Author: Chapter 13. I'm posting this because after this one.. the rest gets crazy. Not gonna say much for now. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I only own San, Silvy, Sari, Ruba and the energy users. That's all. DC isn't mine.
[MaraJade57]
I debated her running off to like.. Slade, for example, but where would the fun be in that? :P Nah, I have something special planned for Ruba later on. The next chapter will introduce one of the two energy users you suggested. I hope you will like 'em (not saying gender cause that'll say which it is, haha). I have so much in store idk how I'm gonna put it all in. ;_; Lol. Thanks :D
Awhile after Sari had left the living room San fell over, cringing in pain as a vision hit her brain. Silvy rushed to her side, holding her to him as she squeezed her eyes shut.
"San?!" His panicked voice was lost as she succumbed to the course laid out before her. It was vivid, just like the rest, but with a menacing feel to it that overlaid the deeper terror.
She saw a scratchy building standing proudly in a forest several miles from Jump City, hidden from prying eyes, and her feet carried her to it in a run. She threw open the door and gasped at the sight before her; Sari was hovering in the air, cables wrapped around his arms and legs, his suspended frame zapping with blue energy. His head was bent forward, his limp body just.. dangling there, like he was unconscious. The energy continued to float about, like fog, before it began to slowly get brighter, louder, more heavy. It slipped into the cables like they were drawing it to them and into the machine above him, which was attached to long supports that ran from the ground in arches, like cords supporting a cell tower. Said device began to beep with the storing power. As the power increased Sari was jostled awake and he screamed in pain as the energy was pulled from him like a human battery.
What the heck was that thing? What was it doing to Sari? To the side of the machine's base stood four figures; a gorilla, a machine with a brain on top, a red-clad lady and a masked male with his arms folded against his chest firmly.
She rushed into the room, knowing they couldn't hurt her, and glared at them. "What are you doing to him?!" She snarled angrily because they were obviously hurting him.
"With this machine.." The brain said in a crisp, emotionless robot voice. "..we will rule the world."
Gears started to grind overhead and the ceiling opened to reveal the sky. Suddenly the machine reached it's full potential and a beam shot up toward the blue atmosphere, parting white clouds like a fishing hook tossed into still water. From there it began to expand outward, fanning the air. She realized it was going to cover the world like an outer shell.
"Noo.." She grabbed her head, trying to force herself awake. Unlike the last visions she couldn't pull herself out of it.
"My dear girl-" The Brain continued. "-you are too late. Nothing can stop us.."
She lowered her arms, a blank expression crossing her face as she leveled a striking gaze to the floating organ. "Just watch me."
She was thrown from the vision and returned to her body. She felt strong arms circled around her waist, holding her against an even stronger chest. She tipped her head back, peering up at Silvy, who looked down at her with concern and worry, unusual to his usually stoic face.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
"I'm fine, thank you. I had a vision.. this time.. the last one was avoided, we took a different past.. but this one.. it's sharp, clearer, I think it's going to happen unless we stop it.." She said in a rushed, breathless whisper.
Starfire and the other Titans gathered around, crouching to study her. She turned her head to face him, horror stricken across her pale face.
"I have very bad news.." She told them what she had saw and heard.
Robin was very surprised to hear a voice penetrate his mind like a knife into a paper package, very low and yet understandable. It was Sari's.
"Robin.. we need help.."
Where had it come from? He glanced to his taken-out communicator, but it was silent, clearly not from it. He put it away and spun, trying to locate the source.
Sari, how are you in my head? He demanded, thinking it since it was in his head.
"Robin, I'm not sure, but now's not the time to think of an explanation."
Where are you? You said you were going to find Ruba. What happened?
"Madame Rouge happened." So the vision was starting to come true. They had discerned the identity of Sari's kidnappers from the vision. It was members of the Brotherhood of Evil. Monsieur Mallah, Madame Rouge, the Brain and Red X, obviously working together to perform whatever evil scheme they had created. "Her and Red X had her knocked out. I tried to take them down, but I was no match. I'm at some kind of underground facility. There's others here. Mallah and the Brain, possibly more."
Stay put. We're going to track your communicator-
"Not possible." Sari cut him off, a sigh following in Robin's mind. The man was agitated on his end. "It's likely been taken from me and disposed of.. or being used to monitor you." A chuckle followed. "Besides I'm not going anywhere any time soon. Ruba and I are chained, pretty securely."
We'll find you two. Don't worry. I have a plan.
"Alright." And just like that the connection was gone, a phantom breeze that made him begin to wonder if it hadn't just been his frustrated, stressed mind being cruel, forging a fake conversation, but he knew it was true; San had verified that Sari became a prisoner in the near future. It looked like it had already happened.
He turned to point toward San and Silvy, indicating them so they stood in response. "We got an issue."
"Eh?" The male furrowed his brows, black orbs glistening with curiosity. He spared a moment to look at his comrade, San, before returning to watching Robin, who was stepping closer to them.
"Don't ask questions, just listen. We'll figure this out later, but right now your vision's coming true, San. The Brotherhood of Evil has Sari and Ruba." He explained as best as he could, already forming plans in his head.
"I know where." San twiddled her fingers for a moment before pulling back her cloak to reveal a bag at her hip, the strap across her chest. She rummaged through it and produced pen and paper, to which she placed onto a counter of the kitchen area. She closed her eyes and wrote several things down, a map with a key. "They're at a place called the Syphan Forest, a few miles to the east. It's a hidden forest that can only be found by those who know of it." She lifted her free hand to tap her skull. "Only reason I know of it's existence is because the visions provide information to my brain on locations in said vision being shown."
She scribbled several lines, connecting them, and then circled the center, drawing a bunch of tree shapes inside it. The very middle she left empty and then, once she finished with the trees, she drew a rectangle in the free space and wrote 'building'.
She tapped that box with the tip of her pen, looking up at them. "They're being held here, an old building that was used by a certain.. eccentric wizard many years ago and was abandoned not long after. The structure is simple, but big. It contains a sub-level, a basement if you will, and the ground level looks like your typical empty warehouse."
"So how do we get in there?" Robin rubbed his jawline thoughtfully as he considered the place. It was likely to be well guarded considering four members of the Brotherhood of Evil were there. So a fight was bound to happen. Plus they had to get Ruba and Sari out safely.
That brought up the next question. Why did they want Ruba? For what reason had they taken her?
Silvy pinched the bridge of his nose, night eyes slinking into thin slits against the topic at hand. "Great, a rescue mission. I think it'd be best if you let San and I handle this one."
Robin shook his head. "Four against two is an unfair fight. You would lose considering it's Madame Rouge, Red X, the Brain.. and Mallah."
Silvy lifted held his hands out, cracking them with a vile and dark smile on his face. "Trust me, we'll win. Isn't that right-" He turned his head to peer at the female. "-San?"
She nodded, the counter smile on her face; bright, happy, determined. "Yeah!"
"..just what are you thinking, Silvy?" Robin asked hesitantly.
"I may be a mere child and seemingly weak, but don't think for a second I'm easy prey to crush beneath a boot. San and I are capable of handling such a task and once we free the pair it'll become a fair fight." Silvy reasoned, dipping his head down to study his fingernails as if they were fascinating.
"Alright. If anything happens.. you have a communicator. Contact us immediately." Robin finally relented, folding his arms.
San turned to face Silvy, beaming that weird smile of hers. "I'll lead the way."
"Let's go!" Silvy said, moving to exit the room, but her outstretched hand connected with his chest suddenly, stopping him.
She held a finger up to her lips, eyes narrowing. He stood there, confused, while she walked toward the door and inhaled as if she smelled something wrong. The doors slid open as she approached and there, in the hallway, stood Ruba on her knees, panting.
"Ruba!" Silvy gasped behind her. She moved to the girl's side, grabbing her arm to support her, the other on a shoulder.
"What happened?" She questioned the red user whose eyes were flicking back and forth before they finally settled on the white user.
"Sari told me to teleport- apparently I can just like how he has telepathy." Ruba said. San glanced back to Robin, who nodded. "He's being held prisoner, I don't know why."
San waved the hand, that had been on her shoulder, in the air. "Don't worry, we know. I had a vision and it clarified. He's going to be the power source to energize a large machine that they will use to control the world. We have to stop them. We're about to head there now, Silvy and I, to retrieve him."
Ruba shook her head. "You can't. I don't know where he is-"
San shushed her. "We know where he is. My visions are very clear and tells of locations and whatnot. We know the facility you were held at. Stay here with Robin and his team. We'll need you as backup." The girl nodded and San helped her to her feet before leading her over to the Titan leader and her friend. The rest of the team were currently resting.
"Ruba.. don't run off again.. and.." Silvy said in a sigh. "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I got hot-headed, said some mean things I shouldn't have."
Ruba brushed him off. "It's in the past. Let's just save Sari."
"We'll do that. You stay here, be safe and don't leave again. If something happens to us two you and the Titans will have to swoop in and save us, you hear?" The female nodded to his words before he smiled, patting her shoulder. "Good. We'll see you later."
He walked to the door with San beside him and the pair vanished out the door, getting ready for the brewing fight that lingered just around the corner of the morning.
Slade was getting impatient.. and a tad bit worried, but he wouldn't admit that.
His lair was once more cold, dreary, quiet aside from the gears above. After their escape with Ruba he had spent much time watching, listening, repairing. They had made quite a mess for him to clean up, all for some misguided conclusion that they had to 'save' her, that she was in danger with him, which was hardly the case. On the contrary she was safe with him. She was his apprentice, after all.
She had been, at least. Wintergreen had set about cleaning after Slade had woke the man. He'd taken a lot of energy to fight the male, Sari, who had outdone the military man. Slade had half a mind to make the man rest, but Wintergreen had a determined look in his eyes, regret plain, like he felt guilty and responsible so Slade said nothing.
Slade wasn't pleased as he monitored the Titans. Apparently after being hung up on Ruba had vanished and landed somewhere in the city. He'd visually followed the male as he went to retrieve her and was a bit shocked to find the Brotherhood of Evil already had their hands on her and also him as he was put down. They both had been whisked away, taken from the city and beyond his sight.
He was contemplating going after them, but when he watched the feed from the Titans he realized the two others like her would go and retrieve her.. and just as they were departing she appeared like a ghost and he felt a spark of relief. She was his, not the Brotherhood of Evil's. His alone.
He went to go help Wintergreen clean, smiling beneath the mask that his apprentice was safe.
"Aaahhhhh!" His body felt like it was on fire. Red X accounted Ruba's missing as his doing and as such was currently sending high electricity into his body. At first he'd bit back the pain, holding his agony inside, but it reached a point where he just couldn't keep it at bay.. and had started to scream.
That had drawn the trio into the room to watch as he writhed in the chains, squirming to escape the jolts surging into him.
At last Red X had moved away, releasing him from the torture. He had hung his head, breathing heavily as steam rose from his body, electricity crackling around him.
"Because of him the girl is gone, I'm sure of it." Red X was telling Mallah, Rouge and the Brain just a few feet away.
"Even so. The loss of her will not stop us. He will be of use, in her place." The Brain stated with that mechanical voice system.
Sari looked up, face contorted in controlled exhaustion and pain, but he had a smile even though his left eye was closed. "Do you really.. think you can hold me.. here? You lot are so.. foolish."
"My dear boy.. stop lying to yourself. You are our prisoner. Our toy. You will be broken.. and you will not escape." The Brain said and Sari wished the thing had emotions. He'd love to wipe a smile off a face when the time came, but he'd settle on shattering that glass.
His smile only grew in strength. "We'll see, Brain.. we'll see."
He settled back against his binding, eye opening so he could peer at them with azure hues that held amusement in them.
He studied the room he was in, definitely underground by the looks of it.
He needed to get away from here, yet he couldn't figure out how to get out of those blasted chains. His hands and legs were secured and he wouldn't be able to use them. He couldn't teleport like Ruba.. could he? He focused on a location, but after several minutes it became apparent that he couldn't perform the task.
They were truly different.