Shocked and extremely confused, the titans stared in disbelief at the seemingly impossible scene in front of them- two Apollos! This had to be some kind of trick- another of Apollo's carefully executed plans. Stunned beyond words, the team gawked in silence as, Apollo, kicked… herself, again and continued, "Besides; if you're gonna imitate me," she whispered as she drew her bo staff from her wristband, "At least make an attempt to be convincing." With a deep giggle, she looked to the still perplexed titans for a second before turning back to the apparent imposter on the floor and revealing that her bangs were on the wrong side of her face and that the phony was also missing a digit- her ring finger. Spitefully, she jabbed at the thief again before retracting her staff and walking towards the still confused titans. Stopping in front of them, Apollo smiled confidently as she rested on her heels and placed her hands on her hips- clearly waiting for everyone to snap out of their stupor and respond.
"Okay…" sighed Raven. "Does anyone want to explain what's going on?" At first there was only silence; but as Apollo finally opened her mouth with an explanation, she was quickly cut off by a dark unfamiliar accent.
"It will not matter," replied the voice. Quickly everyone focused their attention on the other Apollo on the ground. Slowly rising to her feet, the fake transformed from a sarcastic platinum-blonde, dressed in black, to a cold, black-haired woman, clothed in red. "When I am through with you, the only thing that will require an explanation will be your autopsies…" Then, with the speed of a whip, the woman lashed her arm forward in an attempt to strike the group of teenagers. Quickly, everyone managed to dodge the blow and revert to their apprehensive stances.
"Who is this lady!" shouted Cyborg in confusion. "The Rubbermaid!" Again she struck, this time smashing a wall and leaving a dent similar to the one's Raven had previously analyzed.
"Madame Rouge!" growled Beast Boy and Apollo simultaneously. Realizing that someone else was finally aware of who she had been talking about all along, Apollo turned to Beast Boy a shot him a surprised look before leading the charge towards the criminal. Furiously, everyone began to hit the fatal beauty with everything they had; unfortunately, Rouge was prepared to do just the same. Soon, the entire team had been struck, and it looked like they were down for the count. Standing above her enemy's head, Madame Rouge looked down at Apollo and smirked arrogantly. "As I told you before child, there is no point in fighting." Angrily, the girl looked up and- teeth clenched- she hatefully stared at her opponent. "You were never-UGH!"
Suddenly, Rouge was clipped and fell to floor, allowing her aggressor time to spring to her feet and continue to attack. "Do not, lecture me!" growled Apollo as a broadsword appeared from her bracelet. Still on the floor, Madame Rouge managed to stretch her elastic limbs forward and wrap them around the girl- nearly engulfing her entire body, with the exception of her arm and blade. Impulsively, Apollo managed to slash the dark dame's arm, allowing her to be released and giving her a chance to tackle her opponent and continue their brawl. The two rolled across the floor; wrestling and throwing blows as they moved. As the titans finally returned to their feet, they could do nothing but stand and watch the scrap. Even Robin could only stare at the intensity and suspense of the catfight. However as the bout continued, Apollo suddenly found herself overwhelmed as she was kicked backwards- landing off in the dark background of the room. Upon seeing this, the team began to rush in and help, but they too were cut off as Rouge knocked over a pillar in the room- purposely creating a blockade between the titans and their distressed associate.
Stuck on the other side of the barrier, the team tried their hardest to force their way through and get to Apollo's aid. Unable to move the great object in front of them, they grew even more determined to make it through when the elevating sounds of screams and grunts began to fill the room. "Apollo!" shouted Starfire as she and Cyborg continued their attempts to blast through the thick metal column. The grunts and thuds grew even louder and more violent as Rouge slowly released a sick cackle which was then followed by a hard thud.
"Enough child," she hissed. "This is pointless. You may have had exceptional training, but clearly you didn't stay long enough." There was another thump followed by the enraged roar of Apollo and the sound of a fist colliding with flesh. Finally, with a final combination of starbolts, dark energy, explosives, a rhinoceros, and a sonic blast, the column was broken through just in time for the titans to witness a large flash of white light from one of Apollo's explosives. The blinding rays became too much to bare and everyone quickly covered their eyes. When the great flash finally ceased, everyone was shocked to find that Madame Rouge was gone- as was Apollo!
"APOLLO!" Robin shouted into the dark room, eagerly waiting for a response; and within seconds one did come in the form of an eerie rustling from one of the dark corners of the room. Instantly everyone was charged with mixed emotions: while hoping to see their triumphant friend exit from the shadows, everyone remained apprehensive and tensed at the possibility of Madame Rouge being the one to approach them. The faint sound of struggling continued as a shadow slowly staggered out of the darkness.
"Apollo," Starfire sighed in relief as the girl's tousled hair captured the glow of the room's only light. Gripping her arm in pain, the girl limped toward the rest of the team, smiling faintly. "You are victorious!" the happy alien cheered as she stretched out her hand to help guide the clearly injured girl towards the others.
Still limping, the triumphant girl tried her best to cover her injuries and shield her pain behind a proud grin. "Ugh," she grunted as she continued to move forward. "Thanks Starf-" suddenly another shadow leapt from the dark corner and pounced on the injured girl.
"Apollo!" the team quickly shouted as they watched their friend get knocked to the floor a second time; but again, the team was suddenly hit with confusion when they realized who had tackled their… friend.
"Again," growled one of the girls as the two Apollos slowly began to circle one another. "If you're gonna copy me, do it right! Do you really think I would make that much of a fuss over a few bruises?" she asked sarcastically, before leaping forward in an attempt to strike her imposter.
"Aww, is someone jealous? Afraid they like me better?" Chuckled the poser as she too flew forward and commenced with the scrap. The two girls angrily rolled around on the floor- punching and kicking one another with the driven intent of permanent damage. Wanting to help, the titans found themselves stuck: too confused and unsure of which Apollo they should help. Both girls sounded the same, looked the same, fought the same; heck, even their catty remarks sounded believable.
"Dude! Does anyone know which is which!" shouted Beast Boy as he and the others continued to watch the fight. Both Cyborg and Raven shook their heads in response.
"I too am most confused," added Starfire, her eyes frantically shifting back and forth between the identical girls. "Robin?" she finally asked as a last resort, yet it seemed as though even he was unsure of who to assist.
"I- I don't know. I can't tell who's who," he finally sighed in guilt and frustration.
"OH THANKS ALOT!" shouted the Apollos simultaneously. As the battle continued, the team began to study the fight and its combatants- there had to be a way to tell them apart; they just had to find it. Within a few minutes, it was clear that one of the girls had had enough. Dodging a punch to the face, she managed to back far enough away to set herself up to take out her target's shins. Agilely, she dropped to the ground to clip her opponent, but her foot was quickly caught; at that moment, Robin focused his attention on the attacker's next move, studying the girl's cynical expression as she smiled and began to shake her head and respond, "Ha-ha… I do have another leg…" in a split second, she then rolled over and struck her opponent in the face- knocking her off of her feet and sending her flying into a wall behind her. Relieved, Robin let out a calming sigh and smiled proudly as his friend confidently identified herself. With her impersonator out cold, the real Apollo finally rose to her feet and walked toward her friends. "Thanks for the help," she sighed sarcastically as she looked around at the team. "Not that I really needed it or anything."
"Apollo!" cheered Starfire as she flew forward to hug the victor; but she suddenly stopped in mid-flight. "But wait," she said skeptically. "How can we be sure that it's you and not the one called Madame Rouge?"
"Uh 'cuz I won the fight?" Apollo replied, slightly disappointed at the thought that the team still didn't trust her.
"Prove it!" commanded Cyborg and Beast Boy.
"Fine," grumbled Apollo, one hand assertively rested on her hip. "You still suck a Robot Monkeys 3," she said referring to Beast Boy, "And you still have the weakest left hook I've ever seen," she snickered at Cyborg as she coyly crossed her arms. Convinced- and highly embarrassed- both boys nodded in confirmation of the girl's identity. Apollo shot both of them a wink and a friendly smile before facing everyone else- a serious look in her eye. "I'm assuming that you all believe me now?" she asked in a calm monotone. Apologetically, everyone nodded in response, before showing their remorse verbally.
"We are sorry," started Starfire.
"Yeah we messed up-"
"Big time," added Cyborg and Raven.
"Especially me," lamented Beast Boy. "I should've told you guys about Madame Rouge a long time ago; my bad."
"Wait, you knew about Rouge?" asked Robin in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell us before?"
"I- I don't know, I guess it was because she was a part of my past- with the Doom Patrol. I never thought I'd have to deal with that stuff again. I tried to tell you guys back at the tower but…" he faded out and looked at Apollo shyly- the sincere expression of 'I'm sorry' in his eyes. Understanding, Apollo smiled and nodded at the changeling, before focusing back on the others' apologies- mainly Cyborg's.
"We were jerks…" he said calmly before looking Apollo in the eye and continuing. "I was a jerk."
"Yeah, you were," Apollo quickly agreed. "But I know why; and to be honest, I don't blame any of you." She smiled as she rested her hand on Cyborg's shoulder.
"So, you are not mad?" asked Starfire optimistically. "You forgive us for giving you the temperature of three?" Confused beyond comprehension, Apollo naturally looked to Raven for a translation.
"She meant 'the third degree'," she sighed blandly.
"Of course," laughed Apollo. "If I'm gonna hold a grudge, I'll need a better reason than this!" Relieved, everyone smiled and began to talk at once. "So can we leave now? I don't know about you guys, but after a fight like that, I'm exhausted." Apollo joked; confused, everyone stared at her, unsure of the intent behind her words.
"So, you're coming back with us?" asked Cyborg. Eyes wide, soon Apollo also became confused and looked around at who she thought were still her teammates.
"But you left your communicator on the desk," said Robin. "And back in the alley; when you were with-" his reasoning was cut short as Apollo rolled her eyes and began to laugh as she pulled her communicator from her belt- showing it to everyone. Perplexed, Robin tried to make sense of what he was seeing. "But, you left your-"
"I left a communicator on my desk," Apollo corrected. "That didn't mean it was mine…"
"But then whose-"
Apollo laughed and looked back to Beast Boy, "If there's any thief you guys need to keep an eye on, it's the couch! The next time you decide to take a nap, you might wanna check under the cushions when you get up." She smiled devilishly before joining everyone in a group laugh. "You guys really thought you could get rid of me that easily?" she turned and looked to Robin, "Besides, how else would I have known about all of this? I needed something to hack into." She sighed nonchalantly.
"Well," sighed Raven as she turned to walk out the door. "It looks like we can leave." She continued, subliminally hinting that she too was ready to go.
"Good," sighed Apollo as she began to walk forward. "Maybe tonight I'll actually be able to get a good-"
"Look out!" shouted a voice as a shadow from overhead swung down and knocked Apollo out of the way of an elastic-like arm before igniting a large smoke bomb and a freeze disk. Everyone looked and listened in horror at the growing grey cloud and the loud thumps emanating from it. Suddenly there was a chilling scream, followed by the sound of breaking glass-a window. Fearing the worst, everyone prepared themselves to run into the fog and save their friend from Rouge, and whoever else was in the smoke. Caught in the thick screen of smoke, Apollo stumbled through the grey cloud, ready for Madame Rouge and round two; but instead of a fist, she felt the soft and familiar sensation of a hand on her face...
"Rouge," growled Robin as he finally bolted forward and threw a series of projectiles in the direction of the sneak attacker. Also making his way through the smoke, Robin caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a moving figure. Assuming it to be the perpetrator, he jumped forward only to find that instead of an evil woman in red, he saw Apollo- safe and sound- with her arms wrapped around a familiar thief dressed in black; her head, happily resting against his chest. Unsure of how to react, he simply stood still and, awkwardly, tried his best to ignore what he had walked into. Once she finally realized that they were no longer alone, Apollo shyly backed away from her beau in black, allowing him to approach Robin.
Looking past Red X, Robin- with a raised eyebrow- focused on a smiling Apollo before finally staring his adversary in the eye and taking in a familiar command, "Take care of her." For the first time, there was no sign of sarcasm or arrogance in his voice; instead, these once stereotypical tones were replaced by those of stern sincerity as both boys shared a quick glance at the girl standing behind them. Solemnly, Robin nodded as he and Red X faced each other again and the smoke barrier slowly began to clear. Once he was sure his request had been fulfilled, the black suited thief returned to Apollo one last time before disappearing along with the smoke.
After the cloud had cleared, both Robin and Apollo walked forward and reunited with the rest of their team and alertly searched the area for any signs of Madame Rouge. Fortunately, there was no trace of her other than a few shattered chunks of ice and a broken window. She'd gotten away- and with the Module X prototype. "Don't worry, she won't get away with this," promised Robin.
"She hasn't," corrected Cyborg as he and Raven brought forward a large silver briefcase marked 'W.E.'. Picking the lock, Apollo managed to get the case open and reveal that every part of the prototype was intact.
"But, how was this left behind?" asked Starfire as the contents were returned to the case. Upon closing it, Apollo came across a small cross-shaped blade which had pierced the top cover of the safe- a red 'X'; picking it off, she held it up and smiled faintly at what she knew to be a calling card.
"Let's go home," Robin sighed as he and the others all rose to their feet and walked toward the exit. Stopping in the doorway, Apollo placed the briefcase just outside the entrance for authorities to find. She then took a final look around the building before moving on to catch up. As she walked forward, the rogue strands of her widely tousled hair tickled her face; without thinking, she calmly addressed the matter by brushing back her hair with her hand. Upon doing so, she felt the startling sensation of cold metal against her temple! Smiling, she jovially pulled back her hand and stared at what she already knew had purposely been snuck onto her finger. Happily, Apollo closed her eyes had smiled, shaking her head and laughing to herself at his antics. Looking into the ring, she smiled at the beautiful young lady in the gem, before noticing the reflection of a departing black shadow in the background of the ring. Still smiling, she slowly lowered her hand and shot a quick glance at the open window behind her before she ran out of the building to catch up to her team- her friends.
*Well there you go! It looks like everything's been resolved. Apollo's demons have been defeated and she can finally begin her second attempt as a Teen Titan! (And they all lived happily ever, blah blah blah! ;D) JK, I should have the last chapter up soon; and as always, feel free to review!