I do NOT own Teen Titans
Notes and replies to comments:
No fight scenes this chapter. Think those of the last two should be sufficient without needing one here. Just a lot of talking, and some planning.
There are a few more chapters planned. I had though the story would be at most 40k words, but it seems I was wrong; as usual.
Given he was fighting a foe that could see his every move, Robin probably did quite well. He allocated his team's resources wisely, and allowed them to do their own thing. Raven to build the fortifications with her magic, Cyborg to devise gadgets. I'm sure he and Starfire woud've been at work too. Only Beast Boy, who is totally inept at mechanical stuff would have been excluded.
Can't say for sure, but I don't think Slade will be in any more scenes. Still Trigon has a whole dimension from which to gather minions. He will probably try again.
Time: The next morning.
Waking Up,... Planning,... The New Form,... A New Bet,...
Though the violet-haired girl woke from a night of dreamless sleep, it was only grudgingly that she opened her eyes, and peered around. The clinic. She realized, as she recalled the previous night. It seemed the world had once more not come to an end at Trigon's decree. A brief smile crossed her lips as she sat up, and looked at the other two cots in the room. One held Beast Boy, while the other held Starfire. Cyborg was sitting on a chair near the door, studying the shape shifter.
"Morning." The cybernetic teen said, turning his eyes towards her.
"Morning." She replied. "Or evening." She added, looking at the clock. It was well past twelve.
"How're you feeling?"
"Okay." She intoned. "A bit drained though." She stood up, feeling a bit dizzy, and made her way to Beast Boy's bed. If memory served her right, he'd been pretty badly hurt the night before. Pulling back the blankets she saw a number of scars, but the wounds for the most part were gone.
"Strangest thing." Cyborg said, returning his gaze towards the green-skinned Titan. "We brought him into the clinic last night pretty badly banged up." He paused. "Heck, worse than that." He added with a shrug. "During the night he disappears from the bed, and several hours later he's back pretty much healed up."
"I'll remove the scars later." Raven replied, drawing the blankets back up around the sleeping boy.
"You don't seem surprised." The cybernetic teen commented.
"Hrm." She'd forgotten they didn't know he could change shape and heal fast. He was almost as secretive about his past as she was about hers. "I'm sure he'll explain when he wakes up." She replied, not sure what he would want to tell them. As a team they might trust each other, but that didn't mean they wanted others digging into their past.
She walked over to the cot that held the orange-skinned alien. Her arm was nearly destroyed below the elbow. "Pretty bad." Raven commented.
"Glorious morning friend Raven." Starfire smiled up from the bed.
"Sorry if I woke you."
"I was already awake. As wonderful as the day is, I'm in too much pain to sleep." The alien smiled with a small shrug, careful not to move her arm.
"Let's see what we can do about that." The violet-haired girl let a tiny smile pull at the sides of her mouth. It seemed few things could disrupt Starfire's perpetually good mood; not even the near loss of her arm. Reaching out, she infused a bit of her soul with the broken limb, which began to glow. The damage was considerable, and she was still pretty drained. The bones mended at her command, though she didn't fully heal them, trying to conserve energy. The blood vessels knitted back together, as did the tendons. The skin also partially healed. It would stop the pain, and she could finish the process when she'd gained more strength.
"Don't use it." Raven instructed the girl. It's only healed enough so it doesn't cause too much pain. She staggered a little, and sat down beside the bed.
"Are you okay friend Raven?" The concerned girl reached out to steady her friend.
"I'm fine." She intoned, standing up, and making her way back to her cot. Her own bed would have been preferable, but unless someone carried her that wasn't going to happen. She gave a small sigh as she sank down on it.
"What happened last night?" Cyborg asked. "We thought we were goners until those burning rock piles just started exploding.
"Trigon played a trick." Raven replied, eyes closed. "A golem infused with fire should be resistant to fire. All the magic I know of claims that's the case, so I never looked at using it as a weapon against them. But that was meant to mislead us."
"So despite being on fire, fire was their weak spot."
"Yeah. They were burning so hot nothing else could have touched them, but it also meant they were at the breaking point. I just made things a little hotter for them. Beast Boy compared it to a car engine."
"Oh." The cybernetic teen immediately understood the analogy. "So he showed up?"
"Didn't you see?"
"No. I was trying to get this to work." He held up his arm that contained the sonic cannon. "Seems the golems weren't the only thing that overheated. It's circuits are fried. And Robin was attending to Starfire. He didn't see him arrive either."
"Was pretty sure I was going to die. Then he was there, shielding me. He was the one who suggested fire." She settled back further on the cot, eyes still closed. "And don't ask me. I don't know where he was either."
"Oh."
"I'm going to question him on it." She stated. "But I'm sure he had a good reason. And even if was at the last second, he still played a deciding role in the fight. Be glad he did show up." And just how did he manage to use fire? She wondered to herself. "Any sign of Slade?" She asked.
"Sort of. There are parts of his suit on the ground, burned. There are some bone fragments as well. Was that your doing?"
"No. I think Beast Boy handled him." Raven intoned. "Once again, don't ask how."
"I'm sorry." Came a muffled voice from Beast Boy's cot. He knew the others were angry, and rightly so. He'd been missing from the fight. It was an act of betrayal that would take a long time to mend.
"So where were you." Raven asked, not sounding at all angry. She'd felt his emotions when he'd closed his arms around her, protecting her. There'd been his all-encompassing need to protect her, regardless of the cost to himself. And the equally all-encompassing wrath directed towards those who would harm her. She'd felt his emotions before, had known he liked her, but those had her awed. She poked a hand from beneath the sheet and looked at it, wondering how he could care for a half-demon like that. Someone sired by evil, and destined to bring ruin to the world.
"I thought I had plenty of time to get back, but I got hurt and couldn't fly. Ended up taking the bus." The shape shifter evaded the question, wondering how Malchior's name would affect the violet-haired girl.
"So where were you?" Cyborg asked, not quite as calmly. "And if you knew fire would hurt them, why not tell us before you left."
"I didn't know that when I left. As for where I was at, I was getting a new shape." He dragged himself from the cot and crouched down beside it, keeping his head low. The clinic was barely large enough for him to briefly show the new form that was at his command. The green-skinned Titan just manged to crawl back in bed, and draw the sheets back up.
"What's that?" Cyborg asked, shocked.
"You went to see Malchior, didn't you?" Raven intoned, recognizing the form as an adolescent dragon.
"Yeah. For some reason, don't ask why, I knew this shape would help. And it did. When I hit the golems with fire, they just exploded. That's what showed me how to kill them. Without it I would've tried some other form that would've just got me killed."
"How did you manage to get close enough to him?" The violet-haired girl wondered out loud.
A small laugh, void of humor, came from the cot. "Though I could sneak up on him. I ended up letting myself get burned half to death, so he would try to gobble me down as a midday snack. Not something on my list of top ten things to repeat."
"Ouch." Raven intoned.
"Yeah." Came the muffled reply. The shape shifter looked over at the violet-haired girl. "How're you and Starfire doing?"
"I am doing fine, friend Beast Boy." Starfire spoke happily.
"I'm okay too." Raven replied. "Tomorrow I'll fix those scars for you."
"Thanks. I'll appreciate that." Beast Boy sighed. "Now if only I could get the taste of dirt out of my mouth."
"Dirt?" Asked Cyborg.
"Yeah." The form under the sheets shuddered. "I hate to think what was in it."
"Why were you eating dirt?" The cybernetic teen insisted on an answer.
"The simpler the organism, the fast it can heal. I was a worm for a while."
"Oh."
"How're the premonitions now?" Beast Boy asked, looking across at Raven again.
"Less intense, but we're not safe yet." The violet-haired girl intoned. "I need to talk to Knowledge, but if I see her right now I might kill her. I'm still not too pleased with that stunt she pulled."
"Stunt?" Cyborg asked, looking puzzled.
"Long story." Raven answered, not wanting to explain.
"I'll need someone to test the dragon out on." Beast Boy pointed out.
"I'll take that under consideration." Raven smiled slightly. "But don't expect me to make any bets on it."
"Oh." The green-skinned teen sighed, and slumped further down in the bed, wondering if he could get Knowledge help him convince her.
"Bets?" Cyborg asked, still looking puzzled.
"Long story." Raven replied, still not wanting to explain, her cheeks turning red. She pulled the sheets up higher until only her hair showed. "I'm going to try to nap." The violet-haired girl added.
"Me too." Beast Boy said, yawning. He'd spent most of the night awake healing. Tired didn't begin to explain how he felt.
"I'm going to find Robin." Starfire said, getting up. "Sleep well friend Raven and friend Beast Boy."
"Careful of that arm." Raven intoned before realizing the girl was already gone.
Four hours later all five Titans were in the tower's meeting room, holding a conference.
"Why didn't you tell us you were leaving?" Robin demanded, frowning at the shape shifter.
Beast Boy considered his answer, wondering how much to explain. "The problem with any plans we make is that Trigon sees all." He pointed out.
"That's something I've been thinking about." Raven replied apathetically. "He must've been watching us even as we were discussing the fortifications, and been altering his plans to counter them. It's hard to beat someone when they can see your every move. But you told no one what you were going to do, and by the time it became obvious to him it must've been too late. His army would've been prepared and his only chance was to try with what he had."
"Yeah." The shape shifter sighed. "The only private spot we have is the insides of our minds. Anything else and he can see, or hear for that matter." He turned to look at Robin. "I've already apologized, but what's my punishment."
Their leader sat thinking. "I understand the reasoning." He admitted. "But we can't act as a team if we don't know what each other is up to. Double chores for a month."
"Okay."
"Didn't friend Beast Boy provide great help in our battle?" Starfire asked.
"He did. Which is why he's getting off so lightly." Robin replied.
"It's fair, Starfire." Beast Boy smiled at her. "There're many things over the last few months I would consider unfair, but this isn't one of them."
"Oh." The orange-skinned alien frowned, but accepted his word.
"Is Trigon still in his prison dimension?" Cyborg asked.
"He is." Raven assured them. "But that doesn't mean he can't affect things outside of it. At least not so long as he got worshippers. Remember, he was in that prison when he was summoned to conceive me." She frowned at the thought. "There must still be those who offer him sacrifices and follow his commands. I'm not sure what can be done about them."
"No way to find them?" Beast Boy asked.
"No." The violet-haired girl replied. "They would be just ordinary people, only once in a while they would worship the manifestation of evil. There would be nothing to make them stand out. And across all the worlds in this dimension there could be millions of them. Or, more probably, billions."
"So no way to close his connection to this dimension?" Robin asked.
"Not that I can think of." She admitted. "Not so long as he got followers."
Beast Boy frowned. "And right now he must be planning another attack to get Raven."
"Probably." She intoned, able to feel the emotions radiating from him. They were scary in their intensity, but at the same time comforting.
"Is it everything he sees and hears, or just what people see and hear?" The shape shifter asked.
"Just what people see and hear." Raven informed him. "Everyone has some evil in them, and that evil connects them to him. Us included."
Robin closed his eyes. "Just how do we defend against something like that?" He asked.
"You probably can't." Beast Boy admitted. "But maybe you can run from it. At least for a short time."
"How?" The violet-haired girl asked, intensely interested.
"If people don't see it, or hear it, then he won't either. Right? Well, make your movements random. Find a starship, use a random number generator to set the course, and repeat each day. Neither you nor anyone else would know where you're at. He wouldn't be able to track you. And if he did, he would only have a day to gather his forces and plan an attack. Automatically run if anything shows up."
"Hrm." Mused Raven.
"Of course we don't have a starship other than the T-ship." Beast Boy added with a shrug. "And that's not suitable for a person to live in for very long. I figure an hour at the most, at least until Cyborg installs some bathroom facilities." He tossed a small grin her way.
"However if I find a suitable ship, it would be worth considering." Raven intoned, staring directly ahead. It would be hard to leave everyone behind. She silently mused. Life aboard a ship for the rest of my days would be lonely. And it would only buy time; there would be another Gem.
"Will there be more golems?" Robin asked.
"Probably." The violet-haired girl intoned. "But they might not have the same weakness. I'm guessing he saw our plans, and noticed we weren't including fire weapons in them. He would've then modified his own so that his army was only vulnerable to them. It was my fault for not realizing this."
"And if we destroyed the temple?" Their leader asked.
"It's the best place for the ceremony, but it's not necessary." Came the apathetic response. "I'm sure there're other temples. And if not, then one could be built."
Robin stared at the ceiling. "So basically we're faced with an enemy who knows our every move. But whose moves we can't predict until they happen." He looked at Raven. "Though your premonitions might give us some sort of warning."
The violet-haired girl frowned. We're linked." She intoned. "So I'm pretty sure I'll have visions of some sort when he plans the next assault. Since I didn't have any last night, that should mean there won't be any attacks tonight."
Their leader took another deep breath. "But he can attack in any form at any time. It might another bunch of golems tomorrow, or a spaceship full of Trigon worshippers next week."
Raven nodded. "Pretty tough to counter." She intoned. "If was easy, Azarath would still be around."
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." The violet-haired girl intoned, levitating. A knock came at the door, and she reach out to open it.
"Evening." Beast Boy said, entering.
"Evening." She replied. "What brings you here?"
"You said I could meditate with you." He pointed out.
"Oh. Of course." She went back to meditating. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos." She recited, and he repeated it
An hour passed, and she stopped.
"It does help me relax." The shape shifter admitted. "Once I get past the first half hour that is."
"So you can change into a dragon now." She commented apathetically.
"Yeah. That's a bit cool, though also a bit disappointing. He remained on the floor, and rested his back against a wall.
"Why disappointing?"
"I'm so small compared to ... you know who."
She nodded. "According to myth dragons grow larger as they age. You're still young even if Malchior is ancient."
"It's usually a combination of my size and the DNA though."
"Oh. Right." She stared into the air for a few seconds thinking. "And that's not the only strange thing about it. You're usually green even when you change shapes, but the dragon is pure silver. No hint of green at all."
"Yeah. I've noticed that too." He admitted. "I've tried to breathe fire again, and it's pretty weak. Not at all like last night."
"That might be because of your emotions." Raven explained. "Like my powers, your fire breath might depend on what you're feeling. You were pretty enraged last night. I felt it."
"Oh."
She studied him. He was still heavily scarred. That she would fix tomorrow, as well as finish healing Starfire's arm. He definitely wasn't the immature boy she'd once thought him to be. Recalling the kiss, she started to blush again. Am I never going to get over that? She wondered. Considering what she was about to do, the blush deepened.
"Okay. I'll accept another bet." She intoned, not meeting his eyes.
He looked up at that, heart pounding. "Really?"
"Ummm. Yeah. But what do I get if you lose." She stated. "It'll only be fair." She pointed out.
"What do you want?"
"Hrm." She thought about it, unable to think of anything.
"So is this if I beat Knowledge as a dragon, or if I spar with you?" The ecstatic shape shifter asked.
"You going to use the giant crocodile yet?" The blushing violet-haired girl asked.
"No."
"Then it wouldn't be fair sparring with you until you're ready to use all your animal forms." She pointed out. "I'll let you test Knowledge in your dragon form."
"And the conditions?" He gulped, eyes not moving from her.
"You win, a ... another one." She said, turning even redder.
"And if I lose?"
"Not sure. I'll think of something by tomorrow."
"Okay." He grinned.
"Anyway. Better get some sleep if you want to beat Knowledge. You took her by surprise last time, so don't expect it to be so easy this time. Or it better not be. If it is I'll stick her in with Rage for a week."
"Bye Raven." He close the door behind him, grinning.
She felt her face, wondering if she was going to spontaneously combust. But if anything, last night had taught her how short her life might be. Some risk was worth it, she decided with her heart pounding.
End of Chapter.
A new bet, but this time I think Knowledge is going to be seriously motivated given she might end up spending a week with Rage if she loses.
Many thanks to those who read and review.