Chapter 7: Shopping for Terrorists
With a sudden jerk the front door of the mall burst with a bang and the Raptor's began their intial assault on the building complex. The skylights were broken through as Raptorian soldiers slid down the ropes. The mutants guarding the front entrance were small in number and quickly dispatched. This gave the Raptors and Titans time to get their barings and move out. Recon took the Turagut squad over to food court while Starfire insisted that Robin and Cyborg come with her to the women's clothing department. Apparently she wanted to pick out some new clothes while she was here. Robin wanted to tell her that the Mall's staff wasn't there at the moment but she was already pulling them in that direction. This left Ryan, Beastboy and Raven alone with each other.
"You think this place looks like that mall with all the zombies from that movie?" Ryan asked
"Why does that matter at this point?" Raven asked back
"No reason." The commando replied "Just one of those random thoughts. Get them all the time. Better get going. Just stay out of my way ya little hailess monkeys."
Ryan marched on ahead while Beastboy and Raven lingered for a mere second
"Hairless? Doesn't he notice I have green fur?" Beastboy asked
"Let it go Beastboy." Raven told him
"But seriously I have green fur. You'd think he'd notice."
Entering the Food Court, Recon and the Turaguts looked around the area.
"Nothing here," Recon stated "at least nothing visible."
"I smell ambush." Rack said
"I smell hot dogs." said Roger earning him looks from the other Raptors "What?"
"Nevermind." Recon told him as he took out a grenade and threw it into one of the Food Court's many boutiques.
"Ah man, not the Sushi place!" Roger pleaded
The resulting explosion surprised the Mutants in hiding behind the counters of the restuarants and some of them popped up to see what happened. When they noticed the Raptors they began to open fire. Luckily the group had ducked behind a small wall seperating them from the dining area.
"Okay, we got the scary people with guns' attention." Reige chuckled "NOW WHAT?" He screamed
Recon looked over to Snipe
"Snipe, get up to the balcony above us and keep those little bastards off us. We'll head for the restaurant I blew out."
"On it." Said Snipe beofre heading off
"Hopefully some sushi survived." Roger thought
"Its probably covered in shrapnel." Rack told him
"I can eat around it." Roger replied
"Will you shut up and move!" Reige yelled.
Snipe had made it to the area over looking the food court and began firing on the overwhelming amount of mutants that were covering the place. He couldn't see some of the restaurants counters from overhead so he would have to move around from side to side to lay down some fire. Meanwhile, while Snipe kept some of the Mutants' heads low, Recon and the other Turagut brother made their way to the Sushi place.
"Now what cap?" Asked Rack
"We make a hole Sargeant." Recon answered
"Say what?" Rack said bewildered
"All these restaurants are side by side, we just use a powerful enough explosion and we can easily blast through them and clean them out one by one." Recon turned to Reige "You got the explosives soldier?" He asked the New York Turagut
"Course I do." He said producing some C4 "I got enough to help us give all these places a a drive-thru window."
"Not funny." Rack told him
"Oh what do you know about funny?" Reige asked
"Enough to know you aren't." His older brother told him
"Shut the chatter boys and lets get moving." Recon ordered "Set the Explosives up in the kitchen in the back. Walls should be thinest there."
"You go on," Roger told them "I need me some of that delicious Japanese shrimp"
"The next diner is a 'White Castle' hamburger joint Roge'." Reige teased
Immediately Roger just grabbed one of the small shushi rolls in front of him and made his way to the back
"Come on blow this here wall!" He pleaded "We have us some burgers to rustle!"
"Gets him everytime" Reige smirked
The raptor stuck the explosive on the wall and ran back to a safe distance. Reige hit the detonator and blew the wall in. The squad rushed through, catching the Mutants by surprise on the other side. They were quickly dealt with.
"Okay lets get the next one." Recon told them keeping his head low from the Mutants now firing on their position.
Roger stuffed as many White Castles burgers as he could into his mouth before they blew up the next wall and ran into the neighbouring restaurant. As long as Reige didn't run out of explosives they'd be done in no time.
Meanwhile, Robin, Cyborg and Starfire were fighting on the second floor of the mall down in the clothing area. Starfire was clearing out the Mutants from her favourite store at the moment. She was rather angry that they had decided to invade it. The Mutants never stood a chance. Some of them even ran to Robin and Cyborg seeking help.
"Please! Arrest me! She's crazy!" Said one mutant with a broken Gas Mask which had a missing eye plate.
Any surrendering Mutants had to be led away by other Raptor squads passing by. They would take them back to the main entrance and find a way to deal with them there. Along the way to their next target (Another store on Starfire's list) They noticed several other Raptorian soldiers clearing the stores out. One by one it seemed that the Raptors were taking back the mall. But it would mean nothing to Robin if they didn't find this Karvisko character. As they entered the store Starfire had led them two, Robin sensed something wrong. The lights being out were one of the main problems.
"Cyborg," He said "Scan the area."
"Alright, just a sec." After awhile of looking around the area with his robotic eye he soon detected another lifeform in the room "We got company."
"Starfire." Robin said "Light."
Starfire light her hands to reveal a green glow upon the store and something scurrying away from it.
"Roaches," Robin said "always run away when you turn on the lights. Its hard to defy your nature isn't it Cockroach?"
The Mutant Insectoid lizard crawled back up from behind the counter and a few light fixtures flickered on. But most of the lights were broken. The Mutants was still wearing the gas mask that only covered half his face and still holding two weapon in his hands.
"So, the little birdie brought some of his superhero buddies along this time?" The Cockroch mocked
"Where's Karvisko?" Robin asked sternly
"Sorry, not telling." The Cockroach said, he then fired his guns at the Titans. The Teens ran for cover behind the displays of the various items for sale. "Time for the bug to swat the humans!" The mutant laughed
"You shall be swating no one." Starfire told him as she fired a starbolt at him. The insect scurried away just in time.
"If you want to find the General," He said to Robin as he approached "try and follow, if you can American!"
The Cockroach busted down a small vent beside him and scurried through.
"He's in the ventalation system." Robin said staring down the hole in the wall "Cyborg, where does this vent lead?"
Cyborg looked at his arm
"According to the schematics of the complex I pulled up," said Cyborg "it leads straight to the basement. From there he could head to any store in the mall."
"Not any store," Robin told him "The one with Karvisko in it. We need to follow him. What's the fastest way to the basement."
"Down an employees only staircase a few meters down." Cyborg told him
"Lets move then."
The three Titans headed to the stairs as fast as they could.
Raven, Beastboy had pretty much stayed behind Ryan. They didn't really have much to do since any lone Mutant that showed up got gunned down by Ryan instantly. The Raptor just looked straight ahead and kept on walking not even looking at the guy he just killed. Finally Ryan stopped walking when he came to a video store.
"Why are we stopping here?" Asked Beastboy
"I wanted to see what they got." Ryan told him
"You mean the only reason we came this way was because you wanted to pick up a movie?" Raven asked
"Yes," Ryan told them "why? Did you think I was given special orders or something?"
"Yes! We did." Beastboy said "You'd have to be flipping mental to pick this as a time to buy a movie."
"Well I think my intention was rather obvious." Ryan told him before heading off into the store
"How did he make it obvious?" Beastboy asked to Raven "How is it that you can make something that obscure obvious by shooting anything that comes down the hall?"
Raven didn't answer, mostly because she was finding herself agreeing with Beastboy more and more. When they entered the semi dark store Ryan was shuffling through several films in the DVD pile.
"No, no, no, pretty damn dull, no, no, boring, crap, hey 'Red Dawn' that seems apporiate for the present situation."
"Oh brother." Raven said rubbing her forehead
"Well," Said Beastboy shrugging "might as well pick up the latest Ninja movie while I'm here, maybe a Monster film or cartoon as well."
"Just don't be long okay." Raven told him
Beastboy went off to look at the various stacks of movies to buy while Ryan continued shuffling thorugh the bin.
"Man, don't they got that film about the killer plant of death that sings?" Ryan wondered "How about some slasher flicks? Those are always a gas. Maybe they got a copy of the director's cut of The Exorcist. That movie was funny!"
Raven shook her head at the Raptor as he continued to thumb through the pile. When she sensed something behind her, a rather familiar presence but as she turned to face it Ryan rushed over and punched it backwards. Whatever it was appeared to have been three inches away from her neck. Beastboy heard the commotion and ran back up to the two who were no staring at the black lump on the floor. The lump soon got to it feet and spread its wings. It was Colonel Vlad Aleksander again. Looking more blood crazed then ever.
"Curse you!" He screamed "I was so damn close you filthy Raptorian. I was so close to her delicious blood!"
"Oh shut up pal, I tried blood once it sucked." Ryan replied "You should get off the stuff."
"For the last time you freak," Beastboy told the Colonel "leave her alone."
"You're lucky you had that Raptor with you." The bat-dino said to Raven "but niether him nor your little green boyfriend can save you this time."
"Boyfriend?" Raven said with a tinge of shock
"I'm not her boyfriend." Beastboy told him
"Why not?" Asked Ryan "You two look cute together."
"Stay out of this." Raven and Beastboy shouted in unison
"Enough of this! "Vlad shouted "I must suppress my hunger!" He leapt for Raven "Give me your blood!"
Beastboy was one step ahead of him. He knocked him away with the trunk of an Indian Elephant and into a stack of DVDs.
"Finally!" Said Ryan as the Colonel began to get up."Action time!" Ryan tackled the Dino-bat and kicked him into the wall behind him. Ryan ran at him, hoping to smash him into the wall further. But the Colonel dodged out of the way and flew to the entrance of the store. Ryan got his head out of the drywall he smacked into and dragged himself back to the two Titans. Vlad was now looking at Raven and baring his fangs once again
"Your blood shall be mine my dear." He said "This time I brought help!" He lifted up his walkie talkie and spoke into it "Move in now!"
Several Mutant Soldiers blocked the exit to the video store behind the colonel and drew their guns.
"Eliminate the males!" The colonel ordered "But capture the girl!"
The Mutants began to march on the three hereos.
"Okay," Beastboy said "I never want to volunteer to go with the crazy Raptor commando again."
The yet another explosion blew in the wall to the a neighbouring restaurant and the Raptors ran in. The Mutant inside were prepared after all the other restaurants had been blasted into. However their defence didn't last very long. The overwhelming ods took them and the Raptors won out. At last Recon and the Turaguts had eliminated the last of the mutant soldiers.
"Well that does it for this end." Recon said "We best try and meet up with the Titans and see how they are doing."
Snipe arrived as soon as they left the restaurant. Realizing the battle was over.
"Well that was a wonderful little excursion." He said looking around at the area "And Reige got to commit a large ammount of property damage meaning he's perfectly happy."
"Hey he told me to do it." Reige replied pointing to Recon
Rack in the meantime was counting heads and noticed one Raptor was missing.
"Say where did Roger go?" Rack asked
Roger was over by the Hot Dog restaurant he smelled earlier. With his face stuck half way inside the hot dog storage area and the lid thrown off to the side
"Hey these ones are 100 beef." Roger said with admiration "Don't see that much anymore."
At this point he was knocked back several feet into the air and landed head first at the feet of his brothers.
"You know," The Raptor groaned "I am getting real sick and tired of this."
"You okay?" Rack asked
"Yeah, the body fat helps cushion the fall." Roger explained as he lifted himself up into a sitting position "I just wanna know what hit me."
"That would be me comrade Raptor." A voice said from the hot dog stand. It was none other then Sergey standing rather proudly on top of the counter with a smug grin on his face. Recon had never met him, but based on Cyborg's discription he knew who it was.
"Lieutenant Sergey." Recon announced "I suppose you enjoy hitting unsuspecting Raptors when they are trying to eat something."
"He should have been watching his ass." Sergey told him "Thats what got you Raptors screwed before. You let your guard down for instant and Mutentica swarmed all over your pathetic island."
"Hey check the history books Red." Reige mocked "We kicked your ass all the way back to mommyland and captured that ass wad of a leader of yours Stabasaurus."
"In his undies I might add." Roger said getting off the floor.
"Perhaps," Sergey admited "you did take us down. But ever since that day I realized the problem. Stabasaurus was a fool. Blind by his lavish palaces and rich standing as the leader. When he began to lose it all he panicked and lost the intiative. If Mother Mutentica wishes to return to its true glory then new leaders must be found. Someone stronger then Stabasaurus, with more guts and more determination and will. A leader who is willing to keep his hold on power by any means nessecary and does not cower in fear under his desk when the enemy is on his door step. Such is a person like Karvisko, unlike Stabasaurus he has no desires of money and wealth. Only power and strength. We shall root out the weak from the party and replace it with strong minded soldiers who will do everything they are told without question. Once he takes power as the country's new leader we shall bring back the glory days of Mutentica. Karvisko will lead us into a new Soviet dawn and I will be one of the many people to be by his side all the way."
"Yeah, yeah," Rack said waving his hand "evil monologue, take over the world, 'I expect you to die Mr. Bond', We've heard it all before." Rack turned to Recon "Cap can we just shoot this six armed nutjob and get out of here."
"Perhaps you would like to see my other arms?" Sergey asked as his tentacles reached around his back and pulled four Heavy machine guns. His octopi arms were so strong he had no trouble lifting them into poistion. His two actual arm pulled out two seperate SMGs from their holsters. In all, six guns were now aimed at the five Raptors, not ver good odds.
"Eep." Squeeked Roger
"Brothers," Rack began "Cap, I think it would be a good idea to institute my favourite strategy for this kind of situtation."
"What would that be Sargeant?" Recon asked
"Run like hell!" Rack screamed
"With you on that." Recon replied
The Raptors turned and ran to escape the food court as Sergey began to fire all six weapons at them.
"Run as fast as you can little capitalists!" Sergey shouted "You'll end up dead in the end."
Sergey began to follow after them, aiming his guns straight ahead as he walked.
Robin, Starfire and Cyborg had reached the basement and began to search for The Cockroach.
"Alright then guys," said Cyborg "if you were a bug/dinosaur hybrid where would you hide?".
"Perhaps he is in a rather large rug." Starfire implied "I have often heard that bugs can be found snug in these rugs."
Robin just sighed at the alien girl's naivety.
"Well that's pretty much the best idea we have." He said "Either that or he's already left to go see Karvisko anyway."
"Which means it could take hours to find him." said Cyborg
"Perhaps a motel for roaches would help draw out the fiend." Starfire suggested
"Considering how much of bug he is it could work." Robin responded "Problem is it would have to be a pretty big motel."
"Maybe I can do a scan for some kind of trace of him." Cyborg suggested clicking some button on his arm.
"I wish friends Raven and Beastboy were here." said Starfire "Perhaps they could track the villianous Cockroach."
"They have enough problems with that commando they're watching." Robin told her "I'd rather lose Karvisko then have this entire building implode on me."
"And lose him you shall." The familiar voice of Cockroach spoe behind them. The Titans turned to see the Mutant driving a large forklift at the end of the hallway. "I found this thing in the garage, and its just big enough to fit in into the basement halls. Lucky me, unlucky you!" The Mutant pushed the vehicle into full throttle and the machine raced straight at them.
"Duck!" Robin shouted.
Starfire flew out of the way and Robin pressed him self hard against the wall. Cyborg rolled into a nearby connecting hallway and as soon as the forklift passed he jumped back out and fired his sonic cannon at it. The forklift exploded and pretty much skid to a halt. Miraculously, Cockroach scurried away unhindered.
"You can't kill two of history's oldest living creatures that easily!" The mutant shouted back laughing as he squeezed himself into another vent. This time large enough to fit one of the Titans.
"I think I can follow him." Robin said turning to Cyborg "Where does this vent lead?"
"Ah man," Cyborg said looking at his arm "it heads on right to my favourite Sportswear shop. Thats one of the biggest stores in the mall. And if its still under Mutant control it could have a thousand bad guys in there. Cockroach might be leading you into a trap."
"Well we'll have a surprise for him. Go back up and find Captain Recon. Tell him where I'm going to find Cockroach and meet me there."
"Sure thing." Cyborg responded
"Please do be careful Robin." Starfire pleaded
"Don't worry I'll be fine." Robin slid into the vent and began to crawl after Cockroach
The battle inside the video store was fierce. The mutant soldiers rushed at the two Titans and their Commando companion. Beastboy morphed into an armadillo and rolled his way to the back of the opposing line before charging back through as an Elephant and knocking the mutants aside. Raven managed to knock many of the soldiers away, but Vlad was pushing through them and trying to get to her. Raven decided to focus more on him then the others. Raven's magic seemed to not effect him however. Ryan in the meantime was using his shotgun to shoot/club the mutants attacking him. One Mutant opened fire from a distance and Ryan ducked behind a stack of DVDs to avoid the incoming fire.
"Ah screw the gun play." He said "Time to get up close and personal with these commie idiots." Ryan pulled EARL off his back and reved him hard. Leaping out from the stack he rushed the shooting Mutant and sliced him across the chest. (I will not describe that any further. Its a chainsaw slicing living tissue, what do you think happened?) Another slice came at the mutants coming from behind across their faces. (Once again, I'm not describing anything else)
Beastboy was now in the form of a gorilla and pumelling the mutants coming at him. One by one, they fell to the ground as Beastboy knocked them silly. Thats when Raven called out to him.
"Beastboy," She shouted while trying maintain focus on Colonel Vlad as he tried to withstand her sustained magical blast "A little help please?"
"Hold on Rae." He said briefly turning back into a human and rushing at the bat-dino at full speed. He collided into the Colonel as a Tiger and pinned him into a rack of DVDs.
"You cannot protect her forever shapeshifter." The mutant said "I shall taste her blood."
Beastboy returned to his normal form for a short second
"Dude, you need to lay off the vampire flicks for a few centuries." Beastboy then turned into mountain gorilla and threw the mutant officer clear across the room.
"Thanks for the save." Raven said floating over
"No problem," Beastboy told her "that guy really needs a reality check."
The colonel got back on his feet again and charged at the two Titans again. Only to be deflected by Ryan as the Raptor tail swipped him right out of the store and into the window of the store across the street.
"He's not the only one." Raven said, finally replyinh to Beastboy's reality check comment.
The colonel got to his feet once more and flew away from the video store.
"Good ridance to him." Ryan said peering over at the departing colonel. Then he noticed a Mutant trying to sneak out the back of the store. "Hey where the hell are you going?"
Ryan rushed over to the mutant with his chainsaw drawn and reving and plunged it in the mutant's back. Raven and Beastboy covered their eyes, well Beastboy just used Raven's cape to cover himself out of sheer shock. Ryan was now lifting the Mutant stuck on his chainsaw in the air and screaming bloody murder. He then slung his weapon down and watched as the mutant slid off and onto the floor, his eyes more bloody shot and angry then ever. Ryan was now breathing heavily as he marched out of the half ruined video store and back into the hallways of the mall. Turning back only to see the terrified looks upon the two Titans' faces.
"Well, are you coming?" He asked
Beastboy and Raven reluctantly followed him.
Captain Recon and the Turaguts were now pinned down behind a fountain in the middle of a mall intersection as Sergey fired all he had at the five outgunned Raptors.
"Anyone have an idea about what to do about the crazy asshole shooting at us?" Asked Reige
"He's got six guns!" Snipe reminded him "Six guns! For the love of mike he's roloading one after the other its crazy! How much ammo can he possibly have?"
"I can't get my head up to make the shot." Rack told them
"Wait," Roger said "I got me an idea!"
"You got a what now?" Reige asked rather bewildered
"Yes sirrie!" Roger said reaching into his pocket. He rummaged inside there for awhile and pulled out what appeared to be a hamburger. It forced the other Raptors to pinch their noses.
"Dear god, what is that?" Recon asked
"Its a two year old hamburger I found under the sofa a year ago." Roger said holding his nostrils
"Was it already two years old when you found it?" Recon asked
"Yes."
"That means its three years old you idiot!" Reige screamed through the smell
"Why do you have that with you?" Rack asked
"For ocassions just like this one."
Roger threw the hamburger over the wall of the foutain and it landed at the mutant's feet. Th sudden change in atmosphere caught the mutant by surprise and he dropped all of his weapon jus thold his nose. Roger used this lull in the fighting to run up to Sergey and punch him in the face. Then, while the mutant staggered about from that attack, Roger swung his tail and the mutant crashed into a store window display and knocked himself head over heels till he finally came to a stop at the back of the store with several things hanging off him. The pierceing ow resonated from the area as the Mutant bid a hasty retreat through the back door of the shop rather clumsily. Recon and the other Turaguts emerged from their cover and walked over.
"Good job little bro." Reige said kicking the rancid hamburger several feet away "Didn't know you had it in ya."
"He landed me on my ass." Roger said "He deserved it."
At this time Starfire and Cyborg showed up.
"Friends it is good to see you!" Starfire shouted hugging Roger in a vice like grip
"Lungs...Collapsing...On self!" Roger moaned weakily as the air seaped out.
Starfire released her grip on the Raptor and said the usual sorries. Recon then noticed Robin was missing
"Where's the Boy Wonder?" He asked
"He's headed to the sports shop." Cyborg explained "We found that Cockroach guy and he was heading there last we saw both of them."
"I'll call all Raptors to the sports store," Recon said lifting up his walkie talkie "Karvisko is probably inside."
Robin finally dropped down from the vent in the ceilling and found himself inside the sports store he was led to. Robin looked around half expecting an ambush of some kind. But he saw nothing, it was pretty dark. Then the lights suddenly came on. Revealing several Mutant troops surrounding Robin behind dozens of nearby displays and a few feet in front of him stood the Cockroach.
"So you came by yourself," The insectoid observed "How stupid."
"Where's Karvisko?" Robin demanded
Stepping out from behind another display was a tall and proud Mutant. He had a broad platted head and club tail of an anklyosaurus but the body of what appeared to be a two legged meat-eater, possibly an Albertasaurus.
"So this is the leader of the Teen Titans I was told of. " The mutant said "I'm not really impressed. However you have come all this way looking for me and you have found me. So I guess there may be more to you then I think."
"So you're General Karvisko?" Robin asked
"I am." The General responded "I was hoping that my squads would have dealt with you before you returned to your tower earlier today but unfortunately the Raptors stopped that from happening."
"I want answers," said Robin "Why now? After all this time after the end of your war with the Raptors, why only now attack Jump City?"
"One reason was because my opnions on the new leadership of Mutentica were keeping me from gathering the resources I needed to stage this little operation." Karvisko explained
"But what about the US governement?" Robin asked "You must of known that you can't possibly hold this city. You don't have a large enough army to sustain a campaign over here in America."
"No I don't," Karvisko explained "and I don't intend to. I'm just in town for a few days you see. I need to pick something up that I must aquire."
"What you mean?" Robin asked "What are you planning?"
"A new Mutant revolution. But you won't live long enough to see it." Karvisko now spoke to his men "Kill the human my comrades." He turned back to Robin "It was fool hearty that you came here alone."
Suddenly gun shots rang out as the mutant soldiers were fired at from behind. Raptor soldiers rushed in and took out the mutants one by one.
"Time to go Cockroach." Karvisko said to his companion putting on sunglasses
The insectoid took out a small device and pulled the pin. Robin tried to stop them, but the flash went off and the blinded superhero could not see them run off out the fire exit. Recon evetually found Robin holding his eyes closed and trying to rub them
"Where's Karvisko?" Recon asked
"He got away with that Cockroach. But I got something out of him."
"What precisely?"
"His plan," Robin told him "he's not here for the city, he here for something in the city."
"Any idea what it is?" Recon asked
"No," Robin explained "but whatever it is he plans to use it for some new revolution of his."
"We better clear the rest of this place out and head back to the tower." said Recon "Maybe we can get a lead there."
Sorry it took so long to do. Its been hectic around here. I hop you continue to enjoy this story cause next chapter is a little more revealing about Ryan's and the Raptors'pasts. Should be rather enjoyable. I won't spoil it but it should be rather insightful what shall be revealed. See you then.