Chapter 5: The Black Glade

Oh look, an attempt at an action scene! Yay!

Sorry for the delay. As previously mentioned, I galavanted off into the sunset (sunrise, rather) for a Backstreet Boys concert up in New Jersey. It was spectacular. I was one of the younger people there, which was a little shocking considering the BSB were big when I was in middle school. Anyway, on with chapter 5!

A loud, crackling voice cut through the laughter on the hill.

"…idiots…stop…behind you…" hissed from Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire's communicators. Static garbled the rest of the message. Cyborg looked down at his arm as he recognized Raven's voice.

"Hey, y'all, Raven's awake!" he exclaimed. Starfire screamed and an electric blade announced its presence as it swung through the air towards Cyborg's head.

"Cyborg!" Beast Boy cried out. Cyborg heard the electricity hiss through the air and quickly side-stepped, ready to dive away from where he stood, but the sword was too fast. He felt the hot metal cut into him and raw panic stopped his movements.

"Cyborg, move!" Beast Boy yelled again. Cyborg felt a body ram into his side and he and Beast Boy toppled to the sodden grass as the sword came down again where they had been standing. Green bolts flew over their heads as Starfire charged at Tempest, pushing him back with shout after shout of righteous fury.

"You will regret that!" she yelled as a particularly powerful eye blast knocked Tempest further down the hill.

Cyborg sat up from the ground, pulling Beast Boy with him. Groaning, he heard another message crackle through on his arm.

"Cyborg…you read…" Robin's voice scratched out. Cyborg lifted his arm and reached down to push the talk button but all he felt as a poke on his leg. Looking down, he yelped as his arm flopped around on the grass.

"He cut off my arm!" Cyborg shouted, livid. "I'm going to light that punk up when I get my hands back on him… Beast Boy, help Starfire!"

"You so owe me, dude," Beast Boy called over his shoulder before he somersaulted into a cheetah and streaked down the hill. Cyborg nodded and picked his arm off the ground.

"Cyborg to tower. Anyone there?" he asked.

...

"Cyborg…anyone…" Raven's communicator spat out. The voice of a friend feared dead sliced through the silence in the med lab, jolting Raven out of her dazed state. Shakily leaping up, she lunged at Robin and grabbed the communicator from his hand.

"Cyborg? Are you okay?" she said hurriedly, one hand gripping Robin's shoulder and the other white-knuckled on the communicator.

"Yeah, Rae… All right…only got…arm…" his gentle voice replied. A small, tearful smile crossed Raven's face as she sighed in relief, knees beginning to buckle.

"Thank you, Azar," she whispered to the air before sinking down to the floor. Robin cringed as her knees cracked against the linoleum and he quickly fell to the ground next to her as she fell over sideways, eyes closed and hand still on his shoulder. Her legs slid across the floor, upper body settling across Robin's lap. Her hand fell from his shoulder and Robin caught it in his own. Slipping the yellow communicator from her grasp, he flipped it open to see Cyborg's face amidst the static.

"Cyborg, we thought you…" Robin's voice cracked as a lump sprang up in his throat. Cyborg smiled.

"Nothing a quick weld won't fix. We need you and Raven, though. He's tough." Cyborg glanced back over his shoulder to check on the others.

Robin nodded. "We're on our way. Just need to revive Raven."

"She fainted?" Cyborg's eyes widened with alarm. "Is she okay?"

Robin nodded again. "She's tired and a bit weak from healing herself, and then we saw the blade on the hill…" Robin swallowed hard before continuing. "You're her big brother, Cy. She was sick with worry, and I didn't really help. You're my best friend, and I know she was picking up on my emotions while she was trying to control her own, and we all know how that ends up." Robin directed the image to the overturned hospital bed and shredded sheets behind him. "We really thought you were gone," he said with a sigh, unconsciously stroking Raven's hair.

"Well, big brother Cy is here to stay, man," Cyborg said with a smile. "Now get your butts down here! I know a certain punk that needs a sonic boom to the face. Cyborg, out." And with that, the smiling cyborg's face disappeared behind static.

Robin smiled a little before pocketing Raven's communicator. Looking down at the dark beauty in his lap, his smile grew. Here she was, his Raven. And she was okay, too.

"Hey, Rae." He gently shook her. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on the domino mask hovering above her. Realizing her head was in Robin's lap and the rest of her was sprawled on the floor, she quickly sat up, swaying slightly as she set her palms against the floor to steady herself.

"He's okay?" she whispered, not looking at Robin.

"Just got his arm. He's fine," Robin replied, one hand reaching out to touch Raven's back. She didn't tense up at the contact.

"I think it's time we go introduce ourselves properly to this guy," Raven muttered. Robin laughed and fluidly rose to his feet.

"Up you go, then," he said as he extended a hand to Raven. She took it after only a second of hesitation, and Robin easily pulled her up and out the door, his hand not leaving hers.

...

"Keep pushing him back!" Cyborg yelled, kneeling in the soggy grass as he welded his arm back onto his shoulder. "Thank god for modern technology," he muttered to himself as he felt the wires connecting themselves at the shoulder joint. He moved the arm around, testing it, before throwing himself back into battle.

Tempest was getting frustrated. These teenagers were getting the best of him! He growled as he hit the ground to dodge yet another green energy ball from the redhead. Rolling to the side, Tempest leapt to his feet and raised his hands to the sky. Collecting a mass of energy from around him, he created a ball of hissing, spitting lightning. Eyes gleaming, he hurled it at the three Titans with all his might.

"Damn," Cyborg said. The three stayed rooted to the spot, and even if they could have coaxed their muscles into moving, they all knew there was no way they could escape the attack. Just as the orb of lightning was about to knock them out like bowling pins, a familiar black energy engulfed it.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire squealed. The lightning did a loop in the air and began hurtling back towards Tempest, still encased in Raven's aura. The attack found its mark and exploded in a show of sparks and flying dirt. Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy turned their heads and saw Robin and Raven standing side-by-side at the top of the hill, capes flying, arms crossed, and matching scowls set deep in their faces.

"Titans, go!" Robin raced down the hill with Raven flying at his side. The pair zoomed past their other teammates, taking the lead to give the others a second to rest. Leaping in front of Raven, Robin took out a bird-a-rang with one hand and grabbed onto Raven with the other. Flying fast at the dazed Tempest, Raven hurled Robin at him.

Tempest shook his head and looked up just in time to see two Robins wielding red swords come flying at him. Taking out his own weapons, Tempest blocked the attack just before it sliced through his face. As the world around him steadied, Tempest brought one sword crashing down on top of Robin's head while the other swiped at his feet.

He met air. As soon as he made a move to annihilate the boy, he disappeared. Looking up, he was met with a steel-toed boot. Tempest stumbled back. He growled and lunged for the nearest Titan, which happened to be the approaching Beast Boy. Quickly morphing into a stegosaurus, Beast Boy dodged Tempest and swung his tail around, hitting Tempest in the chest and sending him back towards the top of the hill and a waiting Cyborg.

A powerful sonic cannon blast crashed into Tempest right before he hit the ground, sending him back into the air again into a stream of starbolts. The force of the attack sent the villain even further back, and the Titans watched as the tip of a black trench coat disappeared over the crest of the hill. Cyborg high-fived Starfire as the Titans raced to the top of the hill. They had him. The arrival of Robin and Raven had breathed new life into the tired three, and their combined power had Tempest, finally, vulnerable.

They gasped at the sight below them. The valley was flooded with at least ten feet of water and debris. Tempest was nowhere to be found and Starfire floated higher in the air, head jerking around as she tried to locate her prey.

"Where'd he go?" Beast Boy wondered aloud, speaking for all of them.

"I don't like this," Robin said. As soon as the last word left his lips, an explosion ripped through the valley. The four with their feet still on the ground fell to their knees as the earth trembled.

"What the hell!" Cyborg yelled over the rumbling. A bright flash of light emitted from the center of the valley above the churning water, and Tempest appeared on a storm cloud.

"Nobody defeats Tempest. Nobody!" he roared. The Titans struggled to find their feet, but the quake was too strong. Raven finally rose off the ground and Robin grabbed her hand on the way up. Starfire took Cyborg by the shoulders and Beast Boy flew into the air next to them as a green eagle. With all Titans mobile once more, they squared their shoulders.

The ground continued to quake beneath the airborne battleground. The sky was black and choked with clouds. Renewed rainfall streamed down their faces; thunder and lightning crashing above the torrential pour. The valley had a small ocean in it now, the agitated waters crashing into the hillsides in white-tipped waves as harsh winds whipped through the air. Tempest stood tall on his black cloud in the middle of the maelstrom, both swords drawn and charged as he waited for the Titans to make the first move.

"Raven," Robin whispered out of the corner of his mouth, praying she could hear him over the wind and rain. He squeezed her hand twice to draw her attention.

'What?' Raven responded telepathically, dropping slightly as she did so. Robin cringed internally, but despite the amount of energy it took for her to communicate like this, they were in desperate need of a plan.

'Give me an energy disk so we can move separately. We're going to attack him first and the others are going to bring up the rear in a v-pattern. Tell the others?' Robin thought. He saw Raven nod shortly and clench her jaw as nearly invisible tendrils of energy floated out to the other three. She nodded again two seconds later. They were ready.

"Titans, go!" Robin shouted just as a clap of thunder echoed through the waterlogged glade. Raven tossed him out in front of her onto a waiting circle of black energy. He landed in a crouch and the Titans flew at Tempest.

Raven flew above Robin with Starfire and Cyborg on their right and Beast Boy on the left. Tempest remained still, his face composed as he watched the oncoming assault. Reaching the black cloud, the Titans separated before the villain batted an eye. Raven was above him, Robin below, and the others on either side.

Cyborg's cannon arm was charged and aimed directly at Tempest. Starfire's eyes glowed, as did the hand not holding onto Cyborg. Robin had his explosive discs ready, and as Raven's hands began to glow, Beast Boy let out a screech worthy of Punk Rocket's guitar. The Titan attacks fired off towards Tempest.

Tempest smirked and leapt out of the way to the gap between Raven and Starfire as the green, black, blue, and yellow lights of attack crossed where he had been standing a second ago. Raven caught Tempest in her aura as Robin yelled for them to move.

"Move! Now!" he shouted as the amalgamation of light began to tremble. Bright beams of energy flickered away from the orb. Cyborg and Starfire flew backwards away from the unstable force, Beast Boy close behind. With one hand, Raven moved Robin and his energy disk away from the attack as best she could. With the other, she moved Tempest closer and closer to the shaky union of light.

"How's your arm!" Tempest yelled up at the sorceress, watching as she struggled to focus her power on two things at once. "I think it's some of my finer work!"

Raven bit her tongue to keep a retort from flying across her lips. If her concentration strayed, it would be Robin that would get hurt. She shoved Tempest closer to the ball of light, peeking towards the others to see if they had gotten far enough away yet for her to send him plunging in.

A wave of energy cascaded off the energy ball, sending heat over both Titans and villain. The sudden temperature change broke Raven's bond around Tempest and he dropped fifty feet down to land on a cloud above the dark waters. Raven reached her hand back down towards him, and then the swarm of attacks exploded, sending everyone flying down into the water as the air shuddered.

...

Robin broke the surface first. Gasping for air, he frantically searched the area for his teammates.

"Raven! Cyborg!" he called, choking as a small wave crashed over his head. "Star! Beast Boy!"

He saw Cyborg come up a few yards away, quickly followed by Beast Boy and Starfire. Tempest and Raven were nowhere to be found.

"Raven!" Robin shouted as he treaded water. He yelled her name over and over again and water flooded into his mouth. Coughing, Robin grabbed onto a piece of driftwood and hauled himself up onto it.

"Friends?" Starfire called into the dark. She was hovering above a floating Cyborg who had found a log to hang off of. A green dolphin broke the surface and then Beast Boy dove back underwater, trying to pinpoint Tempest.

"Where is Raven?" Robin shouted as he paddled towards them. Starfire squinted at him before her eyes snapped open.

"We were under the understanding she was with you!" Starfire yelled back, panicked. "Friend Raven! Raven!" Starfire turned in circles, looking for a sign of their missing teammate. Robin felt his heart pounding in his throat as he surveyed the scene. She could be anywhere.

The valley had a half-mile diameter and water was still pouring in. Wood, trees, and other pieces of rubble cluttered the surface and there was no telling what was at the bottom. Small waves crashed against the steep valley walls and small whirlpools were scattered about. Robin briefly wondered if Tempest had intentionally blocked the valley opening to create this hell.

"Raven!" Robin called again. He felt the backs of his eyes begin to burn and the lump in his throat grew. Where was she? He coughed as water ran into his mouth. Thunder crashed overhead and Robin's eyes continued to dart around, looking for something, anything that would lead him to Raven. He never should have let her leave the tower.

"There!" Starfire called to him. Robin looked to where she was pointing and saw the scrap of blue cloth clinging to a small tree a few yards away. Leaping off his float, Robin swam as fast as he could to the tree. The blue cloth was definitely from her cloak. A piece of lavender hair fell from the fabric, and Robin dove beneath the surface.

...

When the attacks had reacted with each other, Raven had been able to see the whole thing from her high vantage point. Tempest had been retreating, the blast catching him just as he was nearing the hills and sending him flying out of the valley. Robin was thrown straight down into the water, and the rest were flung out around him. When the blast had reached her, Raven found herself flying towards the water headfirst, away from where her friends had landed. She hit the water hard, the remnants of her hood catching on a small tree. The force of the blast sent her all the way to the bottom, maybe twelve feet underwater. Pushing off with her feet to get back to the surface, Raven floated a few feet off the ground before she felt herself jerked back down.

The air had been knocked from her lungs upon impact, and now she was fighting the darkness that threatened to close in around her. The hem of her cloak was caught on a stretch of chicken wire embedded in the ground. Ripping the cloak away from the wire had been of no use, and now she fumbled with the clasp on her cloak. Her fingers didn't seem to want to follow her instructions. Oxygen deprivation was making her sluggish, and she could not unhook the simple clasp. Spots were flashing before her eyes, and she coughed as water ran into her mouth. Black began to close in from the corners of her eyes as she choked. She watched the air bubbles float lazily to the top, desperately reaching out to follow them, before she blacked out completely.

...

Robin gasped as his head broke the surface again. The others were scattered around, searching, and he had wandered a bit further from the tree that had initially given him so much hope. Raven was nowhere to be found around it, and despite the short amount of time that had passed between their plunge into the water and now, to Robin it felt like an eon, and he had a sinking feeling Raven was below the surface, drowning in the murk.

"Come on!" he said angrily, shoving down the desperation that tried to claw at his chest. A bunch of air bubbles broke the surface near him. Robin sped over to the spot and dove down into the water again. A struggling Raven met his eyes.

Robin resurfaced and filled his lungs with air before diving back below the surface. Raven's eyes closed and he swam harder, glad the water wasn't as deep as he thought. By the time he reached the sorceress, very few bubbles were coming from her. Her lavender hair fanned out around her face as her hand slipped from the cloak clasp. Robin quickly took the cloak in his hand, and with one strong tug he ripped it free of its chicken wire shackles. Taking a hold of Raven, he pulled them back to the surface.

"I have her!" Robin shouted over and over again, taking deep gulps of air as he struggled to keep his head and Raven's above the water. Beast Boy swooped over to him as a pterodactyl, plucking him from the water as he passed. Robin had one arm securely around Raven's middle, and as Beast Boy lifted them from the water, the sudden pressure around Raven sent water flooding from her mouth as she coughed and gasped. Robin held Beast Boy's claw tighter as Raven shook against him. Starfire and Cyborg came up beneath them, and Robin reluctantly loosened his grip as Cyborg took Raven from him. Her breathing was shallow and her face was paler than usual, but she was alive.

Robin swung his now-free hand up to Beast Boy's other claw, grasping it as the green talons curved around his wrist. Cyborg was cradling Raven to his chest, checking her breathing. The weight of the two barely registered on Starfire's face as she flew next to Beast Boy, her arms under Cyborg's as she supported them. Robin sighed deeply and shakily. They were safe now. The black water disappeared as they flew back over the hill and towards the beaming tower. Tempest was a worthy adversary, and clever, too. He was tough, but he would be defeated. Robin would make sure of it.

…

The skies overhead showed no sign of lightening, and so the world remained as dark as ever. The rain had let up a bit, but the whole city was still sure to be flooded beyond reason by now. Another flash of lightning illuminated the sky. A dark shadow crouching on the ground became visible in that brief moment atop one of the hills. Tempest eyes narrowed as he surveyed the heroes. If only he could have found the energy for one more lightning bolt…

They were stronger than he expected, that was for sure. They had certainly lasted the longest against him out of any opponent he had faced. He may have overstepped his bounds with this group, but it didn't matter. Tempest stood with a sigh, looking down at the hilts of the two swords at his waist. The gold designs glowed, and he knew this was not his doing. There was a power coming for him, coming for these weapons he claimed as his own when in fact they were not. If he were honest with himself, he would know this assault on the Titans was a suicide mission from the start. But he would be remembered. Somehow, someway, he would be remembered for his power.

Another flash of lightning, and he vanished into the rocks. Across the bay, the shadows of the weary, soaking Titans arrived at their beacon of light. There was no victory in today.

Finally, a longer chapter! There will be MUCH more on Tempest and his backstory in the new chapters. I think it's pretty interesting and will turn out well =)

Cheers!