32 Productions Presents…
A Teen Titan Fan Fiction The Teen Titans in…"For Friendship's Sake
Chapter One
Abandoned Hospital
Dr. Mortimer Kane a.k.a. Dr. Blades sat in his rocking chair. Rocking always helped him think, or more accurately, plot. Plotting was just what he was doing now. Even after enlisting Blackfire's aid, he and Krystal STILL couldn't defeat the Titans. Blackfire joined both out of respect for the friendship she had with Krystal as a kid and to get another chance to kill Starfire. However, it was starting to look like it was in vain. Dr. Blades knew she wouldn't be patient much longer. Eventually she would decide she could do just as well on her own. That would be an annoying setback, one he was trying to avoid. Now he had a pretty good plan brewing. Dr. Blades was very particular about how his plans worked, so he was taking the time to rehearse what he was going to say to the Titans when he contacted them. Everything else was all set. Speaking of which… He stood up and went to find his "employees". As he predicted they were watching TV in another room, lounging on the hospital beds. What he didn't predict stood in the middle between the two. He stared at it, his eye twitching. He had a pretty good idea who was responsible.
Dr. Blades: …Krystal…why does Terra have make up all over her face?
Krystal: She wanted to look pretty.
Ask a silly question, get a silly answer, or so they say. Blackfire snorted.
Blackfire: I'd have thought you'd be more curious about the furry boa and tutu.
Dr. Blades: I was afraid of the answer.
Krystal: Her neck looked cold.
Blackfire: She's made of stone. Her whole body looks cold.
Krystal sprang from the bed.
Krystal: My god, you're right!
Krystal pulled the sheet off her bed and wrapped it around Terra's statue. Dr. Blades pinched the bridge of his nose.
Dr. Blades: Enough! Move her to the location…
Krystal gasped.
Krystal: Not the…location! You're mad! Mad I say!
Dr. Blades: KRYSTAL!
Krystal squeaked and went silent. Blackfire sighed and got up.
Blackfire: Alright, alright. We'll move the stupid stone girl. This better be worth it, Blades, or I walk. I'm telling you right now. I didn't become a part of this little trio to fail.
Krystal stood up and smacked her fist against her palm.
Krystal: Yeah! We can fail all on our own!
Blackfire turned to her and glared. Krystal waved sheepishly.
Krystal: Not that we would fail…heh…just…we're capable of doing it.
Dr. Blades: Ladies, ladies. Calm down. I assure you, one way or another, the Titans will suffer.
Dr. Blades threw back his head and shrieked with laughter. Blackfire and Krystal looked at each other nervously. Then Krystal grinned.
Krystal: Hey, when in Rome, Blackie…
Krystal threw her head back and laughed. Blackfire sweatdropped.
Blackfire: It's official. I'm the only sane one here.
:CUE THEME:
Titan Tower: Hallway
Starfire walked down the hall, her hands clasped in front of her and a merry smile on her face. After digging through her closet, she found a recipe for a dish she had never made before. Obviously some substitutions would need to be made. That…"glue" substance seemed very similar to Crebnark goo. It even sounded the same! Glue, goo…how could she possibly be wrong? She stopped when she saw Robin and Cyborg standing in the hall. There was a lot of noise in front of them, but they were blocking her view. She flew up to see what was happening. Beast Boy and Shade were fighting again. This was no surprise. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. …but this time, while their fights usually simply last until they both got tired, Beast Boy was beating the snot out of Shade. Starfire bit her finger as she watched the green boy sock her oldest friend in his jaw, the force of his head moving back causing his sunglasses to fall.
Starfire: Should we not
stop them?
Robin: …er…
Cyborg: You want to make BB mad right now?
Beast Boy grabbed Shade by his coat and slammed his forehead against the stunned boy's nose. Shade gurgled as his nose began bleeding badly. Shade fell to the ground, dazed and in pain. Beast Boy pointed a finger in his face.
Beast Boy: I told you to shut the f up about her!
Shade didn't reply. He was so stunned to have lost the fight that he was rendered speechless. Beast Boy stomped off. Robin held Shade up.
Robin: You okay?
Cyborg: Damn, you got your ass kicked.
Shade winced and felt his nose. It wasn't broken, thankfully…just bleeding badly. He pinched it closed, trying to arrest the flow.
Shade: Yeah. I'm almost proud of the little snot.
Starfire: What did he mean by his…obscenity laced declaration?
Shade shrugged.
Shade: All I said was that Terra's room was getting as dusty as she was.
They glared at him.
Shade: What?
Cyborg: Man, you deserved that.
Robin: I'd have done worse.
Robin and Cyborg left, shaking their heads. Shade turned to Starfire, his dull gray eyes full of confusion.
Shade: Could you PLEASE tell me what I did?
Starfire sighed and picked Shade's glasses up off the ground. After checking to make sure they weren't damaged, she handed them to him.
Starfire: It was rather insulting, Shade.
Shade: Tsk. People are too sensitive, I swear.
Starfire tilted her head.
Starfire: Oh? And if I were to refer to Raven in an insulting manner, you would take it in stride?
Shade covered her mouth. She let out a squeal of disgust and wiped the blood from her face. He had used the wrong hand. He resumed pinching his nose.
Shade: Sorry. Don't SAY things like that! She'll hear you!
Shade turned and started heading to the bathroom. He needed to wash up and get some tissues. Starfire followed, her urge to cook forgotten. Something needed to be said.
Starfire: You surely do not believe she is unaware of your feelings.
Shade: …you told!
Starfire waved her hands in front of her defensively, shaking her head.
Starfire: No! X'hal, no! I would not do such a thing. It is simply not required. When I was in Raven's body, I was assaulted by the emotions of those around me, usually from Raven within my body. I could sense them…nearly taste them. The chances that you have successfully hidden your emotions from Raven are quite slim.
Shade went into the bathroom and grabbed a wad of toilet paper. It would work just as well as tissues anyway, because the box was empty.
Shade: So why doesn't she SAY something? Damn it, that just makes it worse!
Starfire: I cannot speak for her. Perhaps she does not wish to hurt your feelings with rejection. Perhaps she does not wish to acknowledge your sentiments for fear of what emotions could well up within her. These are merely conjuncture, you understand.
Shade sighed.
Shade: I really wish you hadn't told me that.
Starfire: I am sorry…
Shade: …now I know how hopeless it really is.
Shade left Starfire standing there, stunned. She hadn't meant to make him upset. Starfire washed her face off before going back to go cook.
Main Room
Beast Boy hunched over, angrily pressing the buttons on the controller. Cyborg entered and sat down next to him. He figured he should cheer his best friend up somehow.
Cyborg: Yo, pass me the other controller.
Beast Boy: (muttering) Get it yourself.
Okay, this was going to be harder then he thought. Beast Boy wasn't the type to take things out on other people.
Cyborg: …look, BB, he was out of line when he said that.
Beast Boy: You're damn right he was out of line! I don't need to be reminded about what happened to Terra! I think about it every fing day!
Suddenly all the lights went out. It was a power outage. Beast Boy threw the controller at the TV.
Beast Boy: Oh this is just great! I didn't even get to save!
Dr. Blades: Oh, so sorry. How about I let you save something else?
Dr. Blades appeared on the TV screen. The other Titans arrived to find out why the power was gone. They had back up generators for this mess.
Dr. Blades: Oh, the gang is all here.
Robin: What do you want?
Dr. Blades looked hurt.
Dr. Blades: Now that was rude. Do you treat all your callers this way?
Starfire: Merely the psychotic ones.
Dr. Blades: Hurtful words. Hurtful like the ones Shade spoke earlier.
Shade: …how'd you know about that?
Dr. Blades: Pfft. Who do you think you're talking to Casanova?
Shade winced and glanced toward Raven. She didn't acknowledge anything. Maybe Starfire was wrong.
Dr. Blades: Anyhoo…I decided to check.
The image changed to Terra's stature. Krystal was painting her face like a clown.
Krystal: Clowns are both happy and terrifying!
The image went back to Dr. Blades. He coughed and cleared his throat.
Dr. Blades: Yes…well…uh…doesn't look too dusty to me.
Beast Boy clenched his fists tightly.
Beast Boy: Give her back!
Dr. Blades: I'll do you one better, old chum. I'll not only give her back, I'll restore her to life…IF you can come and get her. I'll leave the coordinates on your computer. Come if you really want to help her. If not, it's no skin off my nose. It just proves how hypocritical you really are.
The TV returned to normal and the lights came back on.
Raven: (rolling eyes) Well, I'm sure it's perfectly safe.
Beast Boy: I don't care! We gotta help her!
Robin nodded.
Robin: Beast Boy's right. She may have betrayed us, but she was still a Titan in the end. We've got to find her.
Cyborg: But how can he cure her? We've been trying to do that since she got turned to stone.
Starfire: It is best not to ponder the limits to Dr. Blades's powers. If he assures us he can do it, most likely he can.
Shade: The dweeb is forever honest, isn't he?
Robin: Then it's settled. We're leaving to save Terra.
Massive Run Down Mansion
Lightning flashed and thunder clapped as they pulled up in front of the abandoned looking mansion. Raven raised an eyebrow.
Raven: Nice touch.
Cyborg: Huh?
Raven:
The storm. It's a nice touch.
Indeed the storm seemed entirely localized above the mansion, the downpour visibly stopping a ways off in the distance. Again, it was best not to question his powers.
Shade: Anyone else ever wonder if making him say his name backwards would make him disappear?
Robin: What are you talking about?
Shade: Nothing. Let's go.
They climbed out of the car and headed for the front door. Raven used her soul self as an umbrella. The others…well, they were out of luck.
Cyborg: Can't you make that thing any bigger?
Raven: Yes.
Raven did nothing. Cyborg sighed and shook his head. They reached the door and were greeted by Dr. Blades's disembodied voice.
Dr. Blades: Welcome, Titans! Come on inside, I promise you'll find this to be a real life changing…or life ending, depending on your performance…experience!
The door creaked open and they stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind them and the lights turned on. Suddenly Raven fell from the air, landing on her knees. She hissed and slowly stood up.
Robin: Are you okay?
Raven: Yes…I don't know what happened. My concentration must have slipped.
Raven tried to rise up again, but she couldn't so much as get a sputter of her powers. What was going on?
Raven: …Starfire, try to fly.
Starfire shrugged and leapt up into the air. She landed almost immediately.
Starfire: I…I cannot.
Beast Boy suddenly felt feverish. He held his forehead, groaning.
Beast Boy: Dude...I don't feel so hot…
Beast Boy's skin slowly changed into that of a normal Caucasian. His hair turned blonde and his ears shrank to a more normal shape. Strangely, he kept the one fang sticking up in his mouth. Cyborg was surprised when the clothes he was wearing when he first met the Titans appeared on his body. He was even more surprised when his metal parts were made into flesh and blood.
Robin: …this could be a problem.
Cyborg: Are you nuts? This is great! I'm human again!
Beast Boy: Yeah, but now really isn't a good time…
Dr. Blades: If you make it to Terra, I'll restore your powers. …good luck doing that, though! HA!
Suddenly everything went black.
Robin
Robin awoke to the sound of laughter. It was a very familiar sort of laughter…the sort that sent chills down the spine. It was the kind of laughter that sounded strangely like a shriek. Robin groaned and tried to sit up. Where was he? He looked down at the ground. Sand? Why was there sand in a mansion? Starfire's words came back to him. His costume was different. So was his hair.
Familiar Voice: You've been a bad boy. You must be punished.
Oh no. He knew that voice…what in the hell was he doing here?
Joker: Prepare yourself for a severe spanking young man.
Robin looked over his shoulder. The grinning mad man was dressed in a purple jump suit…and in his gloved hand was a crowbar. Suddenly it made sense. His hair…the costume…the clown…
Joker: But let me tell you right from the start…
This was how Jason Todd died. The Joker raised the crowbar above his head.
Joker: …this is going to hurt you a lot more then it does me! HA HA HA!
Like hell. Robin flipped out of the way of the oncoming hunk of metal. He sprang forward and caught the clown prince of crime in the jaw with his fist. It was like punching a steel wall. Robin swore and dodged the next swing. He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. There had to be a way out. He just needed to think. There were no doors. No windows. This was a nightmare. Robin froze. That could be it. Maybe that's just what it was! He took a chance. Closing his eyes, he willed himself to calm down. It was just an illusion (he hoped). If he could force himself to realize that, it would disappear (if he was lucky). His back exploded in pain as the crowbar struck, but he kept focusing even as he fell to the ground. Suddenly he realized that the floor wasn't sand anymore, it no longer gave under his fingers. He opened his eyes and found himself in an empty room. He stood up, rubbing his sore back. He had to find the others.
Starfire
Starfire woke up and tried to move. Her arms were chains down…so were her legs. She looked around. Why did this place seem so familiar? She had never been to this mansion before. Wait…this wasn't the mansion…this was…! The device above her turned on, forcing solar energy into her body. She cried out in pain. The Psions…they were the ones doing this. She remembered. They were a cruel, ruthless race, interested only in the pursuit of knowledge. When they had her and her sister…they decided to test how much solar energy the body of a Tamaranian could hold. It was too much. She still had so much inside her from last time. Her body was going to explode at this rate! Last time they gave her so much that she was able to escape with her new found power. This time her strength failed her. Dr. Blades had kept her strength hidden from her. This was the end.
Robin: (far away) Starfire!
Starfire: (weakly) R…Robin? Where are you…?
Robin: (far away) Starfire, it's not real! Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're feeling, it's not real!
Starfire felt her body begin to swell. She was literally filling with excess energy. Not real?
Starfire: But…it feels…
Robin: (closer) It's not! Don't forget, he can do almost anything to us!
Starfire: Yes…yes, almost anything…
Starfire closed her eyes, repeating it like a mantra. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't…
Robin: (right next to her) Starfire?
She opened her eyes. When she saw Robin she hugged him tightly. Now that she didn't have super strength, it was actually very pleasant.
Starfire: Robin! You were correct! I thank you.
Robin: Don't thank me yet. We're still here, remember?
Starfire: Oh yes…we had best press on. The others?
Robin: I don't know where they are. We have to find them. They might not be able to tell the difference.
Starfire: True…if not for your aid, I would have surely perished.
The pair set off to find their friends.
Cyborg
Cyborg awoke to screams of terror. Very familiar screams of terror. Looking around confirmed his fears. He was back in STAR Labs. The one screaming was his mother. The reason she was scream was because of the gelatinous creature that had climbed out of the inter-dimensional portal. Not again…he didn't want to see this again. He had to save her…but wasn't that what cause it in the first place? This had already happened. There was no way his mother was alive again…not even Dr. Blades could do that…could he? …Cyborg turned away. Of course he couldn't. Everything faded away and he found himself in an empty room. When he got his hands on Dr. Blades, there was going to be some pay back.
END PART ONE
