Hello boys and girls and welcome to chapter nine which will be the last chapter of the first storyline. Alright, Mr. D 91 thanks for pointing out the mistake in my summary and Darkest Midnight, I haven't gotten to the part where they even see their parents yet. If you meant, "will the kids ever save their parents?" well I can't tell you that now can I. Well, thank the rest of you for your reviews and you rock too. Oh and before I let you get to the story a little tidbit of information, Bobcat and Shift started out as heroes for my own works in progress. So if you ever see a comic that's called 'Bobcat' or 'Shift: The Teleportation Teen' it was written by me, or someone I am about to sue. Well anyway here's chapter nine.
Chapter 9: Rivals: End
The HIVE and The Teen Titans have always been bitter enemies. Be it from HIVE's constant need to fight and annoy the Titans or the fact that the archenemy of one of the Titan's branches was once HIVE's leader. The fact remains that while big threats come and go, replaced by new enemies and evil schemes, the HIVE was always there. They were never the Titans archenemies but they were their rivals. The original Titans realised this, though late in their career, and so destroyed the HIVE, but just like a colony of bees will build a new home so did the HIVE. So a new HIVE has come to be the thorn in the New Titan's sides. The HIVE and The Teen Titans: forever locked in a struggle between rivals.
"So what's your bright idea Fearless Leader?" Beast Lad asked without a shred of hope evident in his voice, he knew that Rave was going to show up.
"What's your plan?" Black Bird asked as she completely ignored her brother and showed the exact opposite response to his hopeless one. She was ecstatic to see Rave and instantly stopped pacing to look up at him and to tried not to show too much emotion.
Rave looked down for a second to think about his plan which he had only just came up with and still needed some fine tuning. "Android," Rave said to get Android's attention as he lowered to the ground, "what's the smallest thing that can get through the alarms undetected?"
"Anything smaller then a seagull can get through without setting off the big alarm but it does appear on radar. Gadget's probably keeping an eye on that though in case we try to get through by using Beast Lad's changing," Android explained as she finished tightening a leg bolt and stood.
Rave had to once again think before a new idea popped into his head and he turned around to smile at Beast Lad who was attempting to comfort Alakazam. "What about a single cell organism or something else small like that?"
It was then that Beast Lad realised that everyone was looking at him and he quickly began to shack his head, "no way. I've never done anything smaller then a fly."
"Come on Dad did it so why can't you?" Black Bird asked as she tried to help out with Rave's plan.
"I'm not saying I can't do it but at that height every little thing has mass. I could be taken out by a laser pointer," Beast Lad said as he sat down on what little space was left on the rock that Mystic took up.
"That's why you'll fly out right up to the sensors and then turn into some kind of germ," Rave said as his plan started to come together fully, "once you bypass the main sensors if you only turn into a fly you wont registers on the radar. Right?" he asked turning once again to Android.
"I guess not," Android stuttered as she began to run through security protocols in her head. "But what is Beast Lad suppose to do when he gets in there?" she asked with concern for Beast Lad's safety filling her.
"Beast Lad, do you know how to shut down the security system?" Rave asked as he once again turned to his only way in.
"Well no. But it's just a code right? I can write that on my hand," Beast Lad said as he began to believe more and more in Rave's plan.
"Alright," Rave said as he smiled out at the team, "then when Beast Lad shuts down security we get in there and we fight like a team."
"I thought that's what we've been doing?" Alakazam said as she looked up from the piece of sand she had been staring at.
"No, what we've been doing is fighting under the name of a team but we haven't actually used any teamwork. HIVE's whole strategy is to split us up because they know as a team we out number them," Rave explained. He looked out at the Titans to see that they were all realising what he had realised and were now all looking at him for answers, "here's how we're going to beat them."
Beast Lad flew as a duck towards the area where Android had told him the sensors closes to the Tower were. Rave had just finished explaining his battle strategy and Beast Lad had been going over it in his head and that was why he didn't spot where the sensors were mounted on a rock at first. He quickly stopped and flapped his wings backwards as his beak came inches away from the range of the sensors. He quickly turned into an airborne germ and caught a gust of wind aimed at an open window in the Tower. He made it to a point where he guessed he was in and turned into a fly to find he was inside the Tower.
The only change to the Tower was a large mess that had spread everywhere and Alakazam's wand that hung on a plaque on the wall. Gadget, Bobcat, Stretch and Shift all sat around the living room all fiddling with the Titans stuff. Gadget was smiling widely with his goggles down as he looked over a computer screen and ones and zeros reflected in the goggles lenses. Stretch appeared to have raided all the Titans rooms and was now sorting out the clothes and knickknacks she wanted from those she didn't. Shift and Bobcat were standing in the kitchen arguing as Bobcat searched for food in the fridge. Beast Lad saw all of this at once through his multiple fly-eyes as he headed towards the security monitor.
"You still haven't said why you wont go out with me," Shift said as he leaned over the fridge door to look down at Bobcat.
She quickly rose from her kneeling position and held a claw to his throat as she said, "you are a worthless buzzing bug in my ear who I could crush with a flick of my hand."
Shift raised his hands in defence and smiled slyly as he said, "but you still haven't answered my question."
Bobcat quickly moved her hand to slit is throat but he teleported away. Bobcat then jumped to his new location and began to chase him around the room as she slashed at wherever he would show up. They succeeded in only destroying the couch and knocking over one of Stretch's piles of clothes.
"Hey!" Stretch shouted as she joined in the fight and began to stretch her arms out in an attempt to catch the two teens.
"Would you guys stop it!" Gadget shouted as he raised his goggles and stepped away from his computer. The fight had succeeded in another thing too, it gave Beast Lad a distraction.
He quickly moved onto the security monitor's keyboard and began to put his entire weight on the keys that belonged to the code. The HIVE didn't even notice, they just kept on fighting each other and trying to make sure that Bobcat didn't kill any of them. They didn't stop fighting long after Beast Lad was done the code until they heard the sound of the elevator doors slowly opening.
They all stopped, remaining in the positions they has during the fight as they looked at the smiling Titans. Stretch had her arms stretched out around Shift and Bobcat and Bobcat was using her free arm to grab onto the hovering Gadget's leg. As the Titans spread out around the room Gadget jumped into action shouting, "HIVE, attack pattern-uh oh," he cut himself off as he saw Alakazam floating in the air. He glanced up to see his plaque was empty and then at Alakazam as she smiled and sent a wave of energy from her wand, hitting the villains. They flew back into the elevator and the doors closed on them.
The HIVE untangled themselves from each other and stood as mellow toned music filled the enclosed space. The elevator climbed floor after floor and Gadget grew impatient as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot. He looked around at his team as if to ask, "are we really just going to stand here," and judging by the looks he got in return the answer was yes. Just then the elevator doors open and the HIVE instantly left the elevator to look around the floor they had come out on. They were on the roof and in front of them stood the Titans illuminated by the setting sun.
"HIVE, spread out!" Gadget shouted and the four teens instantly moved to differnt areas of the roof and waited for the Titans to make the first move.
Rave smiled slightly as he turned his head to look behind him at his team and nodded his head as he said, "you know what to do." Android moved to a panel on the side of the structure housing the elevator and typed a few keys. Rows of different walls and jungle gym equipment then popped out of the roof separating the HIVE from each others view. The Titans then separated into three groups of two and moved to corners where they knew the HIVE would be.
Beast Lad walked seemingly alone in the form of a wolf as he moved in-between climbing walls and giant weights as he sniffed the ground trying to find someone. Suddenly Shift appeared above him and was about to bring his foot down on him but was quickly stopped as black magic surrounded him.
"Azarath Arella Azar!" Black Bird shouted as she floated up from behind a crate and her eyes glowed white with energy. Beast Lad took off to his next objective and Black Bird smiled as Shift tried to teleport. Each time he teleported the magic would still surround him and after he tried at least ten times Black Bird swung him around to the side of the building. He connected with the side of the Tower and was stuck there by black magic as Black Bird flew over the side to talk to him at eye level. "I understand you take what your touching with you," she smiled as Shift struggled, "well can you take the Tower with you?"
"Try me," Shift shouted back as he closed his eyes and tightened up as his face constricted. The Tower began to blur slightly but stopped as Shift opened his eyes and then went limp as he lost consciousness. Black Bird smiled and floated back up to the Tower as the others engaged in their own fights.
Mystic and Rave walked around the weights that towered over them and moved along a set of monkey bars before finally finding who they were looking for. "Hello boys," Stretch smiled as she stretched out to punch Mystic and Rave who separated and ran around behind her forcing her to bend her waist around fully. She whipped her arms around to attack Rave as she stretched out her entire body. As she did this though Mystic sent out a hex at a weight that tipped over and fell onto her legs.
"What's the matter? Stuck?" Rave laughed as Stretch struggled to remove the weight from her legs unsuccessfully.
"You inconsiderate little-" Stretch growled as she stopped trying to remove the weight, "I don't need my legs to get you," with that she began to stretch her body at Rave. Rave picked up into the air and flew away as Stretch stretched after him as he flew between weights and under platforms. He did a flip in the air which Stretch mimicked before chasing Rave through a jungle gym as he moved in and out of monkey bars. Finally he stopped and turned around as Stretch charged forward but stopped just short of Rave.
"Bye bye," Rave said waving as Stretch's eyes went wide before she began to snap backwards and went back the way she came. She went through the monkey bars hitting every bar on the way through before snapping back through the weighs. Which instead of avoiding like the first time she hit every one before making the turns around them. Finally she came back to where her legs were stuck under the weight where Mystic still stood with his fist extended out. She snapped back hitting his fist and was instantly unconscious.
Back across the roof Android walked in the middle of the roof which was completely clear all around her. She didn't notice when Gadget walked into this clearing and smiled as he stepped right in front of her. "You should know not to walk around alone," Gadget said making Android jump as she looked around for the source of the voice, "it's dangerous."
"I know," Android smiled as she looked at Gadget blindly, "that's why I brought some eyes," with that Alakazam floated into the clearing and stood in-between Android and Gadget.
"Magic beats science," Alakazam said as she sent a spell out that hit Gadget and made him glow pink for a minute but didn't appear to do anything else. He looked down at himself and smiled as two machine guns came out of his backpack and he fired at Alakazam and Android. Instead of a barrage of bullets though instead flowers came shooting out, planting themselves in the ground around Gadget.
"Hey! what did you do to my guns?" Gadget yelled as he looked at the cartoon like flowers around his feet. They turned more cartoon like as happy faces appeared in the middle but these smiley faces instantly turned to growling snarls as they picked themselves out of the ground and used their roots for feet as they began to attack Gadget. They crawled on him and he began to dance around as he tried to get the clawing and biting vegetation off him.
As Android and Alakazam were bending over laughing at the tech-villain as he danced around wildly Beast Lad went running through the clearing as he neared his finally destination. He rounded a corner and was met with a pair of claws that sent him railing to the side as he let out a yelp. "Come to play?" Bobcat said as she jumped up onto a set of monkey bars and began to clean herself like a cat would.
"You know everyone else is taking people on in pairs but I'd figure I could handle this one myself," Beast Lad said as he changed back from a wolf into a boy. Bobcat smiled at this as she stopped cleaning herself and jumped down off the bars doing a flip in the air.
"Fine then little Beast Lad," Bobcat said as she took an attack stance, "come and get me."
Beast Lad smiled and turned into a gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex and came an inch in front of Bobcat's face as he let lose a loud roar. Bobcat stood absolutely still for a second as the wind from Beast Lad's snout made her hair fly backwards. Then just as quickly as Beast Lad had transformed Bobcat's fur stood on end and she took off using all fours to run as fast as she possible could.
As she ran Beast Lad chased after her and as she was about to round a corner when a large leg stuck out in front of her. The leg was intended to trip her but because she was running on all fours instead her face slammed into the leg and she was out like a light. Beast Lad changed back in motion and came running around the corner to see Mystic there looking down at Bobcat with a apologetic expression on his face as he shrugged his shoulders.
Beast Lad looked around to find they were the only ones by the elevator, everyone else was elsewhere in the maze of training gear. "Android, get rid of this training equipment," Rave shouted from somewhere on the other side of the building. Android came running into the area where Beast Lad stood and typed a few buttons on the panel making all the equipment disappear into the roof top.
As it lowered you could see where all the Titans stood with Alakazam still standing in the centre of the roof with Gadget and Black Bird and Rave floating on ether side of the roof furthest from the elevator. Gadget was completely unaware that anything was happening as he was too focused on crushing the last of the flowers with his foot. That's when Rave rammed forward hitting Gadget and pinning him against the elevator with his forearm.
"Who put you up to this?" Rave asked with a sneer as Gadget recovered from the crash into the elevator doors.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gadget said with an expression of pain as the other Titans gathered behind Rave.
"You didn't do this on your own, who told you to do it?" Rave said repeating the last part slowly to make sure Gadget absolutely understood the question. To emphasise his point further he applied some more pressure to his hold on Gadget and charged his eyes with power that lit up Gadget's face in the fading light.
"Ok! Ok!" Gadget yelled as he turned away the most he could, "it was Slade. He wanted the new guys to go through the same test their parents did."
"And you have done much better then they did," came a unforgettable voice from somewhere in Gadget's direction. Rave dropped him from the hold he was in and yanked a com link from one of his straps that had Slade's face in it.
"Where are our parents!" Rave demanded as the team now gathered around the small device in Rave's hand, completely forgetting Gadget.
"Now now, use your manners young Rave," Slade said as the Titans could almost see the smile under his mask, "didn't anyone every teach you to respect your elders."
"Your not even human," Beast Lad said disgusted from over Rave's shoulder.
"True," Slade said coyly as he let a small laugh escape before saying, "but I do have your parents, and if you want them back you're going to have to find me." With that the image of Slade was replaced by a large red S.
A silence followed as the team all looked at the device in Rave's hand, a silence only broken by Mystic's blunt question of, "now what?"
Rave sighed as he looked around the roof to see that the HIVE had escaped and turned his head down as he slowly made his way to the edge of the roof. He looked up at the horizon and squinted his eyes as the sun hit them and said, "now we find them."
Meanwhile far away in a room where only a small platform was lit with light, in the shadows sat Slade, relaxed in his chair. On the platform stood the HIVE who all had their head's down, none of them daring to look Slade in the eye. "We failed," Gadget said simple as he bowed his head even lower and took a step away from Slade.
"I am vastly sorry Slade," said a women dressed in white robes as she stepped into the light. She was tall and had long black hair and appeared just a few years older then the HIVE students through she was taller then all of them. "They shall all be punished for their failings," she said as her eyes turned red for a moment.
"We're sorry Sister Blood," the HIVE said in unison as their eyes turned red for a moment as well.
"No these children delivered my message much better then their predecessors," Slade said as he waved a hand in front of him. He leaned forward and the light shined off his horns as his evil eye gleamed in the light making even Sister Blood cringe. "A simple message it was too," Slade said as his eye filled with glee as he finished, "come and get me Titans."