Teen Titans - Still More Fighting

Disclaimer : I do not own the Teen Titans or any other mentioned trademarked likenesses. They are the property of DC Comics and Warner Bros. I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any other mentioned trademarked likenesses. They are the property of Squaresoft and/or Square Enix. The character 'Comet' however is my original character.

Chapter Nine - The Long Haul


: Gaia - Midgar Area :


Since Midgar wasn't on the coast, the party still had to walk a little distance to get to the town.

"Tifa, where are we going? We're supposed to transfer to the next ferry." Cyborg asked.

"Ferry? Cid's going to pick up Barret from Corel and fly over to pick us up. It'll get us there in a fraction of the time." She assured him.

"'Sides! That 'ol stiff Reeve might give us some Materia!" Yuffie said.

"Really? Cool." Comet said.

He'd taken a liking to using magic.It wasn't a much fun as smashing into things, but much easier.

"Ultimately it's your decision, but I recommend getting some Weapons as well. Your current skills are formidable, but the north is full of dangerous creatures." Nanaki suggested.

"Let's keep that in mind." Robin told his team.

They all stopped when they heard a huge explosion in the distance. The ground shook when they saw a distant mountain range rumbled towards the ground.

"Umm..that's not normal here, right?" Raven asked.

"No." Vincent said, and she nodded.

Tifa grabbed up her PHS, holding 3 and the phone automatically dialed Cid's number.


: Gaia - Highwind :


"Yeah, Tifa, what is it?" Cid asked.

"Hi Cid..listen how far away from Midgar are you?" She asked him.

"I'm closin' in on Corel now. Gimme about another 2 hours or so." He responded.

"Great. Something's crashed in the mountains near calm. Might be a good idea for us to check it out." she said.

"S$# do whatever ya want!" he said.


: Gaia - Midgar Area :


"I take it you want to investigate?" Vincent asked dryly?

"Couldn't hurt." she said.

"Perhaps people are in need of assistance?" Starfire looked towards Robin.

"Isn't that Reeve guy waiting for us?" Cyborg said.

"Jeez, it doesn't take 10 people to walk around those mountains. Even these guys alone would be able to handle themselves." Yuffie whined.

"Fine. Five of us will go to the mountains." Tifa said.

"Starfire, Comet, since you can both fly go and help them out." Robin said.

"What about these two slackers?" Comet pointed to Raven and Beast Boy.

"Raven has had experience with magic so I'll need her learning everything she can about Materia." Robin said.

'This could be interesting.' Raven thought to herself.

"You know, boy wonder, I'm not one of your Titans. And your little capsule is gone.You can't assign me to missions." He teased.

Tifa and Yuffie stepped forward. They had decided to go with the party of Tifa, Yuffie and Red XIII.

Comet began to count on his fingers.

'Starfire...Tifa...and Yuffie...plus the mutt' Sweet, I'll be the only guy!'

"I'll do it!" he yelled.

"Whatever. Starfire, keep an eye him." Raven warned, as the other Titans and Vincent began walking towards Midgar.

"Well, let's mosey." Tifa said.

'Bleh! Did I really just say mosey ? Cloud's rubbing off on me...' Tifa thought, slapping her face.

Yuffie giggled.

"I suggest that we make haste. I wish to be completed before Cid arrives." Starfire said, taking both Yuffie and Tifa's hands.

She took off into the air, flying towards the wreck. Tifa and Yuffie simultaneously looked down and shrieked.

Comet gazed blankly up at them.

"You know..it is rude to stare." Red XIII said, before promptly jumping onto his back.

"Ugh!" Nanaki was a lot heavier than he looked.

"Mush." he said, smiling.

"Grr.." Comet growled and thought of ditching Red XIII, but decided against it and shot into the air after the girls.


: Gaia - Kalm Mountain Ruins :

Cloud had finally managed to climb out of the huge pile of rubble and debris. He groaned as the sunlight hit his eyes. That let him know that he had been buried for quite a while.
Battered, bruised, and now completely out of MP, Cloud looked around him. He was on top of the mountain of...mountain remains, but it was inside a crater that he had created. From where he was, he was completely surrounded by rock and he had no choice but to climb.

'Damn it..they got away...Terra...she trusted me...she depended on me and I couldn't save her...'

Cloud used the various knots and jagged rocks to begin his ascent. He continually climbed, but he was mentally in another world.

'And what about Aeris? Was she really trying to contact me or..was it..'

Not paying attention, Cloud grabbed a root, that had long since died. It snapped under his weight and fell back to the bottom of the pit. He landed hard on his back.

"Ugh..."

From a smaller pile of stones, a pebble rolled down. It was obvious that something was moving under the rocks. Cloud slowly approached and moved one of the larger rocks away. He saw blue fabric under it. He continued to move the earth, until a small girl was revealed.

"Uhh..where's mommy..?" she moaned.

Her eyes were closed and her head slowly moved from side to side. She was unconscious, but she was damn-near.

Cloud gasped when he saw her. He lifted her from the wreck and held her in his arms.

"Hey..hang on. It's going to be alright." He told her.

'Gotta do something and fast...' he told himself.


: Gaia - Midgar Sector Two :


The Titans and Vincent slowly approached the large mechanical door that stood in the path before them. An electronic keyboard was on the wall beside it and Vincent approached it. He entered the password, P-E-A-C-E and the large door slowly slid open. It revealed several barracks and buildings.

"This is the new military department of Shinra Inc. " Vincent explained.

"Shinra? I thought they were bad news?" Raven asked.

"They were until the new president, Reeve, took over. They are completely dedicated to peace preservation now. Though they have a military, it's rarely used." he said.
They walked through the military town, noticing the various off duty soldiers. They talked amongst themselves lively.

"For a military base, it isn't very strict I see." Robin said, looking at a bar they were passing.

Loud music could be heard inside and the windows flashed from the lights inside.

"This part of Sector 2 is called the Hole. It's reserved for off-duty Shinra soldiers." he said as they approached a large elevator in a tall glass tube. The doors slid open and the large group squeezed inside."

Vincent pressed a button and the mechanical lift began to slowly rise.

'Man this place sure looks dreary. No sunlight, no grass...Fixit would love to live here.' Cyborg thought to himself, looking up.

"What's that metal disc up there?" Cyborg asked, putting his hands against the glass.

"That's the plate, where we're going. Shinra HQ is up there. Up until recently all of the towns under it didn't receive electricity or any other financial support. Reeve ended that."
The elevator stopped when it got above the thick metal plate. The glass doors slid open and the party disembarked. They were now inside Shinra HQ. Another elevator stood before them, this one with thick golden doors. A metal box stood on the wall beside them. As they approached, Vincent stopped.

"It's is a mandatory rule that all visiting guests leave all weaponry and Materia in this drop box before seeing the President." Vincent said, dropping the Peacemaker into the metal box. He slid his gauntlet off and put it in as well. Robin unfastened his belt and put it inside. Vincent pressed a button, and the golden doors opened. Vincent stepped in first followed by Robin, Beast Boy and then Raven. Cyborg attempted to step inside, but the metal detectors on the lift detected the metal in his body. The golden doors quickly slammed shut, and Cyborg barely managed to pull his foot back.

"Right..I forgot.." Vincent said.

He tapped in a few buttons on the keyboard inside the elevator and the doors re-opened.

"Manual Override activated. The system will return to normal in..." A mechanical voice started before a red 30 appeared in the display above the door.

"It's ok."

Cyborg quickly stepped in and the door shut. They reached the top office with 12 seconds to go.


: Gaia - Midgar (Reeve's Office) :

Reeve spoke into the phone.

"..and Mako usage is down 12 after I introduced my electricity generators to Cosmo Canyon and Wutai."

Reeve stopped when he heard a loud buzzing noise.

"Sir, Vincent and his party are here to see you." The voice shot out of the speaker built into the desk. He pressed a button on it.

"Thanks, Elmyra, and you can call me Reeve, you know that. Send them in." He smiled.

After the Meteor incident, Barret didn't need Elmyra to look after Marlene anymore. Becoming restless, she came to Reeve and asked him for a day job, and she got one.

"Listen, I'll have to cut this short. I'll call you later with the other results." Reeve hung up the phone.

Vincent led the Titans into Reeves huge office. A large window was behind Reeve's desk, and from it almost the entire continent could be seen. On the wall behind the Titans, there were seven portraits, one of each team member of AVALANCHE, save Cait Sith.

Reeve stood from his desk and walked over to Vincent.

"Vincent, good to see you." He looked at the Titans and quirked an eyebrow.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you about it later. They're the Titans, and we could use a little armor, if you could afford it." He said coldly.

"Of course! As long as they're on our side, why not?" he shrugged.

A sweat drop went down the Titan's backs.

Reeve went behind his desk and opened a drawer. He took out a small card and pressed the button on the speaker.

"Elmyra, please wire 20,000 gil to a pre-paid account." He spoke into it.

He inserted the card into a slot and waited for it to pop back out. He handed it to Robin.

"Thanks. We really appreciate this." He said.

"No problem. There's nothing much for sale at the HQ. If you're looking for the shopping district, check out the Wall Market. Ask my assistant if you need a ride." he told him.
"Cyborg, Beast Boy, why don't you go check it out?" Robin turned to them, holding out the card.

"Sweet! Dude, I've never had this much cash in my life!" Beast Boy said, snatching it.

"You only had one job in your entire life, and you never even got paid!" Cyborg said.

"Try to buy things that will help the team. Namely, Materia.." he said.

Reeve waved his hand in objection.

"Nowadays with all the reactors shut down, not much Materia is for sale. However, Shinra has a private stash. I think I could slip you a few." he whispered to Robin, hiding his mouth from the camera.


: Kalm Mountain Ruins :


A single woman bolted across a plateau created by the mountain crash. She was badly bruised and her clothes were torn. Behind her, several Kalm Fangs, at least 18, raced after her. Sobbing she felt her muscles begin to burn with exhaustion. Before her body gave out, her resolve did, and she slumped to the ground. The pack of wolves continued to move in.

Comet whirled in the air once and launched Red XIII towards the ground. A powerful orange glow surrounded him as he unleashed his Limit. Red energy gathered around his as he blasted towards the ground, fueled with his Sled Fang attack. He slammed into the earth, crushing at least 4 of them. They yelped as their spines were suddenly crushed and they turned red before fading away.

Starfire chucked Tifa towards the ground she flew in closer before sending Yuffie down as well. Tifa slammed into one of the dogs, leaving a small crater. She instantly, crouched and clipped the one that ran toward her. Another Fang bounded towards her, but she managed to whirl around it. She grabbed it by it's waist from behind and a red aura covered her body. She quickly sat back, performing a powerful German suplex on the fang, crushing another one in the process. The powerful Meteodrive Limit vaporized them both.

Yuffie landed behind the pack and instantly a red energy surrounded her before she punched her fist into the ground. A blue shockwave of energy shot forth and hit the dogs that were trailing behind. The earth upturned and pummeled the dogs, defeating five of them. They were no match for her Landscaper energy.

Starfire flew across over head, shooting down thin green lasers from her eyes. She sliced through three of them before they vanished and she ceased fire. Comet came jumping over her, holding both fists high in the air. As he was coming down, the same red aura that had appeared around Tifa and the others slowly gathered around him.

'What power!' He grinned.

"Grr..ha!"

Comet pounded his fists into the earth, sending forth a broad red arch of energy that shot forth, leaving the ground glowing red in it's wake. As it traveled farther, it got small until only the bright red glow was left on the ground. The wolves all skidded to a stop, before turning back and looking at Comet.

His eyes were completely red. He snapped once, and the entire area of ground covered in his energy began to shake. The six remaining wolves were blasted into the sky. In small beams, the energy shot up from the ground and into each wolf charging them with power before they exploded. Comet's aura faded and his eyess returned to normal.

"Cool Limit!" Yuffie cheered.

"What d'ya call it?" she asked him.

"Are you kidding me? That's the first time I've done anything remotely close to that.." Comet heaved.

"Excellent work, Comet! You have helped save that woman!" Starfire beamed before she flew off towards the woman.

Tifa and Red XIII followed on foot. Yuffie started to follow them.

"Hold on a sec, Yuffie, you're the only one who makes any sense around here." Comet called.

She stopped and looked at him.

'Thanks for compliment.' She said sarcastically in her mind.

"What was that power back there?" He asked her.

"Duh, that was your Limit technique. The more you participate in battle, the more energy you gather around you. But you can only hold so much. So when you can't hold anymore, you can unleash it as a powerful attack, like the one you just did!" she said quickly and inhaled deeply.

"I think I get it...but that never happens back in my world." Comet said.

They began walking towards Tifa and the others.

"So, what do you call it?" she asked.

"Who cares. It worked."

"Oh come on! You gotta name it something cool like, Greased Lightning!" she said, striking a phony battle pose.

"What kinda dumb name is that? Are you sayin' my Limit is weak or somethin'?" Comet asked quickly.

Starfire flew across the dry plain and landed in front of the woman. She kneeled before her.

"You are OK?" Starfire asked as Tifa and Red XIII approached.

"Please..." the woman sobbed.

"..you have to find my daughter! Those monsters..they'll eat her alive!" she cried.


: Gaia - Shinra HQ :


Reeve slowly walked with Robin through out a long corridor with glass windows on both sides. Robin had asked for a tour, and up until this point he had been silent. Beast Boy and Cyborg left for Wall - Market and Raven had gone with Vincent to gather the Materia.

"Any reason in particular you wanna walking around this old place?" Reeve asked casually.

"From the information I've gathered, some very strange things have gone on here before, involving Cloud." Robin said.

"Really? No!" Reeve waved his hand.

"I wouldn't say strange,..more like.." he shrugged "..nothing."

"It it were nothing, AVALANCHE wouldn't be reuniting. I want to learn about everything we're up against." Robin told him.

"Clever boy...alright, but only because your Vincent's friend." Reeve sighed.


: Gaia - Hojo's Laboratory :


The off-limits laboratory's light quickly snapped on as Reeve and Robin entered. Most of the machines had been de-activated, but a few were impossible to shut-down without triggering powerful booby-traps.

"This is pretty much where it all.." Reeve began before the roof and entire side wall completely collapsed. The room shook, and Robin and Reeve were thrown to the ground. A huge smoke cloud was thrown up as an alarm started blaring.

Stepping casually through the smoke, Slade stopped when he saw Robin and Reeve staring up at him.

"Slade!" Robin yelled.

"Robin, well...isn't this a surprise." He stepped back slightly, holding his hand back into the cloud.

Robin could see him helping a silhouette down. It stepped through the smoke and Terra whipped her head back,getting the hair out of her face. She looked up at him and smiled.


: Gaia - Kalm Mountain Ruins :


Cloud ran along a rocky path with the young girl on his back. He had managed to climb out of the ditch without harming her further. He skidded to stop when he saw a small chest on a cliff beside the path he was, he set the girl down beside it. He slowly opened and took out the small bottle inside.

"A potion! Perfect!"

Without hesitating, he opened the container and poured the blue liquid over the girl. Her eyes quickly snapped open as her energy came back to her.

"Where's mommy?" she asked, looking up at Cloud.

"Just relax. We'll find your mom soon. I'm sure she's fine." Cloud told her.

"No.." tears began to well up in the girls eyes.

"You don't understand, we were runnin' from the wolves when the ground exploded.." she said, her voice breaking up.

Cloud began to reach out for her when he noticed the ground began to crack.

'No!'

He scooped up the girl just as the ground crumbled under them. She screamed as they feel about 15 feet into a small dark den. There was only a single shaft of light in the cave, and it came from the hole that they had fell through. Cloud struggled to get up. He looked around, still on the ground. Several red eyes opened and stared at him from all directions. At least 50 Kalm Fangs surrounded them. Cloud felt onto his back for his sword, and gulped when he realized it wasn't there. Snapping his head around, he looked above him and saw the sword sticking straight up in front of the hole.

"No!" he reached up as the sword fell over the hole, blocking out all light.


' Note from the Author : Chapter nine is ready to be reviewed! Thanks to everyone who has done so already!

Chapter Wrap - Up
The Titans, Comet, and AVALANCHE notice the Kalm Mountains crumble and Tifa, Yuffie, Red XIII, Starfire, and Comet investigate

Cloud finds a small girl who's looking for her mother in the aftermath of his crash

Vincent escorts the other Titans to Shinra HQ

Reeve gives Cyborg and Beast Boy money to go shopping, so they leave for Wall Market

Tifa and the others save a woman who cannot find her daughter

Comet activates his Limit technique

Robin asks for a tour of Shinra HQ, so Reeve takes him to Hojo's Laboratory


Slade, Terra, Plasmus, and Overload storm Hojo's lab


Cloud and the girl fall into a cave surrounded by wolves, and Cloud is left unarmed