ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!
I paced to the side, taking potshots with my laser pistol.
"Robin!" I yelled over the ruckus of the battle. "Finally get tired of playing with your supped up remote control and decide to join us?"
Robin vaulted off one hand and, upside down, flung a trio of birdarangs. He landed and gave me a steely glance.
"We'll discuss that later." I wasn't sure if that was a promise or a threat. "But for now...Titans, go!"
Noir ran forward immediately, twirling Myrkblade at an impossible angle to deflect the laser rifle shots.
CL-CL-CLANK!
In a blur of smoke, he slide through a HIVE soldier's legs, vaulted, turned and cracked him over the head with his sword.
Meanwhile, Simon was contemplating.
"He said 'Titans, go'. Does that mean us, too?"
"Just fight, you twat!" Pulsade refracted light and turned invisible.
Michael smirked and held up his magnum.
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Static flew at an angle with his disc and smacked the bottom of it against a line of soldiers.
TH-TH-TH-TH-THUNK!
"Woo!" He crowed. "Feels good to be fighting on the right side again, baby!"
"Indeed!" Starfire flung star bolts down at the soldiers. She turned suddenly and tossed one right in the face of a soldier who had been sneaking up on her.
Simon had surrounded himself with a ring of fire so that no one could get anywhere close to him.
Heh...Johnny Cash fan.
Up on the catwalk, a HIVE soldier shouldered his rifle and took careful aim. Behind him was the smallest flicker-
WHAP!
Pulsade chopped diagonally at his neck, sending him to the floor. She reached down and picked up the dropped rifle for herself.
A huge HIVE soldier as wide as he was tall stalked Noir with nothing but his bare hands. Noir back stepped slowly, Myrkblade held at ready.
ZAP!
An expert laser shot send the blade catapulting out of his hands. It spun through the air and impaled in the side wall.
"Nothing to help you now!" The giant HIVE soldier yelled and dove at Noir.
FWOOSH!
Noir teleported through him and kick-vaulted the back of his head. The big soldier turned on him, giving no inclination he had even felt the attack. He smirked and advanced again. He lifted his hand to crush him.
FWOOSH!
Noir turned to smoke again and I came barreling through it. I reared back and threw the damndest right hook I had in my. The soldier stumbled to the side, lost his footing and fell to the ground like a downed tree, sliding on his shoulder.
I beamed.
"Pick on someone your own-" I stopped. "Owwwww!" I rubbed my fist, even under the metal knuckle.
Noir snickered breathily.
"Don't you have a sword to go get?"
My friend mock saluted and blurred off.
I turned...and bumped right into a chiseled chest of stone. Apprehensively, I looked up into the brutish, side-burned face of Mammoth.
...shit.
"Heheheh. You thought he was big?"
He tried to clobber me, but I ducked under the punch and jumped back, already pointing my laser pistol. But the behemoth was faster than I thought. Just as I tensed to pull the trigger, he slammed his shoulder into me like a pro linebacker. I slid across the floor and stopped right at Robin's metal-tipped feet. The Boy Wonder looked down at me.
"Urgh...a little help?"
"I thought you were all about self-reliance?"
"Rrrrrrggahgh!" Mammoth charged at us.
Robin flung and exploding birdarang at his feet.
BOOM!
I stood up just as Mammoth was bulling through the smoke.
"Head's up, Robin! I'm gonna serve him up on a platter for ya!"
I pivoted my guitar to my front and played a quick chord. The floor in front of us suddenly had a lane of ice. Mammoth hit it at full speed and, but the time he realized he was sliding, it was too late. He leaned back on his heels and waved his arms frantically, but Robin was already airborne. The Boy Wonder pivoted and descended down with his signature flying side kick.
Mammoth spun like a top in place.
WHOOSH!
I catapulted at him with the wind song. I reared back my fist-
WHAM!
On the top level, a new group of HIVE soldiers rushed in. Static hopped off his metal disc and magnetized it.
"Starfire! Send me a specialty made star bolt!"
ZAF!
Static caught the fiery globe of green energy with the disc and tossed it at the group of soldiers like a frisbee. The lead soldier ducked the projectile, but the others behind him weren't so lucky.
BOOOM!
They ragdolled in every direction.
"Hehehe! You got served!"
"Yes! Enjoy your meal of electricity, metal and Tammaranian fury!"
"Eat this!" Simon unleashed a blast of fire.
Kyd Wikkyd sunk into a teleporting hole, unscathed. He reappeared stealthily behind Simon. He sprinted at him.
SWWWWWW-CHINKT!
A metal spear pierced the air and embedded itself in to the wall.
WHAP!
Kyd Wikkyd smashed into the long handle and hit the floor hard. The spear disappeared in a blue flash and reappeared in Michael's hand as a magnum pistol.
"How long is this gonna last?"
ZZZZZZZZZZ
I shuddered on the metal grating floor as the electricity danced across my nerve endings. I tried to push myself up but couldn't find the strength.
"I have to thank you, girl." Booker said from inside his mechanical suit. "For giving me the excuse to make you one of my children. Ever since I met you, I wanted you to be part of my flock...to hear you scream. It's going to be fun."
I said nothing. I waited for my strength to come back. So I could teleport or-
"What were you doing, anyway?" Booker mused. "Trying to free Red-X? Or my flock? Or maybe you just wanted to save your own skin? But no matter. Now, you are mine."
ZRRRRRRT!
Booker looked up and started to sweat.
The gilded doors were turning to ice...
