Disclaimer:
I, Syraxes, do not own the Young Justice Animated Series, the Young Justice video game, the tie-in comics, the original comic series that shares its name, or the new comic series that also shares its name. They are the property of Time Warner, Warner Brothers Studio's, and DC Comics. I am simply a humble fan, making this for the enjoyment of other fans. Please support the official release.
Titans Tower
February 6th, 16:16 PST
"Why do you worry about the Match, Harper Row?" The scarab's voice speaking in the back of her head. "Whenever you are around him, your pulse increases. The way as when we are in combat."
"Yeah," Harper whispered to it, hoping to avoid drawing the attention of her teammates. "Because I like him."
"Your sexual attraction to the Match is a detriment, Harper Row."
"What do you know!" She hissed a little louder than she meant to.
"Harper?" John called from the other side of the room. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah. It's fine. Just the scarab annoying me."
She crossed her arms for good measure. John nodded and returned to staring at the computer screen.
"This line of questioning is causing irritability, Harper Row. You are to attached to the Match to-"
"Just shut up."
The Scarab gave her the suit, the powers, and it allowed her to become a hero. It was also the reason she was kidnapped, but if that never happened, she would have never met Match.
It was silent, and Harper thought she might get a moment of peace where she could think. Match was laying on the table, strapped up to medical machines. The kind of things she didn't you could get out of a hospital. Then again, they did call this place the med bay. He had been in the same place since last night, with no change at all. According to John, he was in some kind of comma. Nothing physically seemed to be wrong with him. At least looking at him from a human perspective that was the case. They weren't experts in Kryptonian biology as John tended to remind her.
Artemis was on the other side of the room, where she had been since she got home. Neither her nor Harper had been allowed to take the day off school. Kori had seen to that. The alien was pushy and seemed to take her role as one of the leaders seriously enough to make sure they continued going to school.
"Perhaps a change in subject would assist you."
So much for her peace and quiet.
"The Red X is correct. It is possible the other scarab could reset this scarab and thus bring us back on mode. If this was to occur-"
"I'd be stuck inside my head. As my body murdered its way across the galaxy. I know."
When Red X had told her that particular story, Harper was scared. If being trapped inside your own body wasn't bad enough, watching it helplessly destroy everything around it would be a special kind of hell. That was if the reset didn't kill her. It wasn't a procedure to do if you were afraid of risks, because one wrong move and the scarab's host would be dead. She would be dead.
"If the warrior appears before us, we must take decisive actions, Harper Row. We must not allow them to take us prisoner, or attempt a reboot. Such a tactic would only endanger us."
"Trust me. I don't like the idea of becoming a spectator inside my own head," she promised. But that didn't mean she was going to kill the person in the armor. Heroes weren't killers. If she crossed that line...
"We must prepare, Harper Row. Doing nothing would be a tactic error."
"Why do you care so much?" Harper finally asked. "Red X told me about you. You were created by the Reach. Shouldn't you be programmed to want to serve them?"
For once it didn't answer right away.
Match groaned in his sleep and moved his head to the side. Across the room, Harper saw Artemis jump up. It was the first time Match had moved since he collapsed.
"John?" Harper asked, reluctantly taking her eyes off Match. The older hero was already across the room, tapping on the screen that controlled the machine Match was hooked into.
"I don't know why, but it appears that Match is coming out of it," John told her, the words coming slowly. "It's like he's just waking up from a normal night's sleep. Huh. I wonder if this is normal for Kryptonians."
He didn't seem to be moving much beyond slightly shifting his head. "Shouldn't he be waking up?" Artemis asked.
John turned away from the screen, to stare at the now quiet Match. "He is. Just give him a little bit-"
As if on cue, Match's eyes snapped open. He slowly sat up, rubbing the side of his head.
"John?" Kori called over the comm. "Can you come here? I need your assistance."
"I'll be right there, Kori," John told her. "He should be fine. If anything happens, just call."
Harper nodded silently but kept her attention on Match.
"If something happens?" Match asked in confusion. "Did I miss something?"
"Match... Are you alright?" Artemis questioned from across the room.
The Kryptonian nodded. "I feel great. Better than I have in a long time. Why?"
"Do you remember anything?" Harper made herself ask. If it had been anyone else, the question might have been a strange one to ask. But Match's mind has been reset so many times she wouldn't be surprised if something was wrong with his head.
"Uh... Yeah. Why? What happened?" Match inquired, worry coating his voice. "Did someone mess with my head?"
"No," Artemis interjected. "We didn't do anything like that. It's just... What do you remember?"
Match turned his body and jumped off the bed. He landed lightly off his head, stretching his right arm. Harper watched him carefully, looking for anything that was off.
"We were going on a date. I asked you out and you agreed, babe," Match recalled. Harper looked up in time to see Match wink at her. "Then Harper got jealous and I think I have two girlfriends now."
That was the first time Harper had ever heard him call Artemis babe. Since he had woken up on that platform out in the pacific, Match had been very reserved. Quiet.
"What time is it? I don't know why, but I'm starving. I could go for some food."
Harper locked eyes with Artemis. She could see the same confusion he felt staring back at her.
"It's a little past three," Harper told him, slowly turning back to look at him. "How do you feel about a late lunch?"
"Sounds great. Is it pizza again? Not that I'm complaining."
Then Match smiled. It wasn't the same smile he often wore, but a bright, wide smile. More carefree than Harper had seen on his face since she had gotten out from that place months ago.
"The Match currently does not match his physiological profile," scarab spoke to her.
Harper stopped herself from snorting. "Way to state the obvious... Wait, physic profile?" She whispered as quietly as she could, though, with Match's superhearing, she knew it was futile.
"Indeed, Harper Row. I have compiled a psychological profile on each member of the Titans."
"That's not creepy at all," she muttered.
"What's not creepy?" Match asked.
The way you're acting, Harper thought but kept her mouth closed on that point. "Nothing. Just talking to the scarab. So, how about we go get some pizza?"
"Sounds like a plan." Match jumped into the air, but instead of falling, he floated. "I'll meet you in the kitchen."
One flirtatious wink later and a gust of wind later, Match was gone.
"You don't think he's been replaced, do you?" Artemis asked, the barest trace of a smile on the edge of her lips.
"I'm not sure," Harper admitted.
"Scans reveal that the Match's bio-metrics are a perfect match. He is the same person."
"We didn't mean it literally... Never mind," Harper trailed off when she saw Artemis give her the raised eyebrow. "It's the scarab."
"Right," Artemis agreed with a straight face. "We should get up to the kitchen."
The Kryptonian was waiting for them. "Since when do you know how to cock?" Artemis questioned the clone.
Match was working on a roll of dough when the two entered, whistling away a tone that Harper had never heard before.
Match stopped for a moment as if he was considering Artemis' question before he shrugged and continued to work on the dough. "I don't know. I just... Know this is what I should do. That doesn't make sense, does it, babe?"
"With you, we can never tell what makes sense," Artemis smirked back. Harper could tell that the blond archer was just as worried about him as she was. Something had happened to him when he passed out. He didn't lose any of his memories, but the way he acted made him feel like a completely different person. Her scarab might have been stating the obvious when it said it, but it was right. This Match didn't act how he was supposed to.
Harper couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. It had to be because of whatever they were doing to his head. But that was supposed to fix him. Before the treatments, he had been mindless. Crazy.
"Hey," Match called her out. "That might be true, but you don't have to rub it in."
"Rub it in?" Artemis snorted. "That's all I know about you. Whenever I think I finally understand you, you go and pass out for a day, and wake up as a whole new person. How about you pick a personality and stick to it?"
"That's fair!" Match laughed. "How about I go to finish this pizza?"
Church of Blood Palace
February 6th, 22:13 EST
Above the pool, the blood dripped from the real estate agent's dead body. The woman had been beautiful, and her spark (even in death) burned brightly. As Brother Blood laid against the edge of the pool, the woman's blood dripped down on his naked body. Her life force served to rejuvenate him, serving to extend his already endless life.
When the door to his private chamber opened, Brother Blood didn't react. Only one person would dare disturb him, his most trusted agent. If Mother Mayhem felt the need to speak with him here, whatever it was must need his attention. "What is it, Mayhem?"
"Your Holy Majesty," she breathed, coming to a stop next to the pool of renewal. "I bring you the news you wanted. Regarding the Teen Titans of Jump City."
Brother Blood opened his eyes, turning to face his favored servant. "Yes. Our new team of superheroes. I hope they are all in good spirits."
They were needed for the later stages of his plans. Right now it was best to just keep an eye on them, and make sure they didn't perish before his need for them. The creation of their tower would make that so much easier.
"They are. However, I would still suggest the Justice League-"
"I know your feelings on the matter, Mayhem. But for my plans, I need the whole team. The Justice League is power wide for our net to catch. The Outsiders, likewise, are too close to the League. The Titans are the best fit."
Blood had hoped he would have managed to convince her by now, but Mayhem was adamant on the League. They did not yet have the power to bring the League to heal, and forcing a confrontation too early would disrupt his plans.
"In time even the League will fall before us," Brother Blood promised. "I plan to have them as well. Along with the Outsiders and Vandal Savage's light. Do not mistake my intention. But before I can lay claim to the Outsiders and the Justice League, the Titans must fall."
"As you say, your Holy Majesty."
Brother Blood smiled. If there was a single man on Earth that deserved that title, it was him.
"Now, Mayhem, what have you disturbed me for?"
She knew he did not like to be bothered during this time, and wouldn't do it without a reason.
"We have word, from your congregation in Jump City."
"Ah. How is Cheshire fairing on training our newest followers?"
Brother Blood had taken steps to make sure that as far as the assassin knew, she was employed by a run of the mill meta-human trafficking gang. For now, none of his special congregations needed to know who they truly worked for.
"The training is progressing, Holy Majesty. She believes she already has them ready for combat."
"In such a short amount of time? Wonderful. But surely you wouldn't bother me if this was all that there was to it."
"A representative of the alien Reach has made contact with her."
" A lost lamb has found its way to our congregation? For what purpose? I doubt it is just to visit them."
The Reach hadn't been on Earth for over two years. Not since the Justice League and their young sidekicks exposed them. Which was one of the few things he thanked them for. If the Reached ruled Earth, his goals would have been that much harder to accomplish.
"They have one of their scarabs, which found its way to the Harper girl. That was why the beetle warrior attacked the Titans."
That answered that question. "They've made contact with Cheshire for what reason?"
"They wish to buy her assistance to reclaim the beetle that they've lost," Mayhem explained.
"The Titans are a formidable force in their own right. I'm not surprised that the Reach have realized that fact."
"They are offering you a price in return for her help."
That got his attention. "I suppose we should see what our guests are offering-"
The door to his chamber opened again and the clone girl walked in like she owned the place. Brother Blood sighed. "Terra. Did I not explain to you that you should knock before entering a room... And not to disturb me when I'm rejuvenating myself."
The Markov clone girl took a look at the dead body above him and sneered. "That doesn't make you look psychotic at all."
Author's Note:
Hello! I hope you have enjoyed the tenth chapter of Teen Titans: Rising
The version of Brother Blood in this fic is based on the version we see in the DC Animated Movie Universe. The Judas Contract. I considered basing him more off the version from the Teen Titans cartoon show, but I thought movie Brother Blood would be a better fit.
Likewise, the Tara Markov clone's physical design and personality are based on her appearance
I have recently had a PM from one of my readers asking why it seems almost all the DC characters I add seem to be based on the movies or cartoons, and not the comics. The answer is I haven't read as many DC Comics as I used to. I'll go back and look through the ones I own if I need to, but for the most part, I'll base them off movies or cartoons. Also, the fact that Young Justice itself is a cartoon series.
Pa tr eon . com (slash) Syraxes