A/N Standard Disclaimers Apply

Chapter Thirteen: Ode

Jericho pulled himself slowly up and shook the cobwebs out of his head. He looked around quickly. Cyborg and Argent were firing on Cinderblock, but the behemoth seemed more unfazed by pain than ever. The blond, mute Titan jumped away as the concrete monster raise both fists in the air and slammed them to the ground. The earth shook, rattling the windows of the old hotel. Kid Flash tumbled to the ground as a bright green python started to coil around his neck. Argent fell back, landing unceremoniously on her bottom, but Cyborg held his ground.

"I'm okay!" Argent yelled as Jericho rushed over to her. She hopped back to her feet and created a red energy wall around the creature.

Cinderblock let out a confused howl and reared back. The beast pounded on the wall, and visible beads of sweat appeared on the pale girl's brow. She strained against Cinderblock's onslaught, trying desperately to contain him.

Jericho rushed across the courtyard, as Kid Flash struggled against his teammate.

Beast Boy took a deep breath and transformed into another serpentine creature, a six foot long electric eel. He discharged on the helpless Kid Flash, whose body suddenly rent rigid with an almost deadly current coursing through the red headed speedster. The gold and scarlet clad hero collapsed in a wretched heap while Beast Boy slowly recovered his human form. An uncharacteristically cruel snarl curled the small green boy's lip.

The blond Titan's eyes narrowed as he tackled the diminutive changeling, slamming him to the ground. The shapeshifter immediately changed into a giant, green gorilla and stared at the green-eyed hero. Jericho's eyes suddenly widened and locked on Beast Boy's.

Contact, Jericho said to himself. His body suddenly became insubstantial, like a ghost, and he quickly merged with the shocked gorilla. Beast Boy howled and started to transform almost randomly, switching from animal to animal as if not in control of his abilities. The constant shifting from large to small animals drained the green Titan, and soon he changed to his human form and fell, exhausted, to the ground.

"How're you holding up, Toni?" Cyborg asked.

"It's like trying to hold a tornado in a teacup," she groaned.

"Then it's time we put this blowhard out," the massive teen spoke confidently as he powered up his cannon.

……

Raven opened her eyes and gasped. She looked around at the deep night sky and the strange floating islands about her. Once again, she was literally inside herself and took in the strange topography of her metaphoric mindscape. Her soul-self energy surrounded her, giving her an eerie dark glow.

Hello, sweet little Raven.

She turned quickly and saw the glowing purple form of Psimon. He stood, his arms folded, and his eyes like floodlights. The young witch summoned her power and fired a black energy blast at the intruder. A shield quickly appeared and deflected the beam.

Raven winced and dropped to a knee. The skies flashed red as pain ripped though the pale girl's body.

Having problems my dear?

Nothing like you're about to have. Raven growled. What were you trying to do to me? Make me fight my best friend over a stupid boy? She slowly stood and narrowed her glowing white eyes. I don't do jealousy.

Oh, really? Psimon taunted. What's this then?

Psimon stepped aside. Raven came face to face with a strange double. Her skin was ashen, but tinted a sickly green and accentuated by the mottled green of her cloak. The doppelganger's eyes opened, glowing green.

Wh…what are you? Raven gasped.

The mottled, green Raven cocked her head to the side and smiled strangely. Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "What else would I be? I'm… you."

Psimon moved behind the greenish Raven and placed his gnarled hands on her shoulders. He laughed darkly. Oh, you know her quite well, little one. She's that part of you that whispers in your ear, 'Can't I be like her?' or 'I wish I had that…' or, my favorite, 'Why doesn't Robin love me instead?' And even without my prodding, she's become quite powerful of late, haven't you?

The Raven of Envy rolled her head slightly and stepped forward. She removed her hood and held out her hands. A moldy green fire appeared in each palm, and the strange green flame took the shape of Robin and Starfire. Envy moved her hands together and the Robin and Starfire embraced with a long, passionate kiss. The greenish Raven narrowed her eyes.

"Oh yes," she said, her voice still dripping with spoiled honey, "I've had much to feed on lately."

Raven felt the bile of jealousy build up as she watched the fake Robin and Starfire continue their slow dance. She turned away only to be confronted by the grey cloaked representation of her fear. Timidity slunk back under her cloak, her dark eyes wide and tearful. She raised one finger and pointed back at Envy over her shoulder.

"Y-you're gonna h-have to deal w-with her," she whispered brokenly before slipping away, avoiding Psimon's chilling gaze.

Envy was lost in commentary on the Robin and Starfire simulacra in her hands. She spat angrily at Starfire and pleaded with Robin to finally come to his senses and be interested in Raven. Raven suddenly remembered journal entries written in the exact words Envy was saying. Envy nuzzled with Robin possessively. Suddenly, the mottled version of Raven snarled and wrapped her hand around the copy of Starfire's throat. "Star" gasped, thrashed, and soon became limp. An eerie, glowing, second set of eyes opened just over Envy's first as a strange, sneering smile crept across her face, as the twisted Raven's hands were still locked around the mockery of Star's neck.

Raven felt her stomach drop to her feet. Tears welled up and trickled down her cheeks.

Amazing thing, jealousy. Psimon cooed in Raven's ear. It leads to such other wonderful conditions… the grotesque villain grasped Raven and made her look at her mold colored doppelganger. A deep wine colored version of the young witch slowly materialized. She patted Envy on the shoulder and took the fake Robin in her arms, wrapping her entire body around him, and gave him a deep, lewd kiss. Like Lust… Another alternate Raven appeared as if stepping out fire. Her blood red cloak swirled around her. Her four eyes glowed menacingly red. …And your old friend, Rage.

Enough! Raven bellowed and released her soul self.

…..

Cheshire pounced on the red-clad archer as he was drawing his bow. The feline inspired assassin wrapped her powerful legs around Speedy's torso and landed three lighting fast punches to his breastbone and head. Speedy responded with a forearm smashing across her mask as stars danced in his vision. She dipped back, knocking the young bowman off balance. They tumbled over, and Speedy narrowly avoided getting a tree trunk in the face.

The cat-masked woman rolled and squeezed her legs, forcing air out of his lungs. She parried Speedy's desperate jabs and he groaned as ribcage compressed even more. The young archer suddenly wrapped his wiry arms around her slender waist and bucked his hips, scooting her forward just enough twist his body and slamming her to the ground. Cheshire rolled off her scarlet-garbed opponent and flipped back to her feet. Speedy barely dodged her quick kicks, scooting on his back. Suddenly his legs snapped out, pinning her ankle between them. He tripped her and took the advantage.

Speedy climbed on Cheshire's back, putting his knee squarely between her shoulder blades and wrapped his hand around the scruff of her neck, pushing her into the ground.

"Damn, you're one helluva work out, baby," he panted.

Cheshire snapped her legs around, kicking Speedy in the tailbone and knocked him off. She swept her legs, rolled to her back, and flipped to her feet. The masked girl glided into a Tiger form guard, locking her eyes on the young archer, who bobbed on his toes in a Muay Thai stance.

Each measured the other. Speedy's breathing steadied. Cheshire's body glistened with perspiration. They attacked in unison.

Punches and counters flew. Kicks, knees, and elbows hammered into the others' body.

Speedy, wiping the spittle and a trickle of blood from his mouth, lunged and tried to lock Cheshire in a headlock. She punched him in the kidneys. Speedy grunted out the pain as she pulled out, her mask ripping off.

Speedy swung his leg out quickly, sweeping her off her feet. Again, he scrambled on her, grappling her. The maskless Cheshire countered, pinning him on his back.

Speedy looked up at the young woman. Her black hair fell around her face, and his eyes widened.

"Oh my God," he breathed. "You're beautiful."

Cheshire smiled slightly and fell on the young archer, pressing her lips to his.

…..

Starfire stood up haltingly, fighting the terrible pain coursing through her willowy body. But like that pliable tree, she was much stronger than she appeared. The alien felt Psimon's telepathic tendrils invading her mind, and she snarled angrily. Her hotly glowing eyes looked around the room quickly. Raven was huddled on the floor, her knees tucked under her, and buried in her dark cloak.

Her eyes locked on Psimon, still standing with his hands tucked in the large sleeves of his robes. She pooled her energies and fired her eye beams. A violet shield immediately surrounded the villain and took the brunt of the blast. Unflinching, Psimon cocked his head slightly and his unsettling gaze fell on the alien princess.

Is that all? Psimon's voice thundered in her mind.

"Hardly," Star growled. She supported her broken ribs with one hand as she launched starbolt after devastating starbolt with the other. The room filled with dust and debris, obscuring the willowy girl's vision. Starfire brushed long, unruly locks of her hair out of her face, and she breathed as if feeding a blast furnace.

Suddenly a wind rushed through the room, pushing the debris away as if there were an explosion. Unseen hands picked up the alien and slammed her, hard, against the wall cracking the sheetrock under the wallpaper. The same force pinned her to the wall. The dust settled quickly, coating Star and Raven in fine white powder. At the epicenter of the blast stood Psimon. A cruel snarl creased his face, and his pinpoint eyes glowed hot.

"That almost hurt," Psimon taunted. "Almost, but not quite."

He floated through the wide hole in the wall created by the Titans and over to Starfire. The hideous fiend curled his gnarled fingers under her jaw and forced her to meet his dark gaze.

"I shall enjoy breaking you," he threatened softly.

Suddenly he turned to the young witch his eyes widening. She was on her knees, with her wrists crossed over her face.

"Enough!" Raven yelled, throwing her arms wide and unleashing her dark powers.

Psimon covered his face and brought up his psychic shields as Raven's soul self ripped through the room. The old furniture was swept up in the ebon whirlwind, whipping around the room dangerously, crashing on Psimon's shields, splintering dangerously. Starfire slid off the wall and took flight. She created a glowing green aura around her, and the small splinters vaporized against it. Even so, the swirling air currents buffeted the alien harshly.

Psimon closed his eyes as he leaned into the onslaught. His feet slid back, and he, too was swept away. The villain tumbled into the hallway as a predatory screech echoed through the hotel. He rolled to his hands and knees.

"I told you," a hollow metallic voice said coldly.

Psimon looked up to see the Red X slink out of the shadows. Before the telepathic madman could react, the X kicked viciously in the ribs. The purple clad villain rolled painfully on his back, gasping for air. Red X was on Psimon in an instant and closed his hands around his throat.

"I told you I'd kill you if you'd touched her…"

Psimon gathered his thoughts. A field surrounded him, releasing the X's grip on his neck. Laughter filled the X's mind, dark, hollow, and cold.

Foolish, foolish boy. And now, I will snap you in two, but I won't kill you, not yet. You're going to watch as I break your precious princess.

Psimon raised his hand, and the X flew backwards. The black clad thief hung in the air like a marionette, and Psimon twisted the X like a rag doll. The sickening sound of snapping bones filled the hallway as Starfire carried Raven out of the room. The alien girl's jaw dropped in horror and Raven narrowed her eyes.

The grotesque psychopath raised his other hand and Star and Raven grasped at their throats, choking for air.

And now, let us finish our game.

A growling roar rumbled through the hallway as a sleek figure somersaulted through the air. Psimon glanced up just in time to see a black, steel tipped boot swinging around to meet his jaw. The hideous villain crashed to the ground as the figure landed, crouching low. Raven, Starfire, and Red X dropped to the ground; the girls rubbed their necks and took deep, life-giving breaths.

Robin stood and glowered at Psimon. "It's over."

"I don't think so, boy."

Suddenly violet energy rained down on Psimon. As the smoke cleared, the telepath was unconscious and folded in a terrible heap.

Blackfire narrowed her glowing purple eyes, "No one torments my little sister." A thin smile upturned her lips. "That's my job."

…..