There was silence in the wake of the crash...
Cyborg had done his best to keep control, but the T-car had swerved hard and had smashed into the corner of the convenient store, ricocheting off into the middle of the of the intersection.
The beast that had attacked them had jumped off of the hood of the car, now nowhere to be seen. Pieces of the T-car were strewn everywhere, from engine parts to bits of the chassis itself and two thick black skid marks had traced the path of the vehicle to its current resting place.
Robin was the first to speak up, "Is everyone alright?"
Starfire leaned inbetween the two front seats, "We are fine. What was that creature?"
Cyborg's face was grimly serious as he turned to Raven in the back, "That thing had four red-eyes...Look familiar?"
Raven just shook her head with wide unflinching eyes, still in shock.
Beast Boy leaned over to her, "Raven...?"
The dark girl began to shake like a leaf.
"Raven?"
No answer.
He shook her shoulder with a firm hand to snap her out of it, "Raven!"
Her gazed snapped to Beast Boy. She realized that she was trembling and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"I don't know," she hesitated, "I've never seen anything like it...There's no way it could be-"
Her words were cut short by the sound of scraping metal.
SKREEEEE! SKREEEEE! SKRRRRSSHHHH!
Claws grinded and ripped at the T-Car's roof, leaving thin streaks of open sky. The demonic creature above began to shred at the once immaculate metal hard top, causing the automobile to shake and groan under its weight.
Starfire screamed, jerking back into her seat as low as she possibly could. A gaping hole was torn open in the roof, and the fierce beast struggled to get inside of the vehicle, four red-eyes glaring at Raven.
KER-CLICK!
The audible sound of Cyborg's sonic cannon got the beast's attention.
"GET OUTTA MY CAR," the mechanical Titan shouted, letting loose a blast of sonic energy at point blank range. It hit the creature square in the eyes, catapulting it off the roof and onto the street about 15 yards away. It seemed to be at the very least unconscious as it lay on the pavement.
Robin unbuckled his seat belt and leaped off of what was left of the roof. Starfire and Beast Boy helped a still unnerved Raven out of the back. Cyborg had to kick his crushed driver's side door open, and was positively fuming. His cannon still humming, ready to dish out more.
"Your gonna pay for what you did to my baby! Get up so I can blast you again!"
"Cyborg, wait," Raven cried.
He stopped in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at the girl, "What's the hold-up?"
"Regardless of where that creature is from, it bears the mark of Trigon. Don't go near it," she implored.
Cyborg blinked, "I thought you K.O.'ed old four-eyes way back when...Isn't he supposed to be dead?"
"Sort of, but this creature is different...It's power is the same as mine, a byproduct of Trigon. Please, stay back!"
Robin pulled out two throwing disks, cautiously coming closer to the creature.
Beast Boy's eyes went wide like dinner plates, his arms flailing, "Did you NOT just hear the creepy warnings of doom?"
Starfire's green on green eyes went wide, "Robin, stay away from that monster!"
The Boy Wonder got about eight feet away from the beast when dark energy enveloped its form and peeled away to reveal a green skinned girl. He noted the dark clothing she wore, right down to the spiked collar and bracelets, but most of all, he looked at her ears...Elfin ears.
Silence fell on the five as they stared at the unconscious form.
Only Beast Boy could find the one word to sum up the feelings of the Titans.
"Ooookayyyyy..."
The masked boy turned to his teammates, "It's alright. She's out like a light."
The looks on their faces said different.
"What?"
Cyborg elaborated, "Well, for starters- SHE'S GETTING UP!"
Robin turned back, and found the girl was indeed getting to her feet, slender green fingers rubbing her temples, eyes tightly shut. She looked like she had a splitting headache.
The Titan's leader eased forward, putting his disks away, "It's okay, we're not gonna hurt you."
"Speak for yourself! She turned my car into a scratching post!"
A pause, "Not helping..."
The green girl shook suddenly, like she had been struck in the face. A low whine escaped her black painted lips.
Robin inched closer, "Are you alright? Do you need help?"
"REEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAHHHH!"
Her answer was an inhuman screech as she charged at him, black shadow forming vicious claws. The girl swiped wildly at his masked face, growling and hissing with each swing. Robin was barely missing her ferocious attacks, ducking low and jerking back to keep his face from her razor sharp talons. He cocked his leg and kicked out to her face with a steel-booted foot, the heel of his shoe landing square in her face.
Her head flew back from the impact, but as he lowered it, those four-red eyes had returned to her features. She flashed a grin that made Robin's blood go cold, bearing a pair of fangs that gave completed her demonic appearance.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
Above the lonely intersection, the remaining four future Titans stood, watching as their fellow member renewed her frenzy.
Sentinel ran a hand over his long dreadlocks, his silver eyes analytically taking in the fight below, "She's losing it. The beast is taking over again." He raised his right arm and tapped a few buttons on its holographic display, "I'm gonna have to tranq' her."
Nightstar came up beside him, placing a hand on his holo-display, "She's still on target. She knows Raven is the real objective."
He shot her a questioning look, "Then why the hell is she attacking Robin? Remember what I said? Minimal contact with the others. She's disregarded orders, thrown our attack plan completely out the window, and may very well go completely feral on us!"
Superboy yawned, "Look on the bright side. Even if she doesn't snap out of it, once she finishes Raven off we wont have to worry about putting her down."
The dark-skinned Titan glared at the Boy of Steel, "...I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"And I'll pretend that I give a rat's ass..."
"Enough," Nightstar closed her eyes in frustration. The two quarreling Titans went into a brief uneasy silence.
"It doesn't matter if she finishes Raven, but in case you've forgotten, if she takes out our parents when we go too," Sentinel remarked.
Even Superboy didn't respond to that one. It was one of the rare moments that a serious expression washed over his face.
"Then what do we do Nightstar," the red and blue teen asked.
She remained silent, her eyes closed.
"M'ari?"
Geoforce shielded his eyes from the slowly setting sun, but said nothing as he watched Menagerie and the Titans clash. The deep frown on his face said everything.
Why aren't we stopping this?
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
She came at him again, raising her claws high as she jumped before bringing them down in a deep rake. Robin barely had the speed to back off, her claws scratching the front of his red uniform. The Boy Wonder pulled out his bo-staff, hoping he could use it to get some distance between himself and the shape shifter, but one snipe split the metal pole in half.
The girl took advantage of his brief shock and leaped into the air, drop kicking Robin directly in the chest. The blow sent him staggering back, but he managed to stay on his feet. He twirled what remained of his bo-staff, a barely 3 foot long pole and got into a ready stance by turning his body to the side, leaving less of him open to attack.
Even as he planted his foot however, she was coming at him again, her arms growing in size, taking on a bulky shape, similar to that of a gorilla. She didn't waste any time, landing several heavy punches that connected on Robin's face. His body jerked with each powerful, and a sweeping kick to his gut left him breathless and on his knees.
A blue beam of sonic energy shot out, making a bee-line straight for her. In one fluid motion she slammed her boots on Robin's back and used him as a springboard, vaulting over the blast and straight for the one who fired it. She landed on Cyborg's chest, holding onto his shoulders with her large black hands. The tin-man's eyes went wide and a gasp escaped him, as shadow merged on her brow, forming a rhino's horn...He knew what was coming, but wasn't fast enough to stop it.
BAM! SLAM! BAMM!
Her assault on his half-metal cranium was excruciating, each smashing blow leaving a large dent on his metal side, or a bruise on his human side. All the cybernetic hero could do was try and push her off of him, but each attempt was met with another skull-cracking blow to the head.
"Cyborg," Beast Boy cried. He morphed into a raptor and charged to rescue his friend. The green reptile hissed, bearing its sharp teeth, claws tapping at the ground with each stride. The girl nonchalantly raised a hand and took a swipe at him, her shadowed hand extending far behind her current prey, smacking the dinosaur across the face. The jarring blow knocked the raptor off to the side, the lizard transforming back into a subdued green changeling.
The shadow finally melted away from her face and she rolled over his massive frame, but kept her grip on his robotic shoulders. She landed gracefully behind him, arms bent back to keep a hold on him. Cyborg barely had time to scream as she raised him over her head with unnatural strength and slammed him head first into the concrete.
The pavement beneath him gave way and broke under his heavy weight, but she wasn't done with him. She gripped him by his waist and hoisted him up again. The human side of Cyborg's face was twisted in anguish, but his verbal cries were cur short as he collided with the pavement again and again, completely at the mercy of his unknown assailant.
The neon-blue panels embedded in his metal body began to dimmed and before turning a deathly pale gray. Satisfied, the girl dropped him, his legs dangling over him until she pushed the large Titan over, leaving him sprawled out on the ground.
Starfire's eyes shined bright with green fury, eager to avenge her friends with starbolts in hand. She bellowed a loud war cry to X'hal, the Tamaranean goddess, and threw a blinding barrage of green orbs at the dark haired girl. It phased the possessed girl little however, for as each bolt collided with her small body, a shield of black shadow formed, stopping the blazing hot energy before it could do any damage.
Raven grabbed the Tamaranean girl's shoulder tightly, "Starfire stop! You can't beat her alone."
Starfire hesitantly relented in her attack as the girl closed in slowly, almost methodically. It was like watching a cat approach a cornered mouse, the girl's lips curled in a toothy feral grin, while those four red eyes blazed with an unholy fury.
Starfire's eyes blazed back with equal fire, "Then let's stop her together."
Raven raised her darkening palms, while her alien-friend charged a powerful starbolt in her clenched fists. The two gave a fierce yell before combining their powers, the two energies swirling together like a corkscrew as the beam screamed towards it target.
The heavy blast struck the crazed assailant, but her own shield of ebon energy protected her once again. The beam bounced off of her petite frame and was sent skyward.
The two Titans backed off as the girl closed in.
"Not good..."
"Agreed."
"Her soul-self isn't that powerful...I'll distract her. When you see an opening..."
"Commence with the kicking of the butt," the Tamaranean cried, quickly floating up and out of her opponent's reach, where she hovered, starbolts ready.
Raven steeled herself and charged, leaping into the air and unleashing a flurry of kicks. The green skinned girl smirked, nonchalantly blocking each kick like it was a game of tag, offering no opportunity for Starfire to attack from above.
Before the Raven could readjust herself, a claw lashed out at her stomach, leaving four red gashes in her black leotard. She backed off, clutching her abdomen and gritting her teeth in pain. The uppercut that followed sent her crashing to the ground.
The possessed girl didn't pounce, as Raven thought she would, but instead leaped in the air.
"Starfire look out!"
The airborne Titan gasped.
Menagerie giggled like an insane five-year old as she collided with Starfire in mid air, wrapping her dark fingers around the alien's throat. The Tamaranean gurgled for air as they both fell to the earth. Had it not been for Raven's soul self forming a slope to the roll them gently onto the ground Starfire would have been crushed.
The possessed girl did not relent however, her madness deepening as he clenched her hands even tighter around Starfire's neck.
A pair of big burly arms latched onto Menagerie from behind. The hefty gorilla arms of a very angry Beast Boy lifted her off of his friend and held her tight, making sure to keep her deadly arms down where they couldn't lash out.
Starfire rolled over onto her knees and coughed violently, her lungs gasping for air.
Raven kneeled beside the alien to make sure she was alright, before attending to business of her own. The wild girl that was thrashing about in a green gorilla's arms, screeching at him like a banshee.
The sorceress cautiously approached, raising her pale hands into the air. Slowly, the familiar words began to escape her lips, "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos..."
"EAAAAHHHRRRR," the girl cried, becoming even more aggravated by the holy words that had been taught to Raven years ago. It was like anathema to her as she convulsed, a look of pain crossing over her demonic eyes.
The gorilla nodded, keeping a tight grip on the girl. If he could have said something in his animal form, he would have cheered Raven on. Nonetheless, the dark girl's chanting became faster, more incessant, like a command. Like an order for Trigon's spirit to leave the body of the girl.
Black shadow once again covered the petite girl's form, and Beast Boy had to use every ounce of strength he had to hold her in place. A worried look crossed his ape form's face.
The burst of soul-self energy that erupted from the girl's form was tremendous, sending a shock wave of black shadow everywhere and sending Raven, Starfire, and a very surprised gorilla on their backs. The girl landed on her feet as if nothing had happened, her four eyes still glowing red. The only difference was that she was most definitely angry. The snarl on her black lips was loud enough to be heard even from the rooftops.
In a dark voice, masculine and deep, she spoke, "Pathetic...I truly expected more from my only daughter."
Raven's head shot up, her violet eyes wide with fear, "No...No... We stopped you. I finished you!"
The voice chuckled somewhere inside the girl's throat. It was obvious the voice was not her own, "I am eternal...Dearest daughter. I am not going anywhere."
Menagerie closed in on Raven, the grin on the petite girl's face was that of amusement and smug arrogance. Raven raised a hand towards the girl, her fingers pulsating with dark energy, "Don't come any closer!"
"Heh heh heh...If you truly have the power to destroy me, why bother with threats?"
Raven was about to answer, but the metal pole that struck Menagerie in the back of the head stole her moment.
The girl turned, dazed from the dizzying blow to her head, and was greeted with a sonic blast to the midsection that shook her to the core. Cyborg grinned, firing off one last shot that left the girl unconscious, and this time, the Titan made sure his blast was powerful enough to get the job done.
Robin grinned, spinning a fresh bo-staff between his fingers, "If only we could have done that the first time..."
Raven blinked, the curve of a smile forming on her lips as she struggled to her feet, "Thanks for the backup."
Cyborg was helping a staggering Beast Boy to his feet, "It's not like we were real busy after getting our butts handed to us."
Raven smirked, "Stick to your fast food jokes BB. Sarcasm doesn't become you."
Her comment was met with an outstretched tongue.
"Much better."
Robin leaned down to Starfire, "Hey, are you okay?" Starfire had begun to breath normally again, looking up at the Titan, "I am now..."
"I'm glad...," Robin replied with a smile of relief.
HeeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
A sharp whistling sound echoed in the streets, the sound that bombs made in old World War II films.
Beast Boy blinked, looking around nervously, "What is that?"
The noise was getting louder
Still on her back, Raven looked up, and saw it coming. She pointed a finger skyward, "Above us!" A bright ball of glowing blue energy was crashing down upon them, but it was different, casting undulating waves of light around it as it fell. The sound grew louder, the whistle becoming a loud ringing.
The Titans didn't have time to scatter as it crashed into the pavement with a bright blinding flash, and the ringing became an earsplitting blast of sound.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
Starfire blinked back tears as the bright light in her resilient eyes began to fade. She thanked X'hal that her eyes were built to resist such bright rays of light, the kind that she might experience in the vacuum of space. The Tamaranean got to her feet, catching her second wind and looked around to find the source of the attack.
It did not take long for her to notice that her fellow Titans were still incapacitated, clutching their ears from the sound waves, or shielding their eyes from the flash. It also didn't take long for her to notice that they were surrounded by four figures.
One in particular caught her interest.
She was most definitely Tamaranean, the eyebrows gave it away, along with her unusually lithe figure that was wrapped in a black suit. It reminded her of Nightwing's costume. She even wore a black and white mask that hid her eyes. Still, there was a hint of Tamaranean-inspired design in her outfit.
Starfire blinked in shock, "R'uh na'ackt euul jackt?"
The one in red and blue blinked, "Oh great! She's babbling funny alien talk."
The masked girl looked at her incredulously.
Starfire continued in Tamaranean, "Mr'i vor weishu be'ruut? Tam'ran vor weishu be'ruut?"
He groaned as placed his fingers in his ears, "Now shut her up!"
Again, her words were met with a blank stare beneath the girl's mask.
Starfire would have said more, but a heavy unseen weight shoved her aside and held her body flat against a brick building. The blond haired Geoforce held out a gloved hand that was surrounded by a yellow aura, "Sorry Miss Starfire...," he said, a sad tone in his young voice, "It won't take long. We promise."
The Tamaranean blinked, not comprehending his words until the remaining three turned towards a recovering Raven, who hadn't yet caught sight of them. Starfire's eyes went wide, "No! Leave friend Raven alone!" She began to struggle against the force that had bound her to the wall, her green eyes blazing with fierce determination.
Geoforce sighed, "It's not up to us."
The tallest one, dressed in black and gray leaned down to the defeated shifter that had nearly choked Starfire to death. He gently tapped her cheeks with his palm, "Come on Menagerie...Wake up. Come on." The girl groaned and awoke, a single pair of shining violet . Her voice was much different than before; meek and childlike, "What happened?"
The boy gave a subdued smile, "Thought we lost you. Come on, let's get you on your feet." He gently lifted her up.
"If you are done making googly eyes at each other, we have a mission to complete," Superboy shouted.
Her lips wavered a little as she spoke, "It's not over?"
His face grew hard and serious, "Not yet..."
The one in red and blue started towards Raven, "Then enough with the yak-yak! Let's finish her off already!"
A pair of mechanical arms slid under his and wrapped around the back of his neck, putting him in a half-nelson. The effects of the concussion blast had worn off, and Cyborg had a tight grin on Superboy, "Sorry, but threatening my friends tends to put me in a bad mood!" Even the Boy of Steel noted his strength, for he couldn't free himself from the cyborg's grip.
"Same with me," Robin added, his bo-staff raised towards Nightstar. "Who are you and why are you attacking Raven?" The girl didn't answer and instead, drew a bo-staff of her own, extending the tip right back at Robin.
"It's none of your business..."
"Your after Raven...I'm making it my business..."
The low growl caught Sentinel's attention and he turned to his right, towards Beast Boy. The green Titan didn't have to speak to get his point across, bearing his fangs instead. The tall boy began his approach, clenching his metal fists. They illuminated with blue sonic energy, their hum a clear warning to the changeling. Sentinel didn't have to speak to get his point across either.
The last two could only stare at each other.
On one side, Menagerie stood, looking a little unsure of herself now that she wasn't possessed. Despite that, she balled her green fists and got into a ready stance, keeping her legs shoulder length apart, one leg slightly forward. Her face was a mixture of nervousness, anticipation, and worry.
Raven could only wonder what had happened to the vicious fighter that she had encountered earlier, replaced by this scared little girl. The sorceress leveled her hands toward her adversary, calling forth her black soul-self around her fingers, eyes glowing white, "You belong here..."
The girl visibly winced at those words, a hurt that went straight to the heart yet seemed to bolster her resolve rather than weaken it, "I know..."
The ten heroes became silent.
A standoff.
They didn't move, they didn't speak, and some didn't even breathe. It was unknown how long they stood waiting, but all at once, without warning, the intersection erupted into chaos.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
Superboy lowered his body down, forcing Cyborg off of his feet, and shot backwards in a bursts of flight, sending both of them crashing into a building. As they collided with the structure, Cyborg's grip loosened, and gave his opponent the chance he needed to escape. Superboy wasted no time, slamming his left elbow into the side of Cyborg's head and following up by shifting his body in midair to give the mechanical Titan a strong right cross to the cheek.
The force of the blow dug Cyborg even deeper into the side of the building, but he wasn't about to be defeated so easily.
KER-CLICK! KER-CLICK! KER-CLICK!
The panels in his shoulders and chest opened up to reveal an assortment of missle pods. The small projectiles ignited and released themselves at point blank range, finding their target mere inches away.
KA-BOOOM!
The deafening explosion rocked the street, but did little against Superboy, who's uniform was only slightly blackened from the blast. The smoke however, was enough to choke and left The Boy of Steel hacking and coughing as he backed off to get clear of the fumes.
Two blue beams of sonic energy burst forth from the ball of smoke and struck him square in the chest, leaving Superboy on his back in a daze. The loud thud of metal feet landing on top of him brought the boy back to reality.
"You like messing with girls, eh? How about messing with me!" the titanium Titan yelled, before assailing the object of his anger with his heavy fists, pummeling Superboy into the ground beneath his large frame. Cyborg didn't relent for a second, taking all of his anger out on the helpless Superboy below. He just kept on punching, each blow creating a booming rhythm and sending tremors through the street.
Cyborg ended his beating with a strong back fist across Superboy's face, leaving the boy groaning, bruised, and bleeding from his lip. With his rage spent and his breath ragged, the Titan stood over his opponent. The "S" caught his eye.
"...Just a wannabe poser."
The tremendous heat blast that struck Cyborg almost melted his metallic chest-plate, but luckily, he dove to the right before it could do any damage to his human parts. He was dumbfounded as to how the kid could still have any fight left after the beating he took.
Sure enough, Superboy was up and on his feet, looking completely pissed.
"Don't you ever call me a poser you freak!"
"What you call me!"
"You deaf? Your a FREAK! I wonder how much of you is still human? Bet you keep your leftover d in a glass jar!"
Cyborg's human eye narrowed. He had pushed a button that no one had pushed in since he had become what he was today, since he had joined the Titans, and it awoke something deep in the mechanical Titan. A hard bitterness and hatred.
"You asked for it punk...Now your butt is mine!"
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
"I'm not going to ask again! Who are you?" Robin shouted, sending his bo-staff into a flurry of strikes, each thrust going for the ribs and shoulders. Each thrust was deftly blocked with Nighstar's staff. He swung low and deep with the pole, hoping to catch her in the knee, but she slammed the tip of her staff into the ground, blocking the blow and leaped up into the air while holding onto her weapon.
Robin caught a kick across the face that left a red mark on his cheek, but brought his staff to bear again, leveling it at the masked girl.
She smirked, raising her staff high and bringing it down on Robin, who blocked by holding the staff on both ends and raising his bo high. Nightstar felt that familiar feeling of courage well up inside of her, and her inherited strength came to bear on her opponent.
Robin grunted, struggling to keep Nightstar's attack at bay. He quickly leaped back a few feet to get some distance between his attacker.
"Answer me!"
The amused look on her face vanished. He had hit a chord in her, "Dont." The girl's hands began to glow a deep cyan, a new onslaught beginning as she charged again, "Tell." The energy channeled into her bo staff, igniting the tips of her weapon in blue fire, "Me." She twirled the weapon, circular trail of blue-green fire, "What to DO!" She attacked with calculated rage, her flaming staff breaking Robin's bo with ease and leaving him vulnerable to her weapon.
Robin contorted his body to the left, using every muscle in his dexterous body to dodge the hot weapon. A high swing barely skimmed over his head, and singed the very tips of his spiky hair. He was glad his hair gel wasn't flammable, but had no time to reflect on it as the speed of Nightstar's strikes only quickened. She thrust the tip of her staff out at his solar plexus, and the only way The Boy Wonder could avoid it was to go into a full back bend.
He planted his gloved hands firmly onto the ground and used the momentum to bring his legs up. One leg swung out to his right, redirecting the staff, while the other went straight up. His boot collided with Nightstar's chin, her head jerking from the blow.
She growled, holding her now sensitive jaw in one hand, while using her staff to guard.
Robin landed in a low crouch and dug for his belt, unsheathing two bird-a-rangs. In practiced form, he compacted the two weapons together, and extended his bird-blade. He only used this weapon on occasions that involved life and death. Now was a perfect time to use it.
"Don't make me hurt you..."
Nightstar released her chin and worked her jaw a little, making sure it wasn't broken, "A little late for that don't you think?"
"It's never too late...Just back off and we'll talk about this."
"There's nothing left to talk about," her staff seemed to ignite with a newfound fire and Robin could feel the heat even at a distance. Sweat dripped from his brow, but he didn't give an inch, leveling the tip of his word at her.
"Your choice."
A battle cry, and they continued.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
Sentinel held the green wolf by throat with his left hand, his stoic demeanor broken and his temper leaking through his normally calm features. Silver gloves kept a grip on Beast Boy, but their owner wouldn't give the changeling a chance to transform.
His right fist glowed with sonic energy, and a powerful haymaker connected, smashing into the Beast Boy's canine ribcage. The following concussion detonated, rocketing the Titan into a telephone pole. The heavy wooden beam shook from the impact, and the elf transformed back into his humanoid form on his stomach. He struggled to block the pain shooting through his back.
He barely managed to get his head up, when a foot came crashing into it, flipping the small teen onto his back. The green Titan could feel the warm red blood issuing from his nose.
A silver hand gripped the front of his purple and black costume, lifting him up to meet the the gaze of his dreadlocked adversary.
Even though Beast Boy's vision was blurred, he could still see the inner-works of those silver eyes. They were robotic, no doubt able to see more than most humans could.
"It's all your fault..."
Garfield could barely respond, "Huh...? Wha...?"
A head butt from Sentinel didn't help, further injuring his already bleeding nose.
"You and your mutated DNA...Your just as guilty as Raven," he yelled, and prepared to strike once more.
A hairy green claw caught his fist and held it firmly. The dark-skinned boy's eyes went wide with surprise as the once small boy took shape. He grew to a good seven feet in height; bearing vision fangs, a bushy mane that resembled a lion's, combined with fierce bear/dog features. In a quick burst of speed, the creature attacked, clawing and slashing at an unprepared Sentinel.
Beast Boy had quite literally 'Unleashed the Beast'.
His claws left deep trenches of marks in the metal plates of Sentinel's armor, and deep gashes of red when they penetrated his thick costume. The only thing that saved his throat was a quick roll to the side, but the Beast was again upon him.
Sentinel extended a fist and fired a concussion blast directly into the face of the Titan. The bright blast and sharp piercing explosion was enough to stall the Beast for a moment.
The Beast didn't even have time to regain his hearing before a flurry of blue blades came humming towards him. The nimble monster quickly somersaulted over the slicing wrist blades and landed behind his attacker.
The only defense Sentinel could muster in time was crossing his blades together, as the claws clashed against the glowing weapons. It became a battle of strength as the two pressed forwad, their weapons grinding against each other.
The boy managed to slip a leg under the tight defense and sent a crushing kick into the Beast's stomach. It wouldn't injure the juggernaut of a creature, but it did cause him to react enough for his guard to weaken. A strong shove followed with a loud "Hraah!" as Sentinel managed to break Beast Boy's defense.
And as the green Titan staggered back, Sentinel sprinted in pursuit, his blades slicing at his foe with renewed vigor.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
Starfire's green eyes ignited, releasing her eye starbolts upon an unknowing Georfoce. The twin beams sent him rolling onto the street, his orange and clay-red suit marred with a pair of black circles. He patted at his smoking chest, gasping at the sheer force of the deceptive attack.
The Tamaranean fell from the wall and onto her feet, starbolts waiting for whatever her opponent would send her way.
"Cool...," he said, "I didn't know you could do that!"
The alien threw him a look of confusion, unsure of whether to thank him for the compliment, or to blast him with another starbolt. Geoforce quickly recovered from the hit and extended both hands towards her.
"But I bet you didn't know I could do this!"
A searing wave of heat erupted from his hands, yellow waves racing towards Starfire. She fly straight up just in time to avoid the scalding hot blast that left a gaping hole in the wall where she once stood. He didn't relent, keeping a focused beam of heat that trailed after the Titan, leaving burn marks in buildings as he sought to bring the girl down.
Starfire responded in kind with a barrage of starbolts as she retreated from the hot waves. The small green bolts of energy peppered the pavement around the blond-haired teen, but none hit their mark. She was too busy dodging the beam of heat to take careful aim.
Geoforce finally lowered his hands, the heat dissipating, "Alright...If you won't come down...," A burst of yellow issued from his feet that catapulted him into the air, and a hot trail of the same energy trailed behind him as he pursued the red-haired girl. He grinned, sliding the goggles over his eyes as he closed in on her. She quickly shot upwards, the two climbing even higher in altitude.
A brown glove wrapped around Starfire's ankle and glowed with earthly power. The boy had latched onto her, and his the weight of his gravity powers began to drag the Tamaranean down.
"Release me!"
"You promise to come down?"
A starbolt narrowly missed his ear.
"I'll take that as a no," he lamented.
He held on as tightly as he could, even as a starbolt hit him in the right side. Geoforce extended a free hand and released another blast of heat that burned Starfire's left hand before she could release another bolt.
It was at that moment that time seemed to slow down for the young Geoforce, and a redness spread on his cheeks. Starfire stopped her attack, curious as to his hesitant pause.
"Wow...they're pink..."
A slew of alien curses rang out as a purple-clad boot smashed onto the geomancer's blond head. The blow loosened his grip and the two separated, but were far from finished.
They circled each other high above the city's towering buildings, green bolts and yellow beams flying everywhere in the darkening sky above. Geoforce began to climb higher as another bolt landed on his shoulder. Once high enough he brought his hands down over the Tamaranean, and that invisible force worked on her body once more, but this time she resisted the extra pulls of gravity.
The goggled teen focused and with a loud cry unleashed a massive yellow wave of heat down on Starfire. The blast was a direct hit that sent the girl plummeting to the earth. A loud booming thud signalled her arrival.
She could hardly even move, her body smoking from the intense heat of the beam. With a weak whimper, she collapsed in a bed of the loose dirt that had been revealed in the wake of her impact with the road.
The glow in Geoforce's fingers faded, and the boy visibly winced as he saw her laying there.
"Sorry!"
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Raven chanted, pale hands pressed against the cold concrete, spreading her dark soul-self along the moonlit ground . The mass shadow streamed forth in pursuit of Menagerie, who had fallen back in a series of back flips that kept her mere inches from the black form.
From a backwards somersault she landed on the roof of a white sports car. The shadow quickly surrounded the parked car, and tendrils of dark power began to overtake the vehicle.
The girl's head darted around the car, noticing that she was surrounded. Under the assault of the magical power, the car began to groan and crunch, slowly being crushed.
Menagerie leaped from the vehicle towards Raven just as the remainder of the car was consumed, for she wasn't too eager to find out what the energy would do to her vulnerable flesh. The green-skinned girl sent out three quick kicks, trying in vain to get the sorceress to relent.
Raven's white eyes didn't flinch, as her dark hands blocked each blow with a wave of her soul-self. She caught one of Menagerie's ankles in a quick snatch and unceremoniously tossed the girl through the glass window of a nearby dwelling. Luckily, nobody was home.
The girl slowly hobbled out of the now open window, her right arm bleeding from numerous cuts.
"Owwie...Owwie...," she cried in a low whimpering voice, like a child with a sprained knee.
Even the stoic Raven couldn't watch and not have some sympathy for the girl, her white eyes shifting back to their normal violet, "Why are doing this?"
Menagerie raised glistening eyes towards Raven and wiped them with the sleeve of her black dress, before getting to her feet once again, summoning her claws once more.
"Because I don't belong."
She began to swipe wildly at the dark Titan, her claws stretching several feet to reach her. One claw narrowly missed the goth's weaving form, slicing a metal lamp post in two.
Raven ducked and weaved, her cloak fluttering against her form as she dodged the shifter's attacks. She flicked her wrist at Menagerie, releasing a burst of dark power that canceled out an impending claw, before launched another wave with her second hand, sending the girl airborne once again.
This time, Menagerie landed on her feet and crouched to stay stable, panting from fatigue.
The half-demon sighed, shaking her head, "Your drained from your transformation..."
"What do you know about it," the girl cried.
"I know that he tries to take hold of you."
Menagerie tried to respond, but couldn't find the words. She knew Raven was right.
"I know that you can't control it...I can help you, if you'll let me."
The elfin girl struggled to find something to say, her ebony-painted lips wavering. Her eyes watered once again, and her petite form sagged from exertion and blood loss. A small pool at formed beneath her green hand.
"Please..."
ZAAT!
A cyan starbolt smashed into Raven's back, burning a hole through her cape and sending the girl face first to the ground. The Titan rolled back onto her feet and called forth her dark powers once again.
Her eyes widened as a blue sonic blast collided with her chest, knocking her to her feet again.
The remaining four assailants had formed a wide semi-circle in front of her, while a shaky Menagerie was to her rear. She was surrounded.
"Where are my friends," Raven shouted.
Superboy obliged her, throwing a severed robotic arm to her feet. Raven scooted away from it as quickly as she could.
"Man, who knew Cyborg was such a friggin' tank? Put up one hell of a fight..."
"You didn't..."
Nightstar shook her head, her mask narrowed, "No...They aren't dead, just incapacitated."
Sentinel took a step forward, "We didn't mean for it go this way, but it can't be helped. It will however, end here."
Geoforce sighed, "We really are sorry..."
Raven got to her feet, "So that was your plan all along? Eliminate me?"
Superboy rolled his eyes, "Of course! You think we beat you guys senseless for a friendly 'How Doya Do?'?"
"Why?"
Menagerie answered, "Because you don't belong either."
Raven turned to the girl, then back to the other four. Her friends were unable to help her, and she was surrounded by a group of people who's only mission was to end her life. They were too powerful for the sorceress to bring down on her own...
A dark voice whispered in the depths of her mind, "You can win...Just give in...Wipe them out...All of them."
She quickly extinguished the thought and summoned her powers. Her soul-self swarmed around her, transforming her into a shadowy raven. The bird quickly dove for the ground and seemingly vanished in the dark night.
T-T-T-T-T-T-T
The dark shadow cast itself upon the ground, traveling as quickly as it could, until it was several blocks away. The dark energy finally came to a stop and swirled in a circle on the ground. Raven emerged from her soul-self a second later, breathing heavily as she collapsed onto the ground in a puff of dirt.
Her eyes took in her surroundings.
She had come to a stop in the middle of a construction site. In fact, the very same construction site where they had fought the white symbiont only a few days ago. The same place where Beast Boy claimed he had seen Terra once more.
Raven groaned, rising to her feet and brushing the dirt off of her leotard and cape, looking around as she did so. She breathed a sigh of relief, for she saw no sign of her pursuers.
It was then that the reality of her situation hit her. She was completely alone and sooner or later the five hunting her would find and finish what they started.
"I have to get out of here...I have to get away," she told herself aloud.
"Your not going anywhere!"
Raven gasped, and turned around.
Sure enough, the five were standing there, each one of them poised to attack.
"...No...," was all she could say, her eyes wide with fear.
"It ends here Raven...," Nightstar warned her as the five spread out to surround her and close in.
"Prepare to die..."
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T
A/N: I'm such a bastard aren't I?
