Chapter 16: Exit-Strategy
"Does anyone else feel that sense of Deja Vu yet?" Beastboy asked
The others had to agree
"Less then two days ago this was where it all started." Robin acknowledged
"And hopefully where it ends." Raven added
The Titans were riding on top of the troop transport vehicle that made up a small convoy of Raptorian soldiers headed for the Pizza Parlour and city square. Where the Titans had first faced the Mutants a day or so before. It was close to dawn break and now they were returning to it for the first time since the blimp crash not knowing what to expect. Recon, who was riding inside the troop transport contacted Robin on his communicator
"We have three minutes till we arrive, you guys ready?" He asked
"We don't even know what we're up against." Cyborg told him
"And I've been awake almost all night." Beastboy added rubbing his eyes
"None of us have Beastboy." Recon told him "I wish I could of given you more intel on the situation but this is may be our last chance. Karvisko has what he came for, he could pull out at any minute."
"I'm still concerned about...you know." Beastboy pointed behind him to the crouching form of Red X.
"The Red X is a crinimal but he has proven trustworthy so far." Starfire explained
Red X turned to them briefly
"Hey, I'm right here you know. I can hear everything you say." X said rather annoyed
"Sorry, we're still getting used to you working with us." Robin apologized "The least I can do is thank you for the info about the Nuclear sub."
"I just want my belt back." X told him "Nothing else."
Robin just shook his head, still same old Red X
"Speaking of which," Recon began over the communicator "how exactly did Karvisko know the sub was in dock at this point in time?"
"He could of just rerouted it like he did the planes." Robin suggested
Recon shook his head
"You can't reroute military vessels," Recon told him "not without official orders. And I don't care if the crinimal underground found out someone would have had to elak the information directly to Karvisko."
"What are you saying?" Cyborg asked "That someone in the US navy may have..."
"Sold you out?" Recon finished "I can't say. But I've already voiced these concern to US army officers in charge here. They're working on it. Our main concern is just Karvisko and his bomb."
"No problem," Beastboy said flexing his muscles (Stringy muscles) "A freaked out Mutant with an explosive suitcase is nothing compared to the stuff we usually go through."
The troop transport stopped and the Titans and Red X jumped off. The Raptors inside and in the transports beside them also exited and began to take cover around the wreckage of the square. Aiming their guns square at the pizza place. Ryan was positioned close to the Titans position in the center of the the perimeter the Raptors had set up as was Recon. What was left of the destroyed blimp and anything else that escaped its crash was occupied by one Raptor soldier or more. Strangely however they were pointing at a pizza place, guns drawn and yet nothing was happening at all. It was far too quiet.
"Anyone else getting that creeped out feeling?" Reige asked
"For once I must agree with you Reige," Snipe replied "My infared scop attachment isn't seeing a thing. Yet I can sense they are out there."
"He's right, I can sense them as well." Raven said clutching her head "They're not afraid, in fact they seem...prepared."
Beastboy over to comfort her, seeing as how hard she was clutching both sides of her head. She eventually stopped and lifted up her hood, so no one could see how un easy she now felt.
"For what?" Recon asked
"For the dawn of a new Revolution!" Came a loud voice from a high. Everyone turned to the top of the Pizza Parlour's balcony and saw Karvisko standing there with two of his men by his side. "I enjoyed my stay here in America, however I must return to Mutentica. I have bussiness there with a certain briefcase"
The realization hit Recon like a ton of bricks
"Oh you got to be friggin kiddin' me." Recon said bowing his head.
"What?" Robin asked
Recon raised his head and looked straight at Karvisko
"Nusto here is gonna set the bomb off in his own country!"
"Perceptive Raptorian," Karvisko congratulated "you no doubt know what the target is too?"
"I can nary it down to Mutentica's capital city." Recon retorted
"The bomb will go off right at President Horturcough's front door step in the main square." Horturcough admited "Along with his death and the other cabinet fools who follow him I will bring about a new Soviet Era for Mutentica."
"You would destroy your own country's capital just for political gain!" Starfire expressed angirly as her eyes began to glow
"That's pretty much what he just said." Rack confirmed
"But millions of innocents would die!" Starfire responded
"Every cause has its collateral damage," Karvisko told her "I wouldn't expect a meer child like you to know that."
Starfire was now truly angered at him. Her hands glowed birght green and her eyes began to singe
"You are a horrible disgusting Chlorbag Veldermelp!" She shouted
"I can agree with that." Ryan added as he pulled out his Machine Gun
Recon took a step forward towards the General
"Forget it Karvisko." Recon told him "Your surrounded by Raptoria's finest not to mention US troops are swarming throughout the area. You'll never get out of here alive. Give yourself up now and maybe the Mutentican government will go easy on you."
Karvisko seemed insulted
"I will not spend the rest of my life in a military prison at the hands of those Capitalists and I have not come this far just surrender to you." He brought his walkie talkie up to his face "The revolution begins today!" He began to shout into the radio "Cockroach implement exit strategy!"
A sudden sound of chopper blades began to approach.
"One of yours?" Robin asked Recon, hoping to get a yes
"Doesn't sound like it."
Indeed, from behind the large building in the center of the city came a large Hind Helicopter straight out of the Soviet Era. It had two chopper blades, a large frame for its chassis, two pods ofg missles on either side and a machine gun on its nose. There was also a loudspeaker attached to the cockpit of the aircraft.
"Like my new ride Titans?" The familar voice of Cockroach asked over the loudspeaker "Its a got a bullet with each of your names on it!"
Chopper's gun opened up on their position. The Titans and raptors there scattered before they got hit. Red X skidded to Robin's side. They noticed that Karvisko had retreated back into the building and the Raptors wrre now opening fire on a large number of mutants that had popped up on every building rooftop in the vacinity.
"We'll need cover fire if we're going to get in there and stop Karvisko." Robin told X
"And get my belt." X reminded him
"Can you forget about the belt!" Robin yelled at him "People's lives are at stake here!"
"Yeah," Yelled Rack as he ducked out of the path of a whizzing bullet "Ours at the moment."
"I'll give you guys cover fire while you surround the building." Snipe called over as he lined un his nose-gun
"We'll split up," Recon suggested. "It'll make us all less of a target. Everyone else stays here and keeps them busy. Turaguts go with Cyborg to the left. Ryan you take Beastboy and Raven on the right side. Star, Robin, X, we're going up the middle. Lets move!"
"Titans Go!" cried Robin.
With that the Titans and their Raptors allies split up to their prospected areas to surround the area. Cockroach tried to shoot down Recon and Robin as the ran up with Starfire and Red X to the front door. But he had to pull off his attack when Stafire slung a Starbolt at him. He barely missed it. Cockroach knew he couldn't let them destroy this Helicopter so he pulled off his attack and went around to the other side of the square.
Cyborg had entered one of the office buildings to the left of his street and was now in the main lobby area with the Turaguts. The reception desk was in front of them and potted plants decorated the room. they noticed the stairs and elevators off the sides of the room and some door behind the desk. Probably the security offices.
"Okay guys, do we have a plan?" Cyborg asked
The Turaguts didn't answer right away.
"Not getting shot?" Reige questioned his brothers
They all nodded in approval. Cyborg wasn't amused
"Focus," Cyborg told them "can we just figure out how we're gonna help Robin take down that Helicopter?"
"We need to get higher obviously." Rack answered "We'll take the stairs to the top of the roof and provide cover fire for the men down below and Robin when he reaches the top of the building the Pizza Parlour is located close to."
"I thought that was just a big TV thingy." Roger said confused. The TV at the top of the tower behind the Pizza place was all he really noticed.
"Why can't we take the elevator?" Reige asked
A short walk over to them answered Reige's question. The elevator's cords were snapped and carridges were now crushed pieces of metal upon the ground floor.
"Looks like we'll take the stairs." Snipe said looking down at the destroyed elevator carridges. He then turned to his brother Reige "Unless of course you'd like shimmy up the shaft Reige."
Reige just looked at his sarcastic brother and stuck out his tongue. He then backed away from the elevator.
"Stairs it is." He said as he approached the door to the stairs.
Suddenly the doors to the back rooms opened and out flooded a small squad of Mutants. Cyborg armed his sonic cannon.
"Go I'll catch up." He told the Turaguts, knowing he could handle them by himself.
"Just cover your backside robo-dude." Reige warned him
"Yeah," Roger complied "Those million dollar wounds sting like hell."
"Trust me he knows." Rack added as they headed up the stairs
Cyborg looked bback at his attackers once the Turaguts were gone
"Alright ya mutant freaks, show that you got what it takes to stand up to the sonic canon."
The Mutants suddenly parted at these words creating a small path for a larger mutant that Cyborg reconized
"Hello comrade Cyborg." Sergey said cheerfully with a sinister grin "How have you been?"
"Oh not you again." Cyborg said shaking his head in disbelief, still with his sonic cannon armed "I don't really have the time for this."
"Make time," Sergey told him "I wasn't finished destroying you last time we met."
"Destroying me?" Cyborg said with a smile as he lowered his sonic cannon an inch "I was ready to kick your butt all over that stadium."
"I pushed you through a damn wall!" Sergey shouted "If it wasn't for orange skinned bitch getting in my way I'd..."
"Oh thats right!" Cyborg said with an even bigger smile "You gotten beaten by a girl. Embarassing isn't it?"
Sergey's sinister smile had all but deterioated. Now it was replaced with an angry scowl of pure loathing
"I was just going to kill you," Sergey said cracking his neck somewhat as he continued to frown "But now I'm going to do something worse then that. I'm going to anhilate you completely. When I'm done there won't be spec of the Teen Titans' Cyborg left. And what's worse I'm going to make you beg for me to end it!"
"Over my metal ass you will." Cyborg answered back raising his sonic cannon again
"Very well then..." Sergey unbuttoned his heavy trenchcoat and let the ensemble drop completely off of him. He revealed him self to be now in nothing but a wife-beater and a pair of pants. His helmet still hung from his head in the precarious fashion that it always did, because it of course still didn't fit him. On his back was some kind of scabbard or holster for a weapon of some kind. Th sash went around his front. Now Sergey's Tentacles were free to move around as they pleased without the inhinderance of that coat. "...Let's go."
Cyborg fired his Sonic cannon full blast at Sergey and his group It knocked the entire squad off its feet and across the room. When the blue blast ahd settled Sergey was still standing with his arms (All six of them) surrounding his face and body. he eventually untangled them and reshowed his face. Sergey's snister smile had returned.
"What a waste of a good shot."
With that Sergey slung his tentacle across the room and hit Cyborg straight in the chest.
Beastboy, Ryan and Raven had entered a small pharmacy. While the shooting continued outside the Titans and the lieutenant took cover behind the shelves near the door.
"How it look on the street?" asked Beastboy
Ryan stuck his head up and quickly pulled it back down.
"Some Mutants on the opposing rooftops and there are some coming out into the street." Ryan told him "Looks like the Captain and your friends made it to the pizza place though."
"So what do we do?" Asked Raven
"Wether you believe me or not," Ryan said loading his pistol "I'm not crazy enough to go out there and get myself shot by a dozen or so Mutants with their sights on me and that Chopper doesn't help the odds either."
"So how do we get to the pizza place and help Robin?" Beastboy asked
"Get to the roof and sneak in through there." Ryan said standing up
"How exactly are you going to get up the highest point on this street if you can't fly?" Raven asked
"Do you two always ask so many questions?" Ryan retorted looking right back at her "I'll handle that myself ,you just worry about surviving long enough to make it there."
The three stood up and headed to the back of the clinic. there they found a small sign that said "Blood Drive" with an arrow pointing into the back.
"This must of been from a few days ago." Raven said as she observed the sign "Jump City hostpital was asking people to give blood at their nearest clinic or pharmacy. I don't think they've moved the proceeds yet."
"I gave some of my blood." Beastboy said proudly "They gave me a free Doughnut and a cookie."
"Was that the only reason you came?" Raven said looking at him suspiciously
"No." Beastboy said aloud while secretly adding in his mind, "They also had Stickers."
Raven rolled her eyes
"We better get to the top of this place." Raven said ushering the others forward "Shouldn't take long, its only five stories high."
Ryan stayed in one spot as the other two began to walk towards the stairs. He sniffed at the air and growled lightly.
"Dude," Beastboy said queitly "whats wrong?"
Ryan continued to sniff
"Someone's in here." He said
Beastboy looked onced again at the blood drive sign and suddenly got a horrible feeling.
"Oh no."
Raven turned around to see what was holding the other two up when she heard a rustling above her. Within a second she placed a shield up and deflect something that fell onto her. It bounced off the shield and landed on tis feet,virtually unharmed.
Colonel aleksander stood before them, wings outstretched and fangs grinning.
"Have you given blood today?" He asked
Starfire was battling several mutants head on. Her Starbolts flinging in every direction. The green bolts of energy knocked the opposers five feet into the air and slamming straight into the walls. One Mutant tried to stick her with a bayonet, but she grabbed it out of his hand seconds before it hit her and bent the gun into a 'U' shape. She dropped it on the floor, still with a look of anger on her face and kicked the mutant straight across the room.
"Remind me never to get her angry." Recon asked Robin while looking at her from behind cover.
There were more Mutants inside this building then they had thought. They were still stuck inside the pizzaria and hadn't moved a step up to the top floor of the large building above next to them. Red X was holding his own, but he wasn't much except for his martial arts moves. He needed his belt back. Robin was also running out of disks and birdarangs. Recon knew they could only stay for so long, but it wasn't because they couldn't hold out. The Mutants fighting them weren't intending to win. They were stalling them. Trying to give Karvisko enough time to escape. Recon needed to move them all out of there fast. He threw a smoke grenade along the floor and waited for it to rise. When it was high enough he nodded at Robin. They both got up to rush to the stairs through the smoke.
"X, Star," Robin called "follow us!"
Starfire broke off her attack as did Red X and they followed Robin's voice to the stairway. they had to act quickly.
"I'll holding them off as long as I can and meet you up at the top," Recon told the three humans before him "Starfire fly Robin and Red X up."
"I have my own way thank you." Red X retorted as he pulled a grappling hook from out his pocket and fired it at the ceiling. He quickly swung up and a way through the stariway as the others looked on.
"Okay," Recon commented "just carry Robin then. Whatever happens, Karvisko can't leave with that bomb. Understand."
"Don't worry," Robin assured "he won't."
"Good luck kid." Recon said loading his weapon and lying up behind the door.
Robin was picked up by his arm pits and Starfire flew up towards the ceiling. When they arrived at the top floor of the stairs they saw Red X tapping his foot impatiently.
"Took you two long enough," He said "can we please just end this and get my belt back?"
"Focus on stopping the bomb first, then worry about your belt." Robin told him
"Sir yes sir." Red X saluted sarcastically.
Robin just narrowed his eyes at X and turned to the door leading to the roof. He kicked it in and the three of them burst onto the roof. It was somewhat barren at the moment, (Except for the anttena behind them) with only a skylight sepearting them from a small makeshift helipad where Cockroach's Hind was attempting to land. Starfire fired a green starbolt at the vehicle and barely missed it. The chopper back off from its attempted landing, and the supposed passenger for it turned to look at what had unteruppted his ride. It was Karvisko holding the briefcase in his hand. The Titans ran up in front of him, ready to attack.
"I was worried you wouldn't show up." He said smiling "I hope my men weren't too much trouble."
"We handle ourselves." Robin said before extending his hand "Now give us the Briefcase."
"I'm afraid I can't allow that Robin." Karvisko told him "I've come too far to give up now. Escpecially to a bunch of teenage superheroes."
"We shall not let you escape to cause harm to more people." Starfire angrily shouted
Karvisko shook his head
"If you want the bomb so bad," He placed the briefcase down on the ground and stood in front of it. "then you will have to go through me to get it."
"Not a problem for me." Red X said launching himself at the General with a kick.
Karvisko suddenly grabbed Red X by his foot and slung hims across the roof top. He skidded to a stop on his back a few meters a way. Robin and Starfire looked on astonished. Karvisko only grinned sinisterly.
"Whose next?"
Raven was getting tired of seeing this face. Aleksander was once again in front of her and looking just as menacing as ever. He seemed to have some red liquid split over his once clean and pristine officer's uniform. She soon realized what it was.
"You've been drinking haven't you?" Raven commented, not making a noticeable change in her facial expression.
Aleksander seemed to chuckle at this
"How observant of you." He said "Although I'm sure that this common human blood is nothing compared to yours my dear."
"Has anyone ever told you that you have major issues?" Ryan asked as he pulled out his Shotgun and pointed straight at the colonel.
"A lot of people said that once I started acting more like a bat then a dinosaur," Aleksander replied scratching his chin "I kinda tuned it out after awhile."
Beastboy stepped forward and pointed accusingly at the Mutant
"Enough with the vampire junk." He said sternly "Why are you after Raven anyway?"
Aleksander looked at him like he should have known the answer.
"Cause unlike so many ordinary people that have drunk dry this one." He said as he pointed at Raven "has a peculiar smell. One that I reconized almost immediately." He looked straight at Raven with his cold dark eyes "You aren't completely human are you dear?"
She suddenly knew the answer to Beastboy's question
"Your after me because I'm part Demon, is that it?" she asked back
Aleksander nodded
"I may have never smelled one before, but I recognize the blood of something slightly more then supernatural if I work hard at it." Aleksander explained "Your particular aroma seems to be of a dark lineage and your powers over the shadows only increased my belief in my suspicions that you weren't entirely human. I wasn't exactly sure what you were but it was far more enticing then the other girl on your team who I smelled. Now my suspicions are confirmed. Demon you say? I thought it might be that. The smell seemed so fire and brimstone like to my sensitive nose."
"All this time you were just targeting her because she's half-demon!" Beastboy shouted angirly
"Pretty much." Aleksander responded
Beastboy was just as angry as he was before at Aleksander, even with the finally outed explanation. More so because he sensed the answer had an affect on Raven as well. Once again, someone was targeting her for her heritage and because of what she was. Although Raven didn't show it, Beastboy could sense that she was angry at herself. It was her bloodline that attracted this pyschopath in the first place. She seemed to be thinking that her situation was somewhat her fault. Beastboy wouldn't allow her to think that.
"You may think Raven is just another exotic juice box Aleksander," Beastboy shouted back at the Mutant "but I know her better. She's done nothing but help people since I met her. Just because she has demon blood gives you no right to go around stalking her. Cause no matter what blood runs through her veins, she'll always be a better person then you'll ever be."
Some of the pressure had been lifted off Raven's mind. She wanted to say, or at least think over to him a thank you for knocking her out of her small depression. But there was no time.
"You simple minded American fool." Aleksander scoffed back as he waddeled forward "I don't really care if you think she's a good person or if I'm a hellspawn. All that matters to me is getting my fangs in her neck. And I'll crush anyone who gets in my way!"
Ryan joined Beastboy by his side
"Bring it on bloodsucker." Ryan mocked
Aleksander charged at them, screaming bloody murder. Beastboy came at him as a Ram and knocked him the wall behind him. The smoke cleared and Beastboy came flying back out of it as Colonel limped his way. He was caught in the face by a small pack of medicine tablets from out of no where. Ryan was throwing everything on the shelves straight at him.
"Hey, Dracula Wannabe!" Ryan called throwing a bottle of migraine relief pills "Are you pissed off yet?"
Aleksander rushed at Ryan but was lifted up into the air by dark energy and held there for several seconds. He slamed into the ceiling and then came crashing down hard on the floor. Raven stood behind the now collapsed Colonel a few feet away.
"Nice one," Ryan smiled "where can I get me those magic powers?"
"Are you a half-demon?" she asked with a perched eyebrow
Ryan scratched his head
"Uh no." He responded
"Then forget it." Raven told him
Ryan would have said something else but Aleksander had pounced on him and was trying to sink his fangs in the Raptor's face. Ryan was holding him back by keeping his mouth open with both hands and pushing him away.
"God your breath stinks!" He shouted before punching him in the jaw. The Colonel's mouth closed and Ryan kept it that way by clapsing his claws over Aleksander's snout. "Jump in any time guys!" He called to his back up
Thankfully Beastboy answered the call and lifted the Bat off with a tentacle from an octopus and threw him across the store. Aleksander landed in a display aisle and tipped it over. Medicine bottle and tablets spilled everywhere. Ryan got to his feet and found Beastboy standing nearby.
"Good arm you got there kid." Ryan complimented
"I've been practicing." Beastboy said proudly.
A crash came out of the display aisle as Aleksander screamed in anger at what was happening. He should have had his drink by now. Problem was that the Raptor and Green child were standing in his way. He needed to get rid of them. He didn't have time to think of a plan for Beastboy had just grabbed him by his wing and flung several feet in the air. He crashed in the cash register at the pharmacy's checkout table in the back. Money spilled out everywhere as the Colonel rose up to his feet, madder then ever. He had still not succesfully completed an attack, he saw Beastboy rushing him once again as a Tiger this time. Not wanting what had ahppened before to repeat itself he grabbed the pouncing green cat by his paws and flung right over the counter. Ryan rushed in soon after with his knife drawn. Aleksander jumped onto the counter and kicked the Raptor in the face. He skidded a few meters down the aisle towards Raven's feet and slowly got himself back up. Raven in the meantime focused her powers and launched every single bit of medication on the shelves to fling themselves at Aleksander. The pressure was too much and he fell over the counter himself with bruises all over him. He came back up in a vice grip as Beastboy had changed into a gorilla. Aleksander forced hi weight onto his back and toppled the ape over. He was released from the grasp and launched himself up over the counter. Ryan tried to stop him but was knocked to the side before he could do anything. Now Raven was alone.
"Nobody to save you now!" The colonel cried
Raven sent a wave of black energy at Aleksander and knocked him back. She levitated up intot he air and brought a shelf nearby down upon the Colonel. The mutant braced himself as the heavy amount of objects fell onto him. Raven landed a little ways off, looking the opposite direction that the colonel had been buried. Beastboy had managed to scramble his way up to the front of the counter.
"Nice one!" He called over, giving her the thumbs up.
Raven let her eyes fall upon him for a second, it looked as if the danger had passed. Aleksander appeared defeated. Now she could find time to think about something that she could say to Beastboy for his kind words before. However, when she sensed something was moving under the shelf she turned in time only to Aleksander burst from the debris. She had no time to do anything, desperately she tried to block the attack but it was already too late. ForBeastboy it all played out in slow motion. Aleksander raised his right wing and slashed across Raven's back, ripping her cloak and loetard, Raven winced from the pain as she turned around from the force of the impact. Aleksander sliced his other claw across her forehead, and Raven felt as the scratch went across her entire face. Then a sudden kick to the stomach made her fly backwards and into a wall. She lay there barely moving at all. Aleksander was laughing at everything, Ryan looking on in disbelief and Beastboy barely able to speak. Raven used the last amount of her strength to send out a beam of black magic at the approaching Mutant. The blast sent him backwards at a devastating speed. He knocked in the door at the back of the store where the blood drive sign pointed and his body kept on going. Finally a sound of crashing glass was heard from within the door. Raven had already slipped into unconsiousness. Beastboy was frantic. He rushed over to her yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Raven! No! Please god no!"
Ryan had to pry him away from her as she lay there unmoving.
"We need to get her to the roof. Now!" He demanded
Ryan scooped up Raven in his arms and ran towards the door to the roof they were suppose to be entering. Beastboy rushed after him as quickly as ever. Hoping to god that Raven was still alive.
Reige knocked over another stair barricade infront of them, the ordeal was getting tiresome. Throwing chair after chair, box after box over the side of the railing. All the while trying to hold off Mutants shooting down from up top and sliding down on rip cords and into the very middle of the stairs. They were almost at the top of the building, they had cut the rip cord when the were close and killed the final few mutants one their way. Reige removed the last piece of junk blocking their way and they all crowded near the door to the roof. Reige kicked it open and came out with their guns pointed straight. There was nobody left. They must of all come down to try and stop them. Snipe scanned the roof tops of the adjecent buildings
"Most of the aggressors on top have been delt with," he said "only ground units seem to remain."
"Thats good," Rack acknowledged "now all we need is our misisng teamate."
They looked around to see where he was, but the roof top was bare.
"Where's Cyborg?" Roger asked
"He couldn't have taken too long with those guys down there could he?" Reige added to the question
"Hope he didn't run into trouble." Rack said
Cyborg was knocked back into another cubicle as Sergey hit him once more. He was dragged out of it and slung aside by the Mutants tentacles. Cyborg got to his feet and charged, only to be tossed right over the mutant as he once again grabbed him. Cyborg had been fighting this guy throughout the entire building and he still hadn't let up. He needed to end this fight soon before Sergey finished him off. He was picked up by his legs and arms suddenly and held in a 'X' pattern. Sergey approaching him, cracking his knuckles.
"So," He asked raising his fist "had enough? You know this can stop. I can simply kill you now and get it all over with. You won't have to suffer anymore. Well?"
Cyborg couldn't spit in his face so he did the next best thing
"Kiss my ass!" He shouted back
Sergey swung his fist at Cyborg and the metallic teen was launched into the air by Sergey. He blasted through several ceiling and floors, each time more painful then the last, finally he felt the cool air of outside and saw the night sky above him. Cyborg suddenly fell down tot he ground and landed with a crash onto the roof. He tried to move but he just couldn't move his joints, that punch took a lot out of him. Then he saw friendly faces. The Turaguts standing over him.
"Dude what happened?" Riege asked
Cyborg couldn't respond he was too focused on the sound of something coming up from the hole he had just made in the roof.
"Look out!" He shouted pointing at the hole as four tentacle knocked the Raptorian brothers away. Sergey rose out of hole now and craddled Cyborg in the same position as before.
"I told you would beg for death Comrade." Sergey told him "And I meant it!"
Sergey began to pull at Cyborg's arm. The teenager grunted as he felt the bolts coming undone. Suddenly he lost the felling in his hands and cyborg landed flat on his back. Sergey had pulled Cyborg's arms out of their sockets.
"Looks like I have eight pairs of arms now comrade." Sergey chuckled
Cyborg raised his foot's soul to Sergey's head
"I'm sick of all your stupid arm jokes!"
Suddenly a small compartment opened up in Cyborg's foot and a seam of light pulsated out of it. The minature blast sent Sergey reeling backwards and into a ventalation system. Cyborg stood himself back up. His arms had dropped nearby. now he just had to get them back on. He noticed the Turagut brother were just now getting back up and limping over to him.
"Jesus that freakin hurt." Reige complained
"What happened back there?" Rack asked
"No time to explain," Cyborg told them "I need my arms back."
The Raptors looked at the limbless Titan and looked down at his feet to see where his arms were.
"Well there is something you don't see too often." Snipe comented
Roger lifted the right arm and placed it in the right socket. Cyborg then grabbed his left arm and plugged it back in his left socket.
"That's better." Cyborg said flexing his fingers
"Does that happen often?" Roger asked
"No, but it suck when it does." Cyborg replied
"Yeah, I guess it would." Roger said before asking "So what else falls off?"
Before Cyborg could answer he heard a sound come from behind him. It was Sergey who had managed to scramble to his feet. He was enraged. His tentalces reached back into the weapon holster on his back and he pulled out two RPG launchers. He aimed both straight at the Turaguts and Cyborg.
"Whatever happened to fighting fair?" Cyborg asked
"I never really liked that part of sportsmanship anyway." Sergey commented as he took aim
Cyborg aimed his canon at the ground beneath Sergey's feet and fired. The shockwave launched Sergey into the air long before he could fire his RPG's and he landed right at their feet in a heap.
"Booyah." Cyborg said solemnly as he looked down at the unconcious mutant
"That was killer." Said Roger picking up one of the fallen RPGs
"We better tie up those hands of his before he comes to." Rack said as he went over the fallen mutant.
Robin was thrown to the side as Karvisko continued his assualt on him and the others. Starfire's starbolts soon proved useless because Karvisko was simply beating them off. He whacked her with his club tail quite a few times. Once again he tried his attack on her, this time however she grabbed his tail. This did not deter him, he pulled his tail in the other direction flung Starfire to the ground. Red X tried to punch his face in several times, but the General avoided every swing and grabbed the theif's face throwing him to the side. Robin rushed at the general with his staff pulled, but Karvisko grabbed it as he began to swing it down on his head. When Robin tried to pull it out of the Mutant's grip, Karvisko took control and began to lift Robin up into the air by the staff and with a sudden dip swing him down to the ground hard. Robin refused to let go of his staff as he conitnued to hit the pavment time after time. Karvisko only stopped when Starfire slung a starbolt into the General's back. Karvisko turned around and lifted Robin into the air once more. He flung the battered teen at Starfire, who caught him in mid flight. The force of the impact however sent her and Robin down to the ground hard. Karvisko was enjoying every second of it, but he needed it to end. He reached for his walkie talkie.
"Cockroach," He spoke into it "bring the chopper around and help me finish these heroes off."
As soon as he shut the walkie talkie off Red X rushed him from behind and delivered a roundhouse kick to his face. Karvisko recovered in time to have X give him an uppercut. His head went straight up towards the sky and slowly came back down. Other then that he was unphased.
"Is that really the best you can do?" Karvisko asked before smacking X away with his tail. Suddenly something hit his back and a sudden chill appeared along his hide. He looked to see that his back was frozen. Robin was standing a few feet away in a battle stance.
"Even I know Red X could beat you if had his belt." Robin said "and he's still holding his own. I thought you'd be tougher."
Karvisko broke off ice from his back with his tail and turned to face Robin.
"Its pointless to continue this human," Karvisko told him "in a few moments Cockroach will arrive in the chopper and finish you off for good. Then it'll only be a few days before I am back in Mutentica. Walk away now and you might live."
"And let you take that bomb with you so you can kill innocent people. Not gonna happen."
Karvisko frowned at Robin
"I suppose you think I'm a monster for killing the people I'm suppose to be helping?" He asked
"Pretty much." Robin responded
"Simple minded fool," Karvisko scoffed "they are no more innocent then the people in power. Mutentica was once a powerful nation, feared and revered across the globe. Under our communist rule we crushed nations and armies everywhere we went. Nothing could stop us. But when your Raptorian friends defeated us the people choose that traitor Horturcough instead of the people who had led them for all those years! They choose him, a pandering capitalist democratic fool, over us!"
Karvisko rushed at Robin and pluged his fist down at him. Robin dove out of the way and Karvisko raised his fist again.
"All my life I dedicated to serving the people, to helping them acheive their goals. But now their minds are clouded by the new government. I shall make them see."
"By killing them?" Robin asked
"I do it for them," Karvisko explained "not for me. In the aftermath they will see that the government is truly corrupt, arogant and unfit to rule. They will remember what it was like to be a powerful nation again and who exactly brought them that power."
"If you gave they liked it so much how come they didn't give you the office?" Robin questioned
"They became blind, disalusioned, fooled into believing what Horturcough promised them. They seem happy, but its all a pathetic illusion. They do not know what is best for them!"
"And you do?" said Robin with a smirk, throwing the Mutant into rage as he slammed both fists down on the ground before him. Robin lept to safety a few feet away. "You seem to think that your own people are too stupid to actually live with freedom."
Karvisko was growing even more angry
"The communist party brought security, peace, recognition-"
"And from what I heard," Robin said with a snicker "it also brought a police state. Not to mention a nation who used more cash funding its take over the world schemes then helping its people."
"Do not make me out to be villian in this struggle!" Karvisko shouted back "I stand up for my people, for my nation. Under our rule we spread the revolution to the masses. We destroyed their oppresive governments and ridded their blindness to the evils of capitalism."
"Then how come they kicked you out?" Robin asked "Face it Karvisko, no one is buying your con. Your saying you did this for them, for the people. Trying to sell yourself off as some kind of hero. Well if the people want what you have to offer so much, then how come nobody wants it from you?"
"Because they don't know what they want!" Karvisko screamed before rushing at Robin, the hero lept out of the way but Karvisko connected his tail to Robin's body and sent him flying. Robin pulled himself off the cround clutching his rib, but he was still smiling.
"So they are stupid aren't they?" Robin said with a smirk "You have to force feed your ideals down their throats because they won't accept it any other way. For someone whose work benefits the people you don't seem to respect them so much. And if you don't respect them how can they respect you?"
Karvisko approached him
"They don't need to respect us, they only need to know that it benefits them. No matter how horrible it seems, I do what I do in service to my country."
Robin suddenly realized something
"You've bought your own con haven't you?" Robin asked "You actually think that killing innocent people, people in your own nation who've done nothing to you, is the best course of action."
"And what would you know about serving the people?" Karvisko asked back "You're just a child."
"I may be young, but I took an oath. Much like must of done when you joined the military." Robin explained, releasing his hand from his rib. "Before I took the oath though I had to pass a test. I was asked by my mentor to kill a theif who had mugged and robbed a woman just minutes before. I didn't think he could be so cruel, so I refused and simply captured him."
"Then you're just a bad soldier." Karvisko said before kicking him away
Robin got back up to his knees and tried to steady himself
"My mentor thanked me you idiot. It was a test, to see if I could control myself. To see if I wouldn't take it too far. I didn't have any reason to kill that theif, no matter how bad I thought he was. He didn't deserve to die by my hands or anyone elses. Taking justice in to my own hands was going too far. It wouldn't be fair for me to play judge, jury and executioner. I needed to let the people decide."
Karvisko kicked Robin once more
"That reasoning won't get you far in my profession child." Karvisko told him "In my line of reasoning I decide everyone's fate. That is how our system used to work. It was efficent, easy, simple. It was not complicated or bogged down. We and we alone decided what was right. That is how it works. That pathetic test you were given is a relic. It no longer matters in this word. Only people with power can decide who deserves to decide the fate of millions. And when I am in power I will make the people understand what it is they want and I shall give it to them."
"Because you're better then them huh?" Robin asked "No one will challenge you when you're in power cause you'll be better then everyone else. Some mutants are more equal then others huh?"
"It doesn't matter what you think," Karvisko told him "you aren't in charge. Mutentica will rise again under my leadership. Too bad you won't see it."
Karvisko punched Robin across the roof once again
"I'll waste you and everyone like you," Karvisko said as he walked over to Robin "before I let any power rival Mutentica's again. Its my duty."
Robin weakily began to stand up, still not admiting defeat.
"You don't know the meaning of the word." Robin told him sternly
"Face it Robin," Karvisko said, unwavered "you can't win."
"Then I'll die upholding that oath I took." Robin said looking straight at the General "To serve the innocent and protect them from people like you."
"Why won't you just give up?" Karvisko asked
"You first." Robin said back
Karviko's eyes shaped themselves into slits and he rose his fist to deliver an attack. As his fist began to approach Robin he felt something tug at his tail. Then he was lifted into the air and soon hit the ground hard with a thud. Robin seemd to weaken in the knees but wa scaught by his saviour before he could collapse. He looked up into the fac eof Starfire.
"Thanks for the save Starfire." Robin said smiling
"I only wish I could of come sooner." Starfire said "I am sorry I could not come to your aid in time."
"Relax, I'm fine." Robin said standing up "I just needed to rest for a second. Where's X?"
They looked over to the heli pad and saw X waving the suitcase around.
"Hey guys!" He shouted over "Found what we came here for!"
Suddenly a whirling sound was heard and up from below the edge of the building behind X came Cockroach's helicopter.
"Well this blows." X said angirly unde rhis throat.
X dived out of the way of the approaching bullets. Robin and Starfire retreated to his position.
"How do we take this guys out!" X yelled over the bullets flying at them from behind their cover
"I cannot get a clear shot from behind here." Starfire said
"And I just ran out of explosive disk during Karvisko's attack." Robin added
"Well I can't do anything without my belk!" X answered "So whats the plan?"
Suddenly the door to the inside of the building they had come through earlier burst open and out stepped Recon with his gun drawn. He rushed past the bullets aiming for him and made it a nearby wall near the other three's position.
"Got the bomb?" Recon asked
X waved iut in front of him
"Good," He said "try and disable it." He cocked his gun and looked at the chooper in front of them "The cockroach is mine."
Ryan had lay Raven down on the side of Roof's ledge. She was propped up against it like a rag doll, she wasn't moving. Her breathing was the only way Ryan and Beastboy knew she was alive. As soon as Ryan left her side, Beastboy pulled the unconcious Raven into a hug.
"I'm sorry Rae," He said as tears ran down his face "I was suppose to protect. I promised I wouldn't let that freak hurt you and I did. I messed up, just like always do." Beastboy was now rambling "Please don't leave me Raven, you said you didn't want to leave again. I want to tell you what I meant by all that. I don't want you to leave again, because I felt so useless the last time. I couldn't save you, I couldn't stop your father, I couldn't help you stop him, I couldn't help anyone, especially not you. And now its happening again. Please don't go Raven, please."
Ryan eased him away from the girl
"Calm yourself down kid!" He shouted "She isn't going to die! At least not while I'm here."
Ryan moved over to Raven and grabbed a small kit from inside his shorts. It was a medical kit, Beastboy could see by the red cross on it.
"When you're in the field you need to know this stuff." Ryan explained "Otherwise you'd be hurting for who knows how long."
"How is she?" Beastboy asked
"She seems to breathing normal," Ryan said "but I need to stabalize her before she gets worse."
Beastboy was more concerned over the fact that Raven wasn't healing herself. But how could she? She was just attacked, her body probably didn't even know what happened. Ryan however managed to fix that. He patched up the spots that Aleksander had cut open. Raven's chest was covered in bandages as well as her forehead.
"She should be fine for now." Ryan said as he closed up the kit "I wouldn't worry about her, she's a tough kid." Ryan looked over to Beastboy who had his head down
"You okay kid?" Ryan asked
"No," Beastboy said with a less weapy voice. "I just let one of my friends get hurt. I was right there and I couldn't even save her."
"It caught us both by surprise." Ryan assured "If anything I was closer, I should have been able to get to her first. Aleksander was just quicker."
That name rnag bells in Beastboy's ears. It wasn't his fault that Raven was hurt. It was that maniac back down in the pharmacy. and he was just going to keep coming back until Raven was really in trouble. He knew what he ahd to do
"I'm going back in" Said Beastboy
"I'll back you up." Ryan said rising to his feet
"No," Beastboy said sternly "you need to look after Raven. This is something I gotta do myself. I won't let someone hurt another person I care about and get away with it. Not this time. This time I'm doing something about it."
Ryan seemed to understand. He dropped back down to Raven's limped body
"Perhaps you were right last night kid," Ryan said as he watched Beastboy back away "we aren't really that different after all."
Beastboy nodded a slight smile. His face reverted back to a serious look and he raced back down the stairs to the pharmacy.
Aleksander lay in pile of broken blood vials. Blood was all over his body along with shards of glass. It should have been heaven, but Aleksander wasn't happy. Although he was covered in fresh human blood it wasn't the blood he had wanted. He almost had her this time, almost. Just a few more seconds and he could have drunk her dry. He hgad yet to taste her neck. He felt cheated none the less. He needed to find her soon, before she could get too far with her friends. She probably was back home by now. As he stood up to leave another vial hit him in the back. He turned around to see the familar looking green child that he saw once before and this time he looked mad.
"Back again?" Aleksander asked
"You hurt Raven." Beastboy said in a stern and authoritive voice
"So I did." Aleksander said "Where is she?"
"Safe from you." Beastboy responded. He approached Aleksander slowly.
"No place is safe from me boy." Aleksander assured Beastboy "I'll find your friend and I will finish her off."
"Not likely asshole." Beastboy responded "There's only one way out of this room and that's through me."
Aleksander laughed at this
"Last time, you had your friend to both distract me and back you up," Aleksander reminded him "what makes you think you can stand against me alone?"
"Cause this time," Beastboy began "I'm not going to hold anything back. When I fight I usually have to hold back my primal animal nature, to utilize my full strength and animal abilities. But you can take it, can't you? You know what that means don't ya?" Aleksander looked at Beastboy inquisitively "It means I'm going to cut loose. It means I'm going to stop worrying about hurting you. Instead I'm going focus on one thing only, delivering as much pain and agony to you as humanly possible."
"You don't have any chance against me shapeshifter." Aleksander mocked " Even with your powers the fact remains that you're still just a human."
"No," Beastboy paused "I'm an animal!"
Beastboy darted at Aleksander as a Leopard and pounced on him. The colonel kicked the green cat off of him and ran at him once more. But he Leopard had now become an akylosaurus and a tail swip sent the the mutant through a shelf of blood vials. He got up out of the dusty and was batted in the head by a charging bull. The hit knocked through yet another shelf of blood vials. Aleksander got up to his feet and now charging at him was a full grown mountain gorrila. It slapped him across the room and down the aisle by the shelf. Aleksander once again returned to his feet and felt the sting of claws scratch across his back. He screamed in agony as he looked back at a green Tiger with his paw still in the air. With in a instant that Tiger changed into a kangaroo. It stood upon its tail and whacked Aleksander into the wall nearby. Within seconds Aleksander opened his eyes to a oncoming Triceratops. It bashed into the wall and lifted Aleksander onto its head, then it swung its head back with a snap and forced the Mutnat into the air. This time however Aleksander was able to keep himself a float in the air with his own wings. He turned to see where Beastboy was and had a speeding falcon ram right into his face slashing him across the temple. Aleksander ecovered quickly and grabbed the falcon by its foot as it tried to keep on going. He threw the bird down to the ground, but it morphed into a cat and landed on its feet. Aleksander dove for the green kitten, but his head hit something hard instead, the shell of a giant tortise. The colonel fell back on his feet and held his head in anger. Cursing in sheer hatred at Beastboy. He would not let this Green freak of an American beat him. As soon as He stopped his fit of rage he opened his eyes and was met with a fist of a giant Gorilla. He swaggered back after that and tried to maintain his composure. The gorilla leapt up in the air and changed into a Crocodile. The open mouth of preadator began to fall down onto him. Aleksander caught the reptile by its open jaw and smacked it against the shelf. This did little to phase the creature who turned back around and smacked Aleksander with his tail. Aleksander himself slammed into the opposing shelf. He noticed a few vials nearby and grabbed them. He uncorked the top and drunk the liquids down. As he did this he backed away into the darkness of the room. Beastboy changed back into himself and started looking around the area, he went into the next aisle and started serveying the area for Aleksander, for any sign of the bloodthirsty maniac. Suddenly Beastboy heard a laugh and Then Aleksander's voice.
"You're good American," He said from nowhere and everywhere it seemed "but you have no idea what you have gotten yourself into. You forget that I am no ordinary crinimal or mad man. Here there be monsters!"
Beastboy looked up and saw the falling form of Aleksander with his fans bared. Beastboy changed into a Gorilla and held up his arm. Aleksander bit hard into the ape's flesh. It wasn't enough to penetrate it, but it still hurt like hell. It didn't mattyer though, Beastboy had him where he wanted him. The Gorilla grabbed the Colonel with its free arm and tore him away from where his fangs penetrated. Beastboy then grabbed his face and with his primate strength slammed him into the ground. The gorilla now lifted him up into the air and threw him across the room. As wolf now Beastboy ran at the still standing Mutant and bit hard into his left wing. The Mutant screamed in pain as the tendons that held his wing together broke. He kicked the dog off of his wing and pounced upon him. As he did Beastboy changed into a Raptor and slashed him across the face with his foot claw. The colonel yelled in pain and smacked against the shelf of vials nearby. When he lifted his head up he saw a much bigger claw then that of a Raptor. He looked up further and saw the foot belonged to a T-Rex. Towering over him. The beast grabbed the Colonel in his mouth and a bit down just enough to make him scream in pain. The giant dinosaur slammed the Mutant into a wall and then lifted him up into the air once more. He flung him to the back of the room and into yet another wall. As Aleksander began to get his barings as the dust settled, a fist wrapped arounf his neck. Once again it was the gorrila, preparing to make his final strike. His fist was raised aiming for Aleksander's head. Beastboy only needed to plunge that fist straight into Aleksander's head and kill him. The mutant seemd to chuckle at this.
"Do it!" Aleksander dared him
The gorilla just breathed heavily
"Come on do it American."
The gorilla continued to look at him with rage
"Be a man." Aleksander continued to taunt "Give into the monster inside just like I did."
Beastboy just looked at Aleksander, the last thing he said touched a cord. He could kill Aleksander now and avenge Raven for what he did to her. He could use his full power on him and destroy him. But could live with himself afterwards? This mutant was evil to be sure, but he didn't deserve to die. Death was too good for him anyway. What would his teamates think if they found out he killed someone. What would Raven think? Raven told him that she couldn't kill Terra because she never could have lived with herself afterwards, how would she react to know that he had done the opposite when placed in the same situation as her years before? Killing Aleksander would only make him feel better. It would stop him from targeting Raven but it wouldn't help her knowing that her friend killed someone. He didn't kill people, not even this monster. Beastboy changed back into himself with his fist still on Aleksander's throat.
"I'm not a monster," He said "and I'm not a killer. I'm not like you. You let your beast take control. I didn't, I took control of mine. I kept my humanity."
"That word isn't even in my dictionary." Aleksander said
"Then you really are lost." Beastboy said as he dropped the Colonel.
Mutant lay on the ground and began to breathe heavily. Beastboy began to walk away from him, but he turned around just in time to see Aleksander pull out a knife and rush him. Beastboy changed back into his Gorilla form and delivered an uppercut that sent Aleksander flying through the ceiling. Beastboy followed as a bird and up through the hole that led to the roof. There Ryan looked dumbfounded at a sprawled out Aleksander as he began to get up. In a fit of rage the dinosaur charged at Ryan. The Raptor grabbed the colonel by his wrists, twriled him around to where he was near Raven and led him over to the ledge of the building that she was leaning on. Aleksander toppled over first and Ryan followed. Beastboy was shocked at this and flew over as fast as he could. As Ryan and Aleksander fell, Ryan kept on top of them as they approached the bottom of the five story building.
"It ain't the fall that gets ya!" Aleksander said
They suddenly hit the ground with Ryan sprawled out on top of the Colonel. The mutant had broken his fall and took the brunt of the impact instead. Ryan didn't think he was breathing.
"Its the sudden stop at the end." sais Ryan completing the sentence that Aleksander had started. He got up and began to walk away when he heard Beastboy shout from the roof.
"Behind you!"
Ryan turned around and saw that Aleksander had gotten back up and baring his fangs at Ryan. The Raptor pulled out his knife.
"Taste your own blood for a change!" Ryan shouted
He stuck the knife up through Aleksander's lower jaw. The mutant coughed up his blood, shallowed it, staggered backwards and fell over...dead. After a few seconds, Ryan came back up onto the roof. Beastboy looked back at him.
"You killed him huh?" Beastboy asked, knowing the answer.
"Yeah, I did." Ryan answered in quiet and reserved tone.
"Why aren't you celebrating or something?" Beastboy asked
"I don't feel like it." Ryan responded "Good work kid."
"I didn't finish him off," Beastboy said astonished at Ryan's comment "you did."
"He was pretty banged up before I got him." Ryan explained "I can only asume you had a chance to kill him yourself but didn't."
"Yeah, I did have a chance." Beastboy acknowledged
"That's what I meant by good job kid." Ryan explained "You beat him, not me. You kicked his ass to kingdom come, I just finished him off.
Beastboy didn't understand why Ryan was congratualting him stil
"You said you didn't kill people remember," Ryan reminded him "and even when you could with all the justifiable reasons you didn't. You kept to your beliefs. Just like I did. And that is an important quality in someone."
"Thanks Ryan." Said Beastboy
"Come on," The Raptor said "let's get your friend out of here."
Ryan went over to pick up Raven, but before he could Beastboy picked her up himself. He walked on over to the stairs supporting Raven's head in his arms.
"He won't ever hurt you again Raven." Beastboy whispered as he desdended with Ryan behind him "And no one else will. Not while I'm around."
Recon fired several shots on the chopper as it started to chase after him across the rooftop. Red X and Robin in the meantime had opened the suitcase and were looking at the bomb. The warhead and Xynothium core were both attached to a detonator of somesorts. The way it was plugged in seemed to mean that core would be tripped along with the sudden explosion of the warhead.
"We need to be careful," Robin warned "if we pull the core out too fast we might trip it accidentally and cause an explosion."
"You think I don't know that?" X retorted "Who uses the belt more anyway?"
Robin just sigh and looked back to Starfire who was peering over at Recon.
"Hows the captain doing Star?" Robin asked
Starfire watched as Recon fired another volley of bullet at the chopper and continued to lead it away from them.
"He is holding strong for now." Starfire responded
Robin looked at the detonator and the wires connecting it too the nuke and the core.
"Okay, first we got to unhook the core from the detonator." Robin informed "Then its just a matter of removing it from bomb infastructe around the nuke."
"We do that how exactly?" X asked
Robin cut the wire connecting the core to the detonator. He then began to slowly remove the core from the warhead.
"Easy," Robin said to himself "easy..."
Recon rushed across the rooftop away from the straying bullets of the helicopter. He knew he needed a better weapon then his gun if he wanted to succeed in stopping the chopper from killing him. He suddenly realized that he had run out of roof. He looked down at the street below and gulped.
"Well this just sucks." He said to himself
Then he heard a voice shout down to him from a few meters away on the top of adjacent building.
"Hey Captain!" Shouted what appeared to be Sargeant Rack "We grabbed something for ya!"
Cyborg stepped in front and waved what appeared to be an RPG in the air. Suddenly the chopper returned and shot at Recon with it gun. The captain rolled out of the way as the chooper passed over him and down on the other side of the building. Recon looked back at his fellow soldiers on the other roof.
"How am I suppose use that when its all the way over there?" Asked Recon at the top of his voice
"Don't worry." Cyborg assured "Its just like the javellin throw in track. Used to play that during the football's off season."
Cyborg took a few steps back and threw the RPG like a spear. It was still a rather heavy weapon and it barely made it across. Recon ducked down as it passed near him and he grabbed the shouldher strap before it could fall off the edge. He picked it up and was about to thank the others for giving him the weapon, when the chopper came up from the street and stared him in the face. Cockroach looked back at the Captain in joyful glee. His hand was finger was on the trigger and Recon was in his sights.
"Das Verdanya..." Cockroach muttered "...Comrade."
Cockroach pressed the button. The missile in on the left wing fired out and impacted with the edge Recon was on. The building seemed to crumble as the explosion hit. Debris flew everywhere and rubble fell to the street. Cockroach smiled at the thought that he had killed his foe. But as the smoke cleared he saw a figure of a Raptor lying down on the ground, a few feet away from the initial crater the explosion had caused. Recon had leapt back from the edge just in time and landed on his back...with the RPG aimed right at Cockroach.
"Say hello to my little friend ya fucking cockroach." Recon retorted
The RPG fired and the missile hit the blades of the chopper. The aircraft began to spin out of control and crashed out of sight in a nearby building. Flames leapt from the twisted metal of the falling vehicle and the hulk of what was left collapsed onto the ground. Recon got up and looked over the side at the sight.
"You fool!" shouted a voice from behind
Recon turned to see it was Karvisko, angry as ever.
"You destroyed my only escape!" He shouted
"Too bad, puts a kink in your plans huh?" Recon smiled back
Karvisko was not amused
"I don't care anymore." He said pulling out a small trigger from his pocket "Time for plan B."
Karvisko pressed the trigger.
"What did you do?" Recon asked sternly
"I've activated the bomb by remote." Karvisko said "In less then a minute this entire city will be vaporized off the face of the earth."
"But you'll be destroyed along with your men!" Recon shouted back in disbelief
"Then we shall die as martyrs!" Karvisko shouted to the Heavens "Long live the Revolution!"
Suddenly a gooey X spit out of nowwhere and impacted on Karvisko tying him to the ground. Recon looked over to where the shot had originated and saw Red X with his hand extenended and Robin and Starfire nearby with the case in hand.
"I'm back baby!" Red X said with glee as he made a strong man pose
"No time to celebrate." said Recon "You heard Karvisko, we're running out of time
"I've managed to get the Xynothium out of the bomb," Robin said "but the nuke is still active. I can't shut the timer off either."
"What about the blast?" Recon asked
"If we can get it far away enough from the city we won't have to worry about the explosion." Robin explained
"The ocean is too far," said Recon thinking quickly "what about the sky?"
"I believe I can manage that." Said Starfire grabbing the suitcase and flying upwards.
"Starfire wait!" Robin called
"There no time to argue!" Recon shouted back at Robin
Starfire bolted up into the sky, less then 30 seconds to go. She slung the the bomb straight up into the air and bolted for the ground. She landed back on the rooftop and called over to everyone.
"Cover your ears!" She said
They did as they were told, a few seconds later the bomb went off. A huge explosion went off over Jump City. Making it seem like there was a second sun in the early dawn sky. the noise shook the very building below it. When the light had receeded everyone opened thier eyes. Robin looked to see where Red X was. He had dissapeered with the Xynothium core. Typical X. Didn't even hang around to recieve a thank you. They all then looked up and saw the large dust cloud that had been created by the explosion along with the rising sun in the distance.
"Well thats one way to start the day huh guys?" Recon said smiling
They could all brethe a sigh of relief, it was over.
I hope it doesn't seem rushed to you guys, I just really want to finish this. Epilogue next chapter.