Chapter Eleven
The Doctor and the Titans dove into an ally, while the Cybermen and Daleks fought each other.
The Daleks gave better than they took; for every one of their number destroyed, they took out four or more Cybermen.
"We might be able to make use of this situation!" the Doctor exclaimed over the commotion.
"How?" asked Changeling.
"We take the weapons of the fallen Cybermen. Then, we make a run for it!"
"I got them." Raven declared.
She summoned her powers and tried to levitate the weapons she sensed. But to her surprise, they hardly budged, merely hovering a few inches off the ground.
"I don't understand this!" she cried. "Why can't I grip them?"
"Must be quantum interference." explained the Doctor, who was analyzing with his sonic screwdriver. "The same field that's keeping you from teleporting apparently also interferes with your influence over objects from my dimension."
"So how the hell do we get those weapons?" Cyborg asked.
"You know, I could try." said Changeling.
"How?" Nightwing asked him.
"Raven could just levitate the things. Then I swoop in as a bird or something and then drop them on you guys!"
"Are you mad?" Raven exclaimed. "You could be killed!"
"I'll be all right, Rae." he assured her. "You just have to trust me!"
The group nodded, though the Doctor had his reservations over the plan. Still, it might be their only hope.
Raven gritted her teeth as she put forth all her effort into obtaining a pair of weapons. At first, they only levitated a few inches. But after a few seconds, they slowly rose into the sky.
"Hurry!" she growled. Nightwing noticed that her sinews showed through. He was afraid the mystic might burst a blood vessel.
Changeling assumed the form of a hawk and flew toward the waiting weapons. Assessing the situation, he then became a pterodactyl, gripping the rifles in his talons. He evaded crossfire from the groups below as he deposited the devices in the waiting hands of his teammates.
The venture was repeated a second time, again with no mishaps.
"One more trip ought to be sufficient." the Doctor told Changeling.
Raven obtained another pair of weapons, but lost concentration when a blast of energy struck nearby. Startled, she lost her influence and dropped them.
Changeling saw this and quickly dove to catch the rifles. He did so and came out of his dive to glide over the Titan's location, where he dropped his prizes into Starfire's waiting arms.
Changeling was about to descend when an energy bolt stuck his left wing. He screeched in pain and fell, reverting to human form. Fortunately, he caught the edge of a building with his hands.
"Changeling!" yelled Nightwing.
Starfire made ready to fly toward him.
Meanwhile, the Doctor, who stood a yard away from the group, turned around, sensing something terribly wrong. In the distance, he saw what seemed to be a Dalek taking aim. It only took him a second to realize the monstrosity's target.
He turned just as Starfire took flight, and for a moment hoped she might reach him. And then...
"Exterminate!" came the distant cry.
A bolt of energy stuck Changeling square on his back. He screamed in agony before falling into Starfire's arms.
"No!" yelled the Doctor.
Despite his rage, his mind still worked at a plan. He quickly found a manhole cover.
"Come on!" he ordered, practically jumping down the hole.
The other Titans followed, with Starfire being last so she could seal the hole.
As soon as Cyborg activated his lights, the Titans gathered around Changeling.
"Come on Raven!" Starfire urged. "Heal him! Fix him!"
The mystic felt Changeling's chest and head. Then, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Sorry, Star." she muttered.
"What's wrong?" Nightwing demanded. "Why can't you heal him?"
"I can't heal the dead!" she cried, reaching for her friend.
"No!" Cyborg cried out hoarsely. "It can't be! Not Garfield!"
Nightwing simply let his tears run down his face as he looked at his fallen comrade.
"Let's go." the Doctor said solemnly. "We'll take him to the TARDIS. We'll be safe there."
Numbly, the Titans complied, with Raven carrying Changeling's body.
As the walked the tunnels, they could hear fighting above, as Daleks and Cybermen engaged each other for dominance over the planet.
Ten minutes later, they reached the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked the door and let them all in.
After he closed the door, he turned to face the Titans. Raven laid Changeling's body on the floor and took off her cloak, using it as a shroud for her friend. The other Titans gathered around her. The Doctor joined them.
"I'm so sorry." he mumbled.
"It wasn't your fault." said Starfire.
"I know." he replied. "I wish I could have known him better."
They simply sat on the floor for a quarter of an hour in silence. None had any idea what to do now. A full assault was out of the question now. They might be capable of destroying a dozen Cybermen and a half dozen Daleks, but they know that with the numbers they were against, and with little resources they had, there was little possibility of success.
"Doctor," Starfire finally said. "I think we should consider something."
"What?" he asked.
"Remember how you said that what happens here would change the fate of our universe?"
"Yes?"
The Tamaranian sighed. "I think we should consider sacrificing Jump City."
The rest of the Titans stared at her.
"By god, why?" the Doctor exclaimed.
"It would be for the greater good." Starfire explained. "If we destroy the city somehow, then we take the Daleks and Cybermen with it. A few thousand people would die, but their deaths would save countless billions."
"I'm starting to see it her way." Nightwing said. "We have to end it here and now. We have no choice."
"I agree." added Cyborg.
Raven sighed. "I had so many plans in the near future. Death wasn't one of them, but I'll accept it if it means others will live."
"Are you all sure about this?" the Doctor asked.
"I am willing to die for my people." Starfire told him.
The Time Lord nodded. "Well, if that's the way you feel, then I'll go along with it. I had just hoped that I would never have to make this kind of a decision again."
Nightwing nodded. "I can imagine why."
The Doctor sat down again. "In the meantime, we ought to think of a way that allows us not to use our last ditch option."
Starfire nodded. "Let us hope that it does not become our only option."