TOA TITANS
PART THREE: THE FIRST FEW MONTHS
Location: Skippers County Federal Jail, Jump Metropolitan Area.
Current action: Rushing toward a man who had broken in.
Recipient of rushing: Cinderblock, a giant stony villain.
Prognosis: Not looking good.
The Teen Titans, formed in the wake of an alien invasion, had faced quite a few foes since their inception, and this seemed to be the strongest one yet. Sure; Lord Tro'gaar was taken down relatively quickly, and Punk Rocket had been thrashed, but those were last-gasp defeats- and Robin (former protégé of Batman,) Cyborg (a football star rebuilt with robotics,) Starfire (alien princess of Tamaran,) Beast Boy (ex-member of the Doom Patrol and a pretty cool dude,) Raven (a silent and gloomy mage,) and Windflyer (once a Toa Nuva, and the "star" of our story) all knew that wasn't going to be an option here.
He trudged towards them, roaring savagely and glitzy eyes glowing a deep blood red. Robin jumped off and got a good kick in his chest, unnerving Cinderblock and sending him back a bit. The rocky man stay still for a moment before turning around and receiving two starbolts (Starfire's weapons) in the back. Cyborg came in, dealing a right hook for his face, but Cinderblock stopped it (although he was sent back again by the impact.) Windflyer twirled his katana before slashing the villain with it and sending him running; Beast Boy, taking the form of a hawk, continued the assault and raked him with his talons. Finally, Raven floated in before Cindberblock, lifted up a section of the cracked floor, and calmly allowed him to smash his way into it.
Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin rushed him once more. Unfortunately, Cinderblock was prepared; with a powerful backhand, Starfire was the only hero left standing. She threw some more starbolts at him, but he grabbed her with his massive hands and pulled her into his face. The girl gasped a bit as the villain tried to crush her, but soon gave a catlike smile: "I am sorry to disappoint you," she said sweetly, eyes glowing as she did so, "but I am stronger than I look!" Then she headbutted Cinderblock, forcing him to let go, and high kicked him to a wall. A screeching call heralded Beast Boy's arrival, the male swooping down and quickly transforming into a tyrannosaurus rex. The rex charged, stomping the floor, but Cinderblock simply stood his ground and knocked him back with a hook of his own.
Windflyer charged next, jumping before Cinderblock and calling on the Pakari to try and push him away; the man was too strong, though, and the attempt was unsuccessful. Raven tried to levitate him away- "Azarath metrion-"
But gasped as she found Beast Boy's shadow steadily growing underneath her. He yelled, transforming to a human as he did so-
WHUMP!
And fell on the both of them like an anvil on a cartoon character.
He was the first to get up, shaking his head to clear it of the pain. Windflyer then jumped out of the pile, frowning at him. Finally, Raven stood, gritting her teeth angrily, before calming herself as a strand of hair overlaid her face.
Beast Boy smiled sheepishly, trying to relieve the tension. "Heh… watch out for falling dinosaurs?" She only glared at him and blew the strand away. "I'm gonna leave you two alone now," he said, quickly fleeing.
Cinderblock chuckled at this tomfoolery and started after him. The guy was funny, but he couldn't have his head uncrushed any longer. He was halfway through the room when-
Ow! The robin had jumped on and gotten him in a headlock!
Cinderblock dashed around wildly, unable to move properly with the guy jerking his neck. He then spotted a girder- idea! It struggled for a bit, but the man's strength allowed him to pull it out easily, pieces of concrete in tow. The robin growled. "Thrashing only makes me hold tighter!"
Now Cinderblock was confused. Thrashing? What was that supposed to mean? He wasn't committed to having the robin pushing him around, though, so he raised the girder over his shoulder to pound his head in- oh, no head, the idiot had jumped away-
CLANG!
Cinderblock grabbed at his head, obviously in pain. Cyborg looked at this, wondering if it would be effective if- then he saw another girder. Now there's an idea! He ripped it off and charged towards Cinderblock, now having recovered, swinging madly as he did so…
The fight was intense. Cyborg and Cinderblock flew at each other with their girders, slashing like pirates on a sinking ship. The cell flashed blue each time they connected- giving off a mighty CLANG in the process- making it hard to tell who won, but it seemed the robotic was gaining ground over the rocky. The two struggled at close quarters, Cinderblock pushing Cyborg back for a massive swing-
Don't.
Cinderblock growled- of course he would!
You're not going to hurt Cyborg-brother.
Who? Cinderblock didn't care for names.
The robot. I won't let you!
The man struggled at this. He guessed he wouldn't after all- no- wait, was he an idiot? Well… even more so than usual, anyway? Why should this "Cyborg-brother" get better treatment than anybody else? He raised the girder back- No, you idiot! Drop it! Cinderblock wasn't an idiot. The girder was put in position- Stay put! He didn't care, it went- NO! Stop this-
No. The voice would stop this. He raised the girder again, swinging forcefully-
CLANG!
And made his mark. Upon being hit, Cyborg-brother and his girder flew back, skidding against the floor.
Pretty girl soon floated down, her hands glowing. Cinderblock knew she had allied herself with the changing man, but why? She was too good for him. He sighed and raised his girder once more-
Hssss. Or what was left of it. Some green flash had heated it and turned it into mush. Cinderblock grunted in surprise, grasping for something else he could use… only to find nothing. Pretty girl was evil. She laughed at him while witch and alien looked on. Now he clenched his fist, moving to crush her- wait! Masked man had told him to do something else important here… he grasped at his mind for what… OH! The prisoner! Cinderblock grunted at the pretty girl- good riddance- and trudged off.
Windflyer sighed. "Guess my Komau isn't as good as it's supposed to be."
"No," Raven returned. "It's fine, albeit a bit weak. Cinderblock was just too rowdy to control."
"You think so? He blatantly made an effort to cast me out…"
Raven frowned. "Yeeeah. I don't think he cares much to be thrown around by a bunch of pretty boys."
Windflyer moved to object, but stopped himself short.
Cyborg groaned, still flat on his back. That last hit by Cinderblock had been a bit… stranger than before. He wanted to see why, but the man had just left. The robotic man stayed on the dirt floor for a bit, taking in the musky smell, before Robin came by and offered a hand. As the hero helped Cyborg up, he dusted himself off.
Robin smirked. "Want to give this guy the Sonic Boom?"
Cyborg converted his arm into a sonic cannon and grinned. The Sonic Boom was a move he and Robin had been working on (Robin had said it was to increase "unity", for whatever outlandish reason, so today seemed like the best time to try it.)
"I got the Sonic if you got the Boom," he said, holding the cannon up.
The Titans regrouped and looked down the smoky hallway, still flashing red. Farther down, Cinderblock continued to stomp. He had remembered that the masked man had said his reward would satisfy his "greatest desire", which gave him even more impetus to get the prisoner out of here. That Hawaii vacation was just barely in his stony grasp-
"Yo, ROCKHEAD!"
He stopped and turned around. Oh. Cyborg-brother was back for more.
The man and the robin ran towards him for a bit before moving apart and dashing up the walls. Then they jumped towards each other, Cyborg-brother's cannon warming up-
Only to mess up whatever they were planning, getting tangled up via their feet, spinning out of control. Cinderblock winced. That looked like it must have hurt… then both smashed into a wall. Definitely hurt. Their weapons crashed as well, the cannon exploding in a sound blast that took the changing man and pretty evil girl off their feet and a small disk flying out of the robin's hand, exploding as well and sending clumps of dirt in the alien and the witch's faces.
Cinderblock smiled inwardly at the fireworks. They were rather fun to watch, and he wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more before he crushed-
The prisoner!
Couldn't forget Hawaii. He trudged towards another wall, smashed it, and walked right through the hole and others that lay in his wake. A lone prisoner stepped out of the gap, looking at the destruction, then gasped in awe.
"Hey, hey, look at this!" he called.
A group of them stepped out. They too gasped.
"It's freedom!" They could all escape!
The first smiled confidently. "Let's do it! Let's get out of here!"
"YEAH!"
Sprinting into the holes, each looked at each other happily.
Robin got to his feet and groaned, rubbing his head. That hadn't worked as they'd planned-
Wait. Was that-
A low rumble. A chorus of stamping feet.
"WE'RE FREE!"
Oh god.
A throng of prisoners had taken advantage of the two's- Cyborg's- mistake to escape! Robin growled at this, pulling out his bo staff and extending it to full length, and took fighting stance with the others.
They ran down the corridor, looking for the entrance. "Should be around here somewhere!" a prisoner said. "Might have to search a bit before we can-"
He stopped, panicked.
The others frowned. What was his problem-
"ROOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR RR!"
A T-REX!
And the Teen Titans, at that!
The prisoners cringed and fumbled for weapons, but the T-rex roared again. Robin looked to the others, moving towards them angrily, nodded, then leaped forward for a punch…
(A/N: Switch in perspective here. Sorry if it seems a bit jarring.)
Ugh… where am I?
I know it can't be the ship, that's for certain. It'd held up to out fighting for a bit before somebody screamed and it exploded. We were drowning for a bit before some creatures came and took Kiina away. That reminds me… where is Kiina? She'll be alone as well, and if I know Kiina, she'll be majorly pissed-
"Ah, you're awake. Calm yourself."
Who's this? Looks to be one of the natives here. Short, stocky, bald, glasses, weird coat. He frowns for a bit before making an effort to smile. Taking a cue, I try to smile as well.
The action forces me to open my eyes… and now I KNOW I can't be on the ship. It's too dry, sterile, calm. Reminds me of the jail the Great Beings held us in this one time we invaded the Valley. Strange to say, given what they've done to us, but it actually… gives me comfort. My heart sinks a bit.
"I'm surprised you didn't die. It took quite a while to get all of that water out of you, and even then your condition was telling."
Telling of what? The drowning? Did he take me out? Go figure.
On that note, his language is really hard to understand! I mean, it's pretty similar to ours, with the grammar and all, but I still find myself struggling to pick out the strange pronunciation… now I know how Lewa felt among the Bota Magnans. This is maddening.
I try to gesture, similar to how he had before using the Language Stone, trying to find out why I am here. The man raises an eyebrow and says, in his mangled tone, that I was drowning in the ship. Of course I was, you idiot! I just want to know why!
The man sighs and says he was the first one on the scene. The Gordanians were something he did not want to mess with. I nod at that- some of 'em gave us a really big problem.
I stay still for a bit, letting him look over me, before asking where I have been taken. The native freezes before groaning.
"You're in jail. I had to take you here."
WHAT? Why? Surely they hadn't confused me for an enemy…
The man notices my disdain and nods. "We thought you might've allied with those reptiles. Seems pretty unlikely now, but oh well. LexCorp is LexCorp."
I have to assume LexCorp is the enemy here.
Moving off the bench I have been placed on, I make preparations to leave the jail only to be harshly stopped by the man. He says that not only am I required to stay here, but he has also made some… alterations that may prevent me from doing so. I look at him with a growl, but he explains they were somewhat serious… I ignore this and take a step-
SPIRITS!
The pain, oh slag the pain… it's overwhelming. My foot has only just touched the ground before I am prey to a searing stinging feeling. I plead with the man for help. He shrugs. "See what I mean?"
No. I do not see what he means. Despite the pain, I am desperate to get out, so I move my other foot-
WHUMMMM!
"Starfire, something coming up on your left!"
"Right, Robin!"
Wait. I recognize that voice. It is- Robin is the one who stormed into the throne room and led Lewa and some others to take him on. LEWA! Is it possible that he, too, is fighting somewhere nearby? Not to mention that Tanika is among them… I turn to the man. He grins.
"They're the Teen Titans! Newest hit on the block… everyone's heard of them! Not exactly the biggest fan myself- I always liked Young Justice more- but it's nice to see Robin on a team again!"
So Robin has been on a team before, and Tanika has had her plight heard. I have to learn more. Another step, another wave of pain, another explosion and a bright green flash-
"Maybe I should go see what they're up to," he says, moving towards the door. I look on in concern. The fighting seems violent, and although I do not completely trust the man, I know I cannot just let him die.
The door slides open, sleek smooth breathing reminding me all too much of the Stormfront. I shudder a bit. That was not one of my better days.
I'm remembering our escape, sight of the cannon still fresh on my mind, when Tanika/Starfire screams "Robin!" and a wolf leaps past us. He's green, opaque emerald eyes gleaming, but it is surprisingly the least unnerving thing on my mind. Another man runs away, but the wolf is quick to lap him up. Robin growls, asks somebody named Raven to take him out, and-
"Azarath metrion ZINTHOS!"
A black light sweeps the room, things appearing in a negative tone. The man is lifted up and thrown to a nearby wall. My man cringes and shuts the door, breathing rapidly. "That wasn't such a good idea," he gasps. I nod but stand my ground. I recall such a chant being used to take down the ship, and if the Teen Titans are here to destroy this jail similarly, I must take them down…
The man sighs. "If you want to express your concern, just tell me."
I frown. I cannot. We do not speak the same tongues. All the same, though, I begin to speak, old Tesaran folk tale on the tip of my-
"See? What did I tell you?"
"Nothing. You told me absolutely-"
I pale- how was that- how did I understand him? I look to the man in shock- "What did you do?"
He only smiles. "Did a little bit of… surgery on you to make things a bit easier. How does it work?"
"Quite well," I say. "But aren't these guys here to-"
SLAM!
Something big pounds against the door. I fall, knocked back by the force. The man comes over to help me up; I hold out a hand to him, overcoming the pain, when I realize-
Oh slag. My hands were very robotic before, but those had been implants, used to supplement the biological muscles. These are fully mechanical, and if the man- "Simon." is right, LexCorp forced him to…
LexCorp is DEFINITELY the enemy here.
Cellblock 49 was in the high-security complex, designed to hold only the worst culprits. Even then, many feared it. It was the only cellblock to have its own door, isolated from the rest- and rumor had spread that its prisoner was the worst, the most dangerous. Nobody wanted to go in there.
Until now, that is.
Cinderblock rumbled up to the facility, footsteps causing minor earthquakes wherever he stepped. He walked up to the sign outside it, shadow all but covering it- "Prisoner 385901- Absolute Silence!" The man harrumphed. Silence would be all but necessary when he was through.
The cellblock was mostly devoted to empty space, the only thing taking up the massive area being a giant cylindrical tank of liquid itself held up by the ceiling. Inside the tank, fronted by extremely thick glass, a man dressed in only his underwear floated upright in a thick purple liquid. He was sleeping at the moment, but his features could still be made out- thin, stickly body, shaved head, wisened features suggesting he was in his thirties. Loud snores permeated the glass, revealing him to be deep in sleep-
SMASH!
And, surprisingly, still in it. Cinderblock smashed the door off its hinges, trudged up to the tank, ripped it off the apparatus that held it, punched a massive hole in the floor, and jumped straight through. Hoses jumped madly, spewing the liquid and some strange gases around, and the alarm began to ring, but the man would just not wake up. Even when the container got stuck in the hole and Cinderblock had to yank it through, prisoner 385901 remained in a deep sleep. Whatever he had taken had been very strong.
"Let's go, let's go!"
The Titans had felled many of their comrades, but the first two prisoners to escape still pulled on through. The entrance to 385901's cell appeared on their right, signaling that the entrance would be coming up soon- and sure enough, the smashed debris of the outer wall's gate appeared.
"I think we're gonna make it!"
The two stopped at the wall, trying to figure out how to make their move. A shocked camera crew documented their escape, lights flashing rapidly-
Only to be covered up. Random pieces flew back up to the bent frame, forcing the prisoners back. Prisoner 1 frowned, and the second echoed this sentiment. "Huh?"
A large black vortex appeared on the gate, swirling slowly. A being floated through, the vortex blipping out of existence to reveal the gate had been fixed, suddenly repaired by an unseen force, and also showed that-
Raven.
"Think again."
The air began to glow black with magic. As the two realized their fate, dark tentacles appearing to tie them up, they turned to each other and screamed.
"Are we there yet?"
"No! Trigon's not here! And I think I just saw Raven…"
"That's a good thing, right?"
"No."
"Ugh. I knew we should've taken that book when we'd had the chance."
"You want to fight a socially awkward dragon monster?"
"Better than this."
"Hmmm… yeah. Probably will be."
The ear-piercing alarm slowly began to dim before shutting off entirely- the lights stayed on, however. The police still needed to inspect the building for damage. Some watched the abandoned cellblock, looking through Cinderblock's holes as the handcuffed prisoners returned to their cells. The Titans stood nearby, Beast Boy demorphing from a gorilla to a human.
"Jailbreak?" he said with a smug smile. "I don't see any jailbreak."
Robin growled, turning away. "None of us would've SEEN one if Cyborg hadn't messed up!"
"ME? I 'messed up' NOTHING!" Cyborg glared, Robin's cape blowing back with the force of his tone. "YOU got in my way!"
"You were too far forward, and Cinderblock got away because of it!"
"You saying this is MY fault?
The Boy Wonder's eyes sparked. "Want me to say it again?"
The two stared at each other angrily before Starfire pushed them away. "Stop!" she yelled. "No more mean talking!"
The arguers harrumphed and turned away. "Yeah," Beast Boy added. "If you two are going to fight, we need time to sell tickets."
Raven stepped up and frowned. "Cinderblock escaped. No amount of yelling will change that. So stop acting like idiots, and let's go home."
Cyborg and Robin glowered at each other over their shoulders. "Hmph!" they both said. The two walked away, breathing softly, and left the other Titans unnerved.
"Loser," Robin murmured.
"Jerk."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
The two whirled to face each other, eyes blazing. Robin was now fully angry. "Do you have a problem, Tin Man?"
"Yeah! It's four feet tall and smells of cheap hair gel!"
Everyone still in the room backed against the wall, scared out of their mind. Beast Boy cried. The attackers continued to fight in front of them.
"Well, you're an oversized klutz and your feet smell of motor oil!"
"You're bossy, you're rude; you got no taste in music! I have just the right mind to-"
"QUIET! Both of you!"
They turned to Windflyer, irritated at his interruption. The Toa merely stood his ground and crossed his arms, eyes narrowed at them.
"So Cinderblock got away," he spat. "Who CARES? We stopped a jailbreak, together, and quite well, I might add! This is an occasion to be celebrated! Happy-cheer!"
Cyborg glared. "You don't get a say in this-"
"HAPPY-CHEER!"
The two glowered at Windflyer angrily. He shrank back and harrumphed. "Fine. Fight all you want. I don't care."
"Windflyer is stupid, but he's right," Robin said. "I don't even KNOW why you're on this team!"
"That makes three of us! I QUIT!"
The other Titans stared at this, eyes widened in complete shock. As they watched, Cyborg stamped away, Robin hanging his head.
"Thanks. I was just trying to be helpful," Windflyer said darkly.
The night sky was aloft with lights, various barges delivering their loot to the city. In the Tanghal Warehouse, Wintergreen stood alone, dusting off some furniture and humming a happy tune about a cricket player and some crumpets. He had just gotten to the part about the mayor's wife and the cheese wheel when-
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Wintergreen cringed. Was that- the man Slade had sent for? He hesitated to find out- his master had been scaring him a lot as of late-
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Do you mind getting that, Wintergreen?"
Wintergreen hesitated for a moment, nodded. "O-on it, sir!" He slowly reached for the hinge, sliding the large door open…
He cringed again.
If this was whom Deathstroke wanted… the man really was off his game. A giant stony beast stood outside the doorway, fiery red eyes glowing angrily. He growled, grunting and moving his head. In a giant fist, he held a strange tank, a man inside. Wintergreen moved to ask whom, but the rock merely brushed it off.
The butler frowned, but called Slade anyway. "Master! He is here!"
"Cinderblock? Very well. Bring him in."
Wintergreen grumbled at Slade's choices and allowed Cinderblock to drag him and the tank towards the Terminator's office.
Gears turned. Sets of industrial equipment shifted, hard at work building something. Elsewhere, atop a comforted chair on a tall platform, itself bathed in dim red light that turned his armour grey and his mask red-orange, Slade smiled. Things were going along well.
A low rumble sounded, the equipment shaking. He was here. The Terminator waited as a man appeared, setting a tank down on the floor and throwing Wintergreen into his face.
He groaned. "Sir, I don't believe this was a good idea…"
"No," Slade whispered, "it completely was. Trust me." He turned to the beast. "Cinderblock. I see your mission was a success." Cinderblock nodded.
The man beamed. "Good. We will proceed with Phase Two. Wake him."
Cinderblock reached for the cap that held the tank closed, struggling to take it off. It took a while, but he eventually did, a loud pop sounding and large clouds of purple emanating. As they cleared, the man inside beginning to awaken, Wintergreen paled.
"Are you sure this is the right plan of action, Wilson?" he whimpered. "The man's a bloody scientific experiment!"
"Patience, Wintergreen."
The man in the tank groaned, startled by the interaction. "I'm… awake?" His eyes widened and he began to panic. "I should never be awake! I'm only human when I'm sleeping!"
"But for what I have in mind, your human form is useless." Slade leaned towards him and grinned darkly. "I need Plasmus."
The man's eyes glowed yellow before he screamed; form bulging and puffing like a kid playing with silly putty. The mass that was once a human pressed against the glass of the tank before it gave out and finally shattered, tiny pieces sprinkling across the floor. The mass climbed out of its former prison and overwhelmed Cinderblock, bringing more of the purple fumes with him. As it cleared, the light having been taken out, it reformed into a more humanoid shape, large lumpy form augmenting a very wide mouth and tiny, piercing yellow eyes.
"Slade!"
Slade smiled. "Meet Plasmus and Cinderblock. They form the bulk of Prophase One."
Plasmus stood still for a moment before moving to the two, opening his massive maw and ROARING. It was a very good thing Cinderblock hadn't been able to wake him up- the guy would've been dead. And soon the Titans would be too.
"So, I have a plan."
Gali looked at Tahu funnily. He grinned.
"We'll head to the Valley, contact the Great Beings and ask them to be taken to the Gordanians. Then we can beat them up and hopefully find Lewa! It's foolproof!"
Gali smiled helpfully then frowned. "Tahu, I don't know if that will work…"
"But the Great Beings are here! We can still find them!"
"I know, brother, but…" She sighed. "What is the point, really? They have left. Lewa is gone. There is no use trying."
"You were pretty confident before…"
Tahu and Onua had followed Nokama's advice and laid low in the caverns for a while, watching as the Matoran and Agori rebuilt New Atero. Then they had ventured out to find the other Toa. Gali had stayed surprisingly close to Tahu, sheltering in the market near his house- the Toa had wondered if it was a sign that she forgave him-
"Yeah, 'cause you made me so."
Or if she just needed a place to stay. Oh well. Tahu imagined she hadn't taken this well, anyway. It just didn't make sense that the one who kept preaching unity wasn't following it himself… or that he, who hated it the most, actually was. But this planet seemed to work strangely that way.
"I… but I…"
Onua put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It is all right, brother. We cannot expect to get along so quickly."
Thanks for having my opinion, brother.
They had fought for a while, Tahu trying his hardest not to yell at Gali while she passive-aggressively ignored in. Then Onua had come in and drove them off before the Toa of Fire explained their predicament. She had not acknowledged it at all until Onua had mentioned Lewa's involvement, that seeming to ignite a flame in her (how ironic.) Gali had mentioned that while she'd seen the Gordanians move out, she hadn't known that Lewa had flown to them- and that actually made her nervous. Not that Tahu cared.
"Eh… he has a point, Onua. If Lewa is really in as much danger as you say, we have to go after him."
"Even if he's dead?"
Gali smiled. "Even if he's dead."
The three fistbumped and collapsed exhaustedly on the sandy floor.
"Where do we start?" Onua asked. "We have no idea where the pool might be, let alone where our brother is."
The Toa of Water looked at him for a moment, reached for his face and played around with his receptors for a bit before smirking playfully.
"Oh, don't worry," she said huskily. "I have a good idea."
1. Are the Toa still able to use the Noble Kanohi? I don't know.
2. That Gresh scene doesn't take inspiration from The Hunger Games. No siree. Not at all.
3. The Nuva plotline is going to be dragged out to hell because they can't exactly meet Lewa just yet.
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