Ok, here are standard disclaimers. I do not own, nor claim to own any rights to the Teen Titans, or any other borrowed characters. I also make no claims towards any original characters I invent for this story.
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The mood in Raven's apartment was frenetic as countless people milled around the large living room like ants in a nest, coming and going with what appeared to be random purpose, carrying papers, books and boxes. A large table had been set up in the middle of the improvised war room and it was covered with a large map of Azarath, which Starfire, the only Titan with formal military training, was carving up into several sectors using a set of color marking pens, color coding each region according to its strategic value, risk, difficulty in taking and holding as well as its civilian population. Using purple markers she highlighted the various Matriarchal residences as well as other key positions.
"This will not be easy." She remarked as the snapped the cap back onto the purple marker. "The Matriarchs are evenly spaced around the city and are surrounded by residential areas; collateral damage will be very high I am afraid."
"Any estimates on civilian casualties?" Raven asked.
The princess looked somber as she replied.
"They will be very high. At least 20%, perhaps as high as 50%. It will depend on the tactics used by the mercenaries in the employ of the Matriarchs."
"Do we know what we are up against?" Robin asked.
Raven had a sheaf of papers in hand, which were the latest intelligence reports gathered.
"They are still bringing in mercenaries, all female." She replied as she worked through the list, reading each sheet and dropping it on the table after she read it.
"5 female Gordanians"
"10 spider women from the planet Aracnida."
Raven continued reporting the news and noticed her teammates become somber.
"And on top of the 40 Tamaranian warriors already here, 200 more have arrived."
"Dude! 240 Starfires?"
Starfire turned to Beast Boy.
"The warriors lack my ability to conjure starbolts and eye beams, which is something that only my sister and I can do. They can fly and have super human strength, but that is the limit of their powers."
"I don't like those odds." Cyborg added.
"I will attempt to contact them and order them to not serve the Matriarchs."
"Will they obey you?" Robin asked.
Starfire crossed her arms and looked troubled.
"If they are loyal to the crown they will."
"And if they are not? They are mercenaries after all." Raven asked.
"Even factoring that in, the probability of treachery is low, but not trivial."
Raven looked around the table at her friends' grim yet determined faces. Other than the Tower's security forces the five of them were the only forces for the rebels, at least the only ones that counted. While the masses had cheered her the day before the bitter truth was that they were soft and weak. They were unarmed and would be easily mowed down by the mercenaries. Raven was not a Field Marshall, but she quickly recognized that the odds were heavily stacked against them.
"How will you contact the Tamaranians Starfire?"
"I will slip out under the cover of darkness. Cyborg has prepared a stealth outfit that should conceal me while I fly to the Tamaranian barracks. There I will make my case to the mercenaries."
"Won't they be forfeiting some serious moolah if the defect to our camp?" Cyborg asked.
Starfire looked confused for a moment until she caught on to the tin man's oddly worded question.
"I will promise to double their pay from the Royal treasury. Hopefully that will be enough to persuade them to break their contract."
It was already twilight outside and Raven suppressed a yawn. Unlike the others she had not slept since the day before and it was catching up with her, which Robin noticed.
"You need to get some sleep Raven, you too Beast Boy, you've hardly slept at all."
The changeling nodded as he took Raven's hand.
"C'mon Rae, let's get some shut eye." He yawned.
The sorceress nodded her agreement.
"OK, but just for a few hours."
They retreated to their room without saying good night to the others. As soon as the door closed Robin spoke up.
"She looks awful. The last time she looked like this was …"
"…when she became the portal." Cyborg completed the sentence for him.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The bedroom was dark as the blast shields covered the windows, giving the spacious room the feeling of a bunker, which is what it was at the moment. Raven trudged into the room. She removed her cape and dropped it on the floor before kicking off her signature blue boots. She stood still; facing away from her husband of only a few days and suddenly fell to her knees. Beast Boy ran to her side, unable to conceal the alarm in his voice.
"Rae! Are you OK?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her.
Raven didn't acknowledge his gesture and stared vacantly into the darkness.
"What have I done Gar? I've brought ruin to my people."
The changeling had no words to comfort her.
"At the monastery there was a monk, he was a fortune teller, a very skilled one in fact. He had a nickname for me: The Apostle of Calamity. He said I would bring great suffering to the world … and he was right. I thought I had dodged that bullet when we overcame my … Trigon. But now look at what I've done. We have a civil war on our hands … and it's my fault." She sniffled. "It's always my fault."
Beast Boy ran his fingers through her hair, in a futile attempt to soothe her.
"It's not your fault Rae; the people have had it with the Matriarchs."
"I have to stop this Gar; I can't let this happen, the bloodshed." She deadpanned. "What was I thinking? This isn't about beating a villain and turning him over to the police. That's so … simple. That's all in black and white … this on the other hand … this is shades of gray … with no clear answer."
Raven took a deep breath and composed herself.
"I'm an idiot Gar, a fool. Did I really think it would be that easy? That if we stood up to the Matriarchs that they would back down? The civilians, they've lived sheltered lives for generations, they're soft. They can't protect themselves. How am I supposed to protect them?"
Beat Boy kissed gently on her forehead.
"Give them credit Rae; they aren't as useless as you think."
She shook her head.
"No, they can't defend themselves. They're just ordinary people. If they fight … they'll be slaughtered. And if we fight for them … you heard what Starfire said. Fighting is … hopeless."
"Then maybe we shouldn't fight?"
She nodded.
"I'm going to surrender myself tomorrow Gar, in exchange for an end to hostilities."
"That's not what I meant Rae!"
Raven looked him in the eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting."
"Sun Tzu?" She asked. "When did you read 'The Art of War'? And why?"
"Yeah." He replied. "Robin made me read it once. It's kind of cool. Now I know where Clash of the Planets got all its plot ideas …"
"Gar, how cano we subdue the enemy without fighting?"
He paused while thinking. Raven knew that most people thought he was a simpleton, a goofball who told bad jokes. But she knew he was cunning and clever, and that the goofball mask was just that, a mask.
"We bluff!"
"We bluff? About what?"
"You're the Apostle of Calamity, right?"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Terra sat with Slade, hiding amongst the boulders that lay alongside the access road that led to Azarath. They had been there for about 20 minutes and Terra wasn't sure what he was waiting for. The one eyed villain seemed to be calm and relaxed, while Terra was the opposite, she was itching to do something … anything besides sitting out in the hot sun waiting for who knows what. They sat in silence until the geomancer could stand it no longer.
"What are we waiting for Slade? How about you share the plan with me?"
Unfazed, he calmly replied.
"We're waiting for a bus."
Terra stared dumbfounded at him.
"We're waiting for a bus? Are you nuts?"
Slade chuckled.
"I have disguises for us Terra. A new generation of holorings that will completely hide our true identities, which is fortunate as there is a hefty prize on your head in the floating city." He replied in his monotone with the slight hint of contempt that he often inserted into his speech.
"OK, I get the disguises, but where does the bus fit in?"
"Don't you think that the border guards might be suspicious if we just appear out of nowhere? There is a bus, a flying bus, the runs between Azarath and nearby Salamandron."
Slade pointed at a distant structure that looked like a giant awning that was mobbed with refugees trying to leave the city. It was hard to tell how many were crowded around the simple depot, but Terra estimated the crowd to be several thousand strong, and there was a steady flow of people fleeing the city, making the mobbed scene even worse.
"The busses are running once per hour. When the next one arrives, which should be in 5 more minutes the guards will assume that we arrived on it."
"That's nice, but how do we get in? Isn't the border closed because of the martial law?"
Slade handed Terra her holoring. After she slipped it one her appearance changed completely, not only had her hair and skin color changed, but here face looked entirely different. Slade skipped his own ring on and … changed into woman.
"We're mercenaries from Earth. The Matriarchs have offered generous payment to anyone who will help them defeat the Titans. It's a perfect opportunity Terra, we get to eliminate them, it's perfectly legal and we'll even get paid to do it. What is there to not like about it?"
"Remember Slade, BB doesn't get hurt!"
"I can't guarantee that Terra. Even if we don't kill him, some other mercenary might."
"I won't allow that to happen."
"Sometimes things are out of our control. We can either fight it in futility, or use the situation to our advantage."
Before Terra could protest the "bus" arrived on schedule. It looked more like an airliner without wings; a huge silver cylinder that looked like it could carry hundreds of passengers. It silently floated down to the simple terminal. As soon as it stopped the hatches opened and no one disembarked as it was empty. The refugees began to jostle to get their families on board and a few fights even broke out.
"Everyone calm down!" The pilot shouted. "Another bus will be here in 20 minutes."
Terra and Slade made their way to the bridge, which was the only entry way to Azarath as the city was covered in a powerful force field dome to enforce the declared martial law. They walked without rushing and eventually reached the guard station. A grumpy looking guard intercepted them before they crossed the bridge.
"The city is closed." She barked at them.
Slade produced the flyer inviting mercenaries and bounty hunters to Azarath. The guard didn't seem impressed.
"Your papers, please."
Again Slade, still disguised as a formidable Amazon of a woman, presented the forged paperwork to the guard, who examined it with suspicion. After what felt like an eternity she returned the papers to Slade.
"Everything appears to be in order. Proceed to the next guard station, they will brief you there and assign you to a precinct."
Slade and Terra nodded and crossed the bridge. As promised the next guard prepared to assign them to their group. While she tapped away at her keyboard, an official Matriarch Council limousine pulled up and was attended to by another guard, which did not go unnoticed by Slade and Terra. They watched as the driver rolled down her window and handed papers to the guard.
"You mean to tell me the Matriarchs sent an official limo to Salamandron to collect a mercenary … and it's … a man?"
"Go figure." The driver replied. "I was kinda blown away by this too."
The border guard almost appeared to be livid.
"I want to see this hired gun!"
A dark window in the passenger compartment rolled down, exposing the honored "guest".
Slade elbowed Terra and pointed at the passenger. Terra stifled a gasp.
"Is it really him Slade?"
Slade nodded.
"It is. We have some serious competition Terra."
He paused.
"Deadshot has come to town."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Starfire cautiously peered inside "the gazebo" and was relieved to see her friends sleeping. They looked peaceful and relaxed and she felt bad about having to wake them, but she knew it had to be done.
"Friends, it will be dawn in one more hour. Please do the waking up."
Raven cracked an eye open, examining their uninvited alarm clock. She then gasped as she sat up.
"Starfire! What happened to you?"
"Do not concern yourself Raven, I am OK."
Raven grabbed the Princess by her arms and examined her. She was covered on bruises, cuts and scratches and had dry blood on all over her body.
"I take it that the mercenaries didn't accept your offer."
Starfire smiled as she shook her head.
"They have pledged their allegiance to me. I was victorious."
"You don't look victorious; you look like you had a wrestling match with The Beast. What happened?"
Beast Boy continued snoozing, oblivious to the conversation taking place.
"As we were leaving the barracks we were ambushed by other mercenaries. It was a most stimulating battle. We did the kicking of the butt."
Raven rewarded the orange Titan with a small smile.
"If you look this bad, I can only imagine how bad they look."
Starfire suddenly looked embarrassed.
"Raven, you understand that these are warriors of Tamaran. They did more than kick the butt."
Raven dropped her head as she understood what Starfire was implying.
"How many dead?"
"Just three."
"That's a relief, so only three of the enemy were killed."
Starfire shook her head.
"Three Tamaranians are dead."
Raven allowed a look of astonishment to slip past her emotionless mask.
"How many of the enemy?"
Starfire sighed.
"All of them. We would have spared them had they retreated, but they did not. They fought in a dishonorable and cowardly manner. I am sorry Raven, but we are warriors and this is a war."
Raven returned her sigh.
"It was to be expected. What did Robin have to say?"
"He is being the morose. He has not spoken to me since he found out."
Raven turned back to the bed and gave her mate a vigorous shaking. The green young man finally sat up.
"Gar, did you hear what she said?"
"I think I did." He replied in a sleepy voice. "So how many were killed?" He asked in an apprehensive voice.
"Over 400 mercenaries."
"The Matriarchs must be panicking right now." He commented. "Rae, this might be the right time to do what we talked about." He added as he hopped off the bed and slipped his socks and shoes on.
Raven nodded as she slipped her cape on.
"Friends, of what do you speak?"
"You'll see." Raven replied as they exited their bedroom. The war room was still a whirlwind of activity and was crawling with female Tamaranian warriors, who all focused on Raven as the trio entered the room. Raven walked past them to a communications console where Arella was standing, looking worried.
"They are preparing to counterattack Raven."
"I would expect nothing less." She replied and she keyed in the channel for the Hall of Matriarchs. The screen shimmered to life and it was Nara who appeared on it.
"Raven, what were you thinking? The council in an uproar over your sneak attack."
"That is what I am calling about Nara. It's time to put an end to this."
The young Matriarch put her hands together in prayerful like gesture.
"You are going to surrender! Thank the gods Raven! And I have good news for you! If you publicly retract your position the Council will grant you a full pardon."
Raven replied in a dead pan monotone.
"It is my understanding that only the Head Matriarch can grant pardons."
Nara smiled nervously while fidgeting.
"That is true Raven, but since you went rogue on the council, we have assumed your authority, which we will gladly return to you if …"
"I kiss your butt."
Nara frowned.
"You always had a way with words Raven. But we aren't children anymore, and we aren't playing games. We're Matriarchs and it's about time you act like one!"
Raven's eyes began to glow a crimson red.
"I am sick of hearing that."
Nara smirked at her childhood friend.
"You know you can't win Raven, even after your little coup you're still hopelessly outnumbered …"
Nara stopped midsentence and stifled a shriek, as Raven's eyes had now split into 2 demonic pairs.
"Did you ever wonder where I got my powers from Nara?"
The young Matriarch swallowed hard as she stared in fear, still unable to believe what she was seeing.
"You're a demoness Raven?" She stammered.
"And not just any demoness." The gray Titan replied. "Do you have any idea of who my father is?"
Nara remembered well that terrible day when Azarath was destroyed.
"No, it's impossible! It can't be!"
Raven had grown to over 10 feet tall and dark tendrils emerged from under her cape.
"Did you ever wonder how I was able to defeat Trigon? He was my father Nara."
Nara continued to stare speechless, as she remained consumed by the horror of her realization.
"Raven, please say it isn't true!"
"I restored Azarath Nara, and I can destroy it again. I am my father's daughter."
"You wouldn't! What about the people? It would be the end of our race."
Raven grinned, revealing her now serrated teeth.
"Enough have escaped already. But you won't! Not unless you surrender to me!" Her guttural voice echoed throughout the room.
No longer able to hide the fear in her voice, Nara began to plead.
"How will I convince the council Raven, they'll never believe me?"
As Nara spoke the ground began to shake, mildly at first, but it soon became violent. The tower began to sway as the temblor appeared to continue without end. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it stopped.
"Consider that my calling card Nara. And I have more where that came from."
Nara's arrogant expression was gone.
"I will let the council know your demands Raven. It might take some time …"
"You have four hours." Raven, now back in her normal form, replied in her monotone. She then pressed a button on the console, severing the video link with Nara.
And collapsed, as Beast Boy caught her.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A little cliffhanger! And sorry to keep you waiting, faithful readers.
And now it's time for the mail bag.
bordom kills - "hey dude stories coming along great i cant wait for your next update"
Thanks! I had some writer's block this week.
GreenRock - "I like how you've shrouded this assassain in a cloak of mystery; not letting on anything too obvious that gives their identity away. Whoever this D.S. is probably shouldn't mess with the Titans. If their previous track record is anything to go by, he may end up receiving his just desserts.
Good that the review count is picking up. These kind of things take time. :D "
The review count is doing better (Thanks everyone). I still haven't thought of an alternate ending for the gift, which is still clobbering this story (chapter hits) on a daily basis. Maybe it does pay to kill Raven?
titanfan45 - "Great first battle scene! I'm not having any luck figuring out who "D.S' is but I would think that will be revealed in good time."
If you don't have it, rent Batman: Gotham Knight. Deadshot makes an appearance in the final short.
mjlover0021 - "I love your fic. This fic popped up at the right time.
P.S. Absolutely love what you have done to make everything around everybody seem really horrible."
I prefer to leave the fluffy stories to other writers. The Chromatically Challenged Couple are far more interesting (and passionate) when they face adversity.
Author Penholder - "Things are heating up now and I love it! I also know who the assassin is now. As soon as you started describing how he was 'caring' for his weapons, I was like, Ah Ha!"
Deadshot is not as well known as other DC villains, but he's a good one.
Densharr - "DEADSHOT. Awesome.
Can't wait to see how useful the Council proves - they're pretty much pencil pushers. But even the pencil pushers have a role in running society, and it's bigger than most people think."
The pencil pushers will have a role to play still.
wolfenstien - "Great stuff as usual dude. And using Dead Shot as the assassin rather than Slade, great idea. Don't forget to put Raven Roth on the bullet... :D"
Thanks for the tip. I will remember that.
FeynxTiger - "woohoo back to fight crime!, i like where they're carry the things especially raven and bb , though this mystery villian sounds familiar see u next ch"
I wonder if Raven's bluff will work?
AkumaKami64 - "It's Death Shot, knew that as soon as I saw the initials. Can you have BB turn into a Trex when an Azarathian insults him at least once?"
Or maybe the Beast?
Hairul The Nightrage Beast - "Haha time for some anarchy and carnage in Azarath. I can see Azarath in ruins due to the anarchy with the revolution kicked in high gear, Matriarchs to the lions and also the dangerous 3rd party with Slade, Terra and the unknown assassin D.S.
Anyways for the alternate ending of The Gift I think, the happy ending would be prolly BB asking Rae to transfer 50% of the course to him and both of em can die happy I think, bittersweet ending and Coraline would be an orphaned although she's gonna be adoptd by Nightwing and Starfire as an adoptive daughter."
I'll admit that I'm still at a loss for an alternate ending for the Gift. Hopefully something good will come to mind. I won't write it unless it's good.