Chapter 11: The Defence of Superplex
The two Raptors and the changling stared at Control Freak for a few seconds and then the red haired teenager ran to the counter and stood up on it.
"Greetings Beastboy! We meet again!" He proclaimed in his dramatic voice "I Control Freak, master of all reality and-" He was cut short when Ryan used his tail to knock him of the counter and on his butt.
"That was priceless!" Ryan laughed
Control Freak was not amused
"Hey! You didn't let me finish my monologue."
"Like I care." Ryan told him
"Listen, I was trying to threaten my nemsis here and then you storm in and start stealing the thunder! Do I even know you?"
"My card." Ryan said passing his card to Control Freak who quickly scanned it
"Insano Commando?" Control Freak said rather confused
Beastboy was surprised he showed his card to Control Freak. He usually just killed people and didn't care afterwards.
"How many of those do you have?" Beastboy asked about the card
"I find its a lot easier then giving a long stupid speech about myself." Ryan explained
"Are you calling villianous monologues stupid?" Control Freak asked
"Yes, yes I am." Ryan told him matter of factly
"Well..." Control Freak began trying to get back on his feet. "Who cares! I wasn't even talking to you! I was talking to my nemisis Beastboy!"
Reige could only smirk
"This nerd is your nemsis?" Reige asked through his giggles
"No!" Beastboy shouted wide-eyed "He's just some geek we have to fight time to time! He isn't even that dangerous! All he has is that stupid remote and it isn't even a good a weapon."
Control Freak was angered by Beastboy's mocking of his weapon and he didn't like being called a nerd or geek either.
"We'll see how crappy my remote is when I use to destroy you all. I came here to sell put myself on the big screen of some of the latest blockbusters, but those Mutants busted in and I've been hiding here ever since. Now I'll settle for destroying all three of you at once instead."
Control Freak pointed the Remote at the the three of them and was about to press a button when Ryan snatched it away "HEY!"
"Mine now!" Ryan exclaimed
"Give it back! Give it back!" He whined grabbing for it feebly as Ryan kept him at bay with one arm. "You don't know how long it took me to get that back from the prison evidence vault!"
Ryan pushed against Control Freak's face and the villian fell flat on his behind once more.
"Oh yeah," Reige exclaimed "he is such a nerd."
"I am, not a nerd!" Control Freak yelled "I'm a dangerous and evil villian bent on chaos and destruction the likes the world has never seen on small or silver screen! I'm more dangerous then any of the classic comic book villians all rolled into one! I have done things that make Baron Rang look like a innocent stupid Dungan! You will all feel my never ending wrath!"
Reige looked at him rather emotionessly and then pointed and shouted loudly at Control Freak.
"NNNEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRDDDDDD!"
Control Freak just stood up and dusted himself
"Fine, so maybe I am a nerd. Who cares?" He said angirly "At least I know how to work that thing! Go ahead and fiddle with it. You'll never be able to-"
"Ooohh! Whats this do?" Ryan shouted excitedly as he pressed a button on the remote. Suddenly a large holographic beam shot out of the remote and into the street where a large holographic monster appeared roaring loudly and angirly.
"Hey sweet!" Ryan exclaimed "Lets see what else I can make it do!"
"Stop playing with my remote!" Control Freak shouted
But Ryan didn't listen he kept pressing buttons and the monster morphed into a cowboy, a dancer, a missile, a knight, an alien, a robot and finally it turned into a large holographic picture of a robed woman saying 'Help Me Obi-Down Koby, you're my only hope' and then the holographic turned off. Everyone inside was rather wide-eyed with amazement
"Well that's a pretty big signal for help wouldn't you say?" Ryan exclaimed
"I'm just hoping they get that before the Mutants come in and kill us." Said Beastboy
"No one is going to die." Ryan told him "I have a plan. Find any exit in this place and seal it tight, only leave the main entrance open but put a lot of junk in the way. Find any ammo that you can and meet me back here when you're done. When those Mutants come charging in they're going to have really big gun staring at them."
"Whatever, I'm outta here." Control Freak said before Ryan grabbed him by his overcoat
"You're going to help nerd boy."
"Why should I?" Control Freak asked Ryan rather stubbornly
"Because I'm the crazy commando with a rig big gun who doesn't really care wether you die or not." Ryan explained pointing his pistol at him "Now what do you say to be being drafted now?"
Control Freak gulped
"I say, sir yes sir." He smiled nervousley
Ryan smiled rather happily
"Good, I thought you might."
Inside Jump City Prison is where many of the worst of the worst offenders go to when they are foiled by the Teen Titans, now packed to the gills with most of the Titans enemies its rather difficult to bust out thanks to the increased security. But now someone has busted in and is looking for some of the more high-powered inmates. Cockroach isn't interested in the ordinary orange shirts, he's looking for the real big time offenders guys. There is just one problem, a big metal door. One that not even he can squezze under. If he wants what Karvisko has told him to get he'll need to bust down the door first. He pressures the technician to hack the door's security system. Mostly by saying he'll kill if he doesn't do it soon. Cockroach in the meantime turns his attention the fact that he is surrounded from the outside by several angry Raptorian soldiers and JCPD officers. However he has a plan. He checks out the roster for the high profile bad guys and finds one that will suit him perfectly.
Everything was set for Ryan's plan, the only entrance was the front door and it was completely stuffed with obstacles, all intended to slow the Mutants down as they rushed in. Control freak had done what had been told to do, under duress perhaps but at leastr he was cooperative. Ryan was now behind the counter with Reige, Beastboy and Control Freak, his M60 aimed at the door.
"This is gonna be a bloodbath boys." Ryan explained as he began to chuckle "I think I'll rate it MC for Mindless Carnage."
"Has anyone told you your oneliners are extremely disturbing?" Beastboy asked with a raised eyebrow
"At least I don't monologue like some people." Ryan said looking at Control Freak
"Stop mocking monologues!" Control Freak told him "They are a stable in villian ethic!"
"Just shut up and keep you head down before me or someone else fires a bullet into it." Ryan said waving his pistol at the red haired villian
"Shuttinf up now."
Control Freak lowered his head from site and remained on the floor in fetal position or ball like position it depends on how you view it. Beastboy decided to use this time before the approaching storm to ask Ryan a question.
"I've been meaning to ask," Beastboy began "what was that song you were singing?"
Ryan turned his head to the green teen
"What song?" He asked back
"The one back in the chopper before it crashed." Beastboy explained
"A WW2 song," Ryan explained "about a paratrooper who dies a gory death during a practice drop. I thought it was the most apporiate at the time."
Beastboy should have known it had something to do with death considering the words of the song. It seemed to be Ryan's perfession, the only real thing he was good at.
"Why do you focus on death so much anyway?" Beastboy asked with a straight face
Ryan however seemed to frown at the question. Looking at Beastboy with those wild, blood red striped eyes of his, he seemed somewhat at unease with the question like he had been asked it before or he felt that Beastboy had asked a stupid question. Ryan spoke in a low piercing tone that made Beastboy's spine shiver
"When you life like I have where you know about is survival, where the only thing you think about is how you make it to tomorrow without getting your face ripped off or you heart torn out or you stomach blasted its hard not to think about it."
"Why?" Beastboy asked
"Death is a natural part of survival, you either die or you don't. Well everyone dies so the latter is inevitable. So really its a matter of when and how, as well as how many other people will have to go before you. Its something that drives you, how long can you outlast the other guy at the end of the gun, what you'll do when the moment of truth comes, when its your life or his and is it your time to go or will fate be on your side for the day. That inevitably leads you to think about your opponent, whats he thinking, whats he planning, what was he like before all this happened? Survival, thats what war is about green man. Trust me, I know. I've been to war torn battlefields with militia men aiming their guns straight at me and I with nothing to protect myself but my wits and my cunning. I've seen families, villages, ordinary people torn apart and destroyed in every imaginable way. In the end you realize that all the horrible things you watch in front of is nothing more then a sick twisted game of survival. And in that game someone always dies, I emphasize always. Someone like me, whose played that game and won a million times over knows that all to well. That's the true madness of war kid, your life is more valuable then your enemy's and if you murder and kill him you're rewarded. In the regular world they lock you up and throw away the key."
Beastboy was surprised that the so called mad man next to him seemed to know so much. Probably because he traveled extensively, to kill people as it were. So the question was why?
"Then why do it?" Beastboy asked "Why do it if you think its so horrible?"
Ryan's frown turned to a sinister smile
"Because my tofu loving friend," Ryan said "no matter how much horror there is in war, no matter sick this inasane game of survival is there is one undeniable fact for me. Reige and his brothers do it because its their job, their duty and they feel they need to do it. Me, I don't just need to do it, I want to do it. That's why I'm certified crazy, no one in their right mind would want this job, they'll feel obligied to do it for sure and they feel a sense of honor sure, but they'll never feel like they want this job, like they love this job, like this job is what they have always desired. Me, its a dream come true. I get to kill the scum of the earth and there ain't a single penalty for cleaning them off the face of the planet. Its what I love about this game, its payback, the ultimate revenge, the ultimate justice and you know what it makes me the best soldier in this army. Cause I get to volunteer for missions no one else wants. Dictators, Fascists, Guerillas, Drug Dealers, I eliminate the heart of the problem with no mess no foul. I love the sweet sound of their dieing breathes, their pitiful screams, the moment you take a crinimal's life as he realizes what it feels like to be treated the exact same way he treats others. 'Do unto others as they do unto you' the bible says. I like that quote, makes me feel justified."
Beastboy suddenly felt cold, how many sides to Ryan were there? How many different extreme mood swing and different personalities exist inside there. Which part of Ryan was telling him this? And why him? Didn't he just hate his guts hours before? And what was that stuff about 'no penalties'? Then Beastboy remembered.
"What do you mean 'no penalties?" Beastboy began "Does it have something to do with Los Angeles?"
Ryan suddenly grew tense as his body seemed to lurch forward on his set up M60. His face slowly turned to Beastboy's.
"Los Angeles was steeming pile of filth and scum," Ryan then paused as leaned up to Beastboy's face "and then I came."
Beastboy didn't want to talk anymore about this. It wa scaring him. He felt like Ryan was going to rip his head off and slurp up his guts from his neck. But something compelled him to ask further. The fact that he was getting Ryan to open up, which was exactly what Raven wanted. If he could just get Ryan to tell him more ab out himself.
"So do ever think about your death through all this?" Beastboy asked hesitantly
"We all do," Ryan told him "Death is inevitable. There is no secret, no magic cure to it. We are all slowly dying and there is nothing you can do about. But I know one thing, I'm going to die a glourious death, one the like of which the world shall remember, for all time."
Suddenly there was a large pound on the door as something was slowly breaking through the blockade.
"But that day isn't today." Ryan added as he reached into his holster and pulled out a gun for Beastboy "Take my extra pistol."
"I don't kill people." Beastboy told him
"And they would kill you without hesitation." Ryan told him
"I don't kill people...ever." Beastboy said sternly
"That's why I'm in the military and not a superhero," Ryan explained putting the pistol away "cause I'm not required to take people alive when they shoot at me."
The door suddenly burst in as the stacked up boxes in front crashed forward. The back of a transport vehicle appeared and out of its doors poured several Mutant soldiers.
"Would you like your popcorn with bullets and butter you 'Red Path' assholes!" Ryan shouted as he laid his finger on the trigger and opened fire at the mutants.
Beastboy remained under the table as the mutants charged through the door and Ryan Fired at them. Reige came up from time to time to shoot anyone who got through the obstacles. It was a bloodbath, just like Ryan said it would be, as waves after waves of seeemingly endless soldiers atttacked them with full force. Suddenly a sound was heard from above. It appeared that three mutant had broken throught the sky light and were now repeling down to the floor. Ryan was too busy with the ones on the ground and Reige's Shootgun was unable to shoot them. Beastboy knew what he had to do. He lifted up from counter a pteradactly and flew to the repeling soldiers. They tried to shoot at him with their guns but he gracefully avoided them. He lflerw up above them and snapped the ropes holding the mutants in place. They fell from their ropes and onto the ground with a thump. They were hurt, but alive. At least they wouldn't bother them again. Ryan continued to fire at the Mutants as the got closer and closer
"Come on maggots you can do better!" Ryan challenged
Mutants fell from a top boxes they climbed to get around the obstaclkes faster only to be met with bullets. Other mutants who followed the obstacles were led into firing positions. And those who used the obstacles as cover to try and get closer to the machine gunner found themselves eventually withou any cover at all soon enough. For when the reached the furest point that the obstacle would go they were pinned down with machine gun fire. When Ryan's gun ran out he had Reige reload it while he used his other weapons to cover them. His pistol and shotgun eliminated nearby bad guys with ease and his grenade launcher took on the further away mutants. But Ryan had to switch between each weapon now again, because he unlike some mutants only had two hands and could only shoot so much. The plan soon hit a snag however for ammo only last so long. When Ryan out of bullets again and turned to Reige for more there wasn't any more. Down to their last few clips of shotgun and and pistol ammo it looked like they were all pretty much doomed at this point. But Ryan had one last surprise in store as the Mutants approaced the concession stand counter.
"Things are about to get loud my friends." Ryan said pulling out a detonator
With a flick of a switch that he had rigged up while the other were setting up everything he blow several boxes with live ammunition that he had set up.
"And now ladies and gentlemen our grand finale for our theatre's little show." Ryan said "Bomb away." Ryan pressed the detonator
The explosion ran straight through the entrance lobby and disintergrated the mutants inside. The ones stgill outside met a wall of flames that caught them. A few seconds after the explosion the APC convoy had arrvied. They had seen the holographic signal from Ryan pressing the remote and they knew exactly where they should go. Now the question was were they still alive after that explosion. Robin stumbled in past the several charred bodies of the mutants and along with the other Titans called out for his teamate.
"Beastboy!"
"Friend Beastboy please answer!"
"Yo BB! Are you here?"
Eventually Beastboy and the others heard their cries after the ringing in their ears stopped and put their heads up over the counter.
"Took you guys long enough." Beastboy exclaimed and then Starfire placed him in her vice like hug
"Oh it is wonderful to see you!" She said rather fast "All of us were so worried that you had fallen in battle! Thank X'hal you well and victorious from battle against Mutants!"
"Star...you're crushing my...skeleton!" Beastboy told her through sudden gasps causing Starfire to quickly relinquish her grip.
"I am deeply sorry friend, I hope I have not damaged you."
"Relax Star I'm fine, no worse for wear." Beastboy stood up and struck a muscular pose "See!"
Then Star noticed Reige
"Friend Reige it also joyous to see you alive as well!" Starfire said happily "Would you also like a hug."
"Oh sweet mother of god bring back the Mutants." Reige said as Starfire pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
Beastboy then turned to Robin and Cyborg
"Good to see you Beastboy," Robin said giving the green titan a pat on the back "that chopper crash had us worried."
"But seeing what apaprently happened here," Cyborg said pointing to the destruction around him "I don't know why we were"
"Thanks guys its been rough couple of hours. We have some Mutants in a broom closet that need to be sent to a cell and one red hairded nerd we found moping about here."
Control Freak was standing up in behind the counter
"He, he, and that's my cue to-" As Control Freak ran the other way he collided with Rack's fist
"What a nerd." Rack said as he passed the fat tub of lard
Roger had dove behind the counter to grab some pop-corn, while Snipe pryed Reige from Starfire's hug and gave the four brother a much deserved reunion. Captain Recon marched in and led then mutant prisoners and Control Freak into a waiting vehicle.
"I help you guys set up this place's defence and you reward me like this?" Control Freak asked "Do you call this fair?"
"Yes." Everyone responded in unison shutting up the fat villain.
Beastboy in the meantime had found Raven nearby the door.
"So did you miss me too Rae?" He asked
"I knew that you weren't dead," Raven explained "in fact I was the only one who did know. Remember, mind bridge."
"Oh," Beastboy said sounding dissapointed "So you weren't worried?"
"No," Raven told him "because in a way I knew you manage. You aren't a total idiot."
Beastboy was somewhat flattered
"Awe, that's nice of you Raven...I think." Then he remembered something "Oh I got a lot of things to talk to you about Ryan and Aleksander and-"
"Tell me at the tower." She told him "It'll be easier there."
Ryan had passe don the book he found on Varinakov to Captain Recon and Robin.
"So they're looking to make a Xinothium bomb huh?" Recon said "Karvisko's ballsy I'll give him that."
"He'll need something to trip the power core," Robin told him "but it'll have to be another kind of unstable substance and even then there aren't many people who have the skills to refine Xinothium here anymore."
"Anyone in prison?" He asked
That's when Robin remembered
"Chang." He exclaimed "Karvisko wants Chang's Xinothium skills. We need to ge tto the prison now!"
"We'll head ouit immediately." Recon told him as they headed back for the APC
However Robin was stopped by Ryan when the Raptor stepped in front of him...aiming a machine gun at his head.
"What the heck are you...?" Robin began to ask
Ryan's hand slipped towards the trigger and it seemed to be as if he fired. robin closed his eyes and suddenbly heard a bang...coming from Ryan's mouth.
"You're dead bird brain." Ryan chuckled
Robin looked at the smiling Raptor and knocked the gun away from him
"What the hell are trying to pull!" He screamed
"It wasn't even loaded, get a life man." Ryan told him
"You're telling me to get a life?" Robin said surprised "You're more insane then I thought."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't a compliment." Robin said through his teeth "Why did you do that!"
"To freak you out," Ryan told him "that and I just don't like you."
"Same here."
"And why's that Birdie boy?" Ryan asked
"Cause you remind me of the people I'm suppose to stop and yet you claim to be on my side!" Robin yelled "You psychotic nut job who needs to be locked up in a cell and kept away from society."
"What society?" Ryan asked "The society of humans? The ones who cause more wars on this planet then anyone of us Raptors? How many murders do you humans commit upon each other hmm? Tell me, how is your society more sane then me? Cause all I've seen is a bunch of far more crazy people. Maybe its all of you who should be locked away. Live in my shoes for a day and you'll probably understand."
"I don't care how bad your life has been," Robin explained "I lived through horrible things too, but they never drove me down your road."
"What road?"
"You know what I mean..." Robin paused to look at Ryan square in the jaw "murderer."
Ryan's eyes suddenly grew wild and his teeeth began to bare. With a split instant Robin was grabbed by his cape as he walked away and pressed against the wall. With Ryan's claws around his neck.
"Don't you dare compare me to that!" He screamed "Just because my idea of justice includes disposing of the problem permanently doesn't make me the murderer. I stop murderers. I'm their judge their jury and executioner! The same kind of thing I could be to you!" Ryan's claws on his free hand mashed into the wall close to Robin's head mssing him by inches. "The only thing stopping me from killing you right now is the fact that you aren't the enemy and you have never commited a heinous crime against the innocent. I have a conscience, wether you believe it or not. And saddest part about it all, is that nothing would please me more then to see brains splattered all over this wall. I don't do it because i know its wrong. Thats the difference between me and murderer. I know what its like to see someone you care about die. and that why I have never hurt an innocent, ever. Even if they're stubborn little dipshits, who are ex-lame sidekicks, who are cheap hair gel wearing annoying ass pints like you!" Ryan released Robin and walked out the door. Angry as ever, maybe even more so.
Everyone was looking at the scene with awe. When it was over Stafire had ran to Robin's side to see if he was alright and Recon had approached Ryan with a face redder then anything anyone had seen. Ryan just stood there and took the verbal beating. Robin just sitted there on the ground and watched while Starfire looked him over and the rest of the team approached around him.
"Dude, what did you say?" Beastboy asked
"It doesn't matter." Robin told them standing up "At this point I only care about stopping Karvisko and these Mutants." Robin stomped away from the group to the APC.
Everyone just looked one after him.
'Do you think he'd think differently about Ryan if he knew?.' Raven thought over to Beastboy
'I'm not sure,' Beastboy's thoughts replied 'but I do know that if we told him now he'd be even more pissed that we had disobeyed his orders.'
'Now that's something you can be sure of in this world.' Raven thought over to Beastboy
Yes, I made Ryan beat up Robin. Just be thankful Bird Brain has a legitamate reason for disliking Ryan. Heck I don't really expect anyone to admire him anyway. He's not a cute little cuddly animal people. Also yes, I see the irony that Ryan hates monologues but did one of his own. I just thought you deserved a big slice of Ryan's twisted reasoning. If war is maddness then he is at home with it. Ithink that's a pretty good summary of his character. Don't worry, Recon is pretty pissed at Ryan's behaviour, he's going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Next chapter very soon, trust me.