CH. 6

Beast Boy:

His eyes slowly opened. He couldn't feel anything on his body; not his arms, not his legs, not his fingers, nothing. All he knew was that he was eagle spread. He tried opening and closing his hand. Simple to do. He felt them twitch, then close into fists. Hurt like hell, but they weren't broken. He looked around at his surroundings. The rain was still pouring long and loud. He was being protected from some plant however. A large leaf was covering his entire body from the rain. The veins of the leaf were suddenly thrown into great relief when lightning lit the sky brightly. Then thunder rolled, sounding much like the mortor explosions he had heard years ago. He couldn't tell how much time had passed since he had fallen.

He moved his arms until they had hoisted his torso off the muddy ground with a loud sickening sucking sound. He looked around. It was definitely still dark out. But he wouldn't be able to tell if it was day or not. It was day last time the clouds were so dark. He groaned as his aching muscles moved to get him off the ground. He reached behind him and found that his gun was missing. He only had his Arabic sword left now. He unsheathed it and lightning flashed once more followed by the drums of God himself. It was still in working order. But he had to find Cyborg and Starfire. He knew they were alive. They had survived too long to let such a fall kill them. Look at him, he was perfectly fine. He took a step forward and collapsed.

His sword rolled from his hand as he landed on his chest, his arms and hands catching the rest of the blow to the ground. He reached for his sword, just a few inches from his fingers. He strained hard, but just couldn't reach it. He looked back to see what had caused him to collapse. His ankle was swollen; broken. But what about the pain? He looked at the rest of his body and lightning illuminated something in his thigh. It was a needle. He had somehow landed on a bag full of morphine needles back in the Sweeper. They must have belonged to Cyborg. Luckily, he had only one stuck in him. If he had been out long, the morphine would have worn off by now. So he must have just woken after maybe fifteen minutes. He grabbed the needle and jerked it out. He wiped his head of water and felt a crusty substance.

He pulled back his hand and noticed black pieces of… blood? Dried blood? Wow, he must have hit his head hard. He crawled with his arms and grabbed his sword. He rolled onto his back and sheathed it. He needed to find some vine and some sticks. Make a fire as well. He had to keep warm and dry. Or he could change into a goose. Fly around till he found them. No, he'd be shot down. Not going to happen. His first plan was easier. He could do it, crawl with a broken leg, find some vine and splints and a walking stick. How hard could it be? He crawled for what seemed like forever until he found sticks thick enough and light enough to tie to his leg. Then he found vines on the trees. After fixing his splint, he limped until he found a stick good enough to fit under the crook of his arm.

This made things rather easy… but how to start a fire when everything was most definitely soaked? He eased himself down onto the ground under a tree to think. He had a broken ankle; his muddy sword lay beside him, he was soaked to the bone, and he was alone with no way of making a fire. He was royally fucked. He looked down at the walking stick next to him and sighed. His ankle was beginning to pain. Rain water was splattering his head lightly as it dripped from a leaf and thunder rolled. He was so wet he could no longer feel it flowing down his skin. What really worried him was how he was going to catch food or protect himself. He had lost his gun in the fall. He could build traps and a small shelter, but he needed a small cave. That would really help with the shelter problem. He gave a loud grunt as he hoisted himself up and felt pain rocket through him as he got on his injured foot. Silently cursing life he managed to bend down and pick up his sword. He wiped a leaf on the blade to clean the mud and dirt and sheathed it.

He limped off into the woods, hoping he didn't encounter an enemy. He trudged through mud that sloshed onto his sandal shoes and over his toes. He was lucky to still have them. He grumbled in frustration as the mud between his toes made them gritty. Rain pattered him in small drops as the leaves protected him from the full brunt of the storm. As he passed trees, he used them for support and to push him off further. He finally tripped as his foot sank shin deep in a mud puddle. Luckily it was his good leg or he would have been stuck. He fell forward, stick flying forward and mud splattering his face and front as he landed with a sickening splat. He bared his teeth and growled in anger, slamming his fist into the mud, splattering more onto the side of his face. Dammit. Why did it always have to be him? He reached for his stick and used it to prop himself up and pull his foot out. It was a lot harder than it seemed.

The mud seemed to be fighting for his leg as he pulled. Finally, with a sickening sucking sound, his foot was pulled free. He fell against a tree and slowly slid down to sit beneath it. He was lost, no doubt about it. He gazed into the sky to see something zooming away. Stranded on Earth alone with no way to save them along with having a broken ankle. He sighed heavily and decided to wait. Maybe help would find him. Chances were a million to one, but still, he couldn't do anything else, he thought bitterly.

Robin:

Robin slammed his fist against the wall in frustration and anger. His teeth were bared. Then there was the loud clicking of the sound that told him at least five were making their way to his cell. They stopped and with a grunt, he ordered them to take off the laser lights. The leader stepped in. You could tell he was high in rank because his black armor had gold edging. He smiled, showing his jagged teeth.

"Human. You are the leader of your small band that has caused us such problems, correct?" he asked. Being high rank, he was highly educated. Robin only nodded, glaring at the creature.

"My name is Aha May. I am the leader of this small battalion and ship christened World Ender. I have a plan, but it will take you and your team's cooperation. It involves you all living, and going free. You see, my crew and I are what you humans would call Rebels. We need your help to destroy the rest of the fleet searching for you and then to destroy the Mother ship. I will be named King and we will leave your planet in peace. What say you human?" Robin felt numb. Trust the very beast that attacked him and his world?

"I have to speak with what remains of my team," he said. His face didn't show it, but when he said "remains" his heart throbbed rather painfully. Aha May bowed.

"As you wish Human," he said and stepped back, offering his hand to Robin. He wanted Robin to leave and walk ahead of him.

"Nothing personal Aha May, but I'm not so quick to trust you as you are to trusting me. You will be walking ahead of me, as well as the rest of your posse," Robin said, folding his arms over his chest. Aha May nodded and began walking. The four guards followed and Robin followed behind them. They went to each of his friend's cells and unlocked them and brought them to an empty room.

"You may converse here. When you re finished, press that red button and speak into the speaker. I will hear you. Just call when you have made your decision." With those last words, he left, shutting the door behind him, but not locking it. Robin turned to Renee and Raven. He told them all that Aha May had told him. When he had finished, Renee immediately put her foot down.

"These snakes murdered and now we're supposed to believe that there is a resistance? I haven't seen one acting all throughout the war," she seethed. Raven looked deep in thought.

"The way he is treating us is kind enough. But he could very well be acting to make us drop our guard," she said.

"Here's what I see. It's all Power Play. He wants power and the Queen has it. I say we help him kill off the fleet, kill him and his men, see if we can find the others because I know they survived," he lied. He was no sure if they were alive as he was that Humanity would come back, "and then destroy the Mother ship. This ship would certainly help, that's for sure." Raven and Renee nodded.

"Let's do it," Raven replied. Robin walked to the speaker, pressed the button and spoke to Aha May.

"We've decided to help you," he replied.

Cyborg:

Cyborg woke up to water lightly hitting his face. His human eye opened and the red mechanical eyes flickered to life. He rolled his head to the left and noticed rich green moss on trees that scaled high into the air. Everything about these woods seemed green. Most of the trees were covered in so much moss, you'd swear they weren't brown. He saw many broken branches above and around him. How did he get here? Last thing he remembered was hitting his back on something hard and then… he blacked out. He rubbed his head and forced himself up. He tried to move his left arm, but it wouldn't respond. He looked down and saw an extremely thick and long stick protruding from his forearm. Sparks played across his arm and where the stick had pierced him. He gripped it and wrenched it out, throwing it away. He sat down Indian style and moved his injured arm to his lap. One of his fingers opened and he began to go to work on fixing his arm. He reattached severed wires that had prevented him from moving his arm and fused them together. Then he got all the dirt and mud out before fixing the screen in his arm.

It all took fifteen minutes, but he was good as new. He stood back up and looked around. He hadn't fallen that hard. Something must have broken his fall besides the trees. He looked left and right in search of whoever, or whatever saved his life. All the while, ran pattered endlessly. Thunder rolled in the distance. The worse of the storm had moved on it seemed. He used the infrared sight of his mechanical eye, but didn't see anything but a few small mammals. He shrugged and went in search for his friends. If they had crashed, he'd find them eventually. He walked through the woods, stepping over rotting fallen trees, large ferns, through bushes, tall grass that came to his chest, mud puddles, and large holes.

He walked for what seemed like hours, shoving leaning trees out of his way, using tall strong ones for support when walking up a hill. He hadn't even found the wreckage yet. He must have gone in the wrong direction. He had just walked into a field with grass to his knees. He turned around, intending to go back when he came face to face with one of the aliens. His eyes widened as he leapt back with his sonic cannons out. The alien raised its hands in greeting and showed that it held no weapon. Cyborg still did not trust it.

"What the fuck do you want you lizard?" Cyborg snarled.

"Peace," the alien said calmly. Cyborg did not back down or look as if he believed it. What he did do was scoff disbelievingly.

"Yeah right. You want peace meaning all the humans dead," he spat.

"Listen to me human. I have come asking your help. I am stranded. I have been tracking you for a while now," he replied.

"How come you don't carry your S's?" Cyborg asked still with his cannon aimed at the creatures head.

"I am highly educated. Now please put your weapon away so that we can talk like civilized creatures," it replied.

"Civilized?" Cyborg asked and threw his head back and gave a loud "HA!" before glowering at the alien.

"Fine, but I shall still talk. Listen. My comrades are meaning to kill you and your friends. Those were the orders we faced. But you humans are so hard to kill. I decided why kill them when I can befriend them. I want your help to destroy the remaining fleets and take down the Queen," he said. Cyborg did drop his cannon at this. A rebel? It couldn't be true. These creatures were evil cowards. How could this one be a rebel?

"Tell me, have you seen any of my friends?" he asked. The alien shook his head slowly.

"If you were with them last… what happened?" the alien asked.

We were being shot at. I got knocked out and the last thing I remember was the siren blaring and someone yelling my name," he said. The alien looked him in the eyes.

"I fear your friends have been shot down. They are no longer alive," he replied sadly. Cyborg's eyes widened. He sank to his knees and stared into space.

"That… that just… isn't possible," he managed. The alien stepped to his side and patted his shoulder.

"I lost a brother in this war. And a father. My father… he was a fighter pilot. He had been shot down by two of your own fighter pilots. He, my uncle, and two other soldiers died. My brother died in my arms on the medical ship. He had been shot just under his heart. I had carried him through gun fire, explosions and desperate humans with daggers. I got him inside the ship and halfway to the mother ship, he died of blood loss. He only had time to say my name. You see human. We also lose loved one on the battlefield. It is time to band together. Why kill each other and our loved one when we can fight against the evil that has forced you to extinction and me to my death?" Cyborg looked up at him. He stared back with his bright yellow eyes. Cyborg stood up.

"You've convinced me. I'm Cyborg. What's your name?"

"Crole," he replied. Cyborg offered his hand. Crole looked at it and then at Cyborg. Cyborg rolled his eyes and grabbed his hand, shaking it.

"It's called a handshake. A sign of friendship," Cyborg said. Crole looked at the hand he was shaking and then in Cyborg's eyes.

"Friendship," he whispered. Just then, a large ship shaped like the one that had been chasing them earlier landed and a door opened.

"My crew has found us. Let's go. We have five generals to destroy. Five ship to blow to smithereens," he said with a cackle. Cyborg couldn't help but smile with him as they boarded the ship. Hopefully he wouldn't have to kill these creatures.

Starfire:

She raised her head, dead leaves, twigs, and a bit of moss clinging desperately to her flaming hair. She was lying on her side and her head was throbbing as if a Smangorf had been using for what the humans called a trampoline. She sat up rubbing a large bump on her head. Last thing she remembered was jumping out into the storm to catch Cyborg. She had caught him and slowed his fall enough to where it wouldn't kill him. But before she could begin to fly back with him in her arms, they had hit the trees. He was ripped forcefully from her arms. She had lost sight of him and looked forward to see a branch for a split second. She remembered it was thicker than Cyborg himself.

She had hit it, this much she was certain, but after seeing it flying toward her, she couldn't remember. She felt her forehead gingerly and felt crusty dried blood. Her entire body was sore from landing through many other branches. She forced herself to stand and saw a large indent in the ground where Cyborg had been lying. She had been blocked from his view by an overlarge fallen tree. She lifted herself into the air and flew to where he had been lying. She saw his fresh tracks leading away from his indent in the ground. She followed them for miles until she came to a field where there was an area where a ship seemed to have landed. This could mean only one thing. Cyborg had been taken hostage. She fell to her knees and grabbed handfuls of the dirt in rage. Cyborg had been taken hostage and she had no idea what had become of her other friends. She stood up and yelled in rage, shooting starbolts everywhere, causing trees to collapse and dirt to fly high into the air. Explosions rocked the ground as her eyes turned green. She fell to the ground once again with tears flowing freely from her glowing eyes. No more friends. No one left. She was alone in the world once again.

"Starfire?" Came a voice. She looked up and saw Beast Boy leaning heavily on a stick looking bewildered.

"You survived. Where is Cyborg?" he asked looking around as if expecting to see him pop from nowhere.

"He has been taken hostage," she replied with a frown. Beast Boy hobbled over to her.

"Well let's move out. We have a lot of ground to cover. Maybe we'll get lucky and find something that will help us radio for the others if they've survived," he said. Starfire stood up and put a arm over Beast Boy's shoulder to help him walk. They made their way across the field, not knowing what to expect.

Raven:

They were taken to the bridge to be briefed on the whereabouts of the fleet. Aha May took them to the large screen that was about the same size as their old TV at home. He typed a few keys and five red dots appeared on a map of the world.

"One is in Africa, two are in what you call Europe, One is in America with us, one is in Asia, and the last is in South America. I believe that Zeng is in Asia. We will attack the one in South America first. The one in America with us will obviously not see us. He is already near Canada. We are here in California. I wonder. How well can you three pilot a small two man fighter?" He asked turning to them.

"We do, but I'm not sure about Renee," Robin replied pointing his thumb over his back at Renee.

"Of course I do," she replied with a frown, "I graduated top of my class."

"Very well," Aha May replied, "I will have my right hand man Kall show you how to work the controls. That will be all." He stood with his hands behind his back while a alien stepped up. He had a scar over his left eye and a larger one on his throat.

"How'd you get the scars?" Robin asked. The alien answered with gravely tones, as if he had his vocal cords replaced after getting them ripped out.

"One wassss from a land animal. I believe you call it a bear? He got my eye. The throat wasssss from a cougar that attacked from a mountain in an area you call North Dakota," he answered.

"How did you kill them?" Raven asked.

"I ssssstrangled them both," he replied and walked off, "Follow me." The three friends walked off, following him. Aha May watched them leave. An alien stepped up to his side, watching them leave with him. When the door had hissed closed, he turned to Aha May.

"When do you plan on turning on them?" he asked. Aha May grinned.

"After they have killed three of the Generals and their crew," he answered, "Then we can kill them and take out the rest of the fleet. We will return with Raven and save my life." Unknown by Aha May, Raven had heard everything through the steel door. She frowned as they were led to the docking bay. She got between Robin and Renee and whispered what she had heard. Robin nodded without looking at her, as did Renee. They were prepared now. Kall showed them one of the small two man ships. It was flat and shaped like a triangle and jet black. There was enough room for a driver and a shooter. The gunning area was in a small bubble that hung on the bottom of the ship where someone could sit comfortably and shoot in 360 degrees. Kall showed them how to work the controls and in no time, they knew how to operate them flawlessly. A plan was formulating in Robin's brain. And these ships were going to play a very large part. Raven heard every thought he made and saw every mental picture and all the possibilities he was mulling over. Kall brought them to a large room after they were done. It had three beds, a sink, a toilet, and a shower. There were no pillows or blankets.

"Thessssse are your living quarters. You will ssssspend your free time here. If you are sssssummoned, you mussssst make yourssssself presentable no matter what you are doing. You drop what you are holding and present yourssssself to the bridge. No exceptionsssss are allowed," he said. He walked out, letting the door hiss closed. Robin motioned them to a side of the room and they all sat in a close huddle.

"Ok," started Robin, "Here's the plan. We do as they ask. After we are done with the third ship, we hang back behind the remaining fighter pilots. When the time is right, we open fire, kill the fighter pilots, and then make our way to this ship. We blow it up and head out to find the others. Raven… it will be your job to find the weak spot on this ship. Renee, stay close to her wherever she goes. Understood?" They nodded, "Good. Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

Renee:

The next morning, Renee opened her eyes as if she had never been sleeping. She looked to her left and saw on the opposite wall Raven's form asleep on her side. The beds were like a cloud. Your body sank into the gel and it supported everything just fine. Your body heat warmed it to keep you at the right temperature. She raised her head and looked at the back of the room and saw Robin with his eyes open staring at the ceiling. His fingers interlocked and hands resting on his chest. He breathed evenly as he continued to stare unblinkingly. Renee let her head softly lay back down. She never knew the time when she awoke. She only cared if she had enough energy to move and stay alert. There was a knock on the door and Raven calmly got up as if she to had never been sleep. She opened it just enough to see a bit of her face.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You are needed on the bridge," came a low voice. Raven nodded and closed the door. She looked at the other two and nodded. Robin and Renee got up slowly and made their way to the bridge together. All the while, Raven's eyes roamed throughout the entire area. She took in every crack and every dust ball. When they made it to the bridge, Aha May was standing staring up at the screen with both hands clasped behind his back, which showed a ship ahead of them.

"What's going on?" Robin asked with a furrowed brow.

"We have reached the General in South America. His name is General Zuka. He is older than I, but has an egotistical problem. This will help us in taking the upper hand. Man your ships. And may whoever your god is look over you," he said. They nodded and as they ran to the docking bay, an alarm sounded. They had enough time to hear Aha May say silkily "Ah, general Zuka." And a glimpse of the glaring alien on the screen before the doors closed behind them. When they reached the ships, Renee and Raven climbed into one and Robin followed an alien into another. They attached headsets like Kall had taught them and checked that the mikes were working.

"Robin ya there?" Renee asked as she tapped her own. Robin's voice crackled through. He sounded like he was right next to her.

"Yeah. Let's blow some aliens out of the sky," he sneered. The doors opened and allowed the ships to soar out into the drizzle. Raven typed a few buttons and strapped in a harness, holding the stick tightly. Renee was manning the guns and felt her heart race. She felt her neck and found a small necklace that Jack had given her. She kissed it and tucked it back into her shirt. They were turning and saw the other ship's fighters closing in. They were not jet black, but forest green.

"Hold your fire," came a hissing voice in her ear, "Wait for them to make the firsssst move." Renee gripped the twin joysticks that had red button for the lasers. Her knuckles were turning ashy. Without warning, the green ships opened fire.

"FIRE!" Yelled the alien in her ear. She didn't need telling twice. She pressed and held the buttons down. Her lasers crawled over a ship, blowing it to bits. Raven flew through the fire whooping in the first blood of her battle. She turned every time something green blurred by her little half bubble. She was destroying the ships left and right, lightning blue lasers glancing off her bubble. She fired left and right. Then she heard Raven's worried moan.

"Someone behind me, I can't shake him!" Renee turned around and saw the alien below in his bubble taking aim at their wings.

"Not so fast!" She yelled and held the buttons down. Laser fire screamed through the air and into the driver's window. The fighter craft wobbled and began to spin uncontrollably toward the ground.

"Nice shot!" She heard Robin yell in her ear. Renee screeched as adrenaline coursed through her. Raven was above manipulating the controls, making them spin and dodge kamikaze aliens. Renee twirled as two ships came up from behind. She fired at one, blasting the ship to bits. A laser shot melted through the bubble and seared her arm. She screamed clapped her and over it and fired one of her laser guns at the gunner. It tore through the glass and ripped him to shreds. His purple-black blood splattered all over the bubble until she couldn't even see through it. As the pilot flew off, Raven and Robin yelled in her ear.

"Renee are you ok? Answer me!" Robin yelled.

"I'm fine," she replied shakily, "Got my left shoulder."

"Keep going human, we are almosssst finished," hissed Kall's voice from somewhere in the fleet. Finally, the last of the green ships was shot down with five retreating back to the ship. Aha May's number in men was hardly scratched.

"Ok everyone," came Kall's voice once more, "It'ssss time to take down the larger ship. Go! Desssstroy them!" He yelled. Raven shot forward, the others close behind. A sudden laser burst shot toward Raven's ship. It was large enough to engulf them and incinerate anything in its path. She veered hard to the right as it missed them by inches. Everyone but one ship moved in time. Everyone heard the dieing screams as the aliens were blown apart molecule by molecule.

"Move! Now!" Robin roared. A larger number of fighters than last time came soaring toward them. Raven yanked the control to the left, avoiding them as they threw themselves into the fray. Renee was firing left and right as Raven made her way to the ship. Its guns fired at her, but she looped around the laser and found the joint of the gigantic gun that dwarfed her fighter to the size of a flea. She knew it was useless, but Renee opened fire without stopping. The part she was firing at turned bright red, then bright white.

"Renee!" Raven yelled. Renee looked up from her work to see three green fighters soaring towards her.

"Shit!" she cursed. Then they were blown out of the air. The black ship stopped near her and she saw Robin in the gunner seat. He saluted her with a grin.

"Got your back," he said and flew off to clear the area. Renee ignored the explosions that rocked the very air around her as she kept melting away at the gun. The two larger guns aimed at her. Raven pulled back in time for two killer whale sized lasers to flash through the third gun, causing it to drop on top of the ship and slide down over the edge. The lasers fired one after the other, attempting to blow Raven and Renee out of the air. The ship was so busy with them that it didn't notice Aha May aiming all three of his ship lasers at it. Raven flew off with Robin and the seven other fighters that were left following close behind. Aha May fired, slicing General Zuka's ship in four. It seemed suspended in the air for a second before exploding, sending pieces of the ship everywhere. One piece sliced through two of the remaining nine remaining ships, blowing them apart. Raven led the way back to the ship, deeply shaken. They had nearly lost the entire small army. And that was from just one fight. Could they last two more?

ok, srry for the long wait. im still working on my sequel story and my parents are working me to the bone on our farm. so its been tight getting in writing time. srry again and read and review please