"What exactly happened to her?" Robin asked, trying to ignore Beast Boy and Cyborg arguing about video games.
"She started talking with her own voice and someone else's, grabbed a massive sword from nowhere and struck out at super speed. After that, she just collapsed, then the sword disappeared after I was able to get this picture," Highspeed said, bringing the picture of the symbol onto the screen.
"Definitely counts as something weird. I'll ask Starshadow," Firestorm said before cutting her connection.
"What about that monster? Did Raven find out anything about it?" Highspeed asked, eyes full of curiosity.
"She's narrowing it down. She's also looking for the name Malefor," Robin replied.
"Okay, tell her I wish her luck," Highspeed said back, cutting the connection when Robin nodded. He yawned as he turned to walk away, planning to settle in for the night, when the screen came back to life, Blockrock's face on the screen.
"Hey, Highspeed, can I ask you something?" he asked.
"You just did, but ask me something else anyway," Highspeed answered, grinning and thankful the geo-kinetic Titan wasn't in the room.
"Very funny. Look, how many rooms would you have to spare?" Blockrock sighed.
"Plenty. Though you'd have to ask Cyborg exactly how many. Why'd you ask?" the speedster asked, cocking his head to one side.
"Starshadow and I were planning on coming over to do something. We may need to stay a while," Blockrock said, laughing inwardly as Highspeed's eyes literally started to glow.
"Uh sure. I'd have to ask Nightphoenix, but okay," Highspeed rambled, leaving the room in a silver and blue streak. After less than a minute, he returned.
"You've got the all clear," Highspeed said excitedly, oblivious to Blockrock's oncoming laughing fit at his expense as he cut the connection.
A day later
As Highspeed lay in his room, still fast asleep, he didn't hear the door hiss open. Nor did he hear boot-clad feet enter the room.
"Here like I promised," Starshadow whispered, her dark voice waking the speedster better than any alarm clock.
"I'm glad," Highspeed said back, the two of them now in a loving hug. When they broke apart, Sorceress opened the door, her chocolate brown eyes darker than usual just as her skin was paler.
"You okay?" Starshadow asked, concern etched in her voice.
"Yeah, I'll live," the mystic replied, forcing a smile as her legs buckled, threatening to collapse. Instantly the two Titans were at her side, holding her up.
"I know you're the team's medic, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't heed your own advice. You'd smack me upside the head if I was doing what you are," Highspeed quipped, leading the three of them to the control room.
"Fine, I'll get some rest. Knowing you, you'll call Aqua if I don't," Sorceress sighed, lying down on the couch. In the kitchen was Nightphoenix, already having breakfast cooking.
"Anyway, what brings you and Blockrock here? He sounded like he had something he had to take care of," Sorceress asked, surrounded in a pale orange glow.
"He said he'd be looking for something, but never said what, or even why he was looking for it," Starshadow replied.
Jump City
Moving with agility across Jump City's rooftops, Blockrock knew he had to hurry. He'd sensed a strange occurance, which he definitely believed Malefor to be the culprit of. It didn't help that there were multiple weak but still potentially dangerous collections.
"Where is it? I should be able to see them by now," he mentally yelled, stopping on a building overlooking the school. Walking towards the building was a girl with long blond hair.
"They're underground," Blockrock muttered, watching with shock as large beasts rose from the ground, strange symbols etched in their stony skin, around the girl. As the creatures readied themselves to attack, Blockrock acted, fist glowing bright green as a flail of pure earth energy grew from the glow, before being swung at the nearest creatures, smashing it into rubble.
"Back to the earth you go," Blockrock muttered, his other hand glowing green before a deafening crash erupted from his hand, shattering the creatures. From the rubble of the larger creatures, several smaller ones grew, all advancing on the earth Titan. Both hands burning with energy, he allowed himself to be surrounded in an orb of green energy.
"Want more where that came from?" he growled, hovering a few inches above the ground, barely able to hold the energy before, he released it, obliterating the monsters into dust. As he gently landed, he took several deep breaths as he looked at the blond haired girl.
"Are you okay?" the girl asked, helping the terra-kinetic titan to stand.
"Yeah, just fine. Thanks for asking," Blockrock grunted, green energy moving from the earth up his legs.
"What were those things?" the girl asked, watching him with curiosity.
"Strange monsters with higher than normal concentrations of earth energy. I kinda sensed them last time I was here. You look like you almost understand half of this," Blockrock chuckled.
"It kinda sounds familiar. Name's Tara," the girl said, not noticing the second long look of surprise on Blockrock's face.
"Just call me Blockrock. Member of the Titans Elemental," Blockrock said, jumping slightly as his communicator beeped. "I'd better take this," he added, starting to walk off before he pulled out the communicator.
"What are you doing at that school?" Starshadow asked, almost hissing into the communicator.
"Remember I mentioned higher than normal concentrations of earth energy? I was trying to track them," he answered.
"Isn't it a coincidence that that's where Terra now goes to school," Starshadow sighed.
"Isn't it just. This is all connected, and the common factor is Malefor," Blockrock, now pondering something, responded, before hanging up.
"Can't go back there and tell her, but maybe I could try something," he wondered as he started running back to the Tower.
Somewhere over a desert
"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for here? All I see is sand, sand and sun," Jinx complained as Kid Flash carried her bridal style.
"You're almost there. You'll know it when you see it," Blockrock said over the communicator. Jinx just sighed as she wiped sweat from her brow.
"Well, we're here. What does he mean by 'we'll know it when we see it'," Kid Flash asked, skidding to a stop. After setting Jinx down, he scanned the horizon.
"Do you really think I know? We're looking for a temple, but I don't see any buildings!" Jinx yelled, pulling out the communicator.
"Well, apparently we're right on top of it," Kid Flash muttered, looking down.
"Rock-head! Where is this temple?" Jinx yelled into the communicator.
"Look down," Kid Flash and Blockrock said at the same time. Upon looking down, Jinx noticed that, instead of sand, they were standing on a buried stone platform with a large leaf symbol.
"It's the elemental temple of Earth. It's underground, and you're standing on the entrance. Only someone who can manipulate or control the earth can open it," Blockrock said.
"Then why aren't you here?" Kid Flash asked.
"I need to monitor some things here, and you two were closest to the temple. However, remember that power surge about a month ago? The one that affected communicators," Blockrock asked.
"How could I forget? That made Jinx's hair go crazy!" Kid Flash laughed, getting a punch in the arm from said enchantress.
"Well, that was Sparkjump. It was in case of a situation like this. It means that I can send you enough elemental energy to get inside through the communicator's frequency," Blockrock explained as the communicator started to glow a deep emerald green. As soon as he finished speaking, the green glow moved from the communicator into the leaf symbol. A square of rock around the symbol lowered before splitting in half, revealing a stairway.
"Once you're down there, the communicator won't work, so be careful. You're looking for the main alter, which should hopefully have the earth crystal," Blockrock said before cutting out.
"At least this time he told us what to look for," Jinx mumbled, watching as Kid Flash disappeared down the stairs.
"Hey Jinx, you might want to take a look at this," Kid Flash yelled. Jinx sighed before running down the stairs.
"Okay, what is it..." she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper when she got to the bottom. The entire cavern was covered with green crystals, all glowing faintly, with cracks in the rock glowing slightly brighter, looking like blood vessels.
"At least we don't need to worry about light," Kid Flash gasped, walking towards an altar. Jinx, meanwhile, walked towards one of the crystals, her hand glowing pink.
"I wouldn't if I were you," a third voice called out, startling the pink haired enchantress. Looking to the entrance, she saw Airblaze descending the steps, a knowing smirk on her face. "Just in case there's traps. Blockrock knows where the temple is, but he hasn't actually had reason to be down here," the aero-kinetic Titan explained.
"Well, I'm guessing that's the main alter. And I take it there's supposed to be a big glowing emerald on it," Kid Flash remarked, gesturing to the large gem floating just above the alter, bathing the cavern in emerald light.
"Yep, and it looks untouched, just like everything else in here," Laura murmured, glancing at Jinx trying to hide a crystal fragment. "One and no more," the aero-kinetic sighed, turning to leave the cavern. Kid Flash followed suit, with Jinx close behind, cradling her treasure.
Tower
"The place seemed untouched. That big emerald was there, and the only thing taken was the one crystal by Jinx," Airblaze reported, watching her geo-kinetic pace in front of the monitor.
"Thanks. That's good to know," Blockrock mumbled, head bowed in thought.
"Doesn't seem like it," Airblaze sighed, her concern obvious.
"Trust me, as long as the Earth Emerald hasn't been touched, then it's a good thing. It just means there's more to this," he said, smiling kindly as thanks for her concern, before he said goodbye and cut the connection.
"Is there a vegetarian option besides tofu in here," Starshadow sighed, rummaging through the fridge. Blockrock sighed. Starshadow was different than most, being of half-vampire heritage. Despite this, she preferred a vegetarian lifestyle, though not as strict as Beast-Boy, being more of a semi-vegetarian.
"Doubt it. I thought Sorceress would have had a similar issue," Blockrock mumbled, dodging a cyan coloured laser fired by said Titan.
"Careful. I just learned some new powers," Sorceress taunted, a strange cephalopod-like creature floating beside her, cyan in colour with a small, lightning bolt shaped body and arms, orange eyes and a single spike on the back of its head.
"What in the world?" Blockrock questioned, watching the little creature.
"He's called a Wisp. He's from another planet. I found a spell that allows me to summon one, absorb it and use some of its power, then it flies out unharmed and goes back to its own planet again," Sorceress replied, watching the little wisp disappear.
"Well, you seem better," Starshadow noted, taking some chicken out of the fridge.
"I spent the day resting in Raven's room, looking through her books to find anything on Malefor. That's where I found the spell," Sorceress gasped, collapsing on the couch from exhaustion.
"Saw that coming," Starshadow mumbled, preparing the chicken.