In what seemed like seconds, the team had arrived at Wayne Enterprises and busted through the door. Doing a brief scan of the area, the chase was initiated as Cyborg took the first step forward. Everyone quickly followed suit and began their search for the perpetrators, but were quickly cut off as Robin leapt in front of his friends with a warning. "We can't just charge in," he stated, raising his hands in front of his team. "It's not that easy."
"And why not?" asked Cyborg, his sonic cannon prepped and ready to fire. "We've fought Red X and Apollo before. What makes this time any different?"
"Well this time their together," Raven calmly pointed out.
"And because, you've never fought Apollo," Robin stated- a solemn look on his face.
"What are you talking about?" asked Cyborg in confusion. "Yeah we have-"
"Twice!" added Beast Boy.
"She wasn't serious in either of those," Robin stated. "And that last fight- with Slade- was all part of her plan. She was holding back, for our sake; but this time it's different. This is for real," he paused and stared at everyone- confirming the point that he was trying to get across. "She's capable of much more than any of you know… We have to handle this with caution-" suddenly Robin found his train of thought cut short by a soft thudding and a suspicious flash of light from a room down the hall; in the flash, the team was able to make out the figure of a person effortlessly dodging bullets and apparently taking out security- 'Apollo!' everyone thought simultaneously. With the direction of their leader, the titans slowly began to make their way down the hall, "We'll take her together," Robin encouraged to his team. "Titans-"
"Oh and I'm not good enough for you anymore?" a familiar voice asked from behind the team. Quickly everyone spun around to see the black-suited thief standing behind them- arms folded and postured in a casual manner.
"Red X!" snarled Robin as he and his team stared down the thief.
"Nice to see you too Kid," Red X scoffed in response as he leapt into the air, grabbing onto a bar over his head and swinging up onto the next level of the building. Practically forgetting about Apollo, the Teen Titans immediately sprang into action and began to pursue her accomplice.
"Titans GO!" cried the leader as he and his team chased the scourge responsible for corrupting their ex-member. Down the hall they raced, exchanging brief moments of combat between steps, the chase continued through multiple observational and safe-locked rooms in the facility. Strangely, as they continued their pursuit, the team noticed that as they blew past room after room of valuable objects and devices, Red X didn't seem to be interested in any of them- they had to be targeting something bigger; but what? Just then, the thief leapt from the ground, turning and flinging several explosives into the faces of his enemies. Startled, the titans managed to duck their heads and make it through the smoke before Red X could get away. "What are you planning! And where is she!" demanded Robin as he lunged forward and threw an explosive of his own at the thief.
Effortlessly, the object was dodged and Red X turned away and continued to run down a hall; but not before looking at his opponents and omitting a confident chuckle, "Relax Kid, she's fine," he said arrogantly. "Heh," he continued as he turned away and began to run towards the sound of gunshots and shouting men. "It sounds like she's doing better than expected…" He then sped around the corner, disappearing into the darkness. Once the titans realized he had gone, their attention was quickly consumed by the chaotic flashes of light and noise coming from the next room over- 'Apollo,' everyone thought simultaneously. Charged with anger- and apprehension- they heeded Robin's words and cautiously entered the room. Strangely, the lights were on and guards were draped over every inch of the room.
"Wow, sloppy much?" commented Beast Boy as he and the others surveyed the area- asking any conscious guards if they could recall what had happened; each one answered the same: they were attacked by a boy- dressed in black with only one blue eye.
"Apollo," grumbled Cyborg under his breath as he and Starfire helped guide some of the wounded guards to their feet; but as he repeated the statement in his head, he had to stop and laugh to himself at the mistaken gender of their attacker. It was clear that he wasn't the only one who preferred to believe that only a boy could do this much damage. Still surveying the room, he continued, "Well whatever she was after, it's obvious that she got it," he stated as he and Robin walked towards a shattered display case- its contents removed.
"He stole the prototype for the Module X," strained one of the guards. "The blueprints for an artificial black hole…" Everyone's eyes widened in shock at the thought of what could be done with a black hole; and if anyone was capable of utilizing its potential, it was Apollo.
"We have to find her," commanded Robin as he turned and began to march out of the room. "Titans move out!"
"And Red X?" asked Raven as she walked around the room examining the evident signs of damage spread around the scene. As she continued to study the dented walls and traces of shattered glass, something felt strange- none of the damage- the injured men, the lighted crime scene… none of this resembled the notoriously clean-cut, almost nonexistent presence of Apollo; even Red X was more efficient than this. Returning to the guards, she repeated her question, only to receive an odd but- for Raven- expected answer: there was no other thief!
"But we just saw The Red X," stated Starfire. "How could he not have been of assistance to Apollo?"
"Because," answered a chillingly familiar voice from the shadows. "I work alone…" slowly, the owner of the voice stepped forward from behind a wall. Standing confidently before her ex-friends, the thief casually folded her arms as she walked towards the guards and their saviors. Slowly she crouched down and looked into the eyes of a particular guard as she removed her mask and smiled devilishly. "Come on," she said in a darkly confident tone. "Do you really think a boy could compete with this?" Shocked by the culprit's true identity, the guard opened his mouth to speak, but was suddenly kicked in the chest as the girl continued to stride through the room.
"Apollo!" shouted Robin furiously. Like an uninterested cat, the girl slowly turned to face him. "What are you doing? You told me-"
"Oh come on, you actually bought that?" Apollo laughed, openly taunting her best friend's words. "You guys will believe anything!" Seething, Robin drew his staff and prepared to fight, as he stared into the empty blue eye on the left side of her still smiling face.
"Titans GO!" he shouted as the team rushed forward and prepared to hit the girl with everything they had; but- as Robin had previously warned- no one was ready for Apollo's defense. As if out of nowhere, Apollo attacked! Slamming her targets into walls, hurling them through the air, dodging blows and blasts as if they were nothing. Showing no mercy, she drop-kicked Raven in the face, sending her careening into Beast Boy; she then attacked Starfire and slammed her into the ground. Before she could do more damage to the now grounded Tamaranean, Cyborg and Robin both attacked Apollo with a shocking electric disk and a sonic blast. The force blasted her into a wall before she crumpled to the ground in reaction to the blow. Not moving at first, the team feared that they had done real damage to the girl, but then, Apollo slowly rose to her feet, hauntingly cracked her neck and dusted the crumbled pieces of the wall from her shoulder. Swiftly, she leapt at Robin and threw a quick jab at his face- knocking him out. She then continued to approach the last titan standing; still weaving in and out of the range of his weaponry, she grew closer before finally leaping overhead and- out of his view- delivering a pulverizing kick to the face. Nearly knocked backwards, Cyborg fell to the floor, gasping for breath as his attacker continued to approach.
"Enough, with the shocked expressions," she said casually as she stared into her opponent's eyes. "After the way you've all acted the last few days, I'd assume this is what you expected." She kicked him again before turning to everyone else and vengefully continuing, "You all wanted an enemy! Now you have one…" She turned back to Cyborg and prepared to strike him again. "I figure you of all people would be happy," she purred darkly. "Now's your chance to say 'I told you so'." Guilt-ridden, Cyborg simply lowered his head; completely giving up and blaming himself for the monster standing above him. "Lights out tin-"
"Hey Rouge!" interrupted an equally familiar voice from overhead. Immediately, everyone froze and looked around trying to find its owner. Even Apollo- startled- began to search the room. "Masquerades over," the voice continued as a cherry bomb dropped down from the ceiling and exploded on impact with the floor; releasing a thick cloud of gas. Disoriented by the blinding light and smoke, the attacker stumbled around through the fog before being kicked in the back, seemingly crushed by a stomping foot from above. Knocked out on the floor, the furious girl laid breathing slightly the mystery assailant stepped over her body and removed her mask… APOLLO?