Part 34: A.R.M.S…
Artillery Robotic Mercenary Soldier.
That was the name of the Zodiac Knight that appeared tonight.
But the question remains…Who is ARMS?
The Teen Titans
At first, there were only five members on the team.
Robin, the gung ho leader. His real name is Timothy Drake. He was once the sidekick of the Dark Knight, Batman. But even without any superpowers of his own, Robin has proven himself a great fighter of justice. His keen intellect and detective skills enable him to solve the toughest puzzles and mysteries. He is also armed with a utility belt filled with gadgets and weapons (How does he fit all that stuff into that belt is still a mystery to me). He is also skilled in hand to hand combat and in the martial arts.
Unfortunately, he has an obsession with trying to catch a man named Slade, which causes him to put his friends/teammates in danger. But, he does have one weakness…
Starfire, the strange little alien girl that hailed from Tamaran. She is said to be royalty, a princess. Her real name is Koriand'r, but she also goes by Kori Anders. She always seems to be smiling whenever she went, always there to give a helping hand, innocent to the bone and a bit naïve.
But don't be fooled.
She is very powerful, brave, beautiful and noble. She would do almost anything to keep the innocent and her friends safe from harm.
Her only weakness is Robin. She loves him dearly and would do absolutely ANYTHING to keep him safe.
Starfire has the ability to fly and fling balls of energy called Starbolts. She can also shoot beams of energy out of her eyes. She also has super alien strength. I have witnessed this before when she lifted the T-Car with only one hand.
Cyborg, the mechanical teen and 2nd in command of the Titans. His real name is Victor Stone. He was once a human athlete, but an accident forced doctors to perform extreme prosthetic surgery on him, replacing much of his body with bionics and cybernetics. He is very strong and tough, mainly because of the titanium armor he is always wearing. His body is hidden with as many gadgets as Robin's belt (probably even more). His main weapon is that sonic cannon of his.
Has a soft spot for all of his inventions and his prized creations are the T-Car and T-Sub/Ship. He is the mechanic and, I think, medical officer of the team. He is also a huge meat-lover, which causes him to have small but escalated arguments with his best friend…
Beast Boy, Garfield "Gar" Logan. A green changeling that can turn into any animal he desires no matter how big or how small. Gifted with the ability to crack jokes (very bad/stupid jokes) in any situation, be it good, bad, really bad, or worse. His sense of humor however hides a boy with a lot of courage (I deeply respect that), since he was able to control his deeper and more aggressive dark side.
I have seen the Were-Beast Boy before, and it is as powerful as it is frightening. Fortunately, Beast Boy has gone into training and only uses that form in emergencies. He is rarely seen without his best friend and partner Cyborg. They also have small pointless, yet amusing fight between videogames or even food (Meat VS Tofu debates).
And Raven Rachel Roth…
I don't really know what to say about her but I will try the best I could.
She is, in truth, my angel. A beautiful dark goddess that spreads her wings in the day or night. Her beauty surpasses all I see and her serenity melts me from within.
She possesses magical energies, enabling her to use magic and spells. She has telekinetic abilities and can levitate. She also has some telepathic and empathic skills. She also has healing powers and can project her "soul self" in the form of a huge Raven.
Her powers are fueled by her emotions.
She is both gifted and cursed. Gifted since she is so powerful, yet cursed since she cannot show the tiniest bit of emotion without destroying anything and everything close to her. However, I see that it isn't the case. I have seen her cry, smile and show fear. I have also seen her laugh and I wish to see that smile plastered forever more on her face. She is my perfect little black bird, the enchantress of my heart.
She is Raven…
I can sense that she once had her heartbroken by someone once, his name escapes me. However, I made a promise to myself, on my honor, and to her that I shall never break her heart.
Why?
Because she is my Raven, and I love her.
(Author's notes: If you've read my Zodiac Titans fics, you know who's talking, right?")
Now for the new members, in order.
Terra, a girl with a past and secret so painful. Her real name is Tara Markov. Her past is a complete mystery to me. She only confides in Beast Boy and sometimes in me since she knows I can keep secrets. (I keep a lot of secrets about myself and I only talk about them to Raven)
She has the power of Geokinesis: the power to move, control and manipulate earth.
Once, she was unable to control her powers and ran…to Slade. Slade helped her master her powers and in return, made her his apprentice and spy. She was sent to spy on the Titans and finally betrayed them. Fortunately, there was still goodness inside of her. It was her love for Beast Boy that finally broke the hold Slade had on her. She fought against Slade and sacrificed herself to save the Titans and the city, resulting in herself being turned into a stone statue. Slade was believed to have died that day.
She was freed from her stone prison and the Titans haven't actually told us how or by whom.
But everyone has secrets, so I will let them have theirs.
Jinx, the mistress of hexes and bad luck. I'm not sure what her real name was or is. Maybe Jinx is her real name. Who knows? She is a sorceress and like her name suggests, she can score bad luck for anyone. Ironically, she joined the Titans who were once her enemies and well, they didn't exactly trust her. The reason for her defection from the HIVE to the Titans could only be said in one word: Draco. She fell in love with the trusting Knight/Titan and well, has proven herself to be a capable and trustworthy member of the team and friend.
Now to talk about Draco, the reason for Jinx to become good.
Draco, Ryuki Leonard Hasuma, is a Zodiac Knight like myself. He bares the powers of the dragon: Combustion. He became a Zodiac Knight mainly to protect people.
He can shoot fireballs from his hands and with his pyrokinetic abilities, able to manipulate the flames to do anything he can imagine. He possesses a few psychic abilities as well, mainly telekinesis and the ability to teleport. His reflexes and speed are also part of his meta-human heritage since he possesses cat-like reflexes, agility and senses. He also has experience in the martial arts.
He can eat almost anything, even Starfire's (dreadful) Tamaranian cooking. He also has a liking to cats, which was the cause of his attraction towards Jinx (ie: her hair). He can be headstrong and stupid at times, but he is brave, stupid, but brave nonetheless.
I hate to admit it, but I greatly respect him for that.
The second Zodiac Knight to join the team is Pluto, the Dog Knight of Immortality. His real name is Yoshiyuki Takada. Pluto is the oldest of us (He's the same age as Cyborg, 18). The first time I met him, he was very mature, but lately he has started to lighten up and has formed a strong friendship with Beast Boy and Cyborg. They sometimes call themselves the three amigos and other times, musketeers. However, as unkind as my words may sound, they are more like the 'three stooges'. (I laugh at my little joke)
Pluto has impressive fencing skills, which he displays with his sword. He has some martial arts skills, but not much. He is also a mechanical genius and this is why he gets along well with Cyborg.
He has told me the reason he became a Zodiac Knight, and I shall keep that secret as if it were mine.
As for me, I am the latest member of the Titans. I am known as Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra, the Snake Knight of Invisibility. My real name is Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa Akuma. Yet, the team sometimes calls me Shadow (my nickname). Raven and I have many things in common and I am the only one that can understand how she thinks and feels.
My powers? Well, if you can tell from my name, it involves the shadows. I can create weaponry and items from the darkness and shadows are my best weapons of all. I can also turn invisible. I am also a psychic, with telepathic, empathic and telekinetic powers. Plus I can also project my "soul self" in the form of a huge king cobra, hence the name Shadowcobra. I also possess the power to neutralize powers, allowing Raven to show her emotions without her powers going out of control.
I am also a half vampire, and that requires me to meditate or else I might lose control of the darkness.
And if I do lose control, I may hurt my friends, especially Raven.
I also have my own fair share of secrets and I'll keep it at that.
Sincerely, Shadowcobra a.k.a Ichijyo Desmond Amakusa Akuma.
I signed my last entry to my journal and sighed before I closed the book. I flinched in slight pain as I did. Rolling up the sleeve of my dark sweater I observed the bandages wrapped around my forearm. With another sigh, I frowned in deep thought.
"Never thought to have another Zodiac Knight to show up so soon, huh?" a monotone female voice said from behind me. I wasn't the least bit startled as I turned around in my chair and looked at the owner of the voice.
"You read my mind, huh?" I said with a smile. Raven thanked the darkness that I did not see her blush.
That smile…She sighed as she walked up to me. I got up from my chair and I was still limping. Raven ran up to me, as I was about to topple over.
"You shouldn't be moving," she said, "You took quite a beating tonight, you should rest." She rolled up the front of my sweater to reveal the bandages wrapped around my torso, emphasizing her point.
"You really do like to put a little emphasis on everything you say and do, huh?" I asked again.
"Only around you," she defended as she got me to lie back on my bed. "Now, rest," she ordered.
"Yes ma'am," I replied. Then I had a sly smirk on my face as I grabbed Raven by the arm and pulled her back so that she was lying next to me on my bed. She had a surprised look on her face as a blush started to form on her. I smiled slightly as I ran my hand through her beautiful lilac hair. I suddenly had a small sad frown on my face. "I'm sorry," I apologized.
"For what?" she asked, confused.
"For leaving you at the cafe," I explained. Raven rolled her eyes.
"You didn't leave me, Ichijyo," she said, calling me by my true name, "You went to fight a monster. As a Zodiac Knight, it is your duty to do so."
"I know, but I still want to say sorry."
Raven lightly kissed me on the forehead. "Now rest noble knight of shadows," she said before she got up and walked towards the door. The door slid open as she turned around and smiled at me. She walked out. The door slid shut and the room was once again engulfed in darkness. I closed my eyes and dreamed. Actually, they were memories of what happened after I had fought the monster back at the cafe
Flashback...
I leapt out of the mirror, surprising several of the patrons and workers. One of them actually exclaimed, "Cool!" and attempted to run through a glass window only to knock himself out. I rolled my eyes. The armor shattered away and disappeared as I made my way to Raven. We were both dressed in civilian cloths. She was at the round table, sipping the tea while propping up her chin. She was waiting, waiting for me.
I sat down in front of her. We had gone out to the poetry café Raven liked so much. I have to admit that the place was growing on me too. So was the bookstore. Of course, I could do without another gothic girl trying to hit on, or, flirt with me. I was already taken, mind you. My heart had already been stolen. Too bad for them.
"How was it?" she asked, inquiring about my last battle in the Mirror Dimension.
"Difficult, fairly," I answered simply. I didn't want to get too much into detail since I didn't want to sound like an overconfident jerk.
"I see," was her reply, and she smiled. It was a small smile but still a smile. I tested the waters by placing my hand on hers. She didn't pull back. I blushed slightly, but hid it with my collar. I think she was too since she reached for her hood and pulled it up. We looked each other straight in the eye, acknowledging each other.
I enjoyed these peaceful silences with Raven. They weren't strange or awkward or anything of the sort. Just a comfortable and peaceful silence that I enjoyed, especially with her. I wished that nothing could ruin this moment.
Then our communicators beeped. God I hate that song.
"Titans! Trouble!"
I answered Robin's call, annoyed by the fact that my leader had interrupted my date with Raven.
"What is it now, Robin?" I asked, annoyed. Raven looked at me worriedly before turning her head back to her communicator.
"Atlas and Overload are at the stadium and causing trouble! We need you two there, ASAP!" Robin said before he hanged up. I placed my communicator back into my pants pocket and sighed. I looked up to Raven and then we walked out of the cafe.
As we stepped outside the cafe, Raven and I quickly changed into our uniforms. Raven covered herself with dark energy, shaped like a raven. After the energy dissipated, she was clad in her form fitting black leotard and cloak. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. I quickly transformed and was once again clad in my snake armor. Usually, if it was a normal criminal, I wouldn't use my armor. However, this was Atlas and Overload and I wasn't going to underestimate them again. I of course had the feeling that something big was going to happen but brushed it to the back of my mind and I gripped my cobra scepter tightly as Raven levitated. As Raven took to the air, I leapt into the air and joined her.
When both Raven and I arrived at the scene we looked it over in shock.
In one corner, a deactivated gold and red robot was lying near the wall. Its face didn't show any signs of life and there were small holes all over its body. The arms looked like they were completely ripped off and there were large dents in various places. In a crater next to the robot was a remnants of circuit board that looked like Overload's weakened form but it had been shattered to pieces.
Raven and I walked towards the rest of the Titans and I spoke to Robin. "Did any off you do this?" Robin shook his head. My eyes widened. I looked to the rest of the Titans and their faces also bore looks of bewilderment. It seemed that Overload and Atlas had been dealt with, but the question was by whom?
Starfire flew to Atlas' deactivated body and shuddered. Atlas may have just been an evil robot, but the condition of his body was gory.
On closer inspection, it seemed that Atlas' face had been smashed in, leaving one of his eyes hanging out of his sockets by wires. Oil oozed away from his mouth as well as a few places on his body. Starfire turned herself away from the sight and flew towards Robin.
"At least we won't be getting any trouble from them," I said, regarding the remains of Overload. All over the field were scorch marks, possibly caused by Overloads electric attacks. There were also several imprints of Atlas' body all over the walls and bits of stone were strewn all over.
"But I wonder who could've done this?" I asked no one in particular. I noticed Cyborg cringe in fear.
"I don't know, and I don't wanna know!" Cyborg said, "If that guy can do something like this to Atlas, who knows what he'll do to us!" Pluto walked up to his friend and patted him on the back.
"It probably some new hero in time who wanted to help out," said Pluto.
"That could be it, but…" Robin looked at the scene, "He completely obliterated Atlas and Overload. He went beyond the boundaries of the law."
Suddenly we all tensed up as we heard a strange voice speak up. It was like it was everywhere at once.
"I have not gone through any boundaries of the law because I AM THE LAW!" the voice announced. The lights around the stadium suddenly lit up, revealing a strange armored figure.
The rest of the Titans stood awestruck at the appearance of the stranger. I of course at the time was calmly and carefully assessing the appearance of the stranger. I was very suspicious of this stranger's identity. Was he a Zodiac Knight as well?
The sudden glow of my Zodiac Belt confirmed my suspicion…
This man was a Zodiac Knight!
The knight was clad in a full suit of silver and green armor. The torso was covered in heavy combat armor with blocky shoulder pads while the rest of his body, the arms and legs, were covered in green armor. On his chestplate was the sign of Taurus. Black gauntlets adorned the hands while black boots were worn firmly on his feet. The familiar belt and deck worn around every Zodiac Knights' waists was found on the stranger, except that the deck was on the left side instead of the right. A gun was on the belt too. A green helmet fully covered his head and was equipped with a silver visor. A pair of golden horns rested upon his helmet. He looked almost robotic. He didn't seem to be armed at the moment, but I had the sudden feeling of looming danger coming from this stranger.
Robin was about to walk towards the stranger, but I stopped him. I held back the Titan leader with a firm grip on his shoulder. Robin turned to me and glared. I ignored his glare and told him, "Trust me." Robin's expression softened, but his eyes were still fixed on my actions.
I gestured for Pluto and Draco to follow me. As we walked closer towards the unidentified knight, the strange sense of danger was suddenly getting stronger. However, said knight did not make a single move.
During our little advancement on the knight, Draco had his guard down and got a little too close. Before I could warn him, the green knight pulled his submachine gun and aimed straight at Draco's head.
"Oh crap," Draco said as his eyes widened and stared down the barrel of the gun. The knight pulled the trigger and shot Draco in the head, point blank.
"DRACO!" The Titans yelled in horror and I could almost see Jinx grip herself in fear and utter shock. Draco was sent flying from the force of the shot and landed in front of the Titans.
"Draco!" Jinx quickly rushed to Draco and kneeled next to him, "Are you okay?"
"Friend Draco, are you undamaged," Starfire was next to Jinx and wore a worried expression on her face. She didn't want one of her friends to perish.
"Ow…My achin' head…" Draco groaned. Everyone sighed in relief. It was a good thing that Draco was wearing his helmet.
As Pluto and my attention were focused on Draco, the mysterious green knight suddenly took a shot at both of us. Pluto took a shot in the back while I received one in the chest. I could almost hear Raven's terror filled gasp.
Let me tell you, being sent flying by a gunshot was not very comfortable, and the landing afterwards did not do any wonders for my ego either. We both landed rather ungracefully at the Titans feet, groaning in pain. Beast Boy, being the jokester that he is, took a bold crack at it.
"So," Beast Boy began, "It looks like this guy is 'gunning' for you!" he chuckled. Everyone else groaned. "What?" he protested, "It's funny."
"No it wasn't," Raven said coldly as she helped me up. She blushed slightly but let her hold on me remain as she attempted a small healing spell. I stopped her.
"Shadow?" she looked up to me, almost questionably.
"There's no need, for that, I'm wearing my armor." My tone suddenly became serious, "Raven, I want you and Robin to get the others out of here while Draco, Pluto and I handle this knight." Robin looked at me skeptically.
"No way Shadow! We are not standing down!" he said to me, letting his pride as leader take over.
"That's right!" Cyborg chimed in, "You're a Teen Titan! You're part of the team!"
Robin began his famous (yet annoying) battle cry, "Titan! G-" I cut him off.
"You people don't understand!" I yelled, "This guy is a Zodiac Knight! And the code states that a Zodiac Knight must fight with another knight when he is challenged."
"Try three," Pluto spoke up. "He challenged all three of us when he took a shot at us, so it's our job to take care of him."
"I hate to admit it, but they're right," Draco agreed, "Even if I do hate fighting, I have to do what I have to do."
But it didn't seem like Robin was listening as he continued to charge forward.
"Titans! GO!"
"No! STOP!" I screamed at him.
Robin pulled out his bo staff while Starfire got ready with her Starbolts and eyebeams. Beast Boy morphed into a tiger while Cyborg ran next to him, sonic cannon ready. Terra was riding on a flying rock with Jinx holding on to her. Raven was levitating behind them, dark powers ready.
The knight merely stood still and drew a card from his belt. He inserted the card into his gun. "Shoot Vent-Giga Launcher!" A rocket launcher materialized in the knight's hands, surprising the Titans. He aimed the launcher at the Titans and opened fire. The Titans were too surprised to do anything when the rocket came zooming at them. Raven was quick to react, as was I.
"Azerath Metrion Zinthos!"
"Shadow Shield!"
A black shield of energy, created by Raven and my combined powers formed in front of the Titans. The rocket impacted with the shield and exploded, causing the shield to shatter. The force of the blast threw the Titans back, flying.
"Pathetic," the green knight snorted arrogantly.
I walked up to the knight angrily and pointed at him with my scepter. "Who are you?" I demanded.
The knight aimed the launcher at me and answered calmly, "I am your judge, jury and executioner," he said, "I am ARMS…"
ARMS?
"To be more precise, my name is an acronym," he explained, "It stands for Artillery Robotic Mercenary Soldier, hence the name: ARMS," he bowed.
"Very nice," I said sarcastically. "Now tell me, were you the one who did that to Atlas and Overload?"
ARMS nodded. "They were powerful, but were nowhere close to my power. They only provided a little sport for me," he replied.
"Killing them was a bit extreme don't you think?" I asked, eyes narrowed.
ARMS chuckled, and then his tone turned serious. "Everyone dies eventually; I just hastened the process for both of them." He waved the launcher slightly, causing me, Pluto and Draco to tense up. ARMS chuckled again, "A little tensed, don't you think?"
"Sorry, but I don't usually talk to a lot of people that have a rocket launcher aimed at me," I remarked. "Next question, why did you attack the Titans?"
ARMS shook his head. "The Titans? Oh no, I wasn't actually trying to kill the Titans."
I looked at him suspiciously, then asked my last question, "Then who were you aiming for?" Inside, I already knew the answer to that.
ARMS stared me down and his visor glinted slightly. In a sinister tone, he answered simply, "You." He opened fire at me. I jumped out of the way and the rocket smashed into a nearby wall. It blew up and sent pieces of the wall everywhere.
I yelled at the Titans, "Robin! Raven! Get yourselves and the others out of here now!"
"No way!" Robin retorted, "We fight this one together!"
"Not if I make this a Zodiac Duel!" I turned my head to ARMS. "Zodiac Knight ARMS, I, Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra, challenge you to a Zodiac Duel!"
Before ARMS could answer, Pluto cut in, "No way, Shadowcobra! This guy's mine!" Pluto said, drawing out his sword.
"And mine!" Draco added. "I want to get back at this guy for shooting me!"
I sighed, exasperated. "Very well."
"So this will be a three on one duel between you and me?" ARMS inquired. I nodded. "Then I accept!"
"DUEL!" All four of us (Zodiac Knights) cried out in unison as a ring form around us. The ring expanded and it looked like it was going to cover the whole stadium.
((Raven!)) Raven's head snapped up when she heard my telepathic voice in her head. ((Get everyone out of here. I'll try to make sure the duel remains in the barrier.))
((No! I'm not leaving you!)) She protested.
((Raven, please...)) I pleaded.
((Will you be alright?)) She asked.
((I'll be just fine. I promise.)) An image of my smiling face appeared in Raven's mind, causing her to blush. ((Trust me, Raven.))I told her softly.
Raven nodded. She then covered the rest of the Titans in a dark energy orb and teleported them away from the stadium, much to the Titans protest. At that time, the barrier was fully erected and covered the whole stadium, providing a spacious battlefield for us.
Outside, Raven dropped the dark force field she used to carry the Titans out. She noticed that Jinx was running back towards the stadium, but was forced back by the barrier, rubbing her head, she tried a hex, but nothing happened. She then continuously pounded on the barrier. Raven grabbed her by the shoulders and whirled her around.
"What do you think you're doing?" Raven asked. Raven then noticed that Jinx's face held an expression of fear and panic.
"Draco's in there with another psycho knight!" she said, panicking, "I have to go and help!"
"You can't, none of us can," Raven said simply. Though she looked calm, Raven was afraid for my life. "But this is their fight, and we must respect their wishes."
"Even at the cost of their lives?" Jinx spat out. Raven nodded grimly. Raven was worried and so were the rest of the Titans.
Inside the stadium, we were using our swords to block and deflect all of ARMS' bullets. ARMS was standing in one spot throughout the beginning of the duel, shooting at us. Suddenly, he ran forward and grabbed Draco by the head. He continued to run forward with Draco and then smashed Draco's head into a wall. ARMS then repeatedly smashed the back of Draco's head into the wall, in an attempt to break his helmet. One of Draco's lenses cracked in the ordeal, revealing his left eye. His eyes widened as he realized he was staring right at the barrel of ARMS' gun. ARMS hand had slid down from Draco's face to Draco's throat. He lifted him up and pointed the gun straight at Draco's unprotected eye.
"Either one of two things will happen," ARMS began. "One: This bullet will be lodged in your eye socket," he added, "Or two: your brains will be splattered all over the wall." He started to pull the trigger. "Let's find out."
Pluto and my swords came down on his shoulders as he attempted to kill Draco. He shrugged like he didn't feel anything and dropped Draco. Draco gasped and panted and was lying on all fours. ARMS elbowed both me and Pluto in the face and then turned around and took two shots at us, point blank, throwing us back.
"No way Jose!" Draco leapt onto ARMS' back. "Gotcha!" he exclaimed.
ARMS then snapped his head back and delivered a vicious head butt into Draco's face. Then he grabbed both of Draco's arms. and threw him off. Draco landed on both Pluto and me. As we were squirming away from each other, ARMS drew a card from his belt and inserted it into his gun, specifically his magazine. Pluto was the first to notice this.
"Aw, shit!" he yelled as he wrapped his cape protectively around the three of us.
"Shoot Vent-Giga Cannons!" A pair of shoulder mounted cannons attached themselves to ARMS' back. He blasted us back with a volley of energy blasts, sending us flying. We all screamed.
Outside, the Titans could hear the sounds of explosions and our screams. Jinx was looking more and more scared and Raven tried her best to stay calm. The other Titans tried to break through the barrier. Terra tried to hurl boulders at it, Cyborg used his sonic cannon, Beast Boy morphed into various heavy animals in hopes of breaking the barrier and even tried his patented 'Whale drop' maneuver, Starfire fired Starbolts and eyebeams, while Robin used his explosive discs. However, none of their efforts worked since the barrier was too strong.
We just have to hope they get out okay, Raven thought, as worry gripped her once more.
Back inside, the three of us were hiding behind a pile of rocks while Draco and I created a psychic force field. ARMS was still blasting at us since we could feel the impact of those energy balls against the force field. Pluto was drawing a plan on the ground.
"Here's the plan: I'll distract him with my Trick Vent while Draco fires him in the back with his Dragon Cannon. Shadowcobra will turn invisible and then try to grab the gun away from him." He turned his attention towards Draco and me. "Got it?" we both nodded
In case you haven't noticed, Pluto was the leader of our small team.
Draco peaked out from behind the pile and his eyes widened. He tapped Pluto on the shoulder. "Um… guys?" he started, sounding scared. "I think you might want to know that ARMS has a rocket launcher aimed right at us!" Our eyes widened and suddenly, we were thrown forward by an explosion. The smoke cleared and we saw ARMS getting ready to fire again, armed with his rocket launcher.
"Zodiac Titans! Charge!" Pluto yelled out a battle cry. I immediately turned invisible as Pluto activated his Trick Vent card and multiplied into various duplicates of himself. Draco had also activated his Shoot Vent card and was armed with the Dragon Cannon. The Plutos ran forward with Draco behind them. ARMS dropped the launcher and drew out his gun, shooting at the Plutos repeatedly. The Plutos swords deflected the bullets while Draco blasted ARMS with fireballs. The fireballs seemed to be doing a lot of damage to ARMS as he was staggering back.
As he was about to draw another card, I was sneaking up behind him and was ready to grab his gun. However, to my surprise, ARMS whirled around and shot at me. I fell to the ground, clutching my chest and once again became visible.
"How…?" I groaned.
He tapped his visor, "Special Scanners," he said simply. He raised his armed hand and shot at Pluto and Draco's feet, sending them falling. The Pluto duplicates shattered. ARMS kicked me away towards Pluto and Draco. We were too weak and in pain to stand up. As we were struggling to stand up, it seemed that ARMS was going to finish us off.
He did.
I never thought one knight could easily defeat the three of us.
But I guess I was wrong.
ARMS drew a card from his belt and inserted it into his gun. "Add Vent-Summoning Gigataurus." A hulking green robot with golden horns on his head rose up in front of ARMS. A cannon was mounted on its right arm while a pincher claw, that also doubled as a laser cannon, was mounted on its left. There were also a pair of cannons hidden within its legs.
ARMS drew a new card and inserted it into his gun. "Final Vent!" Hearing those words, I knew it was the end for us. I could only think of one thing at that time…
Raven...
Outside, Raven's head whirled around, like she could hear me. "No," she choked out.
Back inside, Gigataurus' chest opened up to reveal missile bays. It raised both its arms and the cannons hidden in the shins folded down. They were all aimed right at us. ARMS inserted the barrel of the gun into a port behind Gigataurus. Gigataurus started to draw power from the air itself.
I slammed my fist on the ground. I was going to die! Pluto even tried futilely to protect us from the attack with his cape. Unfortunately, we weren't going to survive this one.
"END OF THE WORLD!" a very fitting name. Gigataurus opened fire on us, unleashing all of its ammunition and at the same time letting all hell break loose. Missiles, laser and rockets slammed right into us. We screamed in agony from the resulting blasts that engulfed us. Some of the stray projectiles smashed into the walls, destroying the stadium as well. All I could see was fire as the whole place exploded
KA-BOOOOOOOOMMMM!
The resulting explosion shattered the barrier and shook Jump City, creating a powerful tremor. The Titans watched as the Stadium blew up, spewing metal and stone and melted plastic.
"DRACO!" Jinx screamed and her heart almost stopped beating. Starfire also panicked, shaking her head left and right, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her new friends were dead!
Raven looked at the resulting inferno with wide eyes. "Shadow…No…" she fell to her knees and cried.
There was debris everywhere. The stadium lay in ruins. The explosion had totally destroyed it and only a smoking crater stood in its place. The cloud of smoke and debris cleared a bit to reveal ARMS, who was dusting himself off as if nothing happened.
ARMS looked around and sighed. He shook his head. "Why does everything have to be so messy?" He then disappeared into the night.
He didn't notice however that we were still alive, barely, amongst the rubble. I was buried under tons of what was left of the stadium and I could barely feel Draco and Pluto's life signs. My armor had shattered away from the attack and I felt powerless and humiliated.
I coughed out the smoke that invaded my lungs and attempted to contact Raven. With every last bit off my strength, I called out for Raven, ((Raven…Help…)) and then everything went dark.
Darkness…
That was all I could see…
Suddenly there were flashes of ARMS fighting us and then finishing us off with his Final Vent attack.
I opened my eyes slowly and stared up at a blurry black figure. As I opened my eyes wider, my vision cleared and I found myself looking at Raven.
Raven smiled. She sighed with relief. "Thank god you're alright."
I sat up and found that I was in the infirmary in Titans Tower. Bandages were wrapped around my torso and also around my left forearm. There were also a few cuts and bruises all over the parts of my body that weren't covered up. I looked down.
ARMS beat me.
Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me. Raven pulled herself towards me and held me in a strong yet gentle embrace. I felt cold tears streaming down from her eyes and onto my skin. "Thank god…" she sobbed. "I thought I lost you…" I placed an arm around Raven, blushing madly.
"It's okay Raven. Just let it all out…" I coaxed her. I suddenly heard the sound of a nose blowing. I looked down and saw Raven wipe her nose.
"Sorry," she sniffled.
I smiled at her. I then looked around to see Draco in the same condition that I was in. His arms were wrapped in bandages and so was his left leg. He also had bandages wrapped around his torso. He sported similar cuts and bruises on his face, but was relatively alright. Jinx was feeding him some soup, or was it some potion to help him heal? Anyway, I could almost see the dried up tears on her face. Pluto was nowhere to be seen.
"Pluto didn't seem to have a scratch on him, but he still needed his head to be bandaged up," Robin said as he walked in with Starfire. Starfire was so happy to see me alive, that she rushed forward to give me a strong hug.
"I am so happy to see you alright, friend Shadowcobra!" she exclaimed happily. Even though I was glad to see Starfire, she was squeezing very hard and my usually pale face turned blue.
"Starfire! PLEASE GET OFF!" I yanked Starfire off with a hand I created from shadow energy. She apologized when Raven glared at her.
"My apologies, friend Shadowcobra," she smiled sheepishly. She then saw Draco awake. "Friend Draco!" she exclaimed as she went to hug him
Draco had a panicked look on his face. "Star, don't! No-arg!" Starfire gave him a bone crushing and suffocating hug. Jinx pried Starfire off and scolded her as Draco held himself in pain.
I turned my attention back to Robin and Raven. "He got away?" I asked Robin and Raven nodded.
"Our first priority was to find you three;" Robin chuckled slightly, "Raven, Jinx and Starfire went frantic and were turning over every stone to find you."
Raven coughed slightly, blushing. "We were only able to find you when I sensed you through a psychic link."
"What psychic link?" I asked, curious.
Raven placed a finger on my temple and explained further, "Our psychic link." It looked like her cheeks pinkened a little, so did mine.
"Oh…"
"You guys were barely alive when we found you. Pluto was okay, save for a concussion, but you and Draco needed medical attention," Robin said.
I looked at my hand and balled it into a fist. "ARMS..." I growled.
Raven sighed. Great, another Robin… She then pulled the blanket over me and told me to rest. I did, but I wasn't going to forget about ARMS anytime soon.
(End Flashback)
I opened my eyes and woke up. I rolled up the sleeve and my sweater and pulled away the bandages. Thanks to my regenerative abilities, I had completely healed.
No, I wasn't completely healed. There was still the matter of my wounded pride.
I pulled on my cloak and walked out of my room and towards the living room. Draco and Pluto were both playing cards, under the watchful and curious eyes of Jinx and Starfire. Terra was on the couch and was cheering on Beast Boy who was playing a video game against Cyborg. Robin was listening to the radio. Raven however, was nowhere to be seen. Using my senses, I found where she was and teleported.
Raven was in deep meditation when I found her. I slowly levitated myself next to her and sat down.
"You were crying, weren't you?" I asked.
Raven was taken by surprise. "What?"
"When you thought I was dead, you cried, didn't you?" Raven nodded. "Why?"
"I don't know," she answered. "My heart was beating fast and when I couldn't sense you, I was afraid. I was afraid that I would lose you and that I could never tell you that…"
"Tell me what?"
"It's nothing," she turned away from me and pulled up her hood.
"I think I know what it is and I think you know it too," I told her. "And there's no point in denying it, Raven."
"But…my emotions…my powers," she began.
"I can neutralize them, remember?" he told her.
"But we work together," she answered.
"So? Gives us something in common. Besides, we do work well together, don't we?" I smirked. She blushed.
"But will it work out?" she said.
"Do you trust me?" I asked.
Raven turned to look into my eyes. Violet orbs looked into blue ones. She nodded. "Yes."
I reached for her hood and pulled it down, revealing her beautiful face to me. Her smooth alabaster skin and the small crimson jewel on her forehead shone in the early sunlight. I leaned closed and placed a small kiss on the gem. I whispered, "I love you."
Raven's eyes widened at my confession. Tears began forming in her eyes and she smiled a small gentle smile.
"I…I love you too…" she answered.
I lowered my lips from her forehead and went for her own lips. Raven was shocked as my lips brushed hers before she began returning the kiss with the same amount of passion I was putting into mine. We both bathed in the light of the early morning sun as it outlined our silhouettes.
"Hey guys! Check it out!" Beast Boy whistled when he saw what was going on. Both me and Raven separated and blushed like mad while glaring at him.
"What?" Robin asked.
"Shadow and Rae were smooching!" Terra shouted
"Really?" Starfire exclaimed, "Oh my friends! I shall recite the Poem of Love to celebrate. All 5000 verses!"
"We gotta take pictures!" exclaimed Cy.
"You guys finally hooked up, eh?" Pluto smirked knowingly. "It was bound to happen anyway."
"I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later, Shadow. Just what took you two so long?" Draco chuckled.
Jinx smirked, "See, Raven. Now that you're dating a Knight, we both have something in common now!"
Both Shadowcobra and Raven's faces were red with embarrassment.
"DON'T YOU IDIOTS HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO?" The two Goths yelled.
ARMS…
I will find you…
I will rip off that mask…
And I will find out who you are…
That is my promise to you, as Zodiac Knight Shadowcobra.
To Be Continued…