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Chapter 23 Evil Unleashed
"They're down here somewhere!" Dash muttered trying to catch his breath.
Him, Tucker, and Starfire stopped to retrace their steps. They had been searching for the others for some time now, and so far they haven't come up with anything. Suddenly, Starfire heard a distant cry for help.
"Follow me!" She instructed.
She lead the boys down to a dark corridor and sure enough they were greeted with rusty iron bars that held two faces Tucker instantly recognized.
"Paullina! Jazz!"
Jazz shot up when she heard Tucker call out of her name, "How did you guys get down here?" She inquired.
"Please, step aside." Starfire said.
With that the alien powerhouse grabbed hold of the bars and with a quick tug, the heavy iron collapsed to the ground. Paullina and Jazz stepped out of what was once their imprisonment-speechless.
"Damn girl, guess you've been hitting the gym." Paullina scoffed.
"Who exactly are you?" Jazz asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I'll explain later." Starfire's eyes scanned the room. "Only two? Tell me, where is your brother?"
"Who? Danny, was he kidnapped also?" Paullina asked.
"He isn't with you guys?" Dash spat.
"Then he must be somewhere else," Starfire answered, "We must continue our search."
But Tucker knew better, he gently grabbed Starfire by her arm.
"We'll search for him later, but now, let's just concentrate on getting everyone else out of here!"
Starfire was about to protest when the cavern began to shake, massive pieces of rock fell to the ground, it felt as though at any given moment the entire cave system would just cave in.
"I agree." Was all Starfire had to say.
Danny: exhausted from what the ceremony had took from him could only look up in a combination of sheer terror and awe as the ghost king-after centuries of being imprisoned was free at last.
"Free to smite the world once more, my conquest of the realm of mortals has begun!"
With that a horrid screech erupted from Tyranus' throat and the room was engulfed in green light, Danny shielded his eyes and covered his ears as the screech grew louder and the light brighter.
The Surface:
"NO!" A defeated Executioner cried out in pain as Jack emptied his last anti-ectoplasmic rounds in the specter's chest.
Executioner let out a chocked cry as his body faded into nothing.
"And stay dead this time!" Jack warned.
Starfire flew out of the old church, accompanied by Tucker and Dash, the others followed her "I believe that they will be safe with you." She said.
Jazz threw her arms around her father and then her mother, "I was so scared I was never going to you again!"
"Easy honey, you're safe now." Jazz reassured.
"Where's your brother?" Maddie inquired.
"He must still be inside."
"What are we waiting for then, Jack? Let's go get our boy!"
Tucker, having already anticipated their plan, stepped in front of them. He knew that Danny was probably already in the cavern somewhere, and most likely in the midst of battle. The last thing he would want was his parents getting in the crossfire.
Jack and Maddie exchanged looks of confusion, "Tucker? Dash? I thought you two were back at the hotel, what happened?"
Tucker faced Jack with a nervous grin, "Well…it's sort of hard to ex-"
"Never mind," Maddie interrupted turning to Starfire, "do you know where Danny and the others are."
Starfire shook her head, "No, but I will continue searching until-"
An enormous blast ripped through the ground followed by a green beacon of light. Starfire shielded her eyes, as the light grew brighter. The beacon shot miles into the sky before finally stopping. Emerald green projectiles erupted from the core of the beacon, as each projectile fell to the earth, each began taking a ghastly form of creatures long dead.
Ghostly warriors decorated in medieval army and armed with serrated swords and spears, stood where the fireballs had fallen. Starfire watched in horror as more balls of fire crashed into the ground, before her alien eyes what was once a group of two- dozen was quickly turning into an army of hundreds-maybe thousands. Seeing how dangerous the situation was becoming, Starfire turned to Jack.
"Get them to safety! I'll take care of things here!"
"What about you, you can't just expect us to leave you here all by yourself, we can still fight." Jack tried to reason.
"Just go, I'll be fine, trust me." Starfire responded.
Jack hated the idea of running away from a fight, but the previous struggle with Executioner and his minions had left the two ghost hunters with an insufficient amount of ammo. Ignoring the sickening feeling in his gut, Jack grabbed Tucker.
"Move!" He ordered.
Without hesitation Jazz led the others after her father, Maddie remained behind.
"Please," She told Starfire, "find my Daniel."
Starfire turned to her with a reassuring smile, "Do not worry I will, now leave while you still can."
Maddie started after her husband, when she was out of sight Starfire glared into the hundreds of horrid faces before her. Much to her surprise she felt an adventurous smile spreading across her lips, she no seemed frightened as she took on a confident fighting stance. Green orbs formed across her fists and her eyes shined emerald green.
"It's only fair to warn you," Starfire cautioned, "I am much stronger than I look."
Back Underground:
"Master." Morgan bowed before the towering likeness of Tyranus.
"Morgan, you have served me well." Tyranus replied.
"I only live to serve you, your Excellency."
Danny let out a painful groan, hearing him, Morgan turned with a sinister smile on his face.
"Ah, yes, Daniel, I had forgotten that you were even here."
Morgan approached the weakened hero, "Since a deal is deal and I am a man of my word, your little girlfriend will be set free."
Morgan nodded at Scourge; the ghostly mobster approached Danny and gently set Sam on the floor in front of him. Danny immediately held Sam in his arms and began stroking her hair, tears dripping from his eyes.
"It didn't have to be this way Danny," Morgan explained, "if you had only cooperated with us before, Sam and the others would have never been placed in harm's way. But you being the insignificant child you are, decided to resist and look at what has become of you now."
Morgan grabbed Danny by his hair in one hand and with the other wrapped it around the teen's neck. Danny still too weak to resist could feel Morgan slowly strangling him.
"Now that you have fulfilled the prophecy young Daniel, I have no more use for you." Morgan tightened his grip, "You had your chance to join use Danny, you could have stood alongside your lord as an officer in his kingdom, but instead you chose to fight against us alongside the Teen Titans. Now, you die Danny, your soul along with Sam and Raven's will be the first to be devoured by my lord."
BAM! A sonic blast crashed into Scourge knocking the specter off his feet and into the chasm below. Cyborg stood readied his weapon to fire again, while Beast Boy cracked the knuckles on both of his hands.
"I don't think so." He said in a voice as cold as steel.