know that my friends will not leave without me," Starfire declared.

"Yeah," said Jesse with a nod. "The others ought to find out by now that this game is more than just a game."

The geomancer Terra and the stinging insect Bumblebee fought for glory in the air. Terra kept hurling rocks at Bumblebee but Bumblebee kept dodging them. Fighting in the air wasn't as easy as fighting on the ground. It took longer for rocks to come up and attack Bumblebee. If Terra was going to win this fight, she had get Bumblebee to come back to the ground. Bumblebee had the advantage in the air. She was just too quick.

Bumblebee shrank down and flew away from Terra. Terra had to chase her down in the air before she could coax Bumblebee to fight her on the ground. It was hard. Terra scanned the forest for the insect girl but she saw no sign of Bumblebee anywhere. It was hard to see anything through the thick trees.

"Where'd she go?" Terra wondered.

Bumblebee was flying in her tiny size right underneath Terra's rock. As Terra approached a lake, Bumblebee flew up behind Terra and went back to normal size. She tapped Terra's shoulder.

"Looking for me?" she asked teasingly.

"What the?" Terra said, turning behind her.

Bumblebee gave Terra an uppercut to the chin, making her fall right off her rock. Too shocked to command the earth, Terra continued to fall.

'No,' she thought, 'she beat me…how could she beat me?'

It was Terra's last thought before she plunged into the water. Bumblebee flew down, hovering over the water.

"You did good," said Bumblebee, "but not good enough."

"WINNER…BUMBLEBEE!"

The thought of Terrra drowning entered Bumblebee's mind and she dove in the water after her. But before Bumblebee even got to Terra, she disappeared.

'Well, I guess she didn't need me after all,' she thought. 'But how come she just disappeared like that?'

Dodging Batgirl's punch to her face, Raven took off in the air. She held her arms out. "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

Raven used black energy to lift up a van and smash it into Batgirl. Batgirl crossed her arms out in front of her to shield herself, with what little good it did. Batgirl screamed as the van pummeled into her, crashing through a building. Raven flew up to the smashed in building to check on Batgirl. There was a moan underneath all the rubble and Raven looked down.

Batgirl had a busted lip, bruised eye and possibly some broken bones. Batgirl coughed and looked at Raven wearily.

"The—the Master of Games was right," she said with a grimace. "You really do fight like a demon."

"I know," Raven murmured.

"Ughnnn."

Batgirl's head dropped and she passed out.

"WINNER…RAVEN!"

Batgirl disappeared and Raven crossed her arms.

Raven and Bumblebee were brought again before the Master of Games. He grinned and held out his arms.

"Well done, Raven and Bumblebee!" he said. "Round two is over and we are down to our last two champions."

"When's the next round?" Bumblebee inquired.

"In two hours," the Master of Games answered. "You'll want to rest and regain your power for the final round."

The red gem glowed for a couple of seconds.

"I guess Batgirl and Terra were sent home like the others?" Raven asked.

"That is correct," the Master of Games lied.

"Starfire wouldn't' just leave me here," said Raven, "and neither would Terra."

"Yeah," Bumblebee murmured, "wouldn't it be better for all the competitors to stay until this thing was over?"

"No," the Master of Games said, "you would be distracted if the others remained here. Trust me, it is better this way."

Raven and Bumblebee however disagreed but before they could say anything else, they were sent to their bedrooms. Bumblebee saw that the coffee table had a smorgasbord of different foods. She walked to the fruit basket and picked up an orange. However, she didn't really feel like eating.

"Jinx, where are you?" she wondered out loud, tossing the orange up and down in the air. "I know you'd stay to watch the rest of the game if you had the chance. Something just isn't right here. I'm starting to think that this game is more than just a game."

Raven didn't snack on anything or go to sleep either. Somehow, she felt that the Master of Games wanted her and Bumblebee to regain their strength for another reason. She reached for her communicator.

"Raven calling Starfire."

No answer.

"Raven calling Terra."

Terra didn't answer either. Raven sighed and closed her communicator. Raven levitated herself in the air, crossed her legs and closed her eyes. She began to concentrate hard on finding her fellow teammates. If her communicator couldn't find Starfire and Terra, her powers will.

"Starfire. Terra. Where are you?"

TO BE CONCLUDED

I guess I could have made this chapter go onto the end, but decided not too! I thought ending it here would make a good cliffhanger. Well, it's not exactly a cliffhanger, is it? Were you surprised with the remaining 2 champions? One more chapter to go, people!