Part 4- Battle Royale
(Robin runs at Echo, pulls out his staff and swings hard at Echo's face. Echo draws his sword and parries the blow. Photon charges up to assist his captain; Echo waves him off.)
Echo: Look to yer own battles, Mister Photon; it's just me an' Robin this time!
Photon: Grrr… aye, Cap'n… What!?
(Photon turns just in time to use his staff to knock away a large rock that had been flying at him. As the stone shatters, the last wisps of shadow fade from it.)
Photon: (glancing at Raven) So… you use the shadow-arts. Quite effectively, at that. What an interesting coincidence…I am also a magician. Very well… (Photon puts his staff away and levitates himself up to her level) … since I can respect someone who understands what it means to manipulate mystical energies… we'll fight it out fairly; no weapons, power to power.
(Photon launches himself at Raven. She dodges sideways, then raises up another rock behind him. As it flies at his head, he suddenly raises a hand and shatters the stone with a quick blast, not even turning his head to aim.)
Photon: You can't defeat me that easily. These eyes of mine can see through nearly any kind of magic. At the moment you begin to cast a spell, I can learn every aspect of it with one glance. You are at a disadvantage…and you will not be able to land any attacks on me.
(Meanwhile, Cyborg and the Blind Shotman are circling each other, sizing one another up.)
Shotman: You know, my shiny friend, it did not have to end like this. You should have stopped your comrade from attacking poor Gemini. She did nothing to deserve such pain; she was just following the Captain's orders and guarding the ship.
Cyborg: I don't know what you're talking about. But I'm willing to shut you up!
(Cyborg charges Shotman, fists swinging. Shotman seizes his fists and holds him still)
Shotman: That will not help you. With my Inner Eye, I can see what you will do long before you do it. You are no match for me.
(Shotman throws Cyborg across the rock, then draws a bead on him with a pistol. Cyborg blasts the weapon out of his hands with his Sonic Cannon)
Cyborg: Looks like you can't read my mind and aim at the same time, can you big man?
Shotman: Then I shall finish you personally!
(The Russian jumps and puts out a fist. Cyborg rolls to the side and Shotman's arm crashes through the stone ground. The shock of the blow sends his dropped pistol spinning through the air, and into his free hand. The blind man stands, shakes the gritty dust off of his arm, and prepares to resume his attack.)
Déjà: Oh-ho! Tres bien! I get to play with the cute one! Now hold still and let me steal your powers, mon cherie!
Starfire: I will not! (rises into the air) Now you cannot take my power. But I can still defeat you!
(Starfire begins throwing Star Bolts. Déjà Vu gives a yell of panic and jumps out of the way. Starfire continues to blast him and finally flies right at him. The Frenchman holds out his axe as she flies at him and he is knocked to the ground and pressed into the stone with just the handle of his weapon between himself and the angry Tameranean.)
Starfire: You and your crew will give back what you have stolen and you will go to jail for what you have done!
(Starfire notices the sudden smug grin on Déjà's face, then sees that their hands are gripping the axe at the same spot; he has contacted her.)
Déjà: Sorry to disappoint, mon cherie but… (his body and costume shifts to Starfire's and he speaks in her voice)… it is you who will be paying for what you have done! (Déjà charges up his eyes and fires an Optic Blast, blowing Starfire off of him. High overhead, Starfire recovers and waits for her double's next move.)
(Close to the cliff edge, Beast Boy and Medic are staring each other down.)
Beast Boy: Well? We gonna fight or what?
(Medic does not answer. Instead, he pulls a handful of shuriken from his jacket and throws them at Beast Boy. Beast Boy transforms into a tortoise and the stars ricochet off of his shell. He then shifts to wolf form and runs at his enemy. The ninja waits for Beast Boy to jump, then throws another volley of stars. Beast Boy becomes a hummingbird and flits through the cloud of shuriken then changes to gorilla and lands on Medic. Beast Boy pummels his enemy with both fists until he runs out of breath and shifts back to human form.)
Beast Boy: Huh… that…huff…wasn't so tough…puff
(Just then, all of Medic's bruises begin to vanish and there is a crackling sound as some broken bones repair themselves. The ninja climbs to his feet and pushes his glasses up his nose.)
Beast Boy: How…? I broke your arms…
Medic: Yes you did, but I only need my arms to heal my crewmates; my own body heals itself from the slightest scratch in a matter of moments. Now to show you just how little of a chance you really have.
(Meanwhile, Robin and Captain Echo are continuing their duel of sword versus staff. Every time Robin strikes with his staff, Echo skillfully parries with the cutlass. The two separate and leap at one another. They meet in midair with a clanging noise then land on opposite sides. The Captain lets out a gasp of pain as he clutches his midsection. On the other side, Robin is shocked to discover that he is bleeding from a shallow cut across his chest. The two turn and face each other again.)
Echo: Ye know what yer doin, I'll say that fer ye. Out of all me opponents I've faced, yer easily the toughest.
Robin: You're pretty good yourself.
Echo: Guess I should stop messin' around then…
(Echo's sword begins to glow with light blue energy. He waves it at Robin and the energy flies at him in the shape of the blade. Robin dodges as the ground is cut open.)
Robin: Whoa…
Echo: Ha ha! That, me friend, is what happens when I combine me sound powers with me sword skills! Me blade of sound will get ye eventually, but by all means, keep dodgin'!
Robin: Why are you doing this!? Why should you attack people whenever you please, and not expect to be attacked yourself!?
Echo: What the people I plunder from think of me actions doesn't mean two doubloons to me! As to me own safety, I don't even care! But if ye ever attack me crewmates…
(Echo concentrates and his sword glows brighter.)
Echo: Expect no mercy!
(Photon has picked up on his Captain's idea and Raven is hard-pressed to evade the blades of white light he sends at her.)
Photon: Man, what a pain… Time to end this.
(Photon vanishes from sight. As Raven tries to get a lock on his location, he pops up ten feet behind her in the air. He swings his arm and a blade of light shoots towards Raven. Beast Boy spots this as he dodges another round of stars)
Beast Boy: Raven, heads up!
(Raven turns in time to spot the blade and dodges to the side. She doesn't move quite quickly enough and the light blade slices through her hood, severing it from the robe and revealing her face.)
Photon: Tch…missed! If that green fool had just kept quiet, I'd have…eh?
(Photon has just taken a good look at his opponent)
Photon: A girl… a girl who wields the shadows…
Photon was busy with Robin when he first encountered the Titans and he was knocked out before much else happened in the second battle, so he did not realize this fact about Raven until now. – The Cap'n
(Photon's gloved hands ball into fists)
Photon: Then the Captain did have the right idea… You die!! Luminos Necrodin Xendrenel!!
(Photon puts his hands together and fires a huge blast of white light)
Raven: Azarath Metrion Zinthos!!
(Raven fires a blast of shadow magic. Her blast collides with Photon's and the two attacks stop in mid-air. The two keep at it, each trying to overpower the other.)
Raven: Ugh…! I sense a lot of pent-up aggression behind this attack…Are you telling me you're this mad just because I happen to be a girl!?
Photon: Shut up!! Talking to me that way…you could never… possibly understand what I've been through!!!
(Fueled by his sudden anger, Photon's blast begins to push Raven's back)
Photon: Ha! Just what to expect from a girl! Weak and undependable! After you lose, your teammates will go down too! All thanks to your weakness, little girl!
(Raven suddenly lets out a furious yell. Her eyes gleam red and a second pair of eyes opens on her forehead. Her body seems to lengthen until she is three times her normal height and her blast becomes larger. It shoots towards Photon, pressing his spell back towards him. He opens his eyes wide, trying to look through the spell as he did before.)
Photon: What!? This power…my eyes…can't penetrate…? What is this magic!?
(Raven's spell finally engulfs his blast, then swallows him. Photon screams in agony as the shadows press in on him from all sides.)
Raven: (voice has a strange raspy tone) Who's the weak one now!?
(The other Titans notice Raven's transformation, but have no time to calm their friend. Cyborg is busy grappling the Blind Shotman and praying that his arm servos don't give out.)
Cyborg: This all you got, big man!?
(Shotman breaks away and puts a hand to the button on his shoulder.)
Shotman: Dosvidanya, comrade!
(The cannon on Shotman's shoulders locks onto Cyborg and fires. Cyborg puts up his hands, catches the cannonball, uses the momentum to rotate himself like a shot-putter, and throws it right back at the Russian.)
Shotman: Clever, my shiny friend, but you forget…
(Shotman pulls out one of his pistols and fires it at the cannonball. The iron ball explodes… and Cyborg's Sonic Cannon blast is right behind it! Caught by surprise, Shotman is unable to return fire in time to deflect it and is blasted backwards. He smashes into a stationary boulder and slumps to the ground, finally succumbing to his injuries. Overhead, Déjà is pursuing Starfire, trying to blast her out of the air.)
Déjà: Hold still now, please! I cannot strike you down as easily when you fly around like that!
Starfire: I do not think I will hold still… But I do think that your thieving power is not perfect!
Déjà: What?
Starfire: You have my powers, even my appearance, but your flight is clumsy and your Star Bolts are without real power; you may have my powers, but you lack the knowledge to use them properly. Let me show you!
(Starfire's eyes glow green and she flies right into her evil twin and begins pounding him as hard as she can. She throws him down towards the battlefield, and fires a volley of Star Bolts. The imitation hits the ground and is driven deeper by the thermal blasts. Déjà just has enough time to blink before Starfire follows up with an Optic Blast. The fake Starfire shimmers and drops his disguise before passing out.)
Medic: You are indeed formidable with your power of the animals, honorable adversary. But I am afraid I must destroy you now.
Beast Boy: Try it!
(Medic pulls a kunai blade from his jacket and throws it at Beast Boy's head. Beast Boy becomes a snake and dodges it, then lunges towards Medic and circles behind him. Medic sees the serpent's tail twisting towards him and jumps back to evade.)
Medic: Your snake form will not avail you this time- What!?
(As Medic jumped back, Beast Boy took the shape of a crocodile. Medic's jump carries him right towards the reptile's open jaw. Beast Boy clamps down on the ninja and the Japanese man winces as he feels five of his ribs break. He waits for them to heal, then, when they do not, the realization hits him; with the crocodile holding it's jaw still, his body cannot mend itself, thus nullifying his power. Medic cringes at his first extended feeling of pain, then loses consciousness. Beast Boy keeps his hold so his opponent does not recover. By this point, Raven has regained her senses and released Photon. The captain's first mate falls to the ground, barely clinging to consciousness.)
Robin: Your crew is finished Echo! Give up and turn yourself in!
Echo: No… it can't end like this… I won't let it! (Echo seizes his patch and pulls it from his eye. His voice takes the raspy tone that it did before.) Ye should feel proud, Titans! Yer the only ones who've ever seen me Eye an lived with yer sanity! It won't happen again!!
(The pupil of the Fiend's Eye turns yellow)
Echo: I went too easy on ye before; put ye all in the same situation, that was the problem. Let's see how ye handle yer deepest individual fears!
From lifeless eyes flow crimson tears
Symbolizin' the darkest fears.
They live in yer soul, ensnare yer mind,
Yer every thought is put in binds.
Yer breath is short, yer blood runs cold,
Yer every action is controlled!
This curse of fear I now create
Fueled by my deepest hate!
Now go to your purpose and serve me well!
Upon the Titans, cast my spell!!
(The last word echoes through the air. There is a flash of light and the Titans feel something cold run through their bodies as the spell hits.)
Robin: Titans, brace yourselves! Be ready for anything!
Slade: Don't bother Robin; they can't hear you. It's just you and me.
(Robin gasps at the voice of his hated enemy. He turns and swings at the voice. His masked foe jumps over the swing and delivers a fast kick to Robin's skull. Robin falls back, blinded by pain.)
Slade: Get up. I want to give you some slow torture before you die.
(Raven finds herself in a vast earthen cavern)
Raven: Robin? Cyborg? Anybody?
(A shadowy form behind Raven opens two sets of gleaming red eyes)
Shadow: Rage… pain… anger will consume you…hatred shall become your very being!
(Raven turns and her lavender eyes go wide with terror. Flames spring up around the shadow.)
Raven: No…
Shadow: Born of evil's fire, the anger will be your purpose to exist!
Raven: No! I won't! Get away!
(Cyborg stumbles around, trying to find his Russian adversary. He senses a movement behind him. He turns to see nothing. When he turns back around, a tall cloaked man is standing before him.)
Cyborg: You! Where did you come from!?
(Brother Blood simply laughs. His entire body is then covered with a red aura and he seizes Cyborg. The red energy flows into Cyborg and causes him to scream in agony.)
Blood: You know, since your human parts make it impossible for me to control you, I think I'll have them removed. Once you are all-robot, you will make quite a good servant.
Cyborg: No! You can't! I won't let… Aaaaaaah!
(Cyborg screams again as the pain from the aura increases)
(Starfire finds herself on the one of the moons of her homeworld. As she floats along the treetops, she hears Robin scream.)
Starfire: Robin!
(Starfire shoots towards the source of the scream and finds Robin stranded in one of the many swamps on this particular moon, sinking fast. As she flies over to help him, she is hit hard from the side and crashes into a tree. Recovering, she turns to see her sister, Blackfire, flying at her with raised fists. Starfire dodges and tries to reason with her sibling.)
Starfire: Sister, please, I know we have not gotten along in the past, but you must not stop me from rescuing my friend.
Blackfire: You will fight me here and now, little sister. I don't care what happens to that Earthling!
Starfire: Then you leave me no choice, sister.
(Starfire beams her Optic Blast at Blackfire. Blackfire smirks and bats the energy beam aside.)
Starfire: How…!?
Blackfire: I've gotten a lot stronger since last we fought. Time to teach you the meaning of pain little sister!
(Hearing his friend's screams, Beast Boy releases Medic and shifts to human form. But when he looks at himself, he is a gorilla. He tries again and becomes a wolf. He tries a third time, and becomes a triceratops. His blood freezes as he realizes; somehow, he cannot return to human form.)
(After being released, Medic revived his crewmates and went to stand and watch with the captain.)
Echo: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Mister Shotman! Status report!
Shotman: ……They have all been successfully trapped in their own personal states of terror, Captain. Shall we go now?
Echo: Go? No. No no no. I have a better idea. I'll turn up the terror fer all of em, and watch em lose their minds before their fear does em in!
Medic: What? Captain, the battle is won! There is no reason to kill them!
Echo: I don't need a reason! I want to see em squirm with pain! I want to spill all of their blood right before they break! I want to see the look on Robin's face right as his fear overpowers him!
(Echo's normal eye has been twisted into a crazy expression while the pupil of the Fiend's Eye glows even brighter.)
Shotman: Captain, please, there is no need to…
Echo: Don't question yer Captain, boy, or I'll be layin me curse on ye as well! I want to see blood; I don't care whose it is!
(Echo draws his cutlass and walks towards Robin, who is desperately trying to throw off the vision.)
Robin: It's not real… It's just an illusion…
Slade: You won't feel that way once I kill you, Robin.
Robin: You're not real… you aren't here.
Slade: I'm afraid you are the one who won't be here for long. Goodbye Robin.
(Slade pulls back a fist. Robin watches it come… then he hears his friends' screams; Beast Boy's panicked animal cries, Cyborg's agonized shouts, Raven's terrified shrieks… and then he hears Starfire, screaming his name with fright and pain and confusion all at once. As he turns back to Slade and watches the fist coming down at him, the arm morphs into Echo's sword. Robin ducks under the blade and uppercuts Echo in the face, pummels his midsection after knocking him into the air, then smashes him backwards with a roundhouse kick. Echo hits the ground hard, blood flowing from his nose, and a split in his bottom lip. The other Titans snap back to reality, hearts pounding, bodies covered in cold sweat as if they had woken from a nightmare.)
Photon: Impossible! Nothing can break the Captain's spell!
Raven: Wrong. It's difficult, nearly impossible, but if someone has enough will-power and a strong heart, they can break even the most powerful illusions.
Beast Boy: Dudes! Robin totally saved our butts!
Photon: For daring to attack our Captain… you will all pay!
Echo: Mister Photon, not another step! I'm not done with em!
(Echo stands and touches a hand to his lip. He stares at the red stain and glares at Robin. It is clear that he is not well disposed to seeing his own blood.)
Robin: Your Eye has failed you Echo. Just give it up; you lost!
Echo: Never!!!
(The pupil of the Fiend's Eye contracts and turns blood red.)
Shotman: Captain! You're not going to-!?
Echo: Shut yer gob, Mister Shotman!
Déjà: Take cover! He's using it!
Photon: No way… He's going to use that!? On one guy!?
(The sky overhead begins to turn dark)
Robin: Raven, what's happening? What is he doing?
Raven: Not possible… there's no way… he can't be thatpowerful!
(Onboard the pirate ship, Gemini has finally woken up. She steps out to the deck of the ship and sees the clouds gathering over the rocky island in the distance.)
Gemini: Oh no…it can't be…Echo wouldn't…he promised he wouldn't…
(Unable to put her mind at ease, Gemini lowers a rowboat and multiplies herself. Her doppelgangers take the oars.)
Gemini: I wish it wouldn't take so long to reach, but Echo would be furious if I used the flagship- Huh? Am I moving faster? Huh… guess my doubles are stronger after a nice rest…
(Back at the island, Echo's sound energy has surrounded him as a barrier. Instead of being blue, it is a dark, rusty red.)
Beast Boy: Huh? (Shifts to wolf form, sniffs the air, shifts back) Dude, that shield… it smells like…blood!
Raven: What? Then it is true!
Robin: What?
(Echo begins to sing again)
Echo: Earth, Water, Fire, Sky!
The power of those who cannot die!
Those who feed on blood and sin
Grant me yer power so I can win!
Open the gates let the darkness flow!
Deliver me enemy the fatal blow!
(The red field of sound begins to get drawn in to the Eye's pupil.)
Raven: Robin, listen! That Eye is going to create an energy attack with enough power to wipe us all out! It's not illusion; this one is for real! I can't block it, even with all my power!
Robin: Titans, move!
Echo: No escape! Ye've had it! Goodbye fer the last time, ye fool!
(The entire Eye turns red and begins to glow brighter. At that moment, Gemini runs between Captain Echo and Robin.)
Gemini: Captain, no! You promised you wouldn't take it this far!
Echo: Miss Gemini, what're ye doin!? I can't stop it now! Ahhhhh!
(Echo turns his face downward to deflect the attack. The Fiend's Eye lets out a burst of red energy of immense proportions. The entire island is instantly incinerated. The energy then explodes, and everyone present on the island is caught in the blast. After that, everything is pain and noise and confusion.)