Hello, and welcome back! Before we get into the story, I'd like to address some things from the reviews.
Firstly, once again, thank you so very much warrior of six blades for your support! Not only do I appreciate your highly detailed reviews, but also for your patience regarding my update schedule. It's reassuring when people aren't rushing me for updates. It really brings down the pressure on me, which is pretty high right now considering everything going on with the world.
Secondly, to Lawrence HBain, I appreciate your honest feelings about my romantic choices for my characters. I love harem stories as much as the next guy, but I believe that there are certain storylines where having a single-pairing makes the story run much smoother than having the hero marry and bang every single attractive female ever. That being said, Tony is definitely going to have plenty of action in the future. So, if you wish to continue reading this story, then yay! If not, I'm very happy that you at least gave it a try.
Now then, let's see how the Titans handle their first team schism! Hooray for drama!
Disclaimer: This author does not own the properties of Naruto, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and Mortal Kombat (unfortunately). This work is made for nonprofit entertainment purposes only.
"Hello there!": Speech.
'What a drag': Thoughts.
[I am Iron Man!]: Mechanical Speech
The Earth is Mine!: Monster/Demon Speech
Let'sgetiton!
Chapter 4
Divide and Conquer
Location: Jump City Prison
Sirens blare all across the facility as smoke rises from the destroyed front entrance of Jump City's maximum-security detention facility. Three security guards in hi-tech armor run through the ruined archway.
"Code Red! Cell Block Nine!" one of the guards calls out.
"Move out!" another guard responds. All three of them rush to the cell block to deal with whatever being has broken into the facility.
They slow down and look around, scanning the open prison yard.
"Main yard secure," the lead guard declares.
Right before a large slab of earth crashes in front of his squad.
"There he is!" the lead guard calls out as his squad slowly approaches the hostile figure.
"He'll free the prisoner!" the lead guard warns his fellow officers. "Fire!"
With that order, the three guards fire their laser rifles at the hulking giant walking into the cell block through the hole it just made. Unfortunately for the guards, their weapons are useless against the stone body of the giant.
The giant stops its advance and turns to the guards, revealing its blocky rectangular head, glowing red eyes, and pronounced lower jaw. The giant growls and stomps the ground, shattering the earth with a shockwave that creates a barrier of stone and concrete, which prevents the guards from advancing.
The guards dealt with, the giant stomps its way into the facility, dead set on completing its objective.
"You know, Cinderblock, normally the bad guys break out of jail," a joking voice calls out, stopping the stone giant.
"And I can think of five good reasons why you don't want to break in," another more serious voice finishes.
Cinderblock looks with surprise as five figures land nearby one by one.
Robin. "One!"
Starfire. "Two!"
Beast Boy. "Three!"
Raven. "Four!"
And Cyborg. "Five!"
"No matter how you do the math, it all adds up to you going down," Robin declares, staring down Cinderblock. "So, are you going to go quietly…"
"Or is this gonna get loud?" Cyborg finishes his friend's question.
Cinderblock's response is to roar and charge at the five superheroes.
"Titans! Go!" Robin shouts. He and the rest of the Titans charge in, their battle cries going out as they collide with the stone giant and engage in a fierce battle between good and evil.
(Insert Theme Song: Teen Titans Theme)
Location: Jump City Prison, Cell Block 9
Robin begins the battle by jumping up and giving a mighty kick to Cinderblock's head, causing the giant to stagger back in pain. Starfire continues the assault by sending a full powered starbeam into Cinderblock's back. Cyborg uses the opening to send a haymaker at the villain, but Cinderblock counters Cyborg's fist with his own, causing a shockwave to ring from the two strikes. This does, however, cause Cinderblock to stumble back, giving Beast Boy an opportunity to attack in hawk form. Unfortunately, the bird's talons do little to no damage to the monster's stone hide. Seeing Raven all alone, Cinderblock charges at the sorceress with his fist raised high. Raven responds by raising the concrete floor in front of her as a makeshift barrier. She flies up as Cinderblock effortlessly shatters the wall.
Raven gains some distance as Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire charge in for an attack. Cinderblock responds by swinging his arm out wide, hitting Robin and Cyborg away. Seeing her friends get hit, Starfire starts throwing her starbolts at Cinderblock, only for the villain to grab her out of the air with both of his massive hands. The giant brings the girl close to his face and smirks evilly. Cinderblock stops smirking, however, when Starfire gives him a friendly smile.
"I am sorry to disappoint you," says Starfire, her eyes glowing green with power, "but I am stronger than I look." With that, Starfire pulls her leg back, and kicks Cinderblock's head with great force, sending the giant staggering back into the metal gate behind him.
Recovering from the kick, Cinderblock looks and sees the green hawk transform into a green T-Rex. The dinosaur backs up to gain some distance, then charges right at the stone giant. Unfortunately, Beast Boy's charge is halted by a stone punch that sends the dinosaur flying back.
"Azarath Metrion–" Raven's chanting is halted as she sees a green T-Rex heading right for her. Fortunately, the dinosaur transforms back into a screaming humanoid. Unfortunately, that screaming humanoid still crashes right into her.
Beast Boy shakes his head as he recovers from the fall. He then looks and sees an annoyed Raven sit up and blow her hair back into place.
"Um, watch out for falling dinosaurs?" Beast Boy quips, chuckling nervously at his attempt at a joke.
Raven is not amused.
"Um, I'm gonna leave you alone now," says Beast Boy as he runs away from the sorceress.
Cinderblock meanwhile chuckles at the damage he's done so far. However, he's unprepared for Robin to jump in and grab him in a chokehold. Cinderblock tries to shake the hero off of him, ripping out a steel beam in the process.
"Thrashing only makes me hold tighter," Robin growls out, before noticing the beam in Cinderblock's hands. He jumps away just in time to avoid the metal beam, causing the beam to collide with Cinderblock's head in a comical fashion.
"Now there's an idea," says Cyborg as he also rips out a steel beam from the wall. He charges at the giant and engages in a mock swordfight with the villain.
Seeing the fighting happen, Robin pulls out his communicator.
"Tony! Where are you?! We could use some help over here!" Robin shouts into his communicator.
[I'm a little busy at the moment!]
Location: Downtown Jump City
[My old friend, Melter, stopped by for a little visit.] Iron Man responds to his fellow crime-fighter as he flies around, dodging thermal blasts being sent his way.
Down below, civilians run for cover as a man uses the large gun attached to his arm to fire at the hero above him. The man is wearing a green full-body jumpsuit with metal shoulder-pads and a hi-tech welder's helmet with a large orange visor covering his face.
"Come down here and fight me like a man, Stark!" The Melter calls out to his nemesis.
[I'm all for it, Bruno! Just as soon as you lose that gun of yours,] Iron Man counters as he avoids a blast that melts a nearby sign.
"You don't get to call me that! Not after what you did to me!" The Melter yells out in rage.
[Excuse me? Who was the one that used faulty equipment in their inventions? Who was the one that ruined his employees' lives?] Iron Man retorts.
"DON'T PLAY DUMB! I know you paid off those inspectors to make me look bad!"
[You didn't need their help, Bruno,] Iron Man quips, before ducking to avoid another heat beam.
"I lost everything! My government contracts, my company, my reputation, everything! Now, I'm going to take everything from you!" The Melter declares as one of his blasts melts a nearby street sign.
[I don't have time for this,] Iron Man mutters to himself. Deciding to end the fight now, he deploys a JERICHO missile and launches it from his back. The missile splits into twelve smaller missiles, which go straight for Melter. The villain braces himself as the missiles explode all around him, sending smoke and dust up all around him.
The Melter recovers and looks around at the smoke surrounding him. "I hope that wasn't for me, Stark!" the villain yells out.
[Nope. But this is.]
THUNK!
The Melter looks and sees a cylindrical object embedded deep into the far side of his weapon. The object has a blinking red light and gives off the telltale beeping of an explosive device.
[Now would be a good time to lose the gun!] Iron Man suggests from outside the smoke.
The Melter wisely chooses self-preservation over the wellbeing of his invention. He detaches the gun from his arm and throws the gun away from him. The weapon explodes a good distance away.
Unfortunately for him, this leaves him wide open for Iron Man to fly down and tackle him. The hero carries the villain high in the air before releasing him. The Melter only has a split-second to process his situation before a pair of metal boots slam into his stomach, sending the villain crashing into a parked car.
Groaning in pain from his front and back, The Melter slowly attempts to pick himself off of the wreckage underneath himself. His progress is halted however, when a large object lands in front of him. The villain blearily sees a humanoid figure approach him, before said figure pulls him off of the car and levels a helmeted glare at him.
[Like I said before, Bruno Horgan; faulty equipment,] Iron Man says to his defeated enemy.
That's the last thing The Melter hears before a metal fist sends him to La-La-Land.
Location: Jump City Prison, Cell Block 9
"RAAAGH!" WHAM!
Back at the prison, Cyborg is flown back from the massive hit by Cinderblock, losing his makeshift weapon as he skids away.
Cinderblock has little time to relish in his victory before finding Starfire right next to him. He prepares to strike with his steel beam, only for Starfire to use her powers and melt the beam in his hands. Starfire chuckles at Cinderblock's shocked and somewhat saddened expression. The villain decides to cut his losses and runs down the corridor behind him.
Meanwhile, Robin helps his cybernetic friend off of the ground, who shakes the dust off his shoulders.
"Wanna give this guy the Sonic Boom?" Robin offers.
Cyborg grins and powers up his sonic cannon. "I got the Sonic if you got the Boom."
The rest of the Titans stand back and watch what their comrades are up to.
A distance away, Cinderblock continues his run through the corridor.
"Yo, rockhead!"
Cinderblock hears the call behind and turns around.
He sees Robin and Cyborg running towards him. The two heroes then run towards the walls next to them; Cyborg on the right wall, and Robin on the left. They run up the walls before jumping off, causing them to cross each other and deliver their super powerful combo technique.
At least, that was the plan. Unfortunately, the two boys get their feet hooked up with each other, causing them to spin around screaming and fly into the walls. This causes Cyborg's cannon to misfire, hitting Starfire and Beast Boy instead. This also causes Robin to lose the explosive charge he was holding, making it explode right in front of Raven.
Seeing the heroes dispose of each other, Cinderblock continues his escape. He slams through the wall in front of him. Then another. And another. Four walls later, he turns a corner and escapes.
Meanwhile, a whole assortment of prisoners look at the gaping holes in the walls of their cells. Their confusion turns into excitement at the golden opportunity they have to escape.
"Hey!"
"Look at that!"
"Let's get out of here!"
Meanwhile, a recovering Robin turns and sees the escaping prisoners heading right for them. He quickly signals to the rest of the Titans. What follows is a very once sided battle that involves super-powered punches, dark spells, and an angry T-Rex.
Location: Jump City Prison, High Security Zone
PRISONER 385901
ABSOLUTE SILENCE!
That is the sign that adorns the outside of one of the high security prison cells located deep inside the prison. The sign, however, is completely disregarded by the stone giant, who punches the door into the cell.
Inside is a cell that is highly unorthodox in design. The walls have screens that show ambient imagery, and calm, soothing music plays in the room. At the center is a containment tank hooked up to a mess of wires. Inside the tank is a man in his underpants, sleeping soundly and peacefully.
Cinderblock approaches his target. He grabs the tank and rips it off of the cables with a grunt. His objective completed, he smashes a hole into the ground and jumps into it, escaping with his target in tow.
Location: Jump City Prison, Main Yard
Meanwhile, a couple of escaped prisoners run to the open archway, seeing the shining city, and their freedom, in front of them.
Until two massive gates covered in dark energy block the archway.
The prisoners look on in shock as a blue-hooded figure emerges from the blackness.
"Think again," Raven says to the now out-of-luck prisoners.
Location: Jump City Prison, Cell Block 9
The Teen Titans look on as the guards escort the recaptured prisoners to their cells and restore order to the prison.
"Jailbreak? I don't see any jailbreak?" Beast Boy quips.
"None of us would have seen one if Cyborg hadn't messed up!" Robin accuses, crossing his arms with an angry pout.
"Me! I messed up nothing! You got in my way!" Cyborg fires back, crossing his arms as well.
"You were too far forward, and Cinderblock got away because of it!" Robin yells.
"You're saying this is my fault?!" Cyborg yells back.
"Want me to say it again?!"
Sparks fly between Cyborg and Robin's eyes as they glare at one another.
Starfire gets in between them. "Stop! No more mean-talking!" she cries out, attempting to end the fighting.
"Yeah! If you guys are gonna fight, we need to sell tickets!" Beast Boy jokes.
"Cinderblock escaped. No amount of yelling will change that. So, stop acting like idiots. Let's just meet up with Tony, and go home," Raven states matter-of-factly.
Cyborg and Robin look at each other, then snort and stomp away from each other, ending the argument here and there.
"Loser," Robin mutters.
"Jerk," Cyborg grumbles.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY/WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"
Or, maybe not.
"You have a problem, tin man?!" Robin yells.
"Yeah! It's four feet tall and smells of cheap hair gel!" Cyborg fires back.
"Well, you're an oversized clutz, and your feet smell like motor oil!" Robin counters.
"You're bossy! You're rude! You got no taste in music!" Cyborg lists off.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team cowers in the corner like little children hearing their parents argue on a regular basis.
And then, someone crosses a line.
"I don't even know why you're on this team!" Robin yells.
"That makes two of us! I QUIT!" Cyborg declares.
With that, Cyborg storms off, leaving four shocked teenagers in the hallway of the prison complex.
[Hey guys!]
The group of four turn and see their last comrade holding a beat up villain with a busted visor.
[Sorry I'm late. It takes a while to fly around with a passenger, especially old Bruno here. Guy needs to lay off the sodas. Anyways, how'd you guys do on your end?] says Iron Man jovially, before noticing their missing teammate. [Where's Cyborg?]
His only response is for three teenagers to glare at the Boy Wonder, who looks down with shame.
Iron Man's helmet retracts, revealing a serious-looking whiskered face.
"Alright, what happened?" Tony asks the somber group.
Location: Titans Tower, Living Room
RING! RING!
[This is Cyborg. I'm either in the gym, playing Gamestar, or kicking bad guy butt. Leave a message.]
BEEP!
"Hello, Cy! Pick up!" Beast Boy yells into his cell phone, trying desperately to reach his friend. "Come on, Cy! Pick up! I know you're there! The phone's built into your arm!" Frustrated at the lack of response, Beast Boy hangs up.
Around him, the rest of the Titans are dealing with the loss of their friend differently. Tony is hard at work on the main computer doing research on the events that happened this morning at the prison. Raven is also busy, doing the general maintenance that is usually taken care of by Cyborg. Robin is looking out the window, brooding to himself about the big mistake he made. And Starfire is somberly mixing some yellow mixture in a bowl in the kitchen.
Her creation completed, Starfire approaches Beast Boy with the bowl and mixing spoon.
"Taste." That's all the warning Beast Boy gets before a spoonful of something is shoved unceremoniously into his mouth.
"GAAH!" Beast Boy immediately starts retching and gagging as an unholy flavor fills his mouth. He drops to the floor and spits the mixture out, making sure that every bit of it has left his tongue.
"What is that?! Cream of Toenails?" Beast Boy asks his friend in shock.
"Pudding of Sadness," Starfire answers. "It is what the people of my planet eat when bad things happen." She tries a spoonful herself, but even she shivers violently at the taste.
Starfire then approaches Raven, who is still pushing buttons and checking monitors.
"Try. The displeasing taste will ease your troubled mind," Starfire offers.
"My mind is never troubled," says Raven. "People come. People go. It is pointless to be upset about Cyborg."
Her voice is calm and collected. Her hair, however, spins violently as the monitors in front of her shatter and break.
"…What?"
"Hey! Do you mind not breaking my machines, Zen Mistress?!" Tony yells, before returning back to his work. "I swear, I'm gonna start billing people around here."
Starfire approaches Tony. "Perhaps you would be willing to try some of my creation."
Tony takes one look at the pudding, retches a bit, then looks up. "Jarvis, note to self; get Starfire every cookbook imaginable."
[Already formulating a shopping list sir,] Jarvis responds.
"Good man," says Tony as he resumes his work.
"You are not saddened by the loss of Friend Cyborg?" Starfire asks with concern.
"We didn't lose anybody, Starfire. He just needs some space right now," Tony answers. He pauses his work to fully acknowledge his alien friend. "Look, Star, guys fight all the time. Even close friends. The important thing is that at the end of the day, despite everything, they're still friends. You'll see. In no time at all, Robin and Cyborg will realize that their bond of friendship is stronger than some juvenile argument about some ridiculous technique that likely would have never even worked in the first place."
Tony and Starfire turn towards their brooding teammate as they see the dark aura around him suddenly grow around him.
"…I'm sorry. Did I say that with my outside voice?" Tony quips.
Robin is unamused.
"Anyways, we have a bigger problem at the moment. When Cinderblock left the prison this morning, he took something with him. Or rather, someone," Tony states as he pulls something up on the computer screen. Everyone else turns to regard the picture of a rather unassuming man as Tony explains, "Prisoner 385901. His name is Otto Von Furth. Worked as an operator in the production department at a factory owned by Bruno Horgan, aka The Melter. Blue collar worker, bowled on the weekends, had a fiancé. All around, a pretty normal guy…when he's asleep."
Raven raises an eyebrow. "What happens when he's awake?"
"This happens," Tony answers as he pulls up a video.
All of the other Titans gasp as they see a panicking Otto transform before their eyes. Otto's form appears to expand and melt at the same time, growing to multiple times his size. Eventually, the form settles. Where there was once an average man now stands a monstrous walking giant made out of a purple ooze, its sickly green eyes glaring at the camera.
"That is the result of a chemical disaster that occurred at Horgan's factory, creating the gigantic protoplasm you see before you. While Horgan got off rather lightly, with his career and reputation in shambles, Otto lost his fiancé and pretty much his life because of his out-of-control alter ego, Plasmus. I had the displeasure of fighting him a few times before ultimately defeating him." Tony pauses his explanation as he shudders. "I was cleaning goop off of my armor for a week."
"Why would Cinderblock want this Plasmus?" Starfire asks.
"Cinderblock isn't a genius by any stretch of the imagination. Someone else sent Cinderblock for Plasmus. Somebody has a plan for those two monstrosities, and I'd prefer to stop whatever that plan is from happening," says Tony.
"Whatever that plan is, we'll stop it," Robin declares, finally speaking up after hours of silence, "with or without Cyborg. We're better off without him."
With that, Robin walks out of the living room, leaving four concerned teammates.
Tony turns to Starfire and says, "Give him a few hours. He'll come around."
Location: Titans Tower, Cyborg's Room
Timeskip: 3 Hours Later
Robin has not been having a good day since the team left the prison one Titan short. He's been trying to convince himself that he was in the right, and that Cyborg wasn't needed on the team. Unfortunately for Robin, his attempts at denial have been futile.
Robin then tried distracting himself from the situation. He tried getting a workout in the gym by punching his frustrations out on the sandbag. Sadly, the sight of Cyborg's unused gym equipment brought his frustrations back in full. So did the mountain of unwashed dishes that Cyborg was supposed to clean today, which Robin somberly took care of. Not even getting the new high score on the game Trench Run cheered him up, especially when it removed Cyborg's old high score.
Eventually, Robin finds himself walking to Cyborg's room. He enters and sees the empty room full of hi-tech computers, maintenance machinery, and sports memorabilia. He picks up a photo sitting on a shelf of him and Cyborg posing in front of the camera with big smiles on their faces.
'Tony was right. No argument is worth this,' Robin thinks to himself in sadness.
"I'm sorry."
EEERRRRP! EEERRRRP! EEERRRRP!
Robin turns as he hears the sirens go off around the Tower. There's trouble in the city.
Location: Titans Tower, Living Room
Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven are surrounding the main computer as Robin rushes in.
"Cinderblock strikes again?" Robin asks.
"You wish," Beast Boy answers in a disturbed voice.
Robin looks around and asks, "Where's Tony?"
"He said that he had 'an errand' to run," Starfire answers.
Location: Starcadia Arcade
In Jump City's most popular arcade, the citizens are oblivious to the trouble brewing in the city. Children and adults are too busy immersing themselves in fun, colorful, and addicting video games.
In one area, a decent size crowd watches as two gamers duke it out on Mortal Kombat, with a large screen showing the audience all of the action. One of them is your typical school geek, complete with reading glasses and pocket protectors. The other is Cyborg of the Teen Titans (formerly?).
"BOOYAH!" Cyborg cries out in victory, having defeated his opponent who hangs his head somberly. The poor geek shambles away as Cyborg stands up and relishes in his victory.
"Well? Anybody else want to take on the Arcade Master?" Cyborg challenges.
"I will."
Cyborg looks on in shock as the crowd parts, revealing a smirking blonde teenager with whiskers on his face. Everyone in the crowd murmurs in surprise at seeing Tony Stark here in the arcade. Tony approaches the opposite gaming machine and produces a quarter.
"I brought my own money."
Cyborg pouts, but sits down at his machine, accepting the challenge.
"I guess a techie like you knows how to play video games, huh?" says Cyborg.
Tony shrugs as he sits down and puts the coin into the machine. "I've dabbled a bit, though it has been a while since I played, what with work and superhero stuff."
"Right," says an unconvinced Cyborg, who puts his own quarter into his machine. "Alright then. Pick your–"
"Dibs on Scorpion!" Tony says quickly as he chooses the hellfire shinobi.
Cyborg raises an eyebrow. "Huh. I thought you'd be more of a Johnny Cage kind of guy."
"Everyone does," Tony answers.
"Fine. I pick Sub-Zero," Cyborg declares, choosing Scorpion's frigid nemesis.
"Not Kano?" Tony asks.
Cyborg gives the blond a deadpan glare.
Tony raises his hands in surrender. "Had to ask."
The screen shows Scorpion and Sub-Zero staring each other down as the announcer goes, [ROUND 1. FIGHT!].
With that, the crowd watches with excitement as the Tech-Masters of the Teen Titans duke it out in mortal kombat. Cyborg has a look of aggressive concentration on his face. Tony's face, however, is more nonchalant.
"So, you wanna talk about it?" Tony asks calmly as his hands blur over the controls.
"Ain't nothing to talk about," Cyborg answers as he goes for an all-out offense in-game.
"You know, I heard that Robin beat your high score on Trench Run," Tony comments idly.
Cyborg scoffs. "Did he now? I bet he was happy about that."
"Actually, he was pretty sad about it," says Tony, throwing Cyborg off a bit. "I think he would have preferred that you be there."
"Why? So he can rub it in my face that he's better than me?" Cyborg asks accusingly.
"So that you'd be motivated enough to beat him. So that the two of you can relish in the competition together. So that a couple of friends can enjoy themselves with video games and forget about whatever mishaps or–"
"I said I don't wanna talk about it!" Cyborg yells as he throws out a brutal combo at his opponent.
On screen, the crowd sees Sub-Zero freeze Scorpion solid before throwing a flurry of punches and knocking the pyromancer down to the ground.
[SUB-ZERO WINS!]
"Hah! Take that, Moneybags!" Cyborg gloats.
Tony raises an eyebrow. "You know that was only the first round, right?"
Cyborg snorts as Scorpion raises himself up from the ground.
[ROUND 2. FIGHT!]
Cyborg and Tony continue their epic duel as the crowd watches on.
"I know why you're here, Tony," Cyborg says out of the blue.
"To whoop your butt in video games?" Tony asks jokingly.
"Hell no!" Cyborg quickly responds. "You're here to tell me how my argument with Robin was stupid, how the two of us are best friends, how we should just move on from it and forgive each other because our friendship is so powerful and important to each other."
"I suppose so," Tony admits as Scorpion teleports himself behind Sub-Zero. "Then again, why would I have to tell you what you already know."
Cyborg glares from both Tony's comment and the torrent of hellfire that consumes his character, causing his health to go down to zero.
[SCORPION WINS!]
The crowd cheers as the score is tied up between the two players.
"I meant what I said before, Tony. I'm done with the team, Robin especially," Cyborg declares.
"Really now?" Tony asks, unconvinced.
"Really," Cyborg affirms.
On screen, both combatants, bloody and exhausted, assume their stances for the tiebreaker.
[ROUND 3. FIGHT!]
Cyborg grits his teeth as he mashes buttons, determined to beat the blonde in front of him. Tony, however, is still calm and collected as his hands glide effortlessly over his controls. The crowd, meanwhile, cheers on as they see the two rival shinobi beat the crap out of each other on screen.
Tony breaks the tension by saying, "You know, when I was a kid, I had a friend. Although, honestly, at the time, I wasn't sure if I could call him a friend. I mean, we pretty much spent the majority of our time competing and badmouthing each other. To him, I was a hyperactive loser. To me, he was an arrogant emo bastard. Eventually, though, despite everything, we actually started getting along with each other. We went on some adventures, we laughed with each other, and we even saved each other's lives a couple of times."
Cyborg stops gritting his teeth and gains a surprised look on his face.
"I think that's what real friendship is. At the end of the day, despite whatever squabbles or competitions going on, a real friend is someone that will never abandon you, and will support you even in the darkest of times," Tony concludes his speech.
Cyborg looks down as he thinks about his relationship with Robin. He hates to admit it, but there were many more good moments with Robin then bad, and if it came down to it, he would take a bullet for his friend.
"Aaand you're open!"
Cyborg snaps out of his thoughts as he sees that his lapse in concentration has caused Sub-Zero to be wide open for a flurry of strikes from Scorpion, causing Sub-Zero's hit points to drop to nothing. Sub-Zero hobbles back to his feet and sways as Scorpion's gaze focuses on his nemesis.
[FINISH HIM!]
"FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM! FINISH HIM!" the crowd chants, children and adults wanting to see some carnage to end the night.
Cyborg glares at his fellow Titan. "Don't you dare!"
Tony smirks evilly. He quickly presses some buttons in a pattern, and…
Scorpion raises his burning hands up in front of him as if he's lifting something, and a pillar of stone rises behind him. He then launches one of his bladed chains right at Sub-Zero, sinking the blade right into the forehead of his nemesis.
"GET OVER HERE!"
With a mighty pull, Sub-Zero's head is pulled off of his body and flies right past Scorpion, who summons a sword and throws it behind him. The head of Sub-Zero bounces off of the pillar and starts to fall, only for the sword to pierce through the Lin Kuei ninja's cranium and sink into the stone. Sub-Zero's head is stuck on the pillar, his face frozen in agony and twitching slightly, a grizzly spectacle for all to bear witness.
[SCORPION WINS! FATALITY!]
"YOSH!" Tony cries out as he stands up tall and throws his arms up into the air. "The Shirai Ryu have been avenged!"
The crowd cheers along with Tony, celebrating the spectacular match that they just witnessed. The celebration lasts for a good thirty seconds, with a few cries of "We love you, Tony!" thrown in, before the crowd begins to disperse and head off to other areas of the arcade. Tony finishes his celebration as well and walks over to his fellow Titan, who is gritting his teeth and grumbling to himself about "cheating spikey-haired blondes".
"So, you ready to go home?" Tony asks, leaning against Cyborg's station.
Cyborg glares at the blonde for a moment before sighing. "Ah, what the hell." Cyborg gets up and joins Tony in leaving the arcade and heading home.
Location: Downtown Jump City
"You totally hustled me back there!" Cyborg accuses Tony as they both walk out of the arcade.
"To be fair, it has been a good two weeks since I last played," Tony defends himself as he pulls out his Titans communicator to tell the others about Cyborg coming back.
He stops, however, when he sees the T blinking red.
"Oh shoot! I missed a message!" Tony cries out, getting Cyborg's attention. Cyborg looks over the blonde's shoulder as Tony opens the communicator and plays the recording left for him by Robin.
[Tony! I don't know where you are, but Plasmus is attacking the Wayne Chemical Plant on the East Side! We need you here now!]
Tony turns to Cyborg and says, "Okay! Let's go help our fellow Titans."
BOOM!
"…after we deal with that."
The people on the streets run for cover as Cinderblock stomps his way through the city, carrying a cylindrical piece of machinery on his shoulder.
"You brought your suit, right?" Cyborg asks his friend.
"Duh! How do you think I got here?" Tony answers as his Iron Man suit lands right next to him. He immediately begins suiting up.
"Good, because I think a wrapped-up bad guy would be a good apology gift," Cyborg says.
[Good idea,] Tony agrees as his helmet closes over his face.
Cinderblock continues on his way, ignoring the little people around him as he carries out his objective for his master.
"Yo, rockhead! Round two!"
Cinderblock turns his head to see two metal fists from two mechanical heroes heading right for his face.
POW!
Cinderblock staggers back from the hit, dropping the machine in the process.
POW!
Another combo hit, this time with Cyborg throwing a haymaker into Cinderblock's gut, and Iron Man giving the villain a hammer strike to the head.
POW!
A third attack, this one being an uppercut from both heroes that sends the stone giant flying up into the air.
Tony quickly flies up and meets Cinderblock in the air. He powers up his chest reactor for a Uni-Beam.
VRI-SHOOOOOM!
The beam slams into the villain's gut and sends him plummeting to the ground, where Cyborg is waiting for him with his fist cocked back.
POW! "BOOYAH!"
The last hit sends Cinderblock flying right at the machine he was carrying. His stone body slams into the machine, smashing it beyond repair.
Iron Man and Cyborg approach the downed villain and see the swirls in his eyes.
[Feeling better?] Iron Man asks his friend.
"Totally," Cyborg replies with a smile.
[Good. Let's wrap this up then.]
Location: WayneTech Chemical Plant
Robin has not been having a good night tonight. The Team's fight with Plasmus went south from the beginning, with the villain being able to take everything the heroes have dished out at him, and for the villain to dish out just as much. Not only were Plasmus's attacks as strong as Cinderblock's, but the Titans ended up being covered in goop so foul that it made Starfire's pudding seem like a high-class dessert. Luckily, they were able to recover, regroup, and take down the villain for good.
Or, so it seemed. Until the villain split his body up into five smaller, but still monstrous, creatures. This meant that the severely undermanned Titans were now both outmatched and outnumbered. In desperation, Robin ordered the other Titans to split up, making each Titan head off to a different area of the plant. Unfortunately, they each were pursued by a single mini-Plasmus, leaving the head to watch on from afar.
This is where we find Robin now, being pursued by a beetle Plasmus through the halls of the chemical plant. The Boy Wonder runs through a set of doors and falls into a glowing green. He lands on a conveyor belt moving over several vats of green chemicals. As he steadies himself, the beetle lands right behind him.
Robin quickly pulls out his bo staff and hits the beetle with a flurry of strikes. The beetle quickly regenerates from the hits, grabs the staff with its pinchers, and breaks it in half. Robin is unfazed as his staff extends again, becoming full size. He goes for another hit, but the beetle hits his staff out of his hand, sending it flying away. Robin then decides for a more hands on approach. Doing a wonderful impression of Bruce Lee, Robin settles into a loose stance before going in for his attack.
Unfortunately, Robin's attacks do little damage against the ooze beetle. The hero attempts to catch his breath, which leaves an opening for the beetle to tackle Robin and pin him to the ground. As Robin fights off the beetle, he notices that the belt is taking the two of them over to an open vat of acidic chemicals. Robin smirks as he gets an idea. Right at the end of the belt, he flips the beetle over him and into the vat, while he clings on to the end of the conveyor.
Unfortunately, the beetle is able to grab Robin's foot. Now, with the weight of both Robin and the beetle, the belt begins to creak and break apart. Robin desperately tries to pull himself up, but to no avail. The belt breaks, sending Robin screaming to his doom.
Until a white robotic hand grabs his own.
Cyborg pulls Robin up to safety as the beetle dissolves in the chemicals below. Robin catches his breath as Cyborg smirks.
"I still got the Sonic if you still got the Boom," Cyborg offers with a smile.
Robin, reunited with his friend, smiles back.
Meanwhile, Head-Plasmus smirks at his victory over the other Titans, who are trapped inside of his other creations.
VRI-SHOOM!
His victory is short-lived, however, when a repulsor beam blasts him away.
Head-Plasmus recovers and sees Iron Man land right in front of him.
[Otto! It's been a while. You look different. You lose weight?] Iron Man quips.
Head-Plasmus roars in response and sends his monstrosities out to attack the hero.
[Can't say I've missed these little meetups of ours.] Iron Man remarks as he powers up his chest reactor again.
VRI-FWOOOOM!
He releases the energy, not as a beam, but as a wave that washes over all four of the Plasmuses, sending the villain splattering away and releasing the other Titans. Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy regroup with Iron Man.
"You took your time getting here," Raven remarks.
Iron Man shrugs and replies, [I told you I had an errand to run. Now, get back.]
The other Titans are more than eager to do so as Plasmus begins to reform into his single giant form. The villain's face appears on the ooze and begins to growl.
[Hey, Otto!] Iron Man calls out, startling Plasmus as the hero points past the villain. [Don't look behind you!]
Naturally, Plasmus turns to look behind him and sees Robin and Cyborg running right for him.
"TEEN TITANS GO!" Both heroes call out as they run on the walls to perform their Sonic Boom technique. This time, the execution is flawless as Robin throws his bomb with Cyborg shooting his sonic cannon right afterwards. The beam shoots around the bomb, which detonates and adds its blast wave to the sound wave. The combined kinetic energy hits Plasmus dead center, destroying its form in a tremendous explosion.
When the dust settles, all that remains is an average-looking man in his underwear sleeping peacefully in a pile of goo. The Titans all crowd around the unassuming man that nearly killed most of them.
Robin looks at Iron Man and asks, "So, is the Sonic Boom still ridiculous?"
[Not as much, no,] Iron Man admits, [although, is the whole 'running on the wall' thing really necessary?]
Cyborg scoffs. "Everybody's a critic."
Location: WayneTech Chemical Plant, Outside
Iron Man observes as Otto, now in a more reinforced pod, is loaded onto a transport truck bound for Jump City Prison.
[Make sure the trip isn't too bumpy, officer,] Iron Man says to the police officer driving the truck.
"Sure thing, Mr. Stark," The officer replies.
Iron Man nods before giving one last look to the man who was forced into the life of villainy.
[Sweet dreams, Otto,] Iron Man says quietly before walking over to the other Titans.
Meanwhile, Robin and Cyborg are having a moment.
"Look, uh, sorry about…" Robin says, trying to get an apology out.
"Yeah. Me too." Cyborg replies.
"…So, are we cool?" Robin asks tentatively.
Cyborg smiles and holds his fist out. "Frosty."
Robin smiles as well. He gives his mechanical friend a fist bump, signaling their renewed friendship. The other Titans look on with happiness.
"You made up! Glorious!" Starfire cries out with glee. "I wish to initiate a group hug!"
"…Pass," Raven declines.
Beast Boy then breaks the joyful atmosphere by saying, "Yeah yeah yeah! Warm fuzzies all around, but we still gotta stop Cinderblock!"
"No we don't," says Cyborg, confusing the others except Iron Man. "Tony and I brought a present, in case you were still mad." Cyborg motions to the stone giant wrapped up in metal pipes being hoisted up by a crane.
"Oh! So that's why it took so long for you two to get here!" Beast Boy says to the two metal heroes.
Iron Man and Cyborg glance over at each other, then back to the group.
[Yep. Absolutely. That's why it took us a while.] Iron Man confirms, deciding not to tell them about the little duel he had with Cyborg.
"Thanks, but there is still one thing that's bothering me," Robin states, getting horrified looks from Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire. "Tony was right before. Breaking into jail, using Plasmus to distract us, the whole plan seems to be a little too smart for Cinderblock."
"I've been thinking the same thing," Cyborg says, agreeing with his teammate.
Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire sigh in relief from the lack of explosive arguments.
"Someone must have been pulling the strings, but who?" Robin asks as he rubs his chin in thought.
[Thousand bucks says it's this 'Slade' guy that Gizmo mentioned before,] Iron Man suggests.
"Well, whoever they are, they're no match for the Teen Titans!" Cyborg declares.
"I heard that!" Robin says as he high-fives Cyborg, his spirit back up along with everyone else's.
Location: Unknown
Someone else, however, is not so cheerful.
WHAM! CRASH!
That's the sound of a metal fist slamming into a desk, causing a nearby teacup to shatter. An older gentleman in a white suit dutifully sweeps up the broken china, before placing a new cup of tea onto the arm of his employer's throne.
The man sitting on the throne pays no mind to this as he fumes to himself. Slade's plan was going so perfectly. His tool, Cinderblock, was successful in freeing Plasmus, who would have been the perfect distraction for the Teen Titans. The fact that there was a sudden fracture to the team of heroes made the plan even sweeter. With the Titans preoccupied, Cinderblock would have easily been able to plant the device that would have triggered an electromagnetic pulse, which would have wiped out all machinery in the city and created chaos, thus allowing for Slade to take over Jump.
Of course, Tony Stark had to not only reunite the team, but also take out both Cinderblock and Plasmus at the same time. Now, not only has Slade's plan failed, but he's missing his two heavy hitters.
Stark. Slade has underestimated how much of a thorn in his side that boy would be. Him and his Teen Titans. First with the Hive Students, now this. Even the work that he put in for outfitting The Melter with his tech was all for naught.
No more. Slade can't afford to underestimate these young heroes anymore. Not if he wants to accomplish his ambitions.
"Next time, my plans will succeed," Slade declares, his left eye narrowing in determination, "and the Titans will pay."
Location: Titans Tower, Living Room
Safe at home, the Teen Titans are currently kicking back in the living room, resting up from their long day of fighting supervillains and emotional drama. Their relaxation is cut short when Tony walks into the room, still wearing his armor but with the helmet retracted.
"Good news, everyone. Otto and Cinderblock have been safely transported to Jump City Prison. No breakouts, no technical issues, no fuss, and no muss," Tony reports to his teammates.
"Thank goodness for that! I'm too exhausted for fighting bad guys," Beast Boy groans.
"I am also feeling the exhaustion. As well as the grossness," says Starfire as she attempts to clean purple ooze out of her hair.
"Yeah, I think we could all use a cleanup after today," Robin agrees.
"Great idea! You all hit the showers and call it an early night. That way we'll all be well rested for tomorrow. I'll head home and do the same," Tony declares as he turns to leave the room.
"You mean your fancy penthouse with your gigantic luxurious shower room?" Raven asks in a knowing tone.
Tony pauses and looks away shiftily. "…I can neither confirm nor deny the soothing awesomeness that is my shower." With that, he continues heading out, leaving behind some disgruntled teenagers.
That is, until Cyborg stops him.
"Hang on, Tony. There's something I've been wondering about."
Tony stops right at the door. "Yeah?"
"You remember when we were talking earlier, and you mentioned that friend of yours that you argued with a lot, but also saved each other's lives and whatnot?"
"…Yeah?"
"Whatever happened to that guy?"
The rest of the Titans lean in curiously, wanting to know more about their blonde benefactor and teammate.
Tony sighs and turns his head towards his fellow Titans. "…We, uh…we went our separate ways. You know, he had his plans for the future, and I had mine. I mean, we did have a little tussle because I didn't exactly agree with his ambitions, but in the end, I think we understood each other. Last I saw of him, he was in good health. But, yeah, it's been a few years since then."
The other Titans blink owlishly at what they just heard.
"…That was the most uninformative explanation I've ever heard," Raven bluntly states.
Tony turns fully towards the Titans and says, "Look, my past isn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows, okay? It's complicated, it's messy, it's…honestly, I'm a guy who prefers to look to the future."
"You can't run from your past forever, Tony. No matter how much you want to," Raven says sagely.
"I know, Rae. Trust me, I know," says Tony.
"We do not wish to make you uncomfortable, Friend Tony. We are just curious about you. We promise not to pass judgement on you, or destroy our friendship because of what you reveal," Starfire assures gently.
"I appreciate that, Star," Tony says to his redheaded friend. He then addresses the whole group. "I appreciate all of you. You guys have done a wonderful job so far dealing with my quirks, my snark, my sense of humor, all of it. This is the first time in a long while that I've had friends like this, and I don't want to lose it. I promise you that one day soon, I'll tell you everything you want to know about me and then some. I just need some more time, that's all."
"I understand, Tony, about having secrets, and waiting for the right time to tell them," Robin says to the blonde. "You've been patient and trusting with us, so we'll be the same for you."
Tony smiles warmly. "Thank you, guys."
"Just remember; we want all the details! Including the embarrassing ones!" Beast Boy declares.
Tony chuckles. "Especially the embarrassing ones. Don't worry, string bean." He then gives a wave to his friends. "Goodnight, guys."
"Goodnight, Tony!" "Have the most pleasant of dreams, Friend Tony!"
With that, Tony leaves the room and his friends, heading for home.
"Friend Tony is very kind, but also very mysterious," Starfire remarks.
"Yeah, but I kind of like that about him," Beast Boy admits. "He's like this fun video game puzzle you gotta solve." Beast Boy turns to Robin. "What about you, Rob? I bet you're just dying to solve the puzzle that is Tony Stark."
Robin responds by looking away shiftily. "I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation."
That answer prompts a laugh from everyone in the room.
Location: Stark Tower Penthouse, Bathroom
Tony sighs as he steps out of the shower, which is indeed very spacious and luxurious as Raven claimed. He may not have gotten oozed like the others, but the shower was still very much needed. He dries himself off and goes to hang up his towel but stops when he sees his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
He first observes the dead center of his chest, where a circular device emanating a blue light is embedded deep inside. This device is the one thing he owes his life to. The thing that changed his life for the better. The thing that is the center for all of his plans for the future.
Tony's gaze then moves to the upper right side of his chest. There is a circular shaped scar the size of a fist, with veiny lines reaching out, as though he was struck by lightning. He takes his hand and lightly touches the scar. He immediately flinches, not from any physical pain, but from an onslaught of memories that fill his mind.
Tony bends over and breathes deeply as the memories pass by. Eventually, he calms down and breathes evenly. He raises his head and takes one last look at himself in the mirror.
Someday, he'll tell them everything.
'Someday.'
[Insert End Theme: Teen Titans End Credits Theme]
AN: And cut! Well, this chapter is certainly shorter than the previous ones, but full of content nonetheless.
So, the Titans nearly broke up, but thanks to Tony's words, they were able to patch everything up and be friends again. Not only that, but they were able to stop Slade's plans to take over the city. Boy, is he pissed! Expect more trouble from him in the future. And finally, we get to know a bit more about Tony's backstory. Are the pieces starting to come together for you? Don't worry. All will be revealed eventually.
Also, yes, I skipped out on a lot of the initial fight between the Titans and Plasmus, as well as some Slade scenes, in exchange for the arcade scene with Tony and Cyborg. I figured that it would a bit too much to have all of that in there, and I wanted to focus more on Tony's interactions with the team, especially Cyborg. I hope you enjoyed that little gaming moment. BTW, Scorpion's fatality from MKX is my all-time favorite fatality.
Lastly, I included the fight between Iron Man and The Melter because I want to include some of Iron Man's actual rogues into this story. Yes, this will include Stane, Hammer, and the REAL Mandarin. I have some ideas brewing for these guys and their connections to the DC Universe. BTW, hope you liked the little connection I made between The Melter and Plasmus.
Next time, the Teen Titans are visited by a beloved member of Starfire's family. But is that love mutual? And what else has followed them here to Earth? Find out in the next exciting installment of Iron Man: Titanic Adventures!
Until next time!
Dropareviewifyoucanflamerswillbeignored.