Chapter 4: Attack
Now, onto some action! And plenty of ouch, because apparently that was the thing to write for your favorite characters back in 2005. I still love it, but even I'll admit this is excessive. Whateva.
Shout out to those I gave review responses to for this chapter, because to this day I appreciate reviews like no other and know how fun it is to get a response. Attaway Rebel-Aquarius (you still rock), HermioneGranger22491, and Rae who apparently gave me an awesome idea when I first wrote this!
"Raven!" Her team yelled from below her. As she flew over the edge of the crates towards the rest of the Titans, Raven lashed out at her assailant. As her fist connected with the head of the person, a sharp pain ran up her arm. The metal skull of the Slade bot had sustained her attack with nothing but a small dent in its head. And still it would not let go.
"Get, OFF!" She yelled. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" The Slade bot was blasted back and over the edge of the boat as Raven caught herself in flight a mere three feet above the ground. Robin ran over to her and steadied her as she stumbled.
"Raven, are you okay? What's wrong?" Robin looked down at her hand. More blood was coming out through the medical tape from the reopened cuts. Raven leaned back against the crates, holding her side.
"Damn, robot, knocked, breath out," she gasped. "I, hate everything, ow."
"Let me see your hand." Robin said. Raven held her hand out to him. He tenderly unwrapped the old bandages, pulling some antiseptic wipes out of his belt as he did so. "This will sting a little, Rae," he warned. She winced slightly as Robin ran the cloth over her hand. After he rewrapped it with fresh bandages, he put his hands on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay, Raven?" His face was stern, but his grip was gentle.
"I will be," Raven replied. He hesitated for a second, his hand moving to the hair brushing her shoulder. Softly, so softly with the back of his finger, he brushed it behind her ear.
"Okay," he replied. Raven's cheeks flared up and she looked away, tugging her hood back up over her head. He stepped back and hurried towards the others with his head down. Cyborg had a small smile on his face, like he was thinking about something. Starfire had steam coming out of her ears, and with her red hair, it looked like her head was on fire. Raven started walking over with her cloak drawn tightly around her, favoring the side the robot had barreled into.
"Well that was proof Slade is up to something," Beast Boy observed.
"Thank you, Captain State the Obvious," Raven said dryly.
Cyborg snickered then said, "Alright Robin, what's the plan?"
"Kick his ass," Robin said through clenched teeth.
As they continued their stealthy approach, Raven noticed a small movement behind a large tarp.
"Stop!" she hissed.
"What?" Robin said, moving closer to her.
"There." She pointed to a bunch of Slade bots, poised to attack, behind the tarp, barely noticeable in the late afternoon sun. The bots were all facing straight ahead, ready to destroy whatever crossed their path.
"Nice. Titans, ready." Robin whispered, taking out his Bo staff. They put some distance between themselves and the tarp opening and walked in front of it, activating the robots. Instantly greeted by a small army of Slade bots, Robin yelled out, "Titans, GO!"
They all instantly scattered, each taking a group with them. Cyborg blasted a bunch of the robots with his sonic cannon. "Boo-ya! Wha-?" Another group jumped on him, completely weighing him down. "Get the hell off!" Cyborg yelled, struggling against the weight of the metal. Robin heard and ran over to help his friend, but was sidetracked by a squad that surrounded him. While Robin was fighting his way through the Slade bots, Starfire flew over to Cyborg and started blasting away at the mass holding him down. A stray bot suddenly sent her flying back towards Robin's position.
"EEP!" Starfire yelled. "Robin, catch me!" He turned around to see her hurtling towards him, arms flailing.
"Crap." Both uttered a clearly audible oof as they collided and tumbled back through the shallow wall of robots. When the dust settled Robin tried to get up, but a rather heavy weight was on him.
"Isn't this funny, friend Robin! We have landed on top of one another!" Starfire giggled. Robin cringed and looked up to see Raven trying to keep the robots off of a disabled Cyborg and a now unconscious Beast Boy. She threw crate after crate at the never-ending stream, occasionally throwing shields up around her and her teammates. Raven floated ten feet off the ground for a better vantage point, and realizing she was out of reach, the robots began shooting with their laser guns. Robin again tried to shove Starfire off and she tumbled to the side, legs still hooked over him. As he looked around the area, he noticed one robot sneak away from the group Raven was keeping at bay and come up at the far side of the battle, hidden behind a box. It took out its laser gun and took aim.
"Starfire, the others are in trouble!"
"Do you not wish to know how I am?" Starfire asked, acting hurt.
"Off, now!" Robin yelled and scrambled to his feet. "Raven, look out!" Robin cried out, throwing a freeze disc towards the robot as he did so.
"Wha-" She started to turn around as the robot shot. Robin's freeze disc slammed into the crate a second too late, encasing both the box and the robot in ice. The laser beam hit Raven in the stomach and she doubled over. A small yell of pain escaped her lips as she tumbled back towards the deck. Robin watched, frozen, as first her elbow then the rest of her hit the unforgiving surface and she rolled towards the railing.
The water! Robin thought, running towards the edge of the boat. Raven flung an arm out a second before reaching the railing, and she stopped rolling but still she slid. With a yell, Robin dove towards her, arm outstretched as he watched her head slam into the iron support rail before she slipped over the side of the boat.
Robin skidded across the wood and his hand found her wrist as he, too, slipped over the side, his other hand clamped tightly on the rail as he swung against the boat with Raven dangling below him. He felt her hand weakly close around his wrist and heard her groan. A strong hand grabbed his upper arm and Robin felt himself lifted back onto the boat by a revived Cyborg.
"Whoa, what the hell happened to Raven?" Beast Boy asked, gawking. Robin looked at him, confused, before redirecting his attention to Raven who was now sitting with her back to the rail she had so recently hit her head on. Both her hands were pressed tightly against the side of her head, blood dripping down her sleeve. Cyborg went into action.
"Rae, look at me."
"No, just give me a second," was her muffled response.
"Raven…" Cyborg's voice was stern and commanding. Robin looked around to see that Starfire had dispatched the rest of the robots, and the deck was blissfully clear. She and Beast Boy were on their guard, watching for more of Slade's minions while Cyborg tended to Raven's head.
"Now, dark girl," Cyborg demanded with finality. Raven sighed and lifted her head, eyes closed. The side of her head was bleeding steadily, and as Cyborg moved his hands to the wound, Raven's own hands moved to her abdomen where the laser had hit her.
Cyborg held his hand out to Robin who quickly granted the wordless request by producing a wad of gauze from his belt. Cyborg dabbed at the wound, inspecting and cleaning before holding the gauze over it and looking back to Raven's face.
"It's not deep, Rae, but it will bleed for a bit."
"It's a head wound, Cy, of course it's going to bleed," Raven shot back, the bite in her words softened by the use of Cyborg's nickname.
"Open your eyes. I need to see if you have a concussion." Raven obliged, and Cyborg quickly checked her pupils. "All clear, somehow. Keep pressure on your head." Raven shot him a well duh look before replacing his large metal hands with her own over the wad of gauze. Her gaze moved over to where Robin crouched.
"Thanks Robin. Second time you've saved my life in one day. I owe you," Raven said with a soft half-smile. She sat up all the way and her unoccupied hand flew back to her abdomen. "Damn that hurt."
"Where's Starfire?" Robin suddenly said, noticing the red-head had not said nor made herself apparent during the time he had been helping Raven.
"You noticed?" Starfire said acidly. Robin turned to face a very angry Starfire.
"Star!" Robin squeaked.
"I do not appreciate being shoved off of you. You have been ignoring me as of late friend Robin. If you do not soon start to show you love me, it will be finished," she threatened.
"Ok, what the hell are you talking about? What will be finished? I had to help the others and I couldn't do that until you got off of me. I've just been busy. I'm not ignoring you," Robin said, hiding his laughter (along with the others) at her ridiculous statement.
"Um, Star? Have you been watching any soap operas lately?" Beast Boy said, laughing quietly.
"Yes friend Beast Boy. I have watched the opera of the soap yesterday. Why do you ask?" Starfire said, oblivious to the fact that her little speech was right off of her soap opera episode from the other day.
"No reason…"
Robin stepped past her and Beast Boy to survey the boat deck. Behind them, a pile of mangled robots and crates. Ahead, all manners of boat machinery, more crates, tarps, and buckets. Plenty of hiding places for Slade. Robin squared his shoulders and turned back around to his team.
"Rae? You feel up to the rest of the mission?" Robin asked gently, changing the subject.
"I don't have much choice, seeing as we're right in the middle of it," Raven stood up, unsteady on her feet. Her hand found Cyborg and he set her upright. "Ideally it's just Slade left, and I'll be able to hang back on the defensive side of things." Robin nodded.
"Let's check the cabin before we move forward," Robin said, walking towards the large structure in the middle of the deck. Beast Boy ripped down the tarp that had hid the first wave of robots, double-checking there were no more surprises left behind that particular door. Robin looked back at his teammates, nodding to Cyborg who had his cannon ready and aimed at the door. Slowly, Robin reached for the handle. With a quiet turn of his wrist, he pushed the door in and was promptly greeted by a swift kick to the jaw.
Robin skidded backwards, taking everyone else with him, as Slade exited the cabin door.
"Ow," Raven said.
"Titans, go!" Robin shouted, still nursing his jaw. Beast Boy attacked first as a lion, but was quickly thrown back by a well-placed punch to the neck. Starfire unleashed a barrage of starbolts, all of which Slade dodged. Cyborg tried a few shots then some punches, but was hit back to where Beast Boy lay. Cyborg stayed back with Beast Boy, deciding to try and revive his little green friend. Raven threw several boxes at Slade, making sure to keep her distance as she concentrated on keeping the gauze clamped over the cut on her head. After a few attempts, one finally hit its target.
Slade slid back a few feet, angry. He moved to attack her but was hit from behind by a well-timed kick to the head courtesy of Robin. Slade swung his leg behind him, tipping Robin backwards, and stood to punch a hole through the box Raven had just thrown at him. The wood chips flew back towards her, and as she covered her face against the wood, Slade saw his chance. He grabbed a metal rod off the ground and hurled it towards Raven, catching her across the stomach. She gasped for air she flew backwards over the railing of the boat, her back hitting hard and sending her upside down. Robin felt his breath catch in his throat, but seconds later she came flying back up, hood flipped off and anger crackling in her eyes and fists.
Slade took a step backwards, the sorceress before him a scary sight. Blood began leaking back down the side of her face, but she paid it no mind as she started shooting balls of magic at Slade, each more powerful than the next. Slade flipped back over Robin, dodging as he made his way up to the top of the cabin. Raven took chase, shooting magic all the while.
"Raven!" Robin called as she disappeared over the roof. Starfire raced after her and Slade, shooting starbolts at the masked man who was finding it more and more difficult to dodge the glowing attacks. Robin vaulted up onto the roof in time to see Slade disappear over the other side in a flash of smoke and light. Raven and Starfire flew backwards, hands shielding their faces. Raven landed shakily with her hand pressed to her head, Starfire in front of her watching for Slade to pop back up over the ledge. Cyborg and Beast Boy appeared next to Robin, both nursing injuries of their own.
"Slade?" Beast Boy asked, watching with disbelief on his face as Starfire helped Raven back towards the group. "Girls really are so weird," he mumbled as Cyborg went to help. Robin kept his eyes roaming the boat, looking for Slade. He couldn't have gone far. He wouldn't have gone far.
"Take cover!" Cyborg yelled. He, Starfire, and Raven were looking down at the ground as a loud click sounded. Raven threw up a shield and Beast Boy dove at Robin, the two falling to the ground just as a small explosion ripped through the air. Both went sliding off the roof into a stack of plastic buckets.
"Raven? Star? Cyborg?" Beast Boy called as he and Robin picked themselves out of the crushed plastic.
"You do not want to do that," they heard Starfire say as the whine of Cyborg's charging cannon floated around the corner. The separated heroes sprinted around the corner to see Slade standing over a barely conscious Raven near the edge of the deck. Starfire's eyes were glowing, and Cyborg's cannon was aimed straight at Slade's head.
"Aren't you two girls supposed to be fighing right now," Slade remarked dryly. Starfire frowned.
"Don't touch her," Robin yelled, taking out a handful of Bird-a-rangs.
"That's precious, Robin. Trying to save your little girlfriend."
"What are you doing here, Slade," Robin growled, taking a step forward.
"Now I don't want to spoil all the fun, but since you've asked so nicely…" Slade brought a hand to his face, deliberately stroking the side of his mask as if in deep thought as he brought a foot down over Raven's slender neck, slowly pressing down as she weakly struggled against the pressure, head still bleeding. She was very pale.
"I've been watching your battles, Titans. This little bird is the linchpin of your team, is she not? The one with the shields, the reasonable one, the all-reaching power…" Slade laughed. "It really is always the quiet ones. I think I would be better off with her eliminated, don't you?" Robin tightened his grip on the projectiles in his hand, ready to fling them at Slade. Noticing, Slade simply shrugged and calmly pushed Raven backwards with his foot, sending her over the edge for the second time that day.
Immediately, cannon blasts, starbolts, and Bird-a-rangs flew at Slade. Robin sprinted straight towards him and planted an explosive on Slade's back as he flew past and over the edge in a fast dive towards the water.
Starfire and Cyborg kept the flood of attacks aimed at Slade as he scrambled to get the disc off his back. With a satisfied grin, he tried to flip his way across the boat towards the rig and the pier. Beast Boy streaked past as a cheetah, flipping as he vaulted over the railing and morphed into a dolphin. Slade hurled the disc back towards Starfire and Cyborg and watched it explode halfway there, providing a distraction as he dove off the boat and vanished. As the smoke cleared, Starfire and Cyborg ran over to the side of the boat where their friends had disappeared.
Raven's body hit the water with a splash, shortly followed by Robin. He frantically looked through the murky waters for Raven. "Mmm!" he exclaimed as he saw her dark shape sinking. He swam down towards her and grabbed hold of her cloak, lungs burning as he gathered her closer. He tried to pull her up towards the surface, but he was starting to get light-headed from lack of breath, and Raven's cloak was thick and heavy. Robin struggled with the clasp, cursing as he fumbled. A nudge alerted him to something beneath them, and suddenly he and Raven were shooting towards the surface atop a large green whale.
When Robin finally broke into the fresh air, he gasped for air, relieved to hear Raven coughing next to him. Beast Boy leapt out of the water and flipped into his pterodactyl form. His claws dug into Robin's shoulders and with a great flap of his leathery wings, Beast Boy hauled them up to the boat.
Robin held Raven close to him, trying to keep her abnormally cold body warm. The bleeding on her forehead had slowed, but it still leaked onto Robin's uniform shirt. The other three gathered in close.
"She saved us from that bomb, Robin. Threw up the shield just in time, but I think it took the rest of her energy out of her. She can't heal herself," Cyborg said grimly.
"I'm sorry, Rae, I'm sorry I couldn't get there in time," Robin whispered, his heart like lead. She was so cold.
"Come on dude, we gotta get her home. We can load your motorcycle onto my car so you can ride with her." Cyborg said gently. Robin nodded, silent as he rocked back on his heels. The green pterodactyl gently grabbed onto Raven's shoulders and rose off the ground, taking her with him. Starfire grabbed Cyborg and Robin's hands and flew back to the pier, dropping Robin off at his motorcycle before following Beast Boy back to the T-car. Robin gunned the bike and shot off down the pier back towards the lot.
You were right, Raven, he thought. It was stupid to bring the bike. So you need to be okay so you can say I told you so, okay, Rae? Robin thought to himself as he came to a screeching halt next to the T-car.
Cyborg had settled Raven across the backseat, and Robin slid in next to her, placing her head on his lap. He gently smoothed her wet lavender hair out of her face, pressing a new piece of gauze to her head. The bleeding was almost gone. Cyborg finished loading the cycle onto the back of the car and they began the journey home in silence, Starfire and Beast Boy silently flying above them.
Please be okay, Robin thought. Please Rae.
Hmm yeah so I changed a lot of things from the original. And I like this so much better. Ignore the logistical improbability of the vehicles and stuff. Ain't nobody got time for that.