3/14/2022
Gotham City/Argus Building
"This is awkward." I said plainly as Argus has also taken over the Gotham branch of Star Labs which is going to serve Argus in various scientific projects and now the building has quite a few scientists in it.
The awkward part was not only the Outsiders shrine placed in a secure room but it was also the fact that Nikki had to explain that she was helping me master my powers and work as a support system for me which means that Argus is going to be sticking its nose into my powerset which isn't ideal and that little bit of information was also passed down to my commanding officers Sonya, Jax, Johnny and Raiden himself which is what made things awkward.
Right now, I am standing in the center of a large room was Raiden was doing some kind of magical spell on me as I was surrounded by an almost ethereal blue magic aura coming from the lighting god's hands, but the magic didn't hurt and frankly it just felt intrusive but since Argus bought Star Labs and gained access to my medical info, I couldn't exactly stop this from happening.
"Unbelievable. Your body has become a lesser conduit for Void energy. Including your Lycanthropy, I must ask why the Outsider has taken an interest in you?" Raiden asked as he stopped this spell as I looked at him and my Titans team plus the commanding officers, Nikki and a horde of scientists.
"I don't really know. He isn't my friend or anything, but he also isn't an enemy. He just gave me powers because he was bored and thought that I could do something interesting with them. Also, you're taking the werewolf part surprisingly well." I told him honestly and that little secret certainly didn't foster trust with my teammates excluding Cassie since she knew about it beforehand.
"In truth your Lycanthropy does concern me. Lycans died out hundreds of years ago thanks to the vampires of a forgotten realm so the fact that you are one powered by the Void itself certainly raises some concerns." Raiden said as he gave me a stern look and frankly, I don't fault him for being cautious about me.
Keeping something like this a secret would never have been permanent but the fact that I got snowballed like this by Argus is more Nikki's and Futaba's fault. I'm mad at them but again with Argus pushing things they aren't entirely to blame. It's just a bad situation all around.
"So now we have to deal with a werewolf for a teammate. I'd better start packing some silver arrows." Jin said as I gave him an annoyed glare as I was dressed in my civilian clothes while everyone else was combat ready. They are a bit unnerved and slightly scared of me know which is something I hated.
To survive in this world, I need allies more than enemies.
"I don't blame you for being unnerved by what I am but if you actually try hitting me with any kind of arrow, I'll shove it up your ass." I told him as he scoffed with a smirk.
"At ease Jin." Sonya said as she seemed the calmest about this.
"If Andrew wanted to kill us, he would have tried it already. As far as I'm concerned, he's become a stronger asset to the Titans team." Sonya said as I let out a breath, I didn't even know I was holding.
"So…Why don't you go full wolf?" Jacqui asked with a bit of confusion about what she should even be asking as I just shrugged.
"I never had to go wolf mode before and I'm honestly not sure if I can control myself if I do. I haven't had time to practice these abilities in a controlled environment other than the danger room." I replied as scientists and Nikki had been taking notes and stuff on me as they have been giving me various tests today and I have become completely exhausted mentally. Ether/Void energy is apparently something that Argus is familiar with, but they aren't saying how they are familiar with it.
I assume it was some kind of void powered monster or alien or something. Anyway after a few more tests the scientists finally stopped testing me and let me return to Argus base with my team as several eyes were now watching me since someone apparently talked about me to everyone in the compound. Granted I was already being talked about before but now it was different based on the fact that there was a new mix of fear involved with the gossip.
Soon enough we reached the meeting room of the base as Sonya spoke up.
"Alright Titans it's time for our assault on Daegon and his Red Dragon gang." Sonya said before she revealed some kind of strange device that she placed on the table and when she did that the device released a large visual hologram in front of all of us and the image was of an insanely massive compound.
"This is the Red Dragon's location. It was originally thought to be a small island near Gotham however it seems that this island was concealed by Daegon's magic which was successful in hiding his location until we finally caught a break. Now we are going to travel to this island and take him down hard." Sonya explained before telling us the plan to assault the Red Dragon Island.
Soon enough the meeting came to an end as we were sent to the barracks to prepare for the assault on the island base of an extremely troubling gang. Argus is partnering with Gotham PD as well due to the fact that Daegon has metahumans on his payroll apparently but honestly, I can't help but feel nervous.
I've been stealing things to increase my power and I am more than comfortable fighting people but, on this mission, I might have to kill people. Granted they are going to try and kill me but the fact that I might take another person's life is troubling.
"You good?" Takeda asked me as he came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder as I had finished getting dressed in my super suit.
"Yeah, I'm good." I told him as I turned to look at him and frankly Takeda seemed to not actually care about me being a werewolf and just thought of me as the same teammate he saw when I first joined this team.
"It's ok if you're not though. You've got a lot going on and I can't imagine the pressure you under by working for a former elder god." Takeda said to me and that made me raise an eyebrow.
"He's a what?" I asked him.
"The Outsider was a former elder god. Not much is known about him even to Raiden and Fujin but from what we know from the Shaolin Archives it seems that the Outsider grew bored with the other Elder God's before Shinnok was cast out into the Netherrealm. He commands the Void entirely and is known to give people powers for his amusement, but nobody truly knows what he wants." Takeda said to me and that was a bit of useful information to have.
The Outsider is an Elder God who left his fellow god's behind before the whole Shinnok mess.
"Thanks for the info, Takeda. Getting that basic knowledge from the Outsider would have been a pain. Also, thanks for checking up on me. You're a good dude." I told him honestly as Takeda was a solid bro in my book as he chuckled in response.
"Don't mention it." Takeda replied before we gathered with the rest of our team before jumping into a chopper as we took to the air along with the ground forces also moving out as we headed towards the Red Dragon Island.
"This place is supposed to be highly guarded but so far there isn't a damn thing here." Jin said as he looked out one of the choppers windows at the large island we came near as we also saw boats of Argus and Gotham PD heading towards the island as well before one of the boats suddenly exploded in a burst of fire. Followed by another boat before they started taking evasive measures.
"You were saying?" I asked him before the chopper moved sharply to the side in order to evade a firebolt as I stood up and grabbed a rail before moving my head out of the sliding door of the chopper as I looked towards the island with my telescoping helmet and sadly, I didn't see much but what I did see was humanoid beings in the distance launching fire towards the boat and our chopper.
"Hang on. This is going to be a rough landing." The pilot said as I brought my head back into the chopper as the pilot got us as close as possible to the island away from the fireball throwing monsters.
Yes, the people here were actually monsters because they were similar to Reptile's race but instead of spitting acid, they are spitting fireballs from their mouths. Anyway, the pilot dropped us off a fair distance away from our ideal landing spot but this is still manageable as we are on a shore near the southwest side as we looked on at the industrial building complex on this island.
The chopper took to the air and went to escape but it was sadly hit with a fireball and crashed into the ocean with an explosion following its landing in the water.
"Fuck." Cassie cursed as we turned around and saw several draconic humanoids heading towards us. "Keep close and watch each other's backs." Cassie ordered as I quickly took out my pistol as the monsters charged at us and when they got close, we attacked.
I was able to keep a few off me with some well-placed shots but soon enough I got a bit overwhelmed with the numbers and the fact that I ran out of bullets so I dropped my gun and had to fight hand to hand. Dealing with multiple targets without a gun isn't easy but thanks to using their momentum against them as well as my enhanced strength it wasn't too overwhelming to deal with them. However, I did take note that their bodies are much more durable than normal. Even with my strength it took effort to take down these monsters. This fight is just weird. I'm doing decent but the enemies aren't falling fast enough.
I got tackled by a monster who attacked me from my blind spot and now I was on the hard ground trying to pry this monster off me as it tried to claw and rip at my helmet before he was taken off me thanks to a arrow from Jin as I quickly got back up to my feet and got into my fighting stance before our group soon finally finished off the group of monsters attacking us.
"Fucking hell. What are these things?" I asked as I picked my gun back up off the ground before I took out some more ammo from my Pocket as I reloaded my gun and now knew to do a better job at counting my bullets. "Punching these things out doesn't do much good." I said as I released every ounce of power I had just to knock these things out and a normal person wouldn't be able to do that.
"These things are weird. The Shaolin never talked about monsters like this other than the Saurian's but these things aren't then." Jin said as he retrieved his arrows and chakram form the corpses of these monsters.
"It doesn't matter what they are. We take them down just like their boss." Jacqui said as we heard what sounds like gunfire in the distance.
"It sounds like our reinforcements are getting attacked. We should help them." Takeda said before Cassie nodded her head.
"No. They are doing their job and distracting the enemy. We need to strike at Daegon now." Cassie said with a serious tone of voice.
"Cassie's right. Its now or never." I said as we decided to march on as we made our way into this bizarre complex.
"What is this place?" Takeda asked as we moved through this place that seemed eerily similar to me as this place is built like a massive asylum.
"This place is Arkham. A former insane asylum for criminals and insane patients. It went under a few dozen years ago but rumors had it that mob families tried buying out this place as some kind of offshore hideout or safehouse." Cassie explained as we entered a main hallway with tv's on moveable platforms around us before they all suddenly sparked to life.
"It looks like I have some uninvited guests." A deep voice said as I looked at one of the televisions and saw none other than Daegon himself dressed in a heavy trench coat that was a crimson red color and was fashioned in place with leather belts across the chest with spikes on the shoulders as he is also sporting black pants and heavy boots and there is a woman walking around him as he sat in a chair that just screams James Bond villain.
This woman is none other than White Rabbit. A lesser villain of Batman and she is still dressed as a playboy bunny. Granted I'm not complaining about the view but it is still a bit strange to see her.
"Not another one. We already have mister brooding trying to steal from us." White Rabbit said in a complaining voice before she sat in Daegon's lap.
"Easy little rabbit. We'll be rid of them all soon enough." Daegon said before he looked over at us through the tv screen. "Now you all have become a pain in my ass in a matter of seconds since I already have someone else invading my base and assaulting my…Experiments. So, here is what's going to happen. You're going to leave my island or be killed."
Nobody bothered responding as I raised my pistol and shot the tv that I was looking at.
"Why'd you do that? It won't stop him from talking." Cassie said as I shrugged.
"It will make me feel better. We don't have time for a supervillain speech. Our job is to kick his ass and bring him in and that is exactly what I plan on doing. As well as finding out what the hell he meant when he said, 'Experiments' the way he did." I said to my teammates who seemed to agree with me before we marched into the first room near us as the room is massive and has various hallways to go down and without a map, we had no idea which way we should go.
"If anyone says we should split up to look for clues I am going to smack you." I said to everyone as they all just rolled their eyes at me before Jacqui raised one of her wrists mounted mechanical gauntlets and pulled up a holographic view of this compound.
"He's pretty deep in this place but I can lead us to him with the fastest route shown on this holographic map." Jacqui said as we followed her through this massive place while dealing with squads of draconic monsters before we stumbled across a massive lab of horrors. Blood is everywhere along with corpses on tables that are covered with blankets and magical runes are all over the walls.
"I see their taking the house of horrors quote literally." Jin said as he was also unnerved by this instead of keeping his usual cocky and uncaring attitude.
"What the hell is Daegon up to?" I asked as I picked up a notebook with blood spots on it and decided to flip through it a bit and what I read shocked me. "This isn't good."
"What'd you find?" Cassie asked as I closed the notebook.
"Daegon originally did have a gang of humans, but he also had a dragon ally with him and with body parts from the dragon he started mutating his gangbangers into draconic monsters with the help of someone called Dollhouse." I explained to them before a voice sounded over the intercom.
"Aw. Looks like I have a fan of my work. I have to say that this job is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. Turning people into masterpieces of art is so rewarding." A female voice said over the intercom as my face soured at the voice.
This is another minor character in DC comics but that doesn't make her any less vile and twisted.
"Unfortunately, we aren't going to be having a face to face yet. So, my toys will have to keep you company for now." Dollhouse said before the intercom cut out.
"This is getting worse and worse, and our backup isn't anywhere in site." Cassie said as she balled up her fists.
"Are we retreating?" Jacqui asked as I shook my head.
"No way. These guys need to be stopped now before they do anymore damage." I said as I gathered a few of the other notebooks in the room as I stashed them away in my Pocket space before we moved out. Thanks to Jacqui's map we did manage to avoid some traps until we came up to a massive courtyard. The courtyard, however, seemed to be a trap.
Daegon, Dollhouse and White Rabbit were in the courtyard seemingly waiting for them and had no monsters around them at all.
"Freeze Daegon! You and your little harem of girls are going down!" Cassie shouted at them as Daegon chuckled.
"That is certainly an amusing thought. However, I don't have time to waste with you lot since that annoying Deathstroke decided to steal something extremely valuable to me and now I need to catch up to him before he leaves." Daegon said as he balled up his fists.
"That's not happening! Now give up or get put down!" Cassie shouted once again before someone burst through a nearby wall to enter the courtyard. This person in a black bodysuit and mask with some kind of mechanical device on his back that connects to the tubes attached to the back of his neck and both his wrists is none other than the man that broke Batman's back.
"Your late Bane." White Rabbit said with annoyance in her voice.
"I got distracted by some troublesome rats that are storming your island." Bane said before he glanced over at us. "It seems like more rats are here to be hunted as well."
"That would be the case and now you are going to help me get rid of them." Daegon said before he looked over at in a swift movement as he also sent a fireball from his hands towards us which moved at insane speeds as we all dodged out of the way as Daegon, White Rabbit, Dollhouse and Bane rushed in.
White Rabbit attacked Cassie while Dollhouse went for Jin and Jacqui. Lastly Daegon went for Takeda and Bane went after me as he moved insanely fast for such a big guy as he grabbed me in one swift grab and tossed me away as it hit the ground hard but thankfully with my bodies toughness I wasn't down for long as I got up and avoided a punch from him that put a big hole in the concrete near my feet as I brought my foot up and hit him in the head with a powerful kick which did make him stagger back for a moment before I pushed in and attacked with a flurry of body blows aimed at his kidneys before he broke up the fight by kicking me in the side and once again sent me off my feet.
"Damn it." I groaned in pain as I slowly got up holding my side as I saw Bane press a button on the tubes attached to his wrists as I saw green fluid move through the tubes and into his body as his muscles grew twice their normal size.
"You take a hit well boy. But now it is time for you to be broken." Bane said as he rushed me and each step he took impacted the ground harshly as I tried dodging but he extended his arm out and hit me with a right and powerful clothesline which sent me on the ground hard as my head hit my helmet and it felt like I hit steel against my head.
My eyes got a bit blurry and I knew that his attack probably just gave me a concussion as I felt a familiar clawing at my heart as I felt Bane lift me up by my neck and right leg over his head before he brought me down onto his raised knee and the pain was so intense that I let out a blood curdling scream as I literally felt my back, some of my ribs and a organ or two break under the force and the sheer level of pain was enough to get me to black out as the last thing I saw was getting tossed onto the ground and hearing Cassie screaming my name as the clawing in my chest got more intense than ever before.
Cassie POV!
"Bastard!" I shouted at Bane after I knocked out that annoying ass playboy bunny with a glow enhanced uppercut to her glass chin as I rushed towards that roided out jock with both my pistols aimed at him and I didn't even hesitate to pull the triggers, but the bullets didn't even phase him.
"Sorry girl. But this new strain of Venom ensures that I can take a hit from a tank. Your little peashooters won't cut it and now I'll break you as well." Bane said to me, but I wasn't scared. I was pissed as fuck for what he just did to Andrew, and I intend to make him pay.
*Shatter* *Growl*
Out of nowhere I heard glass shattering along with a growl that sounded like it belonged to a wolf or something and I looked past Bane as he turned around and I saw Andrew, but he wasn't the same anymore.
His body had changed as he was now taller and buffer as his body was covered in black fur. His eyes are a bright yellow color and his fingers had changed into claws and the suit he wore was ripping at the seems trying to contain his beast form or whatever he wanted to call it as the helmet shattered from trying to contain his wolf like head and behind him and grazing the ground was his tail based on the shadow underneath him.
Andrew let out a loud roar that made me cover my ears as it no doubt got everyone's attention as I saw him rush Bane with a single leap from where he stood as he took the man down making me backup as Andrew clawed away at Bane with his claws as well as biting his shoulder before Bane stood up and roughly tossed Andrew off of him as Bane now had bloody marks decorating his chest as well as a chunk of his shoulder being missing but Bane hardly seemed to feel the pain at all.
"It seems like you might be worth something after all gringo." Bane said as he sounded like he actually found this fight amusing as Andrew let out another roar and charged back at Bane as the two of them fought it out tooth and claw. It was like watching two wild beasts fight each other in the wild.
"Its dangerous to be distracted." A familiar and assholish voice said as I turned to the side and saw Daegon as he kicked Takeda away. Takeda hit the ground hard as I put my pistols away.
"I'm going to enjoy kicking your ass." I told him as I felt a familiar feeling of my glow powers working as Daegon and I went at each other. He went for my head with a quick punch as I ducked underneath it and aimed to hit him with a side blow that he blocked with his other hand before he jumped up high and got me in the chin with a high knee making me stagger back before he tried rushing me again.
I had to focus on evading and countering before I saw my perfect opening when he overextended his kick as I moved slightly to the side to not only evade the blow but also to kick him straight in the nuts with a glow enhanced kick which made his eyes practically burst out of his head as he fell to his knees cupping his nuts with his hands before I kicked him in the face with a side kick which sent him down onto the ground. His head hit the ground hard and when he opened his eyes, I knocked him out with a glow enhanced punch to his smug prick face.
"Asshole." I said back as I saw Jacqui and Jin finally knock out Dollhouse. She wasn't difficult but she was damn slippery just like White Rabbit who seemed to vanish when I looked for her. But right now I don't give a shit.
"Andrew stop!" I shouted as I saw that he had gotten Bane down and was tearing away at him delivering large slashes at the muscle head who collapsed onto the ground. I ran to try and stop him but when I got close Andrew swung and slashed me with his claws.
A large and bloody slash mark was now on my stomach as I fell onto the ground gripping my gut as I looked up and saw Andrew now focused on me as he snarled and raised his claw to try and slash me before he stopped as Jin had just hit him in the chest with two magic arrows that released some kind of silver gas making Andrew howl and roar in pain as he tried swatting away the gas as Jacqui helped me to my feet.
"Cassie you've got to stay back. That's not Andrew right now." Jacqui told me and for some reason that truth felt extremely bitter and unwelcome to me.
Andrew let out another roar as he removed the arrows from his chest as he charged towards us again before Takeda came out of nowhere and hit Andrew with a dropkick to his legs which forced him down as Takeda quickly used his wired chain and wrapped it around Andrew's neck but not to kill him and instead to try and make Andrew lose consciousness. Or that's what I think since Takeda isn't using his blades.
"A little help!" Takeda shouted as he was on Andrew's back who tried to get Takeda off as Jin fired another one of those silver gas arrows at Andrew's chest before Jacqui left my side and rushed in to deliver a powerful uppercut to Andrew. Andrew fell backwards almost landing on Takeda but the guy moved out of the way in time and kept his wires tight around Andrew's neck until we were all sure that he was out cold as his roar's died down into whimpers and when Takeda finally let him go we saw his body start to shrink as the hair started receding until we saw the real Andrew again in his torn up suit.
"Sorry were late. What did we miss." A familiar voice said as I turned around and saw police commissioner Gordon with a squad of officers and Argus grunts behind him. He rushed in for the medics when he saw my cut as they put the Daegon and his 'friends' in metahuman cuffs.
This is going to be one hell of a debrief and mommy dearest isn't going to be happy.
End!
A/N: Another chapter has been completed and Andrew goes full beast mode after getting totally wrecked by Bane. However, there is more to this than what there appears along with the fact that Deathstroke has successfully stolen something from Deagon and nobody seems to know what it is.
So, let's see if it is discussed in the next chapter as well as the fallout of Andrew losing control of his inner beast.